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Peek into the whole new world of merchandise for floorings and walls; Exploring the current shifts in retail design The definitive guide to successful commercial spaces and facilities management

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CHARTING

COURSE THE

THE QUALCOMM DESIGN AND PROJECTS TEAMS ON HOW WORKPLACES CAN BE CONCEPTUALISED AS AGENTS OF CHANGE

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WHERE MAGIC HAPPENS ...

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IN_Commercial_design_225x300_0218.indd 1

19/02/18 16:20

Editor’s note

Committing to ‘change’ The office of the future may not be about trappings or technology as much as the exchange of ideas, with a focus on employee engagement – what some experts are calling the “new sustainability.”

You can thank the open-office movement for starting that conversation, turning concepts such as collaboration and transparency into convention. But the new buzzwords on every workplace designer’s tongue are incubation, cross-pollination, symbiosis and co-working – concepts that are causing even more walls to come down and hierarchies to flatten further. In today’s parlance, the corner office is no longer seen as a prize. And, of little surprise, it was the technology companies that set the mould and lead the pack into this transformation.

In this issue’s cover story, we look at one such tech giant – Qualcomm – and dissect the design strategies of their recently completed office campuses in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru.

The other important topic that we delve into, in this issue, is retail design. Though retail has been around for a mighty long time, and one thing we know is that the industry today is nothing close to how retail functioned ever before in history. From telling the brand’s story and creating immersive shopping experiences, to putting together headturning window displays and signage essentials, when it comes to retail, the devil really is in the details.

April 2018 | VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 8 ITP MEDIA (INDIA) PVT. LTD Notan Plaza, 3rd floor, 898 Turner Road Bandra (West), Mumbai – 400050, India T +91 22 6154 6000 Deputy managing director S Saikumar Group publishing director Bibhor Srivastava EDITORIAL Editor Rashmi Naicker T +91 22 6154 6041 rashmi.naicker@itp.com Contributors Anamika Butalia, Shristi Nangalia ADVERTISING Director Indrajeet Saoji T +91 22 6154 6024 indrajeet.saoji@itp.com Executive-Advertising Sales Roopal Mishra T +91 22 6154 6021 roopal.mishra@itp.com STUDIO Head of design Milind Patil Senior designer Vinod Shinde Contributor Saili Bandre PRODUCTION Deputy production manager Ramesh Kumar CIRCULATION Distribution manager James D’Souza T +91 22 6154 6006 james.dsouza@itp.com

Rashmi Naicker Editor rashmi.naicker@itp.com

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances.

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4 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Contents

APRIL 2018 Volume 5

Issue 8

14 20

10 BULLETIN

A roundup of the latest industry news from across the country.

14 COVER STORY

The Qualcomm design and projects teams on how workplaces can be conceptualised to be agents of change

20 TRENDS

Innovation and demand for aesthetics has led to the induction of a whole new world of merchandise for floorings and walls

26 FOCUS

Commercial Design delves into how the current shifts in consumer behaviour are affecting retail design

32 COLUMN

Phil Davis, founder and CEO of Propriartary, on why companies are embracing brand art to express their vision

36 POST EVENT

A peek into the second edition of iNFHRA’s FM Excellence Conference & Awards 2017-18, held in Mumbai

CASE STUDY 38 Inshorts Media believes that there’s no place more

comfortable than home and its office aims to offer domestic luxuries at the workplace

26 6 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

44 LOM Architecture and Design’s plan for the National Bank of Oman deliberately avoids extensive glazing, choosing instead a context-driven approach

MAINTAIN AN IDEAL POSTURE WHILE WORKING Elevate - Height Adjustable Desks

Beeer Flexibility

Improved Posture

Increased Produccvity

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ADVISORY BOARD Our distinguished advisory board has been assembled to help guide Commercial Design to become even more representative of its community.

Members have been invited from the highest levels of the industry to ensure that the magazine continues on its path of success.

Jagvinder Pinny Mann Sr Portfolio Manager, Microsoft India

Bhupesh Pathak Director, IFM & Asset Services, Cushman & Wakefield

Ajay Bhatt Assistant VP and head, Facilities and Estate, Godrej Industries

Joanna Gomes Proprietor, Designers’ Guild

Ar. Reza Kabul Principal, Architect Reza Kabul

Rajat Malhotra Sr vice-president, IFM, Jones Lang LaSalle India

George Mckay South Asia director, Office and Integrated Services, Colliers International

Deben Moza Joint CEO, Knight Frank Property Services Private Limited

Ar. Swapnil Sawant Director and co-founder, Worksphere Architects

Sameer Saxena Group manager, Property Administration, Mercer

Ar. Ninad Tipnis Principal, JTCPL Designs

Deepak Uppal President,Vatika Enviro

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8 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Bulletin

GVK appoints Zaha Hadid Architects for Navi Mumbai airport

G

VK-led Navi Mumbai International Airport (P) Limited (NMIAL) recently announced the appointment of globally renowned firm Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) to design the airport’s Terminal 1 and ATC Tower.

London-based ZHA was selected on completion of a challenging and intensive 12-week, fast-track design competition amongst the best international architecture firms that were shortlisted by GVK. The firm has designed Beijing’s 7,00,000sqm Daxing airport terminal, which is currently under construction.

The company’s other landmark projects include the Olympic Aquatics Centre in London, the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan, the MAXXI Contemporary Arts Centre in Rome, among many more. This will be ZHA’s first major project in the Indian sub-continent.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr GVK Reddy, founder and chairman of GVK and

chairman of NMIAL, said, “Our vision is to establish one more landmark airport that would exceed the benchmarks that GVK had set through MIAL whilst creating CSIA’s Terminal 2. We are committed towards bringing the best global practices from the

Waaree Energies’ launches revolutionary DIY kit to harness solar power

O

ne of India’s largest solar panel manufacturers’ Waaree Energies launched the first-of-itskind DIY solar kit. Named Pronto, this revolutionary product is set to transform the renewable energy sector in India by making clean energy accessible to all. The unique product for rooftop solar power not only saves time but also requires lesser manpower. Pronto is available in the range of 1-5 KW, and requires only two people and 30 minutes to be installed. It comes with a patented rooftop non-penetrating racking system, with a focus on a design that embodies simplicity and is sturdy to withstand any weather.

With a solar PV based power generating system, Pronto can deliver at least 30% savings on electricity bills. It also provides, by bypassing numerous sourcing and logistics steps, the same cost benefits as large rooftop solar systems. In addition, since it can be used for any net-metering based application, consumers can get credits for excess generation gains.

With state of the art technology, Pronto is also beneficial for small scale industries. With the solar kits, all critical components like solar modules, solar inverter, and structure are included and backed by warranty. With optimum design for maximum power generation, the product also comes with an inverter with latest MPPT technology and remote monitoring, and is available in both single- and three-phase inverters.

10 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

industry to design, engineer and build this most awaited airport project in India.

Hence, we decided to go with ZHA, a firm known for its path-breaking and remarkable architecture, and expertise of delivering a world class design.”

Honeywell introduces indoor navigation to its building occupant app

W

ith the Honeywell Vector Occupant App, the company provides a new range of capabilities that give occupants more control over their experiences within a building. The most significant new feature is indoor navigation, which uses GPS-like technology to help users find their way around buildings that are difficult to navigate without directions.

It offers accurate indoor location, mapping, routing, presence, proximity notifications and analytics – all embedded into an integrated platform. The benefits of the feature were successfully demonstrated in the Minneapolis Skyway System.

METICULOUSLY DESIGNED FACADES FOR THE NEXT GENERATION At Glasswall Systems, we provide turnkey architectural facade solutions, where we translate the vision of our clients into reality. We are India's largest facade specialist and we pioneer in design, fabrication and execution.

project : The DEN HOTEL Client : DAN HOSPITALITY

Bulletin

Bengaluru icon, the Möbitorium, wins award

T

he Möbitorium in Bengaluru was honoured as the ‘Most Well Designed Convention Facility’. It is a new concept in the realm of auditorium design in India and will be part of an upcoming state government-commissioned convention centre in Bengaluru.

The seamlessness of a Möbius strip is translated into an architecturally planned auditorium, creating interesting interlinked volumes to naturally create self-shading surfaces.

Design partners of the project, DSP Design Associates, shared, “The proposal is a vision for this building to become an icon that goes beyond function and becomes a sculptural element contributing to the city of Bengaluru.”

VitrA introduces experience centres in Mumbai and Delhi

A

brand of Turkey-based Eczacıbaşı Building Products Division,VitrA opened the doors to two experience centres in Mumbai and New Delhi. The 2,500sqft experience centre displays VitrA products and offers a variety of bathroom solutions of internationally acclaimed standards.

It is the only brand in global markets offering every component of the bathroom, bringing the range of bathroom solutions to Indian consumers with its latest offerings such as the Memoria Black series by Christophe Pillet, Istanbul series by Ross Lovegrove, Metropole T4 & S50 series by design group NOA, The Nest Design for all series by Pentagon Design.

Introducing Alba bathroom collection from Roca

R

oca has introduced a premium solution for bathrooms inspired by the ‘highest sense of tranquility’.The Alba Bathroom Collection consists of a smart toilet, bathtub, basin and furniture. Roca Bathrooms’ MD, KE Ranganathan, disclosed, “Alba products go beyond functionality and offer the finest designs combined with the most advanced technology available in the segment.” The most premium offering in the series is Alba Air & Water Whirlpool that combines water and air massage functions to create a calming experience in the bath space.The range is available across all Roca dealer outlets in India.

12 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

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Latest innovations in flooring

Addressing the paradigm shift

and office seating solutions;A

& façade design; Does

in workplace design;A look

look into the design of Loma

an open office layout do

IT Park’s office building by Total pages 52 Volume 5 | Issue 5 | January 2018 | `50

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into the new-age offices of

justice to such diverse work

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Latest innovations in lighting

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presents

SUCCESS

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EXPLORING THE JOURNEY OF A LEADING FACADE CONTRACTOR OF THE COUNTRY – ALUPLEX INDIA, WITH PATHFINDER NAVIN KESWANI AND PRODIGIES KARAN & ROHAN

HAVING MADE AN INDELIBLE MARK IN THE INDIAN CO-WORKING SECTOR, KARAN VIRWANI, DIRECTOR, WEWORK INDIA, TALKS ABOUT ITS IDENTITY, COMMUNITY AND AMBITIONS

THE NEXT BIG WAVE

A PEEK LEADING

COWRKS, THE BRAINCHILD OF RMZ CORP’S SIDHART MENDA, HAS CREATED A COMMUNITY WORKSPACE TO CATER TO INDIA’S NEXT-LEVEL ENTREPRENEURS

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INTO THE FACILITY

MINDS OF THE MANAGERS

4th A n n i v e r s a r y

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Latest in office seating

Innovations and trends in

The future of office design;

Peek into iNFHRA FM

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A peek into the commercial

Excellence Awards; Latest

tools for washrooms in

doors and windows segment;

lighting industry; Dynamics

in flooring and washroom

healthcare; A look into the

A look into the evolution of

of managing employee

new-age workspace – Awfis

cleaning equipment

transport system

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design; Second edition of the Pathfinders roundtable The definitive guide to successful commercial spaces and facilities management

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ANSHUMAN MAGAZINE, CHAIRMAN, CBRE INDIA, ON KEY DIFFERENTIATORS THAT HAVE PROPELLED THE FIRM AHEAD IN THE RACE FOR MARKET LEADERSHIP

DESIGNS ON THE

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WORLD NIRMAL MANGAL, COUNTRY HEAD OF M MOSER ASSOCIATES, ON MASTERING THE ART OF CREATING DISTINCT IDENTITIES FOR BRANDS

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Cover story

14 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Cover story

Charting the course

The Qualcomm design and projects teams on how workplaces can be conceptualised as agents of change

BY RASHMI NAICKER

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 15

Cover story

D

esigning a workplace for an organisation that enables its stakeholders to create and reinforce their brand value and equity requires more than just a keen eye for aesthetics and laying out office furniture and utilities. Making interior spaces come alive enough to speak volumes of the organisation’s identity and speciality requires a thorough understanding of its values, goals, vision, work culture, employee dynamics, the way the space would be utilised, etc. It requires using these attributes as pointers to build a holistic hub.

The India offices of Qualcomm, one of the world’s largest telecommunications company, exemplifies these principles with its materialistic built form, which exhibits an expressive contemporary organisation with the promise of steadfast commitment to purpose.

Explaining the genesis of its facilities, the design and projects team at Qualcomm expound on their strategies and approach behind their office campuses.

Ideation Gaurav Shah, the director of construction for the company, says the driving force behind the design was to provide an environment that allowed employees to do their best work and support their changing spatial needs over time. Flexibility and sustainability went hand-in-hand and lead the design process.

As a first step in this direction the team thoroughly evaluated the local construction market strengths, to find the means, methods and materials that could be sourced locally. While maintaining a global standard of scope and quality, the execution of the project was based upon viable local practices.

Qualcomm also invested in an in-house team of architects, space planners, MEP engineers

16 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Cover story

PROJECT INFORMATION Project: BANGLO.J Location:

Bengaluru

Architect:

Synergy, MMoser and VPCPL

Project team: Gaurav Shah (director of construction)

Guillermo Tomaszewski (senior architect)

Akshat (senior construction manager)

Swati Jain (project engineer)

Boopathi Raja (project engineer)

Hareesha K (senior manager for facilties)

Project area: 5,66,485sqft Project: BANGLO.C Inclusions:

New ground up facility with offices, labs, new

café and fitness center

Location: Bengaluru Architect:

Qualcomm

Project team: Gaurav Shah (director of construction)

Guillermo Tomaszewski (senior architect)

Marshall Simpson (project engineer)

Boopathi Raja (project engineer)

Hareesha K (senior manager for facilties)

Project area: 87,000sqft (site)

1,75,000sqft (parking)

1,97,000sqft (office)

Project: HYD.B Location: Hyderabad Architect: VPCPL Project team: Gaurav Shah (director of construction) and construction experts to ensure the requirements of their design and planning are well understood and implemented.

The design process began with detailed spatial planning, followed by concept layout or test fit that was modelled in-house and then handed over to the external AE firms for production, along with an extensive set of design guidelines.

“We always look at our past projects, evaluate their successes and then look at our future needs in determining requirements.

All relevant stakeholders are consulted early on in the design

Guiillermo Tomaszewski (senior architect)

Lalit Kachhawaha (sr. construction manager)

Project area: 3,88,543sqft

Gaurav Shah, director of construction.

process to keep it as linear as possible,” elaborates Guillermo Tomaszewski, senior architect of the projects. By emphasising on providing efficient building with operational ease, Qualcomm is one of few companies to strike a perfect balance between capital and operational expense. The key factors that were paramount to the design were: design and space quality; budget; adhering to timelines; and designing an energy-

efficient and easy-to-maintain building.

Challenges Working on a project of this scale and magnitude surely came with its share of complexities. Shedding light on some, the team states, “Given that design changes were inevitable, understanding the implications of those changes – on the budget and the schedule – and ensuring that all dependencies

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 17

Cover story

right from the start, at the concept stage, and continued throughout the project till operations went live. The facilities team were an extension of the construction team through the various stages – from material selection, site observation, weekly meetings, walkthroughs and snags listings, etc. Some of the main areas that the team contributed towards were the café and break area operations, materials and equipment selection, employee needs, etc.

The FM team, comprising of the three facility leads – Hareesha K, Srinivas Moturu and Ramesh Selvaraj – also believe that it was more of opportunities, than challenges, while addressing various issues that cropped up during the project execution.

Since the involvement was continuous, the feedback given was immediately discussed and taken to a logical solution. Given that the goal was common for all, there were extensive discussions on a few hurdles like the end date, cost, delivery decisions, etc, to arrive at a common decision.

are captured at the initial stage was one of the most critical concerns.” In addition to this, keeping everyone on track and focused on the final product, while managing a project with teams in different parts of the world and time zones was another conundrum.

Lalit Kachhawaha, senior construction manager.

Akshat, senior construction manager.

18 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Contributions The involvement of FMs within the design process was initiated

Technology Being at the forefront of technology advancement, Qualcomm is one of the first to adopt the performance improvement technology or system for its facilities. A fully automated cafe, assessing realtime feedback, performance rating, invoicing, automated data centre maintenance, equipped with checklists, SOPs on tabs, effective tracking of costs system and process, etc, are just few of the verticals that have been completely digitalised.

Employee satisfaction tools – to raise, track and measure the response and resolution times that enhance employee experience through helpdesk – have revolutionalised communication both ways. There are several other metrics or factors that are also deployed to measure the efficiency and

Cover story

waste management system, which has resulted in Qualcomm recycling 78% of its waste. All organic waste is recycled at the company’s organic waste converter installed at one of its buildings. Meanwhile, all other waste such as hazardous e-waste is recycled in compliance.

Marshall Simpson, project engineer.

Boopathi Raja, project engineer.

Ramesh Selvaraj, facilities manager.

effectiveness of products or services – whether building by condition index or datacentre

by PUE – each of these have significantly helped the team measure success. Cost also played a vital role in defining the facilities success and contribution.

‘Green’ works Through the right selection of materials and equipment, the company recorded a drop in its energy usage by 5% every year.

They also source 90% of required energy from solar power. They have been able to save water by building USGBC LEED (Gold) certified building and providing water conservation methods like auto sensorbased devices and through the sewage treatment plant that provides grey water for flushing, landscaping, cooling tower condenser water and washing the exterior areas. The company has also implemented a robust

Swati Jain, project engineer.

Identity With an in-house planning and design team, Qualcomm strived to maintain a consistent brand and feel in sync with their facilities worldwide. With this aim in mind, they also added regionally appropriate graphics and branding for each project to celebrate the local composition of each location.

The core concept across all the projects has invariably been to provide a work environment that allows their engineers to do what they do best – innovate.

The company gave the design team an understanding of a typical engineer’s day by having them shadow a few employees at work. Learning how engineers do their work allowed the design team, and the AE teams to plan the right type of space that breeds innovation.

Priorities Some basic strategies that were put in place right from the start was the provision of natural light and exterior views for all occupants; areas to collaborate and places for chance encounters; amenities like game rooms, music rooms, etc, that allowed employees the opportunity to take a break during the work day; and selection of materials that are easily to maintain.

Each design element was monitored by controlled construction costs, which was accomplished by exploring alternate materials and manufacturers that could offer equivalent products at a more competitive cost and a thoughtful simple design that still provides interest.

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 19

Trends

Subtle surface finishes Innovation and demand for aesthetics has led to the induction of a whole new world of merchandise for floorings and walls

BY SHRISTI NANGALIA 20 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Trends

The elegantly styled interior surfaces by CMC.

Amit Shah, MD, Classic Marble Company

The wide array of richly textured stones on display at the CMC store.

D

esigning an apt commercial space requires not only the understanding of the right balance of colours, shapes, light and accessories but also a professional knowhow of products. Moreover, commercial design is taking on a newer

path of working around user experience and workability. By giving employees an environment that boosts their morale, one succeeds in making design and business with the help of surface products that go beyond just paper and paints for walls, and concrete for flooring.

Manufacturing brands continue to build innovative ways of creating unique textures and effects for the interior environment. These structured surfaces offer innumerable possibilities of pattern, colour and texture, designed to complement any decor style, space and function in workspaces. Walls and floors need to be given special attention as these planes are constantly subjected to use.

“Material and technological advancement have enabled replication of near to life designs in flooring products. Today, people consider tiles that are easy on the eyes. Earthy and organic-textured tiles are soothing for their colours and rustic textures and add minimalistic style to interiors,” states Vivek Talwar, CMD, Nitco Ltd. The company’s unique Triple Reinforced technology gives marble a makeover – the marble blocks are strengthened by fibre and imported rock resin; the surface is prepared by drying in an oven before applying fibre, while the bottom an top surfaces are filled with Epoxy, to pack in every small pore. Nitco has carved a distinct recognition for itself for

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 21

Trends

Ketan Trivedi, senior general manager, Marketing, H&R Johnson India.

Mega porcelain slabs – Immensa – by H&R Johnson.

its glazed vitrified tiles, ceramic wall tiles and vitrified heavy duty tiles. The newly launched Kratos, part of the outdoor digital vitrified tile range, features a matt finish and texture, offering

superior grip that withstands weathering and heavy weights.

Pergo, recognised around the world as a pioneer and leading brand for high-quality laminated floorings, reinvents the laminate

Nitco’s unique Triple Reinforced technology gives its flooring additional strength and smoother finish.

22 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Vivek Talwar, CMD, Nitco Ltd.

floor with Pergo Sensation. “The sophisticated Village Oak planks lend the feeling of natural wood.

The authentic, true-to-nature surface is made possible with a patented, innovative technique that can reproduce the grooves of

the wood to perfection. AquaSafe technology protects this flooring against water seepage, while water-repellent coating on the plank edges, ensures that water doesn’t penetrate,” says Naresh Maheshwari CEO, Pergo India.

Renowned in India for its designer wooden flooring, Span Floors’ ‘real wood feel’ laminate collection is more scratch and impact resistant than real wood floors. The company’s MD, Satinder Chawla, says, “Our laminate flooring collection is durable, reasonable, easy-tomaintain as well as stylish. Keeping sustainability in mind, we have engineered a product with cutting edge European technology, which is natural, eco-friendly and as close as possible, per available technology, to authentic wooden floors.”

The natural look of marbles, stones and wood as well as rustic finishes are increasingly preferred in ceramics aided by high resolution printing technology, shares Ketan Trivedi, senior general manager, Marketing, H&R Johnson India. “Among industrial tiles, we offer high-performing, alkali-resistant, anti-static and scratch-free features. We also have high-traffic tiles, swimming pool tiles and porcelain tiles with germ-free quality. With over 20 sizes, nine levels of tile thickness and 15 surface finishes to suit the functional and aesthetics requirement, H&R Johnson provides Johnson tiles under four sub-brands i.e. Johnson Tiles, Johnson Porselano, Johnson Marbonite and Johnson Endura,” shares Trivedi.

“The choice of material depends on the utility of the application and largely influences the design. However for flooring, engineered marble remains the undisputed choice followed by quartz,” states Amit Shah, MD, Classic Marble Company. “Many high-end commercial projects including malls and other retail establishments are using exotic granite and quartzite for flooring

Trends

Pergo’s Sensation collection is embedded with AquaSafe technology that makes laminate flooring virtually indistinguishable from real wood and offers exceptional water resistance.

applications. However for spatial areas, statuario stone remains the default choice. In Kalinga stone marble, our latest offering is called Terrazzo, which is an interesting fusion of modern engineering and the retro mosaic tile slabs. Terrazzo has two broad choices under the Roma and Café collections,” adds Shah.

With recent advances in technology, engineered stone is available in varied looks, colours and patterns. Besides, there are several finish treatments that can be done on marble to enhance its look — leather finish, river wash, acid finish, among others.

Bharat Floorings and Tiles makes handcrafted cement tiles in myriad patterns and rich colours to create customised floorings.

Apart from Heritage and Unitinta tiles, the company’s Terrazzo and

Non-Slip chequered floorings have been a favourite with large housing projects, where costeffective flooring is in demand.

Firdaus Variava, vice-chairman, Bharat Floorings and Tiles, states, “Every state in India, every community in every direction of the country has its own idiosyncrasies, which are inimitable and fascinating.

Embodying this characteristic, and in keeping the speciality of each state, we have introduced the ‘Made in India’ series. We have brought BFT+ Range, which is a collaboration with young and visionary designers to create art. Sian Pascale, an Australian architect collaborated with us to create a Japanese line that draws inspiration from the work of Junichiro Tanizaki. Also, Sandeep and Tania Khosla, inspired by

Naresh Maheshwari, CEO, Pergo India Pvt. Ltd.

the elemental properties of geometry, present DashDashDot, a whimsical collection of tiles constructed from lines (dashes) and circles (dots).”

Since commercial spaces are continuously dealing with heavy traffic, designers often choose polished concrete, rubber, hardwood and carpet tiles, depending on the function of different areas. Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) and carpet tiles are preferred among design oriented materials in the flooring industry.

Advancements in printing technology have improved products with organic and graphical visuals.

While covering vertical surfaces in commercial spaces, laminates are excellent picks as they are highly impact- as well as scratchresistant. Wood veneers work

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 23

Trends

Satinder Chawla, Managing Director, Span Floors.

Firdaus Variava, vice-chairman, Bharat Floorings and Tiles.

Laminate flooring by Span Floors.

A cheery medley of Heritage™ tiles adorns this restaurant in Mumbai. Colaba Social.

24 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

well in posh interiors as coverings for walls and cabinets. As they cannot fight stains and scratches, it is best located away from areas of potential traffic. A composite hardboard can be used both as a functional and decorative product in high-use public spaces. Each of the plywood boards, hardboards, veneers, etc, can be applied with liquid or powdered sealants and coated with the required finish and texture that support the design theme.

Apart from wood products, digital printing of photographs, graphics, textures, architectural patterns, etc, is also gaining prominence. Particularly great for branding of the business, photo wall murals and custom graphics can be printed such that they reflect the personality and motto of that business. Faux textures, leathers and weaves can be printed on vinyl wall coverings to replicate fabric and its tactility.

Similarly, natural wood and natural stone patterns can also be printed in faux.

Kajaria Ceramics exhibited its latest collection Impressions and Designer under its wall tile category. These are a mix of versatile and decorative, reinterpreting beauty in the form of unique and alluring designs that are available in Reactive and Sugar Hone finishes.

The many options that have incorporated smart organics are growing. These create eye-catching visuals from recycled materials.

Examples include recycled leather used to make new surfacing, reclaimed denim fibres used as additives in laminates and post-industrial content used to compose solid surfacing.

The workforce’s experience is directly intertwined with the use of materials and its textures. This has stimulated interior designers as well as producers of surfacing materials to tailor spaces that are viable and comfortable. It is interesting to see technology enhancing the inherent properties of surfacing material by addressing practical aspects such as ease of maintenance, versatility in design and functionality.

Consumer Connect

CALIBRATING SUCCESS WITH QUALITY

C

herry Hill Interiors Pvt Ltd is India’s leading corporate interiors firm, specialising in turnkey design, fit-out and LEED certified projects for MNCs and large Indian corporates. Established in 1987, it is the most preferred company for occupancy services for corporates, hotels, hospitals, universities, etc, in India. Cherry Hill’s journey has been one of rapid growth – from a start-up to a technology and systems-led establishment with a nation-wide presence, multiple ISO certifications and credit ratings of A1+ by CARE. It has been very active in the construction of coworking spaces and working with leading companies including Global.

Cherry Hill is now specialising in co-working spaces to re-define the concept of workspaces.

One such recent project is WeWork in Bengaluru. Spread across six floors, 60,000sqft and an al fresco cafeteria, it’s a coworking space, where start-up and developing companies can operate individually in their own dedicated spaces with all necessary facilities, support and approvals. The entire building is equipped with Wi-Fi and VC rooms, and each floor has dedicated cabins, conference and meeting rooms. It is a workplace designed for start-ups, young entrepreneurs, technology The interiors for Hive, Bengaluru, dynamically rendered by Cherry Hill Interiors.

Mr. Gaurav Kashyap, CEO of Cherry Hill Interiors

companies, etc, intended to enable fresh ideas, connectivity, organic networking, workplace community and opportunity in hood and across. These places are targeting high volume of technology and other start-ups.

Cherry Hill also aligned with Xander in Bengaluru in the past and developed a New Concept to create an ambitious space with openness and designed to create right environment for different communities with different spaces.

Cherry Hill Interiors completed successfully the Xanders at Bengaluru – it features 35,000sqft, 288 workstations, five meeting cabins, and a serviced office and co-working space. Xanders is a workplace for designers, artisans and engineers engaged in the business of conceiving and developing new products or

The interior landscape of WeWork, Bengaluru.

objects of creativity.

The co-working segment in India is expected to receive $400 million in investments by 2018, according to a recent study. The potential market size for this segment across India currently stands in the range of 12-16 million sqft.

This includes start-up employees, professional freelancers, staff at emerging businesses (SMEs) as well as large corporate office employees. Of this potential nation-wide market size, the total addressable size for co-working spaces across the metros of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune is approximately 5 million sqft.

A big business opportunity lies with large corporate firms seeking alternative, activity-based workplaces to nurture talent and further their business growth. The small, emerging business sector follows as the second demand

group looking for hotdesking opportunities at low costs, while professional freelancers and startups form the rest of the demand.

Gaurav Kashyap, CEO of Cherry Hill Interiors, says, “Co-working has a great future in India and coincides well with the start-up scene and the culture supported by the government. These spaces are vibrant, full of energy and support a generation of new ideas, providing much needed relief to start-ups, young professionals, work-athome professionals, independent consultants, scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs – by providing a legally recognised, Grade A and tier 1 address, which hedges the risk of using office spaces that are not regularised by local authorities.

Co-working spaces have arrived and are the future, which is also aligned to the vision of Cherry Hill to help its clients achieve the office of the future.”

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 25

Focus

What’s in store?

Commercial Design delves into how the current shifts in consumer behaviour are affecting retail design

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e have all heard the phrase ‘store of the future’ so frequently that it has become almost meaningless. It’s more helpful to think of it as the ‘store for now’ because the right time to create the ‘store of the future’ is not in three, five or ten years – but today. But you can’t design either the store of the future or the store of today

without understanding the target customer first. And while there is no single, generic future customer, current trends and shifts in consumer behaviour mean that the millennial generation will bring changes that will affect retailers across all markets.

The big spenders of the future and their changing habits Millennials are a highly desirable target audience for retailers right now and their

26 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

spending power is enormous.

Consumers today are always connected; this means their attention is constantly divided.

With the decline of work-life balance, free time is becoming ever more precious. We’re seeing shopping habits starting to fall into two broad categories: wants and needs. The global trend is that people are looking to source their needs online, saving their precious free time for wants.

Focus

CASE STUDY: SOURZE Designer: ZZ Architects The design language of this showroom had to be unique to make a lasting impression on its visitors, which were largely designers, architects and high-end clients. The treatment of the space and exclusive colour palette ensures that the final space is welcoming and a treat to the senses. The showroom is spread across 5000sqft and maximum attention has been given to the display. It is divided in two sections to segregate the offerings of premium Italian fittings brand IB Rubinetterie and Sourze. In a contrast to the wooden floor tiles, the walls are in an unusual shade of pastel blue with interesting quotes on them, while the Corian and wood display shelves are in stark white, lit up with TFR up-lighters. Meanwhile, the ceiling is moulded in places to create an attractive niche where LED spotlights have been placed to illuminate the space, and mirrors lend a sense of openness. A corner, which dedicatedly houses accessories, is detailed with black and white glossy walls, standing out in stark contrast to the other areas. In terms of design, the IB showroom is completely different from Sourze. Stark white dominates the space with the blue logo and lights adding some colours. The showroom also has a live experience center for its chromotherapy rain showers.

And increasingly, the wants are experiences and not possessions.

What designers today are trying to convey to their retail clients is that they are not just competing with other retailers; in fact, they’re competing with an afternoon at the theatre, tickets to a concert or even, a meal out. The blur between retail and hospitality is ever more smeared. The impact of valuing experiences over possessions is already being seen in retail.

Innovative brands are responding by creating environments that pull customers back in-store,

blending a sense of theatre with memorable content. In doing so, many are looking towards the leisure and hospitality sectors for inspiration.

Meet the influencers The digital natives that millennials are, they are growing up with technology and simply don’t see the difference in channels that older shoppers do. A one-off, the seamless shopping experience is their norm. The most desirable sub-segment of this demographic is the Gen-narrators, the leadership group defined by their

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 27

Focus

CASE STUDY: SHANTANU AND NIKHIL SHOWROOM Designer: Romi Khosla Design Studios, New Delhi The concept of the store is derived from an architectural competition that the office participated in, where they were looking at reinterpreting the ‘silk route’ to provide a contemporary context. The designs that had been developed for the pod were a series of seamless surfaces that formed the enclosures.

The designers were keen to explore the idea of developing the pods designed for the competition further and got the opportunity to design and build two soon after — the ‘Black pod’ and the ‘White pod’.

The black pod was a standalone exhibition and retail space created for Swarovski India. While the White pod was a small retail space developed simultaneously for designer duo Shantanu & Nikhil. The forward and backward moving planes, conceal all the shop storages, as well as all its electronics. The floor curves up to form the wall, which curves up to form the ceiling, which continues onto form the furniture as well as the changing rooms.

topics of interest, their ability to influence and their desire to share.

As identified by The Economist’s Global Report on Millennials (2015), they make up 19 percent of millennials – a bigger share than influencers in social groups before

them. They are disproportionately influential not only for their peers but also for younger and older generations.

Social Kudos For millennials, in particular,

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We’re seeing shopping habits starting to fall into two broad categories: wants and needs. The global trend is that people are looking to source their needs online, saving their precious free time for wants.” personal online profiles are a significant part of their identities.

Social approval from peers in the form of likes and comments is a real form of social currency, and there are huge kudos in sharing online. This drives millennials to seek, create and share eyecatching content – such as selfies or action videos of themselves participating in extreme or unusual experiences – to elicit affirmation from peers. Brands who understand the power of this drive for social affirmation, and those who respond by offering opportunities to share exciting content that improves the customer’s own image, will drive preference and loyalty.

SO HOW DO YOU CREATE THE ‘STORE OF THE FUTURE’ TODAY? Offer unforgettable experiences Retail brands need to redefine the shopping experience by introducing discovery, surprise, flexibility and partying to their shopping environments to make a

Focus

CASE STUDY: THE SABYASACHI STORE Designer: Sabyasachi Mukherjee Located in Kala Ghoda, the heart of Mumbai’s art scene, Sabyasachi’s designer store is housed in a restored heritage structure.

Rendering a sense of Persian elegance, the space within is devoid of any visual connection to the outside. Dimly lit, the interiors are resplendent and speak of indulgence and tactile experiences. A collection of paraphernalia including plates, frames, clocks and lamps take on the form of art on concrete walls, for a rough and saturated appeal. Pictures with an inquisitive depth look back from the frames, revisiting monochromatic memories of a bygone era.

An assortment of framed paintings, photographs and sketches resembling deities cover the walls. While a variety of objects within the space demand attention and compete for visual space, the garment display area is kept minimal and focused on the merchandise.

Seasoned wooden furniture with upholstery and linen, embroidered to vibrant design details, characterise the taste.

difference. The ultimate aim is to become more than just a brand that people like and become an integral part of people’s lives.

In other words, be the social gathering space customers choose to invest in emotionally.

Create community hubs that build trust Millennials are more likely to hold business to account on social issues than previous generations, with 87 percent believing the success of a business should be measured in terms of more than just its financial performance (as per the Deloitte Millennial Survey 2016). By creating hybrid community-retail hubs with flexible, multifunctional spaces, retailers can build relationships and foster trust with specifically those who are cynical of big businesses.

Don’t think in terms of channels In the future, there may not be words like ‘omni-channel’. Instead, it will simply be called ‘shopping’.

Full integration will not be a convenience, just the norm. The ‘store of the future’ will have

many fully integrated channels, each being a seamless extension of the other. This will be driven by data, so retailers need to invest in collecting quality data in innovative ways at every touch point to personalise the customer experience. However, brands need to be aware that data is a commodity that consumers expect payment for, whether monetary or in the form of another obvious benefit.

In conclusion…

The bricks and mortar ‘store of the future’ may not be a shop at all; at least not in the way that we define it today. The millennialfocused retail destination will be as much retail as a leisure and community hub; a place to eat, to be entertained, to hang out and to be sociable. And of course, a place to buy things!

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 29

Focus

In conversation with the expert – Patricia Rodrigues, design manager at KGDArchitecture

What are some of the most dominating design trends in retail today?

Brands have character, history and personality.

Fundamentally, there are two approaches in terms of retail design today: one is focusing on the strong visuals and radical appearance of the brand and the second is defining variations on a specific common theme, creating elements of surprise in it.

The concepts and themes are predominantly related to the customer’s experience and interaction with the space, the social/environmental awareness and, ultimately, the brand’s values.

With the advent of e-commerce, how can retail design address this issue?

Designers need to think about how to be remembered. We portray this ‘motto’ in the spaces, which will talk for the brand. It is important to draw consumers’ attention to the spatial experience, either through surprising elements, digital and interactive space tools or, unifying consistently within the brand stores.

Understand the product, the story behind it as well as the consumer’s needs, wishes, aspirations and give them ‘brandscaping’. We cannot forget the ‘try before you buy’ but a space needs to appeal to the customer enough to desire an offline experience.

30 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Designers need to think about how to be remembered. We need to portray this ‘motto’ in the spaces, which will talk for the brand.”

Could you shed some light on how retail design focuses and values customer experiences more than possessions?

The focus should always be on “brand identity” and brand values. Nowadays, we design sensory experiences, rather than just retail spaces.

Moreover, the ‘touch’ experience from the customer is going to enable interaction, diversity and give data to the brand and the designers, in order to develop its products and spaces.

Visual merchandising is one of the most important tools for a brand to succeed, as it uses the customers data to transform into space experience, understanding the market needs, sales activity and footfalls. Consider the window display that attracts and calls the consumer in, to the layout and displays, the use of digital media like sensory screens and other sensory

tools, like spraying perfumes and tasting food.

Another trend in retail are pop-up stores, where the designer must develop temporary and unforgettable experiences for the consumer.

How is technology influencing retail design?

Retail stores are adopting tools such as: digital mirrors, which give you a more realistic view of how the product will suit the consumer, and digital tags, which include all products’ features, pricing, sizes, colours and enable the product network. For example, if a store doesn’t have a particular product in a specific colour, size, etc, it will connect to the nearest store/warehouse to have it delivered.

Which factors are important for creating the “store of the future”?

Creating the store of the future implies identifying the intrinsic values of the brand and the subconscious aspirations of the consumer, in order to create a lifestyle choice.This means, combining elements of psychology, technology, ergonomics and sustainability.The future of any designed space, for that matter, uses the applicability of smart technologies, which enables the spaces to respond to the future parameters.

Flagship, lifestyle and pop-up stores, incorporating all the aforementioned elements are key parameters for the ‘marketing guerrilla’.

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF WORK ON VACATION EVOLVING BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AT WOV DUBAI

WOV DUBAI PARTICIPANTS FROM INDIA - SOUTHEAST ASIA - MIDDLE EAST

SUCCESS STORY - WOV DUBAI A

t the World Premiere of Work on Vacation - Dubai, we had the privilege to host the eminent Architects & Interior Designers from India - Southeast Asia - Middle East.

To this cadre of niche audience, we then added Brands that offered distinct and innovative products. This gave us an opportunity to leverage on our concept of – “Bringing-in together the designer fraternity and brands for four consecutive days to an offshore destination, Dubai.”

This phenomenal combination, complemented our team’s coordination and strategic detailing at each touchpoint, that fetched a lot of learning, friendship and joy along with fruitful business relationships amongst all our participants.

With NDTV Good Times as our media partner, we captured WOV Dubai’s Success Story. The telecast for the same was done, featuring our success story, on a special episode of NDTV Good Times, and it was televised on the 24th & 25th March 2018.

WOV’S WOW EXPERIENCE!

With the tremendous response from our participants, we are happy and blessed with - The Successful Work On Vacation Dubai 2018. Further to this, we would like to thank all our participating Architects, Interior Designers and Brands, to believe in our vision, and to participate at all our events with active involvement throughout all four days (starting 08th to 11th February 2018), right from Atlantis to Anantara - The Palm, Dubai.

Column

The art of branding Phil Davis, founder and CEO of Propriartary, on why companies are embracing brand art to express their vision and mission statement in a more creative manner

BY SHWETA PARIDA

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rand identity remains an integral part of corporate culture and now companies are going beyond logos and marketing campaigns to influence consumers’ perception of their brand. As part of brand-art firm Propriartary, we have been advising companies on how to embed art into branding practices since 2012.

It’s not just the big companies that are being more receptive towards corporate branding but also small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which understand the significance of brand art. Initially, I was surprised to see that only a handful of companies took advantage of this.

While most companies spend a lot of money on creating a brand identity, working with interior designers and public relations firms, the focus can often be limited to the typeface, which sets the tone for an identity. The wall spaces are largely left blank or even if they do feature any artwork, it’s usually got nothing to do with their brand. Generally, it’s because the boss likes it or has a favourite artist.

This could be counter-productive to what the company stands for and give an entirely different message.

Now, however, organisations are slowly moving away from seeing art as purely an aesthetic addition and are beginning to harness the power of art to make a statement about their company’s values. A thoughtfully curated art collection can reflect a firm’s history and demonstrate its character and spirit to employees and clients. In reception areas, boardrooms and throughout the workplace, branded art can communicate and reinforce brand values to employees and visitors, and act as a conversation starter.

Not every business has an art budget to invest in ‘museum quality’ pieces. However, alternative ideas and new technologies supporting costeffective contemporary art are now easily available. With the advent of

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Column The Gucci logo was created for a luxury fashion retailer that also wanted similar artwork featuring other brands in its portfolio.

Art for financial recruitment company Cander shows the firm as the only one with its lights on, long after everyone else has gone home.

The artwork for financial software firm Vizor features iconic Dubai buildings, after which some of the firm’s meeting rooms have been named.

Davis has created abstract art- inspired works in the colours of the UAE’s national flag.

new printing techniques, there are many reasonably priced options available to make an immediate and visible change.You are not buying from a commercial catalogue. Every artwork is unique and exclusive to the company for which it’s being created.

Despite having made the transition from the corporate suite to a creative studio, being a brand artist had never occurred to me as a viable professional choice. But with the concept gaining traction, I’m also getting savvy about the medium of choice.

Printing technology has opened up so many more avenues than just canvas painting.You can produce so much more quickly using digital methods. Unlike traditional painting, you don’t have to start all over again if the client changes their mind about the piece, and you can print on practically any surface, such as leather or metal.

Take, for instance, a piece that I was commissioned to create for a start-up financial and technology recruitment firm. The end product reflected the firm’s ethos. It

was a scenic representation of their offices, located in Jumeirah Lake Towers, looking out on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

In the picture, which is painted in varying shades of blue, a tiny yellow dot represents that they’re working long after everyone has gone home. The client who commissioned this piece is now moving into bigger premises, and has once again commissioned me to create another piece, this time charting their successful journey.

Workplace art is gaining particular foothold in the hospitality sector. Although, art has always been an integral part of the design process of hotels, art and branding have historically been mutually exclusive in the hospitality industry. Hotels can often get lazy with their art — it shouldn’t be used, for example, to cover a crack in the wall or to match with the sofa — which is often not relevant to the hotel brand itself. Brand art can go a long way in referencing the niche virtues of a hotel property, such as its geographical context. In my opinion, Rove Hotels by Emaar is

A Mondrian-style artwork featuring the Tommy Hilfiger logo.

You’re not buying from a commercial catalogue.

Every artwork is unique and exclusive to the company for which it’s being created.”

a good example of how a distinct branding can be supported with the help of art.

While the idea of brand art is creatively driven, ultimately there still needs to be an economic rationale for businesses to invest in it. Although the process of producing artwork involves creativity, I’m happy to let the company’s business statement underscore it. I’m not a frustrated artist who wants to find a viable way to practice his creativity.

When working on commissions, I put on my business hat, and look at it from the perspective of my client.

While some clients have a clear idea of what they want in terms of art, others are less sure.

To me, the challenge is not the fact that they don’t know what they’re looking for but getting them involved in the process.

Sometimes, steering them in the right direction takes as little as sharing with them my other commissions. Incredibly, some of my best works are not my ideas but those contributed by the companies themselves.

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 33

Commercial Design would like to thank all the partners, speakers and delegates who were present at the 4th Smart Office India Summit, on the 23rd of March, at the Shangri-La, New Delhi, for making this summit a phenomenal success. See you next year.

23rd March, 2018

Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, New Delhi

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS

FURNITURE PARTNER

SMART CONNECTIVITY PARTNER

MAGAZINE PARTNERS

KNOWLEDGE PARTNER

AN EVENT BY

Post Event

Winner takes all

The second edition of iNFHRA FM Excellence Conference & Awards 2017-18 was held at the finance capital of India – Mumbai

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uilding on the objectives of iNFHRA’s facility management committee of promoting the profession through recognising excellence, the association recently organised the second edition of its FM Excellence Conference & Awards 2017-18. Of its sixcity awards tour, this edition announced the results of its fifth destination — Mumbai, which was held on February 23, 2018 at the Mumbai Cricket Association Recreational Centre in BKC. The programme was supported by Ministry of Labour, Government of Maharashtra.

Muttha Group, one of the leading commercial developers and co-working space providers in India, which believes in enhancing the life of the people around the world through both real estate projects and philanthropy, were the title partners for the programme.

The prominent jury comprised of industry professionals from more than 15 industry leaders from the Mumbai. The programme was attended by more than 300 delegates, the largest gathering ever in an evening event of the fraternity.

There were diverse presentations on “Relocations industry and Writer Relocations

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Post Event

WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP Corporate Real Estate Awards powered by Muttha Group Winner: Col S Vipin Chandran, Reliance Greens First runner-up: Anil Nair, Reliance Industries, Jamnagar Second runner-up: Kirtan Gupta, Tata Motors Corporate Travel, Transport & Logistics Awards powered by Treebo Hotels and Via.Com Winner: Karthikbabu Narayanasamy, Godrej Industries First runner-up: Vishal Khot, HDFC Life Second runner-up: Girish Sanzgiri, Retd, SH Kelkar and Company Ecological Sustainability Awards powered by Writer Relocations and Lithium Urban Technologies Winner: Mumbai International Airport First runner-up: Oberoi Mall Second runner-up: Dr Amit Mahimkar, Huntsman International India Innovation & Technology Awards powered by MoveInSync Technology Solutions and PIKKOL Winner: Santosh More, Reliance Retail First runner-up: Atul Halde & Asif Ansari, Godrej Industries Second runner-up: Pallav Bhatia, Cushman & Wakefield Property Management Services India Safety & Security Awards powered by International Housekeeping & Maintenance Services Winner: INDUSIND Bank, Mumbai First runner-up: Samir Kumar Jha, Bharat Diamond Bourse Second runner-up: Oberoi Realty – Commerz Two Best Project — Corporate Award powered by Arraystorm Lighting & Workplace India Winner: Chandrashekhar Sonsale, KPIT Technologies First runner-up: Ashok Karale, Reliance Retail Second runner-up: Maj Nitesh Kala, Viacom18 Media Best Project — Architecture & PMC Award powered by Arraystorm Lighting & Workplace India Winner: Alhad Gore, M/s. Beyond Design Architects & Consultants Runner-up: Aditya Yamsanwar, Team One Architects (India)

dominance in this space” and “boxC.in-India’s first cloud based platform for beverage services” along with a couple of panel discussions.

The Mumbai awards were also supported by BVG India, Central Cargo Packers and Movers, Chai Point, CIRIL Real Estate Consultants Network,

Humanscale, Hungerbox, Mahindra & Mahindra, Raymond Made to Measure, Tripeur, Zeta, Commercial Design and Todays Traveller magazines.

For more information and to associate with the event, write in to support@infhra.com

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 37

Case study

Work like home Inshorts Media believes that there’s no place more comfortable than home and its office aims to offer domestic luxuries at the workplace

BY CAROL FERRAO

38 | April 2018 | Commercial Design

Case study

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s it possible to find the comforts of home at your workplace and still be productive? The young media company Inshorts believes so. When they set out to design their Noida office, this is the design brief the company gave to Edifice Consultants. With a creative and young team as well as a 24x7 operations, the brief called for a setup that would energise the young crowd, aid the open office culture and work well within tight budgetary constraints of setting up the office.

Founded by former IITians, Inshorts’ required a space that imbibed the familiar and relaxed vibe of a home — the reception as the drawing room, the cafe as the dining room, etc. Of course, the challenge was to translate this brief into a high-energy office space. Besides factoring in insightful feedback from the company’s existing office, the design also had to address other spatial requirements such as team briefing spaces, and unique measures such as acoustic barriers between gaming areas and work areas, among others.

The first step was to take into account the building’s orientation, which had its service cores on its shorter east-west sides. The largely open floor plate faced the north-south sides, held between the cores. While imposing views characterise the southern side, the northern side overlooks the commercial hub and neighbouring buildings. Given this orientation, the south end of the office is designed as a deck and functions as an alternative working environment. The setup promotes and encourages informal discussions. So as to benefit from the diffused light coming from the north, formal worktables that double up as meeting spaces, are placed towards the north and the centre.

Conceived as the living room, a comfortable lounge area sits in between the reception and the main workstation area. “Together

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Case study

Floor plan.

FACADE CONNECTION An existing double-glazed system on the facade with a high performance low e-glass, aids in keeping the internal heat gain in check. The Jaisalmer stone seeps into the office from the lobby over the threshold and the glass entrance to the office aids in this seamless transition. This adds depth to the perception of the space as seen from outside the office and immediately creates a visual engagement. In order to create this engaging visual and sensory connectivity, the columns were masked with sculpted design elements that act as tactical separators. A composition of positive and negative spaces is created for the office where the built volumes define the unbuilt interstitial spaces.

Black mesh roller screen blinds have been planned as well to address the southern glare.

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with a comfortable sofa seating set around a floor rug, it brings in the element of the home within an office,” the design team shares.

The rust-orange partition, acting as an accent wall, pairs wells with the lime green furnishing and wooden furniture. Further in the periphery of the office space, we see swings, rocking chairs and high chairs clustered to create informal spaces.

When it comes to work spaces, an elongated, partition-free open workstation — almost resembling a big dining table — caters to six teams of six to eight members.

This set up is designed to facilitate team work and discussions; a relaxed and personalised zone unlike conventional workstations.

The office is also interspersed with different clusters of alternative work areas. The engage area is the more public zone of the office. It blurs the office interiors and renders privacy to the more exclusive and restricted

Case study

PROJECT DETAILS Project name: Inshorts Media Office Client: Inshorts Medialabs Location: Noida Typology: Interior Design firm: Edifice Consultants Principal architect: Sanjay Nayak Design team: Sanjay Nayak, Nilam Gosavi, Rohan Bhagat and Ritesh Mittal Built-up area: 530sqm Start date: July 2016 Completion date: December 2016 Photographer: Kapil Karma (Brawn Globus) and Ritesh Mittal

areas. A newsprint graphic of collage by employees of Inshorts functions as a screen in this area.

Tabletops are made from wooden planks, resting on a simple mild steel frame to give a comfortable yet rustic feel.

What’s a home without a bit of greenery? Indoor plants such as the quintessential money plant,

mother-in-law’s tongue, peace lily and areca palms are positioned to purify the air. Tall movable plant lattices have been planned on the southern deck, which act as space dividers and also shade the deck when the blinds are rolled up. The metal lattices houses 200mmdiameter self-watering pots of money plant creepers. But the

main indoor landscaping strategy is a collaborative deck, which will be crafted around planted lattices that can be moved around to reconfigure spaces as per requirements.

Despite the many ‘residential’ aspects injected into the office, these additions fit in organically with the work environment.

Overall it is an inviting space, filled with familiar comforts but nonetheless professional — as envisioned by Inshorts and delivered by Edifice.

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Case study

Innovation-led interiors The new Kolkata branch of Dalmia Bharat is an office area designed around positivity, nature and sustenance

BY SHRISTI NANGALIA

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he over 75-yearold Dalmia Bharat Group is renowned for their work in the cement, sugar, power and refractory across the country. At its recently completed Kolkata office, it’s obvious that the group is focused on creating an innovative workplace that inspires employees to be efficient at as well as passionate about their work.

Creating unique workspace environments within the office adds flexibility. Thus, experimenting with collaboration

areas and even creating play zones can augment employee performance and creativity. Such spaces allow employees to feel more comfortable to express themselves and collaborate better with their peers during work hours. Offering a variety of such zones – that are suited to different work styles and tasks – is key to providing employees an environment in which they can perform to their true potential.

This school of thought is evident in the Acropolis project at the group’s Kolkata office.

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Case study

Ajit Menon, group HR head, Dalmia Bharat Group.

Rahul Lal, MRICS, national infrastructure & facilities head, Dalmia Bharat Group.

Cement is innovatively crafted into furniture, light fittings and other pieces of functional art by the group’s newly created subsidiary – Craft Béton. In order to rethink art and redefine

perception, the beauty and versatility of cement is cleverly showcased. Ajit Menon, group HR head for the group, says, “Interiors should visualise good thoughts, only then can innovation

happen. It’s one of the core principles of Dalmia Bharat Group that innovation should help the company as well as the society.”

To ensure optimum usage of space, the lift lobby is turned into a lavish reception-cum-lounge.

A spacious front office with lounge seating for collaboration and team meetings is created as well. This lounge has been named Sunderbans and is equipped with a large-format display screen.

Additionally, biogreen walls, which help reduce harmful VOCs from the air, sick building syndrome and energy consumption, are introduced to keep employee and environment health in check.

Rahul Lal, MRICS, national infrastructure & facilities head for the group, points out that the office is designed around positivity, nature and sustenance.

“The USP of the office is that all available space is used with small indoor gardens. The idea of Craft Béton is extremely futuristic as it combines grace and class. Cement as the material is flexible and transient in its form – it can look robust when used in buildings and delicate when moulded in character.”

“We have also used Dalmia Magic wall coating at our location.

It is the only skim coat in India measured as per BS EN standards and tested at SETSCO Singapore, accredited by the Housing Development Board (HDB) Singapore,” adds Lal. To brighten the viewpoints inside the office, bright and inspiration branding wraps the walls in common areas, meeting rooms and the central workspace.

Visitors and guests are seated on comfortable arrangements in the lounge and front office.

The recreational room is named ‘the golf course’, and the entertainment room is equipped with indoor games and a large LED screen, while Nalanda, the 20-seater training room, adds to the functionality of different activities.

Commercial Design | April 2018 | 43

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOM

Case study

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Case study

The essence of Oman

LOM Architecture and Design’s plan for the National Bank of Oman deliberately avoids extensive glazing, choosing instead a contextdriven approach

BY RIMA ALSAMMARAE

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or the flagship HQ for the National Bank of Oman in Muscat, LOM Architecture and Design created a design with the local topography in mind. Spanning 50,000sqm and stretching across nine floors, the building is said to thoroughly reflect its context and respond to the local environment in its design.

The building’s envelope, for example, changes at each floor level to create a natural, stepped profile that rises from a roughhewn base to a clean, distinctive parapet line. Comprising a loadbearing natural stone facade of terraces, the design reflects the terrain of the local mountainous landscape, while the facade of the upper floors — formed from a vertical precast panel system — was inspired by the architecture of Omani forts such as Nizwa, Nakhal and Bahla. Inspired by the country’s Wadi gorges, the bank’s atrium further delivers a series of dramatic internal spaces that balance public access with security requirements, creating a multi-functional facility that serves as both a staff resource and semi-public and event space.

Connecting the building to the surrounding landscape, generous planting overhangs various external terraces.

The bank’s interiors features a boardroom suite, archiving facility, main vault, roof terrace, underground staff car parking, cafeteria and data centre, and accommodates 800 employees.

“In designing the building, we were challenged to create a new style of architecture that would capture the essence of Oman’s landscape and heritage without resorting to simple imitation,” said John Avery, director of LOM and lead architect on the project.

“By working with a talented engineering team at Buro Happold and our local delivery architects IJAE, we were able to use local Omani limestone to create an abstract and sculptural building.”

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Case study

Sectional elevation.

LOM worked with Buro Happold to deliver a facade system that used traditional masonry techniques combined with a contemporary engineering approach, which created openings for deep ribbon windows and allowed for solar shading. This system used a series of precast lintels that support massive handset stone courses suspended off the frame of the building. The facade has been configured to incorporate a seismic joint along each floor to allow different parts of the building to move independently in the event of an earthquake. Additionally, the ground floor is established at 1.5m above grade as a precaution against flooding and the vault is incorporated below ground level in a secure self-contained structure that incorporates additional seismic protection.

According to LOM, Muscat’s municipality (a planning authority) is keen to see key buildings in Oman bearing a distinctive local identity, setting them apart from other prevailing architectural styles across the GCC. As a result, extensive glazing was deliberately avoided. Instead, the design creates narrow, wellshaded windows that significantly reduce the cooling load of the building – a design solution that can be found in the vernacular architecture of the region.

The landscaped area, completed

by Murray Associates, surrounds the building and offers a semipublic space for staff and visitors.

Front elevation.

Side elevation.

NBO headquarter’s facade detail at night

A large canopy shades the main entrance, the design of which references the complex geometries of the fronds of nearly 100 palm trees, which occupy the site and, over time, will establish a dense, protective and natural shade. “Integrating native planting into the facade and the surrounding public realm means that the building will evolve over time and become part of

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the future landscape of Muscat,” said Avery. “It has been a great privilege to work with the bank on a project that combines the best of traditional techniques with new and innovative technologies.”

The design of the new headquarters also encompasses many features designed to reduce energy consumption and drive down usage costs and carbon emissions. Buro Happold undertook a preliminary audit

Details of precast stone louvre balustrades forming atrium interior landscape.

Omani stone and ribbon glazed facade detail.

View from one of the bridges into the Wadi atrium

Rear view of the atrium.

of the predicted energy use of the building. A wide range of factors impact consumption, including how end-users work and how the building is maintained.

The architects explain that the audit estimated that, when operational, the new building will consume approximately 35% less power than other buildings

in Muscat. Measures taken to ensure the sustainability of the project include the use of LED lighting, the design of a facade that is sympathetic to the local environment, the integration of high-efficiency thermal wheels that allow heat recovery, and the design of ductwork and risers to ensure low specific fan power.

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Products

New on the market SOGANI

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lobally acclaimed artist and design Vibhor Sogani’s eponymous brand presents three new collections of light installations, under its signature brand of Lights & Light Installations. Building on its design experience spanning 25 years, the brand’s products highlight avant-garde aesthetics, while the designs fuses innovative use of material with state-of-the-art technology leading to the creation of bespoke and sculptural pieces.

Personalised and exclusive, each piece is customised to suit the desired space and lifestyle. The studio’s eclectic repository of over 60 indigenous designs continues to grow as it explores broader avenues of concept light installations.

Website www.vibhorsogani.com

U LIKE FABRICS

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he Verdant Collection of upholstery fabrics by U Like Fabrics features contrasting stripes, abstract prints, chevron and checkerboard patterns, blending graceful Victorian settings with an urban touch. It celebrates nature and its beauty with rich variations and eco-friendly materials.

The matte finished collection is woven using different techniques that add to its decorative appeal, while also making it strong, sturdy and durable. The collection also boasts other premium features, including colour and light fastness as well as resistance to piling among others.

Website www.ulikefabrics.in

SW_1 BY STEELCASE

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he company’s SW_ 1 is a set of lounge-inspired conference furniture – a lowered-height table and a lounge chair — creating a hybrid collaborative space that’s part conference, part lounge.

The remaining elements in the line, including standard and occasional height tables, low-and high-back lounges and conference height chairs, support all of the settings that are utilised during the knowledge creation process (i.e. socialisation, learning, collaboration and focused activities).

Website www.steelcase.com

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Products

ALPHABETA BY HEM Italian designer Nuca Nichetto has designed the Alphabeta Floor Lamp for Swedish company Hem. Like the pendant version, the floor lamp can be customised combining both the top and bottom shades from a choice of eight shapes and various colours, including black and white. As a result, 24 different configurations can be created. With a support structure in steel and an extendable arm, as well as the possibility to modify the direction of the lamps, Alphabeta can provide bi-directional lighting that brightens spaces both above and below.

Website www.hem.com

FABRIQUE BY LISTONE GIORDANO

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ritish designer Marc Sadler has created Italian firm Listone Giordano’s new Natural Genius collection: Fabrique.

Innovative surface treatments, in terms of both colour and the brushed finish technique, give the material a new and fascinating personality. The birch plywood retains a soft quality and makes any space look dynamic. The products are made using a special technology which highlights the special multilayer birch support, making the hardwood floor more stable and long lasting.

Website www.listonegiordano.com

GABRIELLE BY KASTHALL DESIGN STUDIO

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abrielle rug, by Kasthall Design Studio, is part of the company’s 2018 collection based on the theme – Legacy of Tomorrow. The designers working on the collection developed new yarn qualities and novel weaving and tufting techniques, drawing inspiration from vintage textiles and embroidery. The woven-boucle rug is made of linen mixed with wool yarn. Visible warp threads create irregular vertical stripes giving a sense of asymmetry. It was also designed with accent colours that adorn the surface in the form of thin lines. The colours were selected to provide a contrast and strengthen the playfulness in the structure and criss-cross pattern of the rug.

Website www,kasthall.com

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Opinion

Mentoring and me Salim Hussain, principal architect at Atkins Global, discusses the importance and responsibilities of quality mentorship programmes for young architects

W Mentorship does not involve dictating how the mentee should respond to scenarios.”

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hile assisting some of Atkins’ younger architects with their professional practice exams, I was asked to sign a declaration confirming that I was acting as their ‘mentor’. Assistance to colleagues is always offered but the formal nature of this question caused me to reflect on the role a mentor plays and, for that matter, the role of a mentee.

As a mentor, I feel that my role is to share my knowledge to assist mentees with any professional challenges. This sharing should be done in an impartial way with open and honest feedback that may challenge the mentee and their viewpoint; however, the mentee should reflect on their performance or decisions in light of this advice.

The other key aspect would be trust; mentees should act as a sounding board for ‘leftfield’ ideas or concerns and not share these beyond the people involved. As John Crosby noted, a mentor should be “a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction”.

Mentorship does not involve dictating how the mentee should respond to scenarios.

They need to make their own decisions and these can be informed and assisted by the mentor but ultimately the choice and responsibility must lie with the mentee. Mentees need to be allowed to forge their own path, not follow the path that is chosen for them by the mentor.

The mentoring process is also about giving support on issues beyond technical matters.

It provides both parties with benefits – the mentor is able to have a positive effect on their mentees career and, in turn, the mentee gains knowledge, experience and confidence at an accelerated rate through their mentor’s coaching.

A number of companies have mentorship programmes, which ensure time and resources are made available to support both parties. When properly implemented, mentorship provides greater job satisfaction for all involved and ensures everyone is guided to maximise their potential.