Indian office Iksoi Studio has remodelled a former factory in the western state of Gujarat into its new HQ, drawing on “memories, familiar forms and emotional attachments of the past”. Called Mana, the architectural studio and workshop is a retrofit project in an industrial area of Ahmedabad by sibling architect duo Dhawal and Mansi Mistry, both of whom worked at the time for Iksoi Studio. The compound had been passed down through the Mistry family, and was used by their father as a unit to manufacturer spare parts for power looms, before it was shut down in 2009.
This Indian Office Is A Refurbished Studio In The Middle Of An Industrial Area | Iksoi Studio
Deciding to bring it back into use as a 186-metre-square workspace for Iksoi, the Mistry siblings kept the original site footprint, which is enclosed by tall walls and has two distinct blocks. A smaller building which runs along the boundary wall has now become the architecture studio, while the larger central space that once housed the factory’s machines is in use as a warehouse.
While the layout is the same, the studio decided to raise the ground level in the middle courtyard. This creates the “unexpected effect” of the refurbished buildings sitting partially sunken into the earth. “The family named the building after their pet dog Mana, who is buried under one of the compound’s trees.”
What once were the doors to the factory hall are now windows for Mana’s workspaces. They help retain a connection with the campus’s industrial past. “Memories, familiar forms, and emotional attachments of the past inspire the design,” said Mansi Mistry, who has since left Iksoi Studio and is now a partner at Studio Saransh.
Another key intervention is the introduction of colour. “They have lime-plastered and painted the grey factory walls, which over time had become flecked with dark patches, in muted pink.” “We decided to retain the material but give it a very contrasting warm colour,” said Mansi Mistry. “And that is how these blocks became pink, finished with a mix of cement and lime.”
The architects also introduced a series of arches into this indian office. It helps transform an otherwise long and narrow building into a series of work cubicles. The principal architect’s office occupies the quiet end of the corridor, looking out over a concealed courtyard.
Dhawal Mistry brought in more references to local history by sourcing original mid-century Danish chairs from Alang – Gujarat’s ship-breaking yard. He also scattered playful gargoyles around the site to “add to Mana’s mystique.” The building uses granite indoors and cobbled limestone outdoors, sourced from the neighboring workshop.
“Mana completed construction in 2024. “Dhawal Mistry completed it as one of his last projects before his untimely death at the age of 40 last year. ‘The project continues this journey of carrying nostalgia by holding Dhawal’s presence—not in a literal sense, but through atmosphere,’ said Mansi Mistry, who is still working on three more projects the Iksoi Studio founder designed.”
Fact File
Designed by: Iksoi Studio
Project Type: Office ArchitectureDesign
Project Name: Mana, the architectural studio
Location: Ahmedabad
Principal Architects: Mansi Mistry & Dhawal Mistry
Photograph Courtesy: Ishi Sitwala
Firm’s Instagram Link: Iksoi Studio
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