Infres Methodex Office

InfresMethodex is an organization specializing in niche office automation products like shredders and currency counting machines. They needed to comfortably accommodate their current team in a new location while providing sufficient scope for future expansion. The only brief from our clients was to create an office space that would foster the values of the organization – quality and efficiency.The site was in a generic office building located on the main highway to Agra, just beyond the city limits of Delhi. A peculiar characteristic of the space was the presence of a large atrium that virtually divided the space into three distinct zones.

The challenge was to create a unified office atmosphere while dividing the space programmatically into the three zones. The first part of the office was laid out for the reception area and the marketing team since they would have the most interactions with visitors. The accounts and technical section were positioned on the other side of the atrium while the main management area acted as the bridge between the two and enjoyed the best views out towards the highway. Services were consolidated and pushed to the lightless areas of the building footprint, where they could be easily ventilated into the building air conditioning system.

As a planning strategy, it was decided that enclosed cabins would face the atrium and the open plan workstations would face the curtain wall at the periphery, thereby allowing a better overall distribution of light in the space. The movement corridor divides the two spaces, allowing for a sense of privacy while still providing opportunities for mentoring. Even the walls between the cabins stop short of the glass doors of the corridor, enabling wider views from within and better transparency while walking. A sophisticated energy saving air conditioning system that allows for efficient zone-wise cooling was adopted to ensure to differentiate between occupied and unoccupied areas. Adopted from the hospitality industry is an idea to combine and divide meeting rooms by silent top hung acoustical panels. These can be stored away when a larger training session is required and pulled out for smaller discussions.

A light oak colour is used to offset the crisp white surfaces in the open plan areas and a darker, more mature oak is used in the cabins of the senior management and the board room. The reception area features a continuous ribbon of panelling that envelops the entire space while illuminated by an architectural fabric ceiling. A raised seating area is enclosed by a series of wooden beams that provide a fleeting glimpse of the interior from the entrance, carrying forward the overall theme of transparency and lightness.

Location

Faridabad,

Haryana

Client   

InfresMethodex

Typology

Commercial

Climate

Composite

Built-Up Area                

12000 Sq.Ft.

Completion

2014

Villa Ravine

The picturesque village of Baldeyan is near the erstwhile British summer capital of Shimla. Famous for its subtropical highland climate, the area is a popular tourist destination, providing respite from the fierce summer heatwithin a reasonable drive from the plains. The project was conceived as a second home for a small family based in Delhi that chose the site for its magnificent views and a seasonal stream that runs through a ravine near the property. Sited above the road, the brief was to have valley views from all the principal living spaces. This became the parti of the plan, two parallel linear volumes perpendicular to the view.

Approached from a lower parking level, the entrance is from the main deck on the south east corner of the house. The living areas are centrally positioned, ensuring large uninterrupted views andthe corner are given to the bedrooms, which get expansive views on two sides. The services, including the bathrooms, kitchen and the staircase are part of the thin block at the rear. A large open deckon the upper floor is created by pulling in the fenestration line below the pitched roof. The staircase is placed within a double height space, adding to the expansive feeling of the house.

Grey slate and military green roofs were chosen as a reference to the pre-colonial British architecture of the region. Gables toward the valley enhance the views from within, and the resulting complex interior geometry of the roof is panelled in a local deciduous wood. The result is a warm, yet modern home that allows for engagement with nature.

Location

Village Baldeyan,

Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

Client  

Undisclosed

Typology

Residential

Climate

Cold & Cloudy

Built-Up Area              

3000 Sq.Ft.

Completion

2014

USI Store

Uni Style Image (USI)- a fashion brand aimed at the young professional had planned multiple store renovations and several new stores across the country. The design intent was to rethink their in-store concept; Their production facilities were also scattered and wanted to combine design, production and warehousing under one roof.

The strategy was to create 6 strong “designed objects” within the store- these would be flexible enough to be moulded to individual configurations, yet retain their character and help brand recognition. We also suggested incorporating the brands philanthropic initiatives with the in-store design, to foster brand loyalty. The 6 objects were:

The T-Shirt Wall – USI had a strong T shirt market and we emphasized that by designing a wall panel that would comprise of several T-shirt fronts stitched together

The Big USI Logo – An oversized logo carved out of wood, meant to be placed at a focal point

The Store Window – The typical mannequin arrangement was eschewed in favour of strong brand imagery

The Changing Room –The handles were designed as mini-USI logos and the spaces were made comfortable enough for two, eliminating the age old problem of peeking for approval.

The Big Wall – A panel highlighting the brand’s philanthropic initiatives

The Sheesham Furniture – Cash Desk, Gondolas, Accessory Stand, Mirrors and Benches; were all designed and manufactured in Sheesham, a hardwood native to Northern India.

Several stores were executed with this approach, and the high level of component standardization meant that raw space could be converted into a bespoke design with 4 weeks.

                                                

For their production facility, a complete audit of existing processes was undertaken and documented. The factory floor was then designed to optimise workflow and minimize inter-floor movement using the existing machinery and warehousing strategies. The design and administration offices were designed as open plan work spaces, occupying an area toward the front of the facility.

These projects were executed while collaborating with Mad Cow Design, a design initiative by Ms.Sarika Grover &Ms.RashmiSethi.

Completed –            2008 through 2010

Area –                     2000 sq.ft.through 6000 sq.ft.

Location -               Delhi, Patiala, Aizwal, Ludhiana, Noida

Playhouse Competition

BIG FAT MAGNET

 Magnetism is a source of wonder for all of us, the action at a distance remains one of the most evocative science experiments for children. The playhouse is a way to engage young kids and invite them the learn more about this fascinating phenomena. Consisting of a curved interior path inside the iconic shape, the magnet can be made from a basic wooden frame and covered with flexible ply. The trademark grey and bright red colors help define the shape. If the budget allows for it, magnets can be incorporated into the frame to allow children to experience the phenomena.

THE MAZE

The Maze is an architectural trick, a composition of passageways that lead to nothing and the elusive path to freedom. In the playhouse, an additional twist is added by way of vertical movement, with steps that lead nowhere and one set of steps that lead to a viewing spot, allowing children to experience the world from an adult’s perspective. Besides the photo opportunity, it also allows us to subtract volumes from what is essentially a modernist white cube. The interiors are painted in disorienting colors to add to the experience of being lost in a maze.

NUT & BOLT

The Nut & Bolt assembly is one of the great icons of the industrial age. Consisting of two simple interlocking components, they are a fundamentally recognizable shape. The playhouse is a means to educate children about how the simple act of rotation translates into a vertical movement. A locking mechanism is incorporated to prevent it from moving above the reach of children. Constructed on a basic wooden internal frame with ply covering, it will painted in bright contrasting colors.

E1B1

 Mohan Co-operative Industrial Estate in New Delhi is a thin sliver of land adjoining the Delhi-Agra railway line on the eastern side. Originally meant for manufacturers that required access to the nearby freight facilities, it has now descended into a civic mess of offices and aging warehouses with parking overflowing on the streets, leaving pedestrians to negotiate broken roads and constant traffic. The land for the E1B1 project had earlier housed a steel mill and hence, an aging metal structure occupied part of the site.

The brief from the owner was to create an office building that could have multiple end-users. At the outset, the strategy was to make a facility that was not only flexible, but also had a civic presence. A basement was created to accommodate parking, with a discreet ramp set below the building plinth. This freed up the front edge of the property and a wide walking area was created, leading up to the building entrance.

The building was organized into three basic areas;A central office block flanked by two service areas, one at the front and another at the rear. The centre block, a large 60’ wide column free space was repeated on the upper floors. The main stair, expressed in the façade as a tall grey volume, an elevator and a common conference room were accommodated in the front service area and the rear block housed the toilets, building services, a spare elevator and a fire escape stair.

The upper floor, designed as a private suite of offices for the client, was expressed a dark grey slab apparently floating on the glass wall below. Punctured with square windows, the horizontality provides a dramatic counterpoint to the verticality of the stair volume. A corner of this grey box was cut away on the front façade to reveal a shaded terrace, as a private area for refuge and contemplation. 

Location                                  

Industrial Estate, New Delhi

Client

Mohan Co-operative

Typology

Commercial

Climate

Composite

Built-Up Area

25,000 Sq.Ft.

Completion

2010

Mitsubishi Engineering

Mitsubishi Heavy Engineering wanted to set up an office in India anticipating future growth. With limited staff and a fluid roadmap of the future, they wanted an office designed as per their global standards of quality and one that could handle sudden increases and decreases of people based on their on-going projects at any point.

The leased space was a quadrant in a high-rise tower in Gurgaon, a suburb of Delhi known more for its vertical dimension than for its civic spaces. The curved façade provided plentiful light, however the western aspect meant the evening glare would have to be mitigated. The brief called for open plan workstations with some enclosed meeting rooms and cabins for senior staff. Workstations were planned to be clustered in working groups, as per Mitsubishi ethos, with small open spaces that could provide places for spontaneous discussion.

Rather than following the “corner-office” approach that affords the finest views and natural light to the senior most people, the strategy was to give the maximum natural light to the open plan workstations. The enclosed cabins were aligned to the dead wall on either side of the quadrant, and were fitted with frameless glass panels overlooking the central workspace. The resulting clarity of movement combines with the clear sight lines across the office to aid better co-ordination between working groups.

A hallmark of this project was the commitment to avoiding on-site finish. As far as possible, design details were drawn to be manufactured off-site with components were ordered well in advance. Even the onsite work was detailed so as to limit the paint and polish surfaces. Specifications were redrawn and redesigned to ensure that fit and finish quality would match global standards. Muted tones of grey and blue, traditional Mitsubishi Engineering colours, were used in the furniture and wall panelling.

Location                                  

Gurgaon

Client

Mitsubishi Heavy Engineering

Typology

Commercial

Climate

Composite

Built-Up Area

5000 Sq.Ft.

Completion

2011

Conference Center

Located in a tony neighbourhood of a Delhi suburb, the brief was to create an in house conference facility for a multi-national company. The building would have to accommodate several sizes of conference spaces, training rooms, a large dining area and several guest rooms.

A large existing tree at the site entrance provided the inspiration to create a naturally shaded entrance area. Planned to be an extension of the garden, this space leads on to a central spine along which the various facilites are distributed. The training rooms are situated below ground, to allow for better sound insulation and privacy.

The approach was to plan the building to make each space as naturally lit as possible, especially the subterranean spaces. This was achieved by carving out a long sunken area on the western periphery of the property. This brings in light to training rooms and a large dining area at the rear, which can also be approached via a stair from the rear garden.

A unique glazing detail was designed specifically for the lounge space that overlooks the front garden. Double glazed insulated panels are fixed edge to edge with custom designed stainless steel vertical supports. This detail allows for a seamless integration of interior and exterior space. The exterior of the building is finished in a beige sandstone, local to this region.

 

Location                                  

Faridabad

Client

Undisclosed

Typology

Commercial

Climate

Composite

Built-Up Area

15,000 Sq.Ft.

Completion

Ongoing

Contemporary Penthouse

The top floor apartment of a decade old building was proving to be inadequate for a growing family. A fortuitous change in building laws permitted the addition of another floor with the possibility of an internal connection. Two bedrooms and a family lounge were planned for the upper floor, along with a small office that required independent access from outside the apartment. A double height volume was carved out around a light wooden staircase that connects the two floors and was covered with a skylight.

A terrace garden at the front of the upper floor provides views to the office and lounge spaces, while helping to insulate the living room below. Modifications to the lower floor included revamping the kitchen, dining & living spaces. The furniture was custom designed to fit the spaces, including a copper-clad curved bar counter. A signature product by AKDA, the yin-yang table, was reimagined as a leather clad piece and included as part of the interior design. 

Location

SukhdevVihar,

New Delhi

Client  

Undisclosed

Typology

Residential

Climate

Composite

Built-Up Area              

5000 Sq.Ft.

Completion

2010