The architects of group DCA have attempted to redefine spaces by enhancing aesthetics and emotions for this office for Primarc in Elgin Road in Kolkata.
The site has been conceived with a very basic and minimalistic treatment of the walls, ceiling and services. The site is endowed with two long windows along the two opposite faces of the premise. Hence, the layout is evolved along these walls, with all the activities such as the reception, cafeteria, all the work stations and the full time Director’s office being placed along these windows.
The meeting rooms, conference room and the marketing director’s office, all of which required extensive visual presentations and needed to be shielded from daylight, have been thoughtfully placed in the interiors of the premises. The strategic placement of the cafeteria just beside the reception - provides for a casual interaction with customers and also encourages the intra-office communication. This cafeteria leads onto the restrooms and the conference, thus creating the required connectivity and transition in an otherwise open office layout.
The fixed partitions are panelled with recycled deal wood and gypsum which have been painted in a striking dark grey colour. This is complimented by the accent furniture like the reception counter, the director’s table, conference room table and meeting rooms – that are made out of teak-wood, that have been reclaimed from the beams and rafters of old demolished buildings. The elegant work stations and filing cabinetry are all built in eco-friendly particle board and laminate to compliment the rest of the furniture.
The resultant office is a very dynamic space that functions with minimum use of artificial light during day-time. The optimized use of task lights as well as the strategically placed decorative lights, use energy efficient LED lamps which reduces the heat emission and thereby the energy consumption on an overall basis.
