Clear Geometry

Charged Voids designs a box-like office for a builder in Mohali which is open to the sky and sees a clear geometry of intersecting lines and an ellipse.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Javier Callejas Sevilla, Purnesh Dev Nikhanj and Niveditaa Gupta; courtesy Charged Voids 

The brief

Located on one of the busiest commercial hubs of Mohali, this office is designed for a builder who is closely associated with Charged Voids. The brief required the office to be a reflection of both the builder’s execution skills and the design philosophies of Charged Voids.

The design intent

As the site was narrow and small, the architects designed a closed box opening mostly skywards but with careful gaps looking into the street, and used the courtyard as a buffer between the inside and outside. The strong and clear geometry of intersecting lines and an ellipse resolve a complex brief and create the requisite spatial sequence. The overall material palette is limited to only white marble and Sivakasi gold granite, along with simple white painted surfaces.

The spatial configuration

The primary requirements were a small reception, a large office with an attached meeting room on the ground level and a workspace for the accounts team, along with a second office on the second level. A significant requirement was a separate access to the terrace to allow for future expansion.

All the requirements were met with a clear thought of spaces flowing into one another along with a large central volume. Two intersecting walls that form a sort of “L” allow reorienting the entrance towards the main centre of the commercial hub; while the other wall allows separate access to the third level and the washrooms. The central ellipse on the ground level is the closed meeting room which is attached to the main office as well as the central space. The interjection of courtyards and skylights is a strategy that allows one to experience the fragments of nature, and break the powerful geometry of the elements of design. The facade is like a blank canvas for the light to manifest its magic filtering through the foliage of the tree right in front of the site.

Fact File

Project: Office 543
Location: Mohali
Area: 1,506 sq ft (site) and 2,045 sq ft (built-up)
Principal architect: Aman Aggarwal