Go down memory Lane !

The swirling staircase with a balustrade or luminescent gold adorns the building lovingly with its perfect curves. The perfection of its structure takes one back to times, When sliding down the smooth surface of the banister was a moment of glee and exhilaration. The stairs themelves draw one into a fantasy or gliding down them to make an entrance worthy of royalty. The combination of the masculine and the walnut quintessentially vibrant gold color palette complement eachother flawlessly and gives it a sense of solidity and strength.The circular structure takes one back to times, When sliding down the smooth surface of the banister was a moment of glee and exhilaration. 

Between the Lines - through Design !!

The traditional Jaali is an integral part of Indian architecture, used to screen the harsh summer sun, while allowing for air ventilation. The interstitial spaces created between the Jaali and the weather barrier provide another layer of thermal insulation, essential for the local climate. A modern interpretation of this element has been used in  this project in the form of a horizontal aluminum screen.Taking forward the archaic concept of screening the beauty,this screen acts as a aperture between the exterior and interior.

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

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