The office with the cool blue flooring!

By Marina Correa

Photography: Tejas Shah; courtesy the architect

Read Time: 2 mins

MKP Office (inset) Ar. Dipen Gada

Dipen Gada and Associates designs an office for a builder in Vadodara that sports an indigo blue flooring and is surrounded by green pockets wrapping its periphery… 

The blue flooring is a byproduct of an idea of having a eucalyptus leaf cut-out in the ceiling slab in the reception-cum-central lobby area of the office. Fortunately, since the developer owned the building, this 8,150 sq. ft. premises on the top-most floor allowed the architect liberty to play around with a few architectural elements.

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“When we cut the ceiling slab, harsh glare and heat flooded this area, which needed to be controlled. That is when indigo blue coloured oxide flooring was chosen for its great absorption and soothing qualities,” explains principal architect Dipen Gada. Whilst pergolas designed in aluminium-and-wooden finish laminate effectively mitigate the problem of direct sunlight shining into the central space; acoustics are ably handled via a composition especially crafted out of 19-mm thick buff acrylic that mimics the slab cut out.  

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Interestingly, with the shifting incidence of the sun throughout the day, an animated play of light and shadow reflects on the flooring and walls of this rectilinear central space. Surrounded by CEO cabins, engineering, admin and accounts departments with their head cabins, conference room, dining area and other perfunctory areas, this central space acts like the lifeline of the interior – used as it is for free-wheeling interactions; at one, setting the tone and work culture of the company.

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Another highlight feature is the green balconies surrounding the entire periphery of the office acting as spill out spaces. Extensive use of wooden battens with clean lines make the interiors of the cabins simple and minimal, whilst carpets and paneling take care of acoustic issues. A touch of panache is seen in the CEO cabins with Italian marble flooring, customised table with copper inlay, custom-designed light fixtures etc. 

There is a distinct use of art and sculpture in the overall aesthetic. For instance, as one enters the office a variety of Indian male figurines (only heads) are plastered onto the concrete wall; going a little further – adjacent to the reception table is abstract ceramic art created by artist Vinod Daros. Still further, an RCC wall holds a ‘Namon’ clock and a bronze sculpture by artist Asish Das… giving employees not only a spacious area to pause, relax, interact, transit but one where beauty and perspective co-exist. 

Fact File:

Client: Mangala Developers

Design Firm: Dipen Gada & Associates
Principal Architect: Dipen Gada

Design Team: Arpit Jain and Manav Patel

Built Up Area: 8,150 sq.ft.

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat