Door to Display

In Cochin, Rubber Soul Architects strategise around tight deadlines, space and budget to design a sleek new showroom for Fero Doors.

Curated by: Ambica Sharma
Photographs: Justin Sebastian; courtesy Rubber Soul Architects

The site

The 678-sq-ft Fero Doors Showroom in Cochin is located in the company’s factory premises, and is an addition to one of the existing industrial sheds (manufacturing unit). “In terms of character, the look and feel of the showroom has been kept similar to the existing buildings, in order for it to blend with the surroundings,” say Aadil Salim and Nishit Patel, principal architects at Rubber Soul Architects. “A tight time-frame to build, which was 90 days, without disturbing the manufacturing unit and the heavy-vehicle traffic was a challenging aspect of this project,” they add further.

The brief

The client had a four-step brief: the showroom was to occupy a small footprint; it must be a quick and easy build; remain within a tight budget; and be visible on entry to the factory premises.

The design response

As the purpose was the display of Fero products, the north-facing main facade of the building has 45-degree, inclined wall panels, which act as display walls inside the showroom. This wall also acts as a visual distraction from the main gate, which sees a lot of heavy-vehicle movement. The sloping roof, made of PUF panels, collects the rainwater from the adjoining building. Additionally, a large rainwater drain on the side is an important element which gives character to the façade.

The material and colour palettes

Given its location, purpose, and the product, the showroom has been given an industrial look with metal pipes, perforated metal sheets and metal trusses. Most of these are either recycled or upcycled from the existing factories, in order to save time and costs. Apart from the 45-degree fins, all the walls both internal and external are lined in grey textured plaster to give a certain roughness. Structural and service elements have been left exposed to accomplish the overall industrial look and and highlighted with colour.

The takeaway

Aadil and Nishit state that unlike other projects, the simple design, and tried-and-tested construction details, made life easier for the contractor.

Fact file

Project:  Fero Doors Showroom
Location: Alwaye, Cochin
Area: 678 sq ft
Principal architects: Aadil Salim and Nishit Patel
Design team: Mariam Niloufer and Ankit Saxena