EquiLend a US based Multi-national Company needed a new location to house its booming business. The vision for this office started with a merger with another MNC Stonewain’. Our team at Bel-Aide supported EquiLend and Stonewain to create a new workplace design – a base for their union in India.
Bel-Aide Supported EquiLend and Stonewain to Create a New Workplace Design – a Base for their Union in India | Bel-Aide
Visit: Bel-Aide
As a global financial technology, data and analytics firm, EquiLend asked for an aesthetic that is true to its other international offices. A slash of blue with a sweep of grey and a little bit of orange brought home the language of its New York office.
We consciously incorporated exposed concrete in the material palette as a reflection of brutalist charm of its genus loci, the city Chandigarh.
This went in line with our neighbourhood concept that honours individuality and sense of place across the floor. To achieve our foresight we found flooring finishes from Mumbai based surface design studio EVOLVE INDIA to be a quintessential recourse.
Spread across 5000 sq ft the project is titled ‘The Merger’, as the design reflects the marriage between the two firms. From patterned polygons meeting the staggered lights, to vivid-ness of ceiling confabbing with the dullness of concrete, ‘The Merger’ oddly brings in elements that stands unique while being part of the whole. For instance, the space celebrates a curvy table amongst the straight and box-y spaces.
The facility houses roughly around 100 employees. Planning is function-driven and consists of a Reception, Huddle rooms, Workstation area and a De-escalating space. As you enter the premise, a small reception welcomes you. It acts as a cross-road between de-escalating area and the formal work space. The design was such to provide formal and informal chance encounters.
The de-escalating area provided a much desired collaborative space that could hold private dialogues, formal meetings and also act as an unwinding sanctuary for the busy minds. To open up the whole space glass partitions were used in the huddle rooms to integrate transparency while tailor made acoustic panels were used to ensure acoustic privacy.
The formal areas are kept relatively neutral so that overwhelming amount of colour from the common spaces tunes out when entering the working zone. Providing a blank canvas only to be domesticated by its inhabitants.
Custom artworks used in the project, depicts vision of the company in a glimpse. A local Chandigarh based artist was commissioned to design a Graffiti embodying the company’s mission. Bespoke lighting for reception and huddle rooms was sourced from Mumbai based design studio ‘Hatsu’.
Ar. Mridha Khanna, spoke about the challenges involved in the project – “As designers we idealise the design vision, but many a times the on-site iterations end up becoming the essence of the project”. Originally designed to be an exposed ceiling, the site’s imperfection led us to design matrix of polygons in the ceiling, mimicking the EquiLend logo.
Today we cannot imagine this project without this anomaly, that has becomes its recognisable feature. In the end, the office offers an eclectic environment for the employees to gather, create and innovate.
Fact File
Designed by: Bel-Aide
Project Type: Office Interior Design
Project Name: The Merger
Location: Chandigarh
Year Built: 2023
Duration of the project: 5 Months
Project Size: 5000 Sq.ft
Project Cost: 1.25 Crore
Principal Architect: Ar. Mridha Khanna
Design Credits: Meenu Naryal
Execution Team Credits: Ar. Sudhir Khetarpal & Rajesh Sharma
Photograph Courtesy: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
Products / Materials / Vendors: Lighting – Hatsu / Furniture – Redoak furniture, / Flooring – Evolve / Paint – Asian paints
Firm’s Website Link: Bel-Aide
Firm’s Instagram Link: Bel-Aide
For Similar Projects >> Work Ethics are Combined with Transparent Work Culture in this Dubai Office
This home exudes warmth with earth tone interior design. The client, an Indian national doctor based in Jamaica, had a clear vision for his dream home in Bangalore. He wanted a plush residence that would serve as a warm and welcoming haven for his family of three, as they relocated to India. The client’s requirements […]
A 6,500-square-foot house in a peaceful Hyderabad neighbourhood tells a story through arches in interior design, light, shadow, texture, and time rather than words. Meghana Nimmagadda founded the award-winning boutique design studio Designtales, which is responsible for this most recent residential project. Designtales is well-known for its intensely individualised approach to interior design. They create […]
A 3-bedroom apartment with beige interiors hosts a Maharashtrian couple and their two daughters as its residents. The home’s main boast is its huge, full-height windows that let in ample sunlight – a fact which later became a key guiding point in designing the interior space. With Beige Interiors, This Apartment Unfolds Comfort | Agneya […]
The project with wooden interior represents more than just interior design; it was about creating an emotional bridge between two worlds. Kerala’s rich architectural heritage, with its emphasis on natural materials, intricate wooden craftsmanship, and connection to nature, needed to be thoughtfully translated into a modern urban context without losing its authentic character. Gandhi understood […]
Nestled within one of Chennai’s most sought-after and affluent neighbourhoods, The Chic Sanctuary is a quiet luxury style 2025 sq. ft. apartment that stands as a serene and stylish oasis amidst the vibrant energy of the city. Designed with a strong sense of modern sophistication and understated luxury, this home masterfully balances aesthetics with functionality, […]
In a city that rarely sleeps, this house finds calm with neutral interiors. Nestled in the buzzing heart of Mulund, Mumbai, lies a serene sanctuary where design speaks in hushed tones and emotions find form in monochrome whispers. “Whispers of White”, a residential project by Disha Maniyar, principal designer of The Next Step Interiors, is […]
In a city constantly balancing between the fast-paced and the familiar, this serene apartment for Gurjar family in Mulund unfolds like a quiet retreat. Titled The Woven Story, this 4BHK apartment was envisioned as a coming together of different individualities, tastes, and styles, an interior narrative that acknowledges contrast yet seeks cohesion. The brief was […]
The Jade House is a celebration of green interiors through colour, texture, and thoughtful functionality. A home where every design element has been carefully curated to reflect the personality of its residents while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic. Named after the precious jade stone, the home takes inspiration from its lush green tones, which appear gracefully […]
Tucked away in a bustling Bangalore neighbourhood, Anubhav is more than just a home—it’s a feeling, an experience. Designed for a young couple from Assam with a modern eye and a deep love for the arts, this 1500 sq. ft. three-bedroom apartment captures the essence of boho interior design through farmhouse chic living with a […]
When a client from Mumbai’s eastern suburbs—a quiet father-son duo, one of whom is a budding musician—approached us to design their home, it set the stage for a poetic confluence of two creative disciplines: architecture and music. It’s always a rare pleasure when design engages in dialogue with another form of cultural expression, and in […]