Taking a new turn in office design, an organic Bangalore-based workspace aims to sustain high performance, work patterns, and workforce measures such as engagement, wellness, and efficiency. This people-centric office flaunts natural materials and its unique design ensures every user is immersed in a luxurious and natural spatial experience.
Earthitects is an architecture firm whose name comes from its team that calls itself 'architects of the earth'. With nature as its common design language, the firm is headed by architect George E. Ramapuram who is a pioneer in ‘reverse urbanization’. This shared workspace between Earthitects and Evolve Back resorts is envisioned to align with their brand values of sustainability and environmental care.
Using local labour to fabricate almost every single piece of furniture in-house, the tables, seating, workstations and lighting are crafted from wood that no one else wanted. Following organic curves, rather than right angles and rigid lines, this workspace is handcrafted with nature’s materials and much of the wood is live edge, procured from timber yards where it had been lying in the open for years, naturally weathered by the sun and rain.
The 4200 sq ft space with a linear footprint is awash with natural light through the bank of windows on one side with an open and interactive marketing space. Promoting user interaction as well as privacy, the sales spaces has hanging natural pods made from poles and faux leather alluding to the cocoons in the natural environment. Sliding doors between cabins create expansive, multifunctional spaces during large meetings. All light fixtures used in the space are crafted from eucalyptus poles following the organic architecture and are hidden in the ceilings to cast a soft ambient light in the workspace.
For this project, the architects subscribed to 'defensive design', the practice of planning for contingencies in the design stage of an undertaking. This reduces human error and other risks by anticipating them and designing them out, including influencing behaviour through design. The design of the entire office is based on productivity. In the cafeteria, for instance, the seating is not ultra-comfortable. Similarly, in meeting areas where someone may realize a long meeting is not reaching any conclusion, the concrete seater enables a quick, graceful exit by the user.
The Earthitects & Evolve Back office space is designed in tandem with nature, as is the studio’s philosophy, to be able to maintain optimum levels of performance and work patterns for employees, including their social and mental wellness.
Follow Earthitects here.
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