The Serene Synergy

The Serene Synergy | Spring 2019 | CEPT Excellence Award Winner

CEPT University

The intervention needed to provide spaces which could connect the two contrasting realms: the formal Architect's office and the more informal public recreational and exhibition spaces. The office building is a composition of two parallel bays accommodating the departments across a central lush landscape bridging the bays; the landscape providing an informal platform connecting the entire office vertically, as well as horizontally. With a lightweight roof as a massive overhang and the north-south connectivity, these spaces allow for interactions, creating a welcoming shaded environment with views to the river, making the entire experience dynamic and flexible. The cascading exhibition spaces, with multiple points of entry, provide a gradual descent to the river and viewing pockets at every step.

The project looks at offices not as compartments of spaces, but areas providing different experiences. Addressing the inherent nature of us designers, who like to have the option of toggling between a plethora of spaces: be it playful, formal, open, closed, isolated or public, the design aims to provide these little nooks and corners of comfort, collaboration and curiosity.

Tools: SketchUp, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate

The Thought Process

The Site.

The site is situated at the apex of the indira bridge, the sabarmati river and the motera stadium in Ahmedabad. Surrounded by a number of temples, it is a major spot for religious activities, including disposing off the “prashad” into the river, which had led to pollution and waste collection. the sabarmati in its full glory gushes past the silhouette of new motera stadium and continues her journey, providing the people with a bathing and washing spot. the towering indira bridge overshadows the entire site, with its busy traffic, but also provides a cool shade to the riverfront promenade underneath.

Iteration A

The visitor experience is channeled through a diagonal approach building up a sense of mystery, opening up to the river side with all the offices having a view towards the waterfront.

Iteration B

The office building spreads out to create courtyards and terraces which could pose as informal meeting spaces and interaction points. Iteration B_ The office building spreads out to create courtyards and terraces which could pose as informal meeting spaces and interaction points.

Iteration C

The offices act as a community, looking inward as well as outward, creating shaded terraces.

Iteration D

The office building spreads out encompassing the other masses creating shaded spaces on the lower floors and allowing free flowing ground cover.

Final Iteration

The studio spaces are arranged to form an atrium such that the internal terraces and the open ground created could be used for mulitple purposes by the employees and visitors.

The concept the horizontal planes suggest a strict disciplined langauge, followed by the office spaces, while the soft curve suggests the organic nature of the informal spaces. the tall towering vertical member suggests the main core holding all the spaces together.

The building follows a structural grid of 5m5m throughout the design. The 230mm thick aerated concrete columns act as slender support systems as well as spatial separators. The grid is kept such that it allows for possible expansion of the office spaces, in the future. This grid when taken to the basement spreads out to make a 10m10m grid which thicker columns at its base allowing for car parking in between them.