Screened Space is the headquarters and experience centre of an electrical switches company, located within the densely packed historic core of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.The design responds to the site’s complex urban condition. It works within narrow streets, exposed services, and buildings that sit tightly together. The project adapts to these constraints while creating a distinct architectural presence. Within this setting, the project establishes a distinct presence by negotiating visibility, climate control and privacy.

Screened Space Creates a Layered Experience Centre in Vijayawada | Studio UF+O

Corner Presence

The building occupies a corner plot within the market area, which exposes it to movement and views from two busy streets. This dual exposure means the building needed to be legible within the visually charged context. The project addresses this exposure by breaking through its built mass with double height volumes and courtyard spaces. With the longer edge of the building being in the direct line of sight from the adjacent street, the design required a unique visual identity for the office block.

Zoned Planning

The building organises the experience centre across the ground and first floors. It places the workspaces on the upper levels. This layout keeps the street-facing areas open and welcoming. At the same time, it creates more controlled environments on the upper floors. Courtyards and double-height spaces bring natural light deep into the building. They also create semi-outdoor pockets that encourage informal interaction within the workplace. The layout follows Vastu principles in the placement of these spaces. Lighter and more open zones occupy the north-east, while heavier built volumes concentrate towards the south-west.

Layered Facade

At the ground level, the building establishes a direct visual connection with the street through a twenty four foot slanting glazed frontage along its shorter length, allowing the experience centre to remain open to the public eye. On the longer facade, however, an opaque wall conceals existing infrastructure responding to the direct line of sight from the adjoining street with an element of privacy instead of exposure. On the upper floors, the building envelope responds to its orientation and use. Most workspaces receive direct south sunlight throughout the day. The design uses a custom double-skin façade to reduce heat gain. It also maintains privacy within the workspaces.

Lightweight Screen

The design calibrates the screen articulation to match the scale of the building. The mesh is panelised and organised into a two-tier system across each level. This approach reduces material wastage and keeps the building visually light.
The layered mesh reads as a veil rather than a singular monolithic surface. A consistent air gap between the glazing and mesh layer improves thermal performance. The design distributes the mesh according to the internal planning requirements.
Areas with greater solar exposure receive denser screening to control heat and glare. Other areas remain more open, while some parts stay unscreened to maintain direct visual connections between the inside and outside. This balance supports environmental performance without compromising openness and visual connectivity.

The joinery details were developed without a specialised façade consultant. Local window vendors helped refine the details through multiple on-site mock-ups. A special joinery detail mounts the mesh panels onto the mullions of the structural glazing system. This detail allows flexibility in positioning the mesh panels across the façade.

Refined Joinery

The design team carefully calibrates the proportions of the aluminium members through iterative testing. This approach achieves the required structural stability without increasing their visual thickness. The project selects materials based on durability, maintenance, and context. A restrained palette of glass, aluminium, and tiled surfaces ensures longevity in a dusty urban environment. The design minimises painted finishes and instead uses anodised or powder-coated metal. Tiled surfaces replace more delicate materials to reduce wear over time. These choices simplify maintenance while supporting the building’s long-term performance. Together, the materials create a durable an

Durable Palette

Beyond the architecture itself, the project extends into the development of a broader visual language for the company. The palette of red, grey and black, along with the use of metal elements and modular systems, informed a larger corporate identity that could be replicated across future offices and showrooms. Interior elements such as workstations, partitions and ceiling systems adopt this language, allowing the project to operate as a prototype for future expansions. What defines Screened Space is not a singular formal move, but the way multiple constraints are resolved together. From initial massing, to facade treatment, and material selection, every design decision is guided by the need to reconcile visibility, climate, and function with the complex urban condition, so that the building stands out in its context through a unique system of layering and screening.

Fact File

Designed by: Studio UF+O

Project Type: Commercial Architecture Design

Project Name: Screened Spaces

Location: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh

Project Size: 8600 Sq.ft

Year: 2026

Principal Architects: Prachi Parekh & Vineet J. Vora

Design Team: Aishwarya Gaitonde

Photograph Courtesy: vivekeadara

Source: Archdaily

Firm’s Instagram Link: Studio UF+O

For Similar Project >> The Office Space Promotes Functional Work Environment