The biggest challenge we faced when designing, remodelling, and totally redesigning a developer’s office was to defy expectations and create a clear, airy, and light-filled area despite the crazy arrangement of columns and beams—all while keeping the building situated in a residential complex.
Project Name- The Banyan tree – Office Space
Studio Name- Ketaki Poonawala
Project Location- Pune
Project size- 1000 sqft
Project year- 2018
Photography- Taher Hussain K
As a result, massive civil intervention was needed, keeping the basic framework of columns and beams but removing every wall to accommodate the client’s full vision for the space. This allowed the office to feel open and spacious while still allowing for plenty of natural light and ventilation, which the original layout was limiting. The plan was to do away with artificial lighting and ventilation, reserving it for the three vital summer months.
This has been accomplished in a categorical manner throughout the process, coupled with the indoor-outdoor integration. The palette of materials consists of wood, glass, and various tones of brown and grey. Natural greenery grown in planter beds along all external apertures provides the required green element.
There contains a conference room, staff area, two smaller cubicles, a director’s cabin, and a reception area with a waiting lounge. Enough timber rafters have been used to provide the required warmth and hide the utilities, conduits, and ducts while maintaining the clear height.
This office space has a director’s cabin, two smaller cubicles, a reception with a waiting lounge, meeting room and staff section.
After several trials and errors and onsite meetings, finally the agency could match the exact surface treatment that we had envisaged. This Concrete stamping effect on walls renders the much needed earthy feel to this office and gives it a relaxed ambience.
Glass has been used extensively in partitions to create naturally connecting spaces. The flooring in the common areas is a shade of grey in vitrified matte finish tiles. The Reception and waiting area opens into a meeting room which is separated by a full height glass panel. The meeting room’s furniture consists of a metal-framed wooden plank table and chairs with mustard-colored upholstery.
A director’s cabin as well as two smaller cottages are accessible from the waiting room. The flooring of the cottages is constructed of wood, and the tables are also crafted from locally sourced materials. In the Directors Cabin, a blue sofa is positioned across the table. The hexagon-shaped onyx stone top at the end of the long table serves as a conversation area and opens up larger drawing sheets.
All of the cabins’ storage shelves are made of MS pipes that have been powder-coated and painted and hardwood planks.
The walls in this area are decorated with a combination of wood, MS supports, and factory-made storage areas, and the workstations are bespoke. Glass shutters give this space’s elevations a lighter vibe. The pantry and lavatory have received the same maintenance.
Despite being in the busy Model Colony neighbourhood, the office manages to isolate users and guests from the commotion and provides a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Not to mention, the well selected plants in the flower beds provide a special touch.
All in all this space was created to lend a slightly off beat approach to the traditional builder’s office design and decor to set an experience of its kind to the users as well as the visitors.
