Renovation Bought Design Character to This Office | Meister Varma Architects
Text description provided by the architects. Identiti is an advertising and branding agency run by a father-sons trio who wished to consolidate their home and office in different parts of the city into a spacious live-work unit. By the time we were approached, a building had been purchased for this purpose on a relatively compact 270 sqm site.
The existing structure was an archetype of a build to rent style prevalent throughout Kerala with low daylight and even lesser character. Cramped room sizes resulting from a half-baked interpretation of Vastu (traditional Indian system of architecture) made matters worse.
The renovation had to be dramatic to match its energetic occupants. The building was to cater for an office of 20 employees in addition to an expanding joint family. It also needed a look distinct from its neighbours hinting at its mixed-use avatar. We began with an inside out approach carving out the interior to match the space requirements of each floor.
The largely column free office on the ground floor proceeding to the parents’ apartment on the first (with a traditional closed kitchen and utility terrace) and finally onto the sons’ open plan apartment on the second.
Ferrous oxide walls feature as prominent elements on each floor with built in lighting features. A cement lattice to the east gives visual privacy from close neighbours and filters light to the living spaces. In addition to the walls, a portion of the second floor slab was also demolished to link the two residential floor balconies.
On the exterior, the public/private functions are visually separated by the surface treatment of plaster and colour. A red ochre wall deriving its colour from the company logo wraps around the building setting it apart from its residential surrounding.
Large balconies finished in polished cement and spanning two floors jut out towards the front. Inbuilt planters within act as vertical kitchen gardens used to grow creepers and herbs.
The building aims to be a model of invigoration for life in a dense urban environment incorporating a variety of spaces and functions.
Architects: Meister Varma Architects
Location: Kochi, Kerala, India
Design Team: Krishnan Varma, Vanessa Meister, Anila Cherian, Sruthi Vijay
Area : 3600.0 ft2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Vishnu Raj
VISIT Meister Varma Architects HERE >>
Editor’s Note: Some places feel rooted because they belong to their surroundings rather than trying to stand apart from them. Coffee Sangam in Andhra Pradesh takes this approach through a raw, tactile palette of brick, stone, teak, and mild steel. The random rubble compound wall extends the landscape into the architecture, while the Corten steel […]
Envisioned as a contemporary home rooted in Indian sensibilities, this residence sits on a south-facing urban plot. The design accommodates the evolving lifestyle of a multi-generational family. The project integrates architecture and interiors to create functional, climate-responsive, and emotionally connected spaces. Each level balances privacy with interaction. The design also allows flexibility for changing family […]
Editorial Note: Some homes are shaped by the memories, objects, and stories their residents carry with them. Ungana in Chennai, meaning “merge” in Swahili, brings together a well-travelled family’s collection of antiques and everyday rituals within a narrow urban plot. A double-height living space becomes the heart of the home, connecting the kitchen and dining […]
House of the Framed Atrium explores how a contemporary home can revolve around light, connection, and shared experiences. The design follows the ideas of a Living Atrium, Living with Nature, Framed Volumes, Vertical Living, and Timeless Materiality. The residence connects a sequence of interconnected spaces around a dramatic triple-height atrium. The atrium forms the heart […]
A Mock-up That Became a Home – For an architecture practice, a mock-up often helps test an idea before the team translates it into a larger project. It allows architects to work at full scale, examine materials and construction techniques, and understand their limitations. The process also gives them room to test different brick bonds and […]
The house began not with a formal brief, but with a conversation about the kind of life the clients hoped to build within it. Set between the denser urban fabric of Kannur and the quieter residential landscapes of North Kerala, the project responds to a desire for openness and connection. At the same time, the […]
“Pravah” — A House That Breathes is envisioned as the main concept of this home revolves around a fluid, light-filled home where architecture becomes a continuous experience of movement, air, and connection. Located in Pal Gamtal, Surat, the project is a residential redevelopment on a 1,850 sq.ft. plot within a dense urban fabric. The site, […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
Architecture font choices go beyond style—they shape how your work is perceived. From portfolios to presentations, the right architecture font instantly communicates clarity, precision, and personality. As architects, we design not just with space but with every detail, including typography. Selecting a strong architecture font shows your commitment to visual storytelling and design consistency. In […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]