Designed To Work

Vyas Sivanand tries to find out how companies are planning and designing their work spaces, especially in the IT capital of Bangalore where most things connected with the new economy first get moving…

Bangalore has traditionally been billed as the Garden City. But over the last decade, it has also added the sobriquet of IT capital to its name. When the forerunners and jumpers-on of the information technology revolution started to boom in the city, what they encountered was a region devoid of high-rises. Thankfully, and with no small part being played by government regulations, the skyline of the Garden City has remained unsullied and it has expanded horizontally, rather than vertically. Most 'structures' of business houses in Bangalore are limited to a maximum of 15 stories high. Also, thanks to the money that IT brings in and since the office design plays a pivotal role in representing the company's public image, corporate offices are dazzlingly spank in Bangalore. In architectural aesthetics, Bangalore holds far more appeal than say, a Mumbai.

Needless to say, this architectural appeal of modern Bangalore has been driven by technology, or information technology rather. Dinesh Verma, principal architect and managing director, Ace Group, says, "Technology has taken the driver's seat today. It is because of technology that today's buildings more modular in Bangalore. Today, once a project is initiated, the start to finish is very well defined. The entire thought process becomes like that of a corporate." In fact, incorporation of technology into the design space of the corporate office also remains a key factor. Says Ashwin G Bhandary, architect partner, Aakriti Interiors and Architectural Solutions, "The role that designers like us play in integrating technology within corporate spaces is pretty significant as the general thumb rule is that if this is taken into account at the planning stage the implementation will be seamless. Retrofitting more often than not causes more problems than it solves. The role one plays in integrating technology into corporate spaces is all encompassing, starting right from planning the architectural shell (structure), the support services, as well as the furnishing. The use of technology in a space is limited only by the budget and the extent of integration to which the design brief calls for."

This change in mindset is quite a sea change from earlier times. According to Bhandary until the mid-90s, office architecture was not of primary concern and only a marginal few gave a thought to how their office set-ups should look or what it should convey to a visitor. He says, "They were more concerned about functional aspects like budget, location and layout. And this was just a reflection of how the general pubic thought. But with the opening up of the economy and the entry of multinational corporations, there was much more awareness of the importance of the office space design and architecture."

So companies now look at the office space as something of utility value, such as boosting employee satisfaction. "Better working spaces are looked upon as leading to better retention rates of employees," says Nawabzada Omer Bin Jung, managing director, Prestige Leisure Resorts Pvt Ltd.

Corporate Expectation

What does the corporate look for in an office space? According to Shruti Choudhari, architect, Akme Projects, "Low attrition rates, competitive rentals, quality office or campus premises, expansion and scalability options, leasing instead of owning, built to suit, presence of proper civic amenities and location are the most important aspects that a corporate looks for these days."

A convenient location, secure, adequate parking, modern day exteriors, comfortable working environment in terms of space allotted per employee, clean services and rest rooms, good connectivity, relaxation spaces such as a gymnasium or a yoga room, reasonable cafeteria, etc are a few things that go into the making of the perfect office. "The building should meet all the statutory norms such as fire exits, sprinkler systems etc. The building should also be planned so that energy savings levels are high thereby controlling actual heat, light and power (HLP) consumption on a monthly basis," says Omer. Other aspects include maintenance. "The order of the day is not just doing up world-class infrastructure. Maintenance and upkeep of the same is given equal importance. Most of the corporates today have either in-house maintenance or housekeeping staff on their rolls or have outsourced this to outside agencies which specialise in that line," says Bhandary. The expectation of a corporate from his office is defined from the kind of age group that the industry targets as employees apart from stress levels and shift timings. A prime example of this is the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. Call centers abound in Bangalore and they have a completely different look from IT offices. "In a BPO, the fit-outs vary from that of a software company or a manufacturing unit. In a software company the aura is very sober with light colours, while in a BPO, you might find a very vibrant atmosphere because of trendy colours. Likewise, a manufacturing unit has a different aura altogether and you find a different colour scheme. This variation is largely dictated by the kind of work atmosphere and even the age group," says Vedant Patel, facilities manager, at a company related to office design.

There has been a shift in the kind of materials which go into the making of an office. "In the olden days, even if you decided to build quality corporate structures, getting the best construction material was not easy. Most of the materials had to be imported which affected the total cost. But now with increase in demand, almost 80 per cent of it driven by the IT sector, materials are available in India itself, which has made a lot of unique designs possible in a limited budget and time-frame," says G Yoganand, managing director, Manjeera Estates Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad who is keen on entering the Bangalore market.

Foreign Inspirations

Like many other things, the west has contributed substantially to the sleek designs and even materials used. There is also often a demand from the companies themselves for a 'western' touch in office architecture. "Previously, the style of architecture was defined and restricted to a particular place. But today, people have travelled enormously and I see demand for a particular style influenced from the west, mostly in Bangalore. A positive side to this influence is that more and more people have started manufacturing material locally, which has reduced the cost and time," says Verma.

Agrees Bhandary, "The current trend among interior designers, real estate developers and architects for corporate design is more of imitating the trends abroad, either in part or in full. In other words there is not much of innovation in a real sense. The reason for this trend is that there is not much scope for independence given by a majority of the corporate houses to design professionals as experimenting is considered risky and slow. No one can afford delays."

Bhandary when asked for the perfect design says there is no such thing. "First and foremost there is no design, which can be classified as perfect. Design is all about working with and overcoming constraints with compromises being made along the way. One example that comes to mind when thinking about a near perfect example of a corporate building is the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank building in Hong Kong designed by Sir Norman Foster & Associates. This particular example demonstrates innovation and sustainability with focus on the principles of feng shui as well as on the corporate identity for the bank. The structure also demonstrates a tight integration between architecture as well as interior design," he notes.

Future Vision

Most architects are in unison in believing that the focus in future will be on issues such as use of alternate energy sources, sustainability, and energy saving as an integral part of corporate spaces.

"The trend of the future will be energy efficient and environment friendly buildings. The running cost of the building will thus be reduced enormously," says Yoganand.

Bhandary adds, "Technology provides the tools to accomplish this."

Another trend that will soon be part of corporate infrastructure is the flexibility to mould a particular structure over time. "I feel one emerging trend is flexibility in construction. Change is rapid and people do not want to be stuck with one structure for life and with ITES around, they prefer to lease out a building for few years and then move further. I think, almost up to 80 per cent of companies tend to shift in few years. Today a building is built more around services rather than design elements. Another trend which is bound to emerge is eco-architecture," says Verma.

Companies, especially IT and ITES, are most often not quite sure of the extent of their requirements in the near future. No wonder, a company has many buildings scattered in many parts of a city like Bangalore rather than clubbed at one particular place. Omer says, "Leasing seems to be more prevalent as companies are still not 100 per cent comfortable with the risk they take on India as a country. This is leading to a large amount of MNCs going for the leasing model though there are a few who are opting for the BOLT (Build, Own, Lease and Transfer) model. Most corporates require the entire building to be fitted out in terms of services as well as interiors and they will rent out the entire facility as a whole. The specifications of this are quite stringently stipulated and they ensure that there are neither deviations nor compromises in these specifications. The corporate is becoming more and more discerning about their need to provide a modern and comfortable facility to themselves as well as to all their employees."

Bangalore meanwhile tops the chart in real estate and is a test case for new office spaces which reflect the new economy, thanks to the IT, ITES, BPO boom. Says Choudhari, " In Bangalore, I feel that the trend of the future, which in fact has already started, is the location moving from Central Business Districts (CBD) to peripheral areas. The rental rates are also expected to rise in the next few months."

And what comes to Bangalore first, will soon move to the rest of the country, at least in office architecture.