AKDA Amit Khanna Design Associates
The challenge was to create a unified and open office atmosphere, while dividing the space programmatically into the three zones. The first part of the office, i.e. the entrance areas was laid out for the reception area and the marketing team since they would have the most interactions with visitors. The accounts and technical departments were positioned on the other side of the atrium, while the main management area acted as the bridge between the two and enjoyed the best views out towards the highway. Services were consolidated and pushed to the lightless areas of the building footprint, where they could be easily ventilated into the building air conditioning system.
A light oak colour is used to offset the crisp white surfaces in the open plan areas and a darker, more mature oak is used in the cabins of the senior management and the board room. The reception area features a continuous ribbon of paneling that envelops the entire space. A raised seating area is enclosed by a series of wooden beams that provide a fleeting glimpse of the interior from the entrance, carrying forward the overall theme of transparency and lightness. A sophisticated energy saving air-conditioning system that allows for efficient zone-wise cooling was adopted to ensure the differ.
The dining space, located just off the main workspaces is treated in complete contrast to the subtle clean lines of the main office. Meant to provide the experience of retreating to a restaurant, the entire space remains visually connected to the office through a fully glazed partition that provides acoustical and olfactory insulation. The raw soffits are left untreated and the black paint offsets the circular form of the silver ducts. Below these, LED tube lights are suspended in angular clusters to create a dramatic layering of services. The tables and cabinetry are finished in a bright orange, complementing the light terra-cotta tiles.