Alter Architects envision a workspace that is colourful, playful, and yet functional in its approach for a petrochemical company.
Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Tejas Shah Photography; courtesy Alter Architects
The site
The office is placed on the 5th floor of a commercial office building in Vadodara. Alter Architects, who designed the workspace, received the site as a naked frame structure box with beams, columns and a front glass façade done by the builder.
The brief
“With a penchant for art, the client approached us wanting a space that not only celebrated art but also materials and its versatility,” say the principals of the design studio. “Thus began our journey of exploring colours and materials in a way that was bold and whimsical.” The programmatic requirements were quite straightforward: a reception, a waiting area, workstations, cabins, a conference room, a lab room, a pantry and washrooms.
The design intent
While the spatial organisation followed a typical layout, the re-imagination of the spaces unfolded through its materiality and details. The office was conceptualised to not only inspire its users but also possess a timeless quality with its raw and rustic aesthetics.
The spatial flow
The entrance greets the user with a concrete finish wall punctured with louvres wrapped in Corten steel that acts as the backdrop for the company’s name. The bright blue water-inspired texture of the reception desk instantly captures one’s attention, creating a stark contrast with the grey interior. To continue the design language of the space, the concrete finish wall is adorned with an etched grid pattern along with a Corten Steel panel. A minimal, geometric light with black metal rods hangs above the desk adding a sense of dynamism to the space. To align with the history and philosophy of the company, the waiting area wall displays a doodle-like mural in black and blue.
Continuing further down, the workstations area is placed in the corner and the three cabins are positioned on either side of the corridor. Black aluminium partition walls with a combination of clear and fluted glass divides the different spaces. The workstations room follows a simple palette with furniture pieces in wood, metal, and stone. A hint of blue and red employed on the walls of cabins 1 and 2 adds a fun contrast to their monochromatic interiors. The desk in cabin 1 is custom-designed with its leg made of stone carved with a series of circles and lines. Unlike the other cabins in the office, the main cabin — a favourite with the architects — is more striking owing to the way it celebrates and experiments with materials. The long, curved wooden table is specially crafted to add a warm and intimate character to the space. While one side of the table rests on a pillar the other is supported on a folded metal plate punctuated with wooden strips. A huge bas-relief piece in concrete hangs magnificently on the wall behind the desk along with a horse artwork that symbolises triumph, strength, and success. In contrast to the bare finish of the floor, the ceiling is sheathed with perforated black metal panels.
“An office space that inspires the users and ignites a sense of purpose in them is what Amiyodaya strives for through its design,” state the architects. “It exemplifies a unique approach to designing a workspace that creates a holistic environment through its exploratory use of materials and details.”
The highlights
The visually appealing and well thought artwork and sculptures are the key highlights of the project.
Fact file
Project: Amiyodaya Petrochem Product
Location: Gorwa, Vadodara
Area: 2,000 sq ft
Principal architects: Aditya Umrajkar, Chitra Sindhkar, Parth Patel and Shil Shah
Design team: Parth Patel, Chitra Sindhkar and Krishna Pandya
Add a Comment