SAV Architecture Design, a London, Mumbai and Goa based interior and architectural design studio has shaped the new Mumbai based workplace interiors for AICL communications, a consultancy that confluences strategy content, design and delivery providing creative solutions across print, digital, moving image, environments for varied businesses and stakeholders.
Project Name: AICL Mumbai Workplace
Studio Name: SAV Architecture + Design
Built Area: 6000 sqft
Completion Year: May 2019
Project Location: Andheri West , Mumbai, India
Photographer: Suleiman Merchant
The initial brief and ideas for the new AICL workplace design were discussed collaboratively with the clients, with a lot of emphasis on understanding the future of working environments especially in the creative industry. Since creative methods have a lot of ‘fuzzy thinking’ we conceptualised this thought process into a mix of ‘fuzzy spaces’ for the new AICL workplace. By using the office’s large open plan style layout , we create a series of overlapping programs alternating between living , work and landscape spaces.
Fuzzy Space 1 / The Cafe Living Library: The central heart of the fuzzy spaces is the large double height library , the living lounge and the stepped amphitheater spaces which all overlap spatially as well as programmatically during large events and talks that the agency holds both for in house learning as well as an open exchange platform to bring varied external inputs.
Along with that on everyday , this fuzzy spaces allow flexibility in working, create informal meet ups as well as allow pockets for people to work as they choose , sometimes like a cafe, sometimes like a library at other times like their own living room. At the end of the library is the creative desk, a large work desk that allows the graphical team to have more space to collaborate with freelance plugin, have their own meetings and interact directly with the fuzzy living spaces.
Fuzzy Space 2 / The Walk in the Park : The other key concept was creating ‘walk in the park’, in which we used the metre and half wide fire exit passageway that ran all across the perimeter of the office space , into more than just a green corridor . We made it into became a ‘green place’ ; like a park, with outdoor tables , benches and sitouts as well plants , where one could meet, interact, eat , sit or just take a break from the grinding day. This would enhance productivity as was well as offer a sense of well being which we think is crucial to todays workplace.
Fuzzy Space 3 / The Work Zone : The main open plan double height workspace consists large long modular desks , allows unto 70 staff members to work , collaborate, and meet . The long cabinet wall on one side, consist of large flush storage with a magnetic surface that create large whiteboard available for quick sketching, checking prints, quick meet ups and internal reviews.
Metal and laminate storages along the wall are used as a gradient of colours to generate splash of fun in an otherwise minimal and neutral material palette. The same gradient is also used in the multiple doors within the magnetic surface wall allowing each ancillary or smaller meeting rooms/ lounges to have an identity of their own.
Fuzzy Space / The Pods Zone : All the private conference spaces and cabins are located one side of the office that would allow more quite zones for video conferencing, client presentations as well as director meet-ups. Both the conference rooms are housed with a glass partitions allowing for full visual connection, with the large conference room able to physically open out with its sliding folding doors during large events to be apart of the living/ amphitheatre space.
The director rooms are seen more as private pods within this space, with a focus on calm and plush interiors giving a sense of a serene working oasis within the uber creative outside spaces.
Overall the entire space is made in an open plan and modular way to ensure flexibility of changing desks or adding further seating if AICL grows further. There is an equal emphasis in overlapping of different programs over all the spaces including the outside ones, so that events, meetings, working and fun things can be interspersed all across and each and every space gets used in with a fresh ideas making the entire working environment as much ‘Fuzzy’ as it can be.
