Description

The Multilayered Office is a shared workspace between a veteran chartered accountancy firm and an upcoming venture of the parent firm. A corner office, it accommodates 35-40 people including support staff and has about 3000 sq. ft carpet area. In order to fit an existing office with a new venture, the spatial planning, and design elements had to be crisp and straightforward. Hence, the design identity here is made up of a neat play of lines and planes, carried forward in all design elements. 

 

The workspace is a combination of 2 adjacent offices, giving the designers freedom to choreograph the circulation within the space from scratch. The utility functions such as pantry and restrooms are positioned in a corner, cabins in the periphery abutting the glass facade, and the workspace in the center as a core. The entrance was strategically chosen to be adjacent to the conference room, allowing the clients control over both direct access for guests and a choice to take them through the workspace as well. Since the office received North-East light throughout the day, the design had to maximize daylight within the workspace. Since the requirements rendered this office space into a dense high traffic environment, the 7 work cabins in the periphery are glass boxes and the central zone is an open plan office. Some administrative seats are accommodated in alcoves adjoining the central core. A fine balance between a focussed yet collaborative work environment is brought in by customised furniture and heights of partitioning systems inside the cabins and in the staff area. Each cabin is designed to accommodate a meeting space to satiate the need for discussion spaces. The storage systems are celebrated in form of open library walls, also doubling up as partitions. The said partitions are designed to allow extended visual connection and unrestricted light throughout the space. The pantry is blessed with natural light and ventilation due to its strategic planning, allowing staff to break out in small groups. 

 

The color palette uses a range of grey tones from light to dark in combination with glass and light wood, creating a formal corporate expression. Subtle pops of color like pastel green and light blue are added to elevate the space. The use of laminate and MDF partitions creates a robust feel and ensures ease of maintenance. The flooring is grey tiles in the central workspace, cabins and conference rooms are carpeted. The tabletop surfaces are light wood to continue the corporate theme and give an impression of large proportions. The services are primarily concealed in the whitewashed false ceiling of the peripheral cabins. However, there is no false ceiling in the central workspace to maximize volume by neatly laying exposed services, all painted in charcoal grey to create camouflage. 

 

This project has achieved a mammoth feat to accommodate a large number of people in a limited footprint while making the space habitable and spacious in its ways. The play of light and shadow across the different zones creates a healthy work environment, elevating the corporate multilayered office. 

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Photography by: Umang Shah