Creating a culture of transparency!

By Rita Roy Choudhury

Photography: Het Shah & Ar. Rajeev Sathe; courtesy the architect

Read Time: 2 mins

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Ar. Rajeev Sathe designs a terrace office for an investment management firm in Mumbai, deftly balancing the corporate values of formality and informality in the workplace.

From suits to jeans, the new workplace scenario is more trussed up on performance with a growing live-and-let-live approach to the lifestyle that its employees wish to follow. As offices become more open and inviting, this one does it in one zen swipe.   

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This firm’s overarching mission statement is transparency - both between employees and clients; and Rajeev’s design response removes all unnecessary barriers to communication in this set-up. To foster a safe space of pervasive trust and clarity, administrative areas and formal meeting rooms are conceived to have floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Venetian blinds and glass doors are designed to keep conversations private; while brainstorming areas for informal meetings are planned on the adjoining spacious open terrace.

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Sitting on the topmost floor in the vicinity of The Mahalaxmi Race course in Mumbai, this enviable office space provides an unhindered view of the Mumbai skyline. Another imperative for the design is to usher the “outside” in while taking the “inside” out seamlessly. Rajeev’s design achieves this successfully as besides the expansive floor-to-ceiling glass walls that allow for a seamless transition; warm wood flooring sweeps the inside and the terrace areas in a clean, uniform space - dotted only with wooden cabinets and bookshelves. 

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The harmonious use of materials recurs in the wood-trimmed glass walls and glass doors – with the flooring in a deeper colour to contrast the white walls and the lighter shade of veneer on the vertical surfaces. This organic theme carries over to the use of natural wicker-backed chairs and the revival of the garden bench in the open terrace, recreating a feel of déjà vu.

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In its layout and its design approach, this airy office communicates the prized values of transparency, calm, consistency - all qualities we look for in our Investment Managers!