INHWA Business Center

Gurgaon, India

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INHWA Business Center

Gurgaon, India

Firm

SpaceMatters

Type

Commercial › Office

YEAR

2013

project details
INHWA BUSINESS CENTER

Fact File
Firm: SpaceMatters
Contact: mail@spacematters.in
Team Lead : Suditya Sinha
Design Team: Amritha Ballal, IpsitaMondal, M Joshi
Consultants: Structural Design – SanjeevAggarwal, Plumbing , Fire fighting– DSR Engineering Services, Electrical- Engineering Consultancy Services, HVAC – TN Engineering
Location: Iris Tech Park, Sector 48, Sohna Road
Total floor area :15000 sqft
Completed date :March 2013
Photographs : SanjeetWahi sanwahi@gmail.com

 Client Brief
INHWA Business Centre was AIHPs flagship space in its foray into business centres which are occupied by multiple organisations. This was a departure from creating office spaces which were tailored to the needs of specific clients. The business centre is based in Gurgaon which has a growing population of international professionals and limited infrastructure to cater to their particular needs. The Inhwa Business Centre was further targeted towards a clientele from the Asia-Pacific. The client wanted the space to be luxurious, flexible, functional, and adhere to high quality international standards in its specifications and feel.
 Design Development
Unlike offices that are designed around the needs of a known, single occupant with the INHWA business centre the challenge was to cater to a range of users, offering flexibility and diversity of choice, without being generic. Aesthetically the space had to have an international feel, yet localise itself to a pan Asian ethos avoiding stereotypical interpretations. Given these goals, the design team interpreted the brief as not just a high end office space but as an integrated hospitality and work-space. The intention was that besides meeting the functional need of the international users, the space also provides environment in which they can feel rooted, work as well as unwind, and which helps them expand their network and community.
Expression - To create a space rooted in an Asian context, yet international in its feel the design team drew as its inspiration the origami tradition which manifests in different names itself in various Asian cultures. The essence of origami is to push the boundaries of materials, in their inherent properties as well as an exploration through interaction of units of how the whole is greater than a sum of parts. This fractal geometry is intrinsic to Asian design from centuries and at the same time very much a part of contemporary, universal design vocabulary. A dominant pallet of natural materials- namely stone, wood and a prioritisation of crafted elements instead of mass production also reflected the Asian essence.
Dynamic Volumes -The shell of the office was a 20ft high floor space. To maximise efficiency a spacious mezzanine floor was introduced. Since the start the office was visualised as vertically and horizontally integrated, with dramatic double height spaces adding dynamism and visual connectivity to the entire office space. Distinctions between one floor plate and the other disappear as the office is experienced as one integrated volume.
From corridors to interactive zones - Unlike traditional offices with the generic, isolating corridor and cubicle organisation the singly loaded circulation space is generous, naturally lit and punctuated with a double height volume and semi-formal meeting and lounge areas. It essentially acts as the public, interactive zone.
Spatial Rhythm - The business centre is a long, linear space thus the design uses visual highlights to enhance the sense of progression and avoid monotony. Deriving from the square and triangular origami feature wall in the reception the Chinese game of Tangram, where small geometric elements combine to form an infinite variety of shapes was used as an inspiration. Combined with the lighting and double height spaces, the linear stretch offers play of forms and perspectives that constantly engages the user. Voronoi diagrams were used to generate the flooring layout extending the play of triangular forms.
 Layout
Please find plans attached.
The layout was planned to bridge over competing demands of the brief. The individual work areas needed privacy and robust functionality, while the common areas required an understated luxury and interactive atmosphere. Multiple entities had to share the space without intruding on each other’s space. Thus the reception, cafe, circulation and meeting areas formed one public component of the programme whereas the business suits form the other more private component and the layout worked on the integration of these components. The linear form of the space directed further layout decisions. The reception and café placed with meeting spaces are placed at either end or the circulation cum interaction zone acts as the connecting element. The business suits are so designed as to be integrated into larger units as per the client’s needs with minimal intrusion.
 Materiality And Colour Theme
The emphasis is on a natural material pallet – predominantly wood and stone. The natural grain of pine wood and granite stones has been retained wherever used. The colour theme is muted, soothing and warm, reinforcing the playoff form and light. The wallpapers in pastel shades provide the colour highlight and these are also in the textures of raw silk and handmade paper ,wall covering used extensively in the Asia Pacific region. The stress on natural materials was with a twin focus, firstly to combine luxury with robustness. Secondly the textures of materials created their own aesthetic which was enhanced by design and craftsmanship that played on its strength; this is intrinsic to Asian design. The strategic use of glass and steel, especially in the reception area juxtaposed with the natural pallet to create a contemporary feel.
 Lighting
The ceiling and lighting create a connecting element for the office. The ceiling is muted in white and creates a backdrop for the dynamic forms. The layout maximises natural lighting in the common areas. The lighting is integrated into the design, to emphasise forms, space sand elements rather than as a segregated element. It add a
 Details Of The Business Suite
As this is a business centre, each suite had to function independently as well as cater to expansion when needed with minimal intervention. The suits were designed as units of 4 and 6, with, as well as without a dedicated executive cabin. They are clubbed in modules of three that could be integrated into a whole. Common meeting areas and reprographic facilities were available at regular intervals. The suits also had to be designed for maximum efficiency and modularity with furniture and elements of standardised sizes.
 Common areas
Reception – The reception is a microcosm for the high end facilities and ground breaking spatial qualities of the business centre. The visitor enters a generous space with an arresting double height back lit steel origami wall further highlighted by an elegant staircase leading up to the upper level. The foreground holds a sculptural form that reveals itself to be the main conference facility of the business centre. The play of light, textures, forms and planes creates a dynamism ensures that the reception leaves an impact on first time visitors as well those walking through it daily.
Circulation zone – Unlike traditional offices with the generic, isolating corridor and cubicle organisation the singly loaded circulation space is generous, naturally lit and punctuated with double height volume and semi-formal meeting and lounge areas. It essentially acts as the public, interactive zone. The business centre is a long, linear space thus the design stressed of visual highlights to enhance the sense of progression and avoid monotony. Deriving from the square and triangular origami feature wall in the reception the Chinese game of Tangram, where small geometric elements combine to form an infinite variety of shapes was used as an inspiration. Combined with the lighting and double height spaces along the circulation spine the linear stretch offers a play of forms and perspectives that constantly engages.
Café – Also acts as a secondary entry again emphasises the spacious volumes of the business centre. It is designed as an intimate and luxurious dining facility rather than a generic cafeteria. Meeting rooms overlook the seating areas creating a vibrant interaction zone.