Designed by Parekh Architects, this 450 sq ft modern office space for a structural engineer reflects the fine-tuned details of raw materials coming together. The resultant is a space that narrates the client’s profession both structurally and metaphorically. To respond to the brief and the close-fit area available, we’ve organised the spaces sequentially to facilitate the client’s privacy. We realise this through a slide-flip open partition, which converts the main office space into a spread-out workspace.
This Modern Office Space For A Structural Engineer Reflects Fine Details | Parekh Architects
The tactile experience of the surfaces varies from that of rough, rusted industrial Corten steel to warm layers of wood. It opens up a scale-to-medium dialogue between the unconventionally used materials for interior design and the conventional ones utilised for building construction.
The entrance space drives through a paraphernalia of coarse materials that differentiates and frames the view of the further interior spaces. The lighting here runs through the corrugation embedded within the walls and ceiling, achieved by rhythmic inserts of fluted polycarbonate sheets that harmonise with the crest and trough of the raw cement sheets. The display and seating design hint at the structural forces effective as tension and compression. We make the structure of the seating surface from FRP grating, continuing vertically to form a partition. Meanwhile, we cast the base of the support system in concrete with reinforcement bars that jut out as a typical structural foundation detail for columns.
The backdrop to the staff area features a wall studded with infographics that detail the technicalities of structural design. The desks are fabricated to dilute the space with simple aesthetics. Meanwhile, the storage shutters mimic the metallic touch through metal laminates. The exposed ceiling throughout the space unveils the structure in its entirety.
Divided through a fluted glass sliding partition, the main office space brings in warmth through wood walls. Residual polycarbonate sheets were riveted together and effectively designed into a hanging light that dissipates soft light while becoming a sculptural feature in the space.
Crafted from salvaged Corten steel sheets, we create full-length storage on the adjacent wall. Holes through these sheets allow the insertion of pegs, using the surface of these shutters to pin ideas. Tensioned cables suspend the display shelves.
The shape of the tabletop is derived from Fibonacci spirals and realised with brushed stainless-steel sheets that are riveted together, adding to the subtle set of details.
We carefully fabricated a subtle interplay between high-endurance materials such as concrete, reinforcement bars, and FRP, alongside delicate ones like acrylic and glass, through a thoughtfully designed process. The other half of the office space is articulated to be simple and straightforward. Thus leading to a riveted steel desk for the owner. Natural light touching and bouncing off surfaces creates the overall ambiance of the office. Thereby bringing warmth to the otherwise cold materials.
Fact File
Designed by: Parekh Architects
Project Type: Office Interior Design
Project Name: Raw Box
Location: Navratna Corporate Park, Ahmedabad
Year Built: 2023
Plot Area: 450 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Pal Parekh
Team Design Credits: Ar. Pal Parekh & Devashish Pandya
Photograph Courtesy: The Space Tracing Company
Firm’s Instagram Link: Parekh Architects
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