Workspaces can be fun. Architect and interior designer Milind Pai shows us how contemporary ideas in decor can merge with trendy graphics and thoughtful design and turn ‘Monday mornings’ into something worth looking forward to.
“Resultrix is a leading digital marketing agency with offices in India, Seattle, Dubai and Singapore. The company was recently acquired by Performics, a global marketing company headquartered in Chicago with a presence in over eighteen countries. Performics is part of the Publicis Groupe, the world’s third largest communications group.
Every office should have a breakout area for the staff to relax in. This one has a honeycomb bookshelf, a table tennis area and a space for resting as well.
Given this pedigree, the 5000 sq ft Mumbai office of Resultrix recently received a makeover to reinforce their new identity. Mumbai-based architect and interior designer Milind Pai was engaged to carry out the redesign of the office space.
The team sketched out “a streamlined design with a corporate feel and a sophisticated ambience with a perfect blend of usability, style and substance.”The project was completed in a short span of 40 days.
The predominant colours in the new design are greens to reflect the corporate identity. “Green was the new corporate colour and the company wanted to emphasise it after their acquisition by the Publicis groupe. It is the predominant colour in the theme,” says Milind Pai. “The striking white symbolises sophistication and elegance while the green stands for growth, tranquility, closeness and a harmony with nature.” This colour theme is used across all Publicis offices.
The entrance to the office is dramatic with a black and red colour scheme on the walls, ceiling and flooring, with spiralling cove lighting on all three sides leading to the bright reception area. “This lobby was designed to complement the design of the existing passage in the lobby on the opposite side,” says Pai.
The reception area, in contrast, is decorated in a stark black and white scheme. The reception table designed in black PU paint sets the tone for the minimalist decor with the wall behind displaying the names of the other firms in the group. On one side of the reception, a mural displays performance metrics and results achieved by the firm. The rectangles on the wall are designed to showcase the photographs of the firm’s top performers.
For a firm that encourages its staff so publicly, it was only natural that they were also involved in the design process. “The Resultrix staff had a major say on the graphics proposed by us as they too were from a creative background and good at advertising, logos, punch lines and caricatures,” explains Pai.
Punch lines and caricatures make their presence felt animatedly in the workstations department and around the office space. The work area is segregated into two zones, one having 12 low-height cubicles for senior staff and the other with 97 linear workstations for other employees.
The monotony of the green and white workstations is broken by graphics “depicting the reach and locations of the agency and the various modes of their business.” Pai elaborates, “Some graphics on the columns depict the various chiefs and heads of the international offices, while the graphics on the workstations have quotes of the CEO.”
A ‘breakout’ area outfitted with a pantry serves as a refreshment and breather zone. “The entire L-shaped area near the windows features the presence of some free standing breakout furniture concepts,” says Pai.
A striking, colourful honeycomb design book display, a table tennis area and a small space for resting gives the staff various space options to take a break in. “The resulting milieu is a break from the overall design of functional space with a slightly animated feel that reiterates the vibes of a youngster.”
One of the meeting rooms has the graphical representation of the quotes of the firm with a rectangular meeting table and cove lighting.
While the look is pretty trendy, the industrial component of the exposed ceilings, the racetrack and the visible paraphernalia of the security cameras, smoke detectors and fire-fighting system make for an interesting contrast. “The suspended fluoroscent task-lights in this zone above the workstation direct all the light focus downwards on the work area and let the services of the dark grey ceiling merge into the dark grey background,” says Pai.
With a new brand identity and a trendy office makeover, Monday mornings for the Resultrix team will surely be something to look forward to.
Text By Chryselle D’Silva Dias Photographs Ravi Kanade Courtesy The Architects
Contact
email: architect@milindpai.com
web: www.milindpai.com
