Our clients – Delux Bearings Pvt. Ltd., India's largest automotive bearings manufacturer, have established a partnership with Spanish bearings giant FERSA Group since 2023. The stipulated brief required the construction of their Admin Office from the ground up over two floors. They wanted to optimise ground space for manufacturing units while reflecting the precision and excellence inherent in their engineering process. With this in mind, Vipul Sanghvi and his daughter Shreya Sanghvi, Principal Design Consultants at Star Architects and Starlit Interiors, conceptualised a layout for this 8,000 sq ft workspace that narrates the journey from the raw to the finished stages of automotive bearing production, translating this concept into a physical space that embodies rugged industrial aesthetics and sophisticated refinement.
Therefore, the spatial planning has been driven by functionality. The ground floor, designed for everyday access by visitors and employees, features a double-height reception area that symbolises the company's stature. This area is complemented by a common waiting area, creating a welcoming, sophisticated entry point. The ground floor also houses critical operational units, including the Production Control unit and the Quality Lab, which are essential to the company's manufacturing process and quality standards. These departments have direct access to the factory via clear glass partitions, reinforcing the connection between the office and the production line.
In contrast, the first floor is dedicated to more private and semi-private zones. This includes the Managing Director's chamber, the General Manager's chamber, a Conference Chamber, a Training Centre, an R&D zone, and the Accounts-Purchase department. The strategic placement of these zones ensures that the flow of work is both efficient and organised, while also providing ample northern daylight to all departments, enhancing the working environment. The design grammar on this floor melds biophilic elements with a clean-lined layout, further improving the efficiency and organisation of the space.
The project was not without its challenges. The first hurdle was the blank industrial shed, a part of which needed to be transformed into a functional and aesthetically pleasing office space, while the rest 80% space was to constitute the bearings production units. The design team had to create a G+1 steel structure from scratch, strategically dividing the space into separate public, semi-private, and private zones, all while maintaining visual connectivity with the adjacent factory production units.
A significant challenge arose from the client's specific directive: the company's Managing Director did not want any metals or alloys used in the design of screens, partitions, panelling, or even artwork. This presented a unique obstacle, especially given the industrial nature of the company's products.
However, the design team's creative thinking led to innovative solutions that embodied the industrial ethos without relying on metallic elements. The use of materials like rapicon cement panels, precast concrete claddings, glass, wood, and Italian marble subtly conveyed the industrial theme while adhering to the client's preferences, inspiring a new way of approaching industrial design challenges.
The use of materials, spatial order, scale and proportion has been carefully approached to inject unique connotations into projects and explore a range of interventions. Hence, materials have been chosen for not only the aesthetic appeal, but also eco-friendliness and sustainability. Rapicon wall panels - made of fibre cement boards and cement concrete - have been used for solid partitions, while Mild Steel sections and precast concrete panels were employed for structural elements. Italian marble and clear/fluted glass contribute to the office's industrial tonality, underscoring the company's focus on precision engineering and efficiency.
Unique design features further set this project apart. The double-height reception area, with its central sculptural chandelier, serves as a focal point, while the custom-crafted monolithic furniture pieces, including the Reception Table, MD's cabin desk, General Manager’s cabin desk, and Conference table, add to the space's distinctive character and have been custom-crafted on the site itself.
A minimalist sculptural chandelier featuring cylindrical black-coated metal flutes is elegantly suspended from the double-height ceiling above the reception area. All staff workstations in the Production Control unit on the ground floor, and the Accounts-Purchase department on the first floor, feature modular desks sourced from Spacewood Office Solutions.
The inclusion of green plant pockets on the factory-facing facade provides a refreshing contrast to the industrial elements, softening the space and rejuvenating the senses. Fluted glass and patterns across the different areas unify the design grammar while lending a tactile quality.
Team:
Architects: Star Architects and Starlit Interiors
Project Partners: Vipul Sanghvi (Design Consultant); Shreya Sanghavi (Design Consultant)
Lighting consultant: Bhagat Electric Co.
MEP Consultants: Bhagat Electric Co.
Fire & Safety Consultant: Jit Engineering Services
Structural Consultants: Mr. Bipin Adhiya
Landscape architects: Star Architects and Starlit Interiors
Civil Contractors: Lalkrupa Constructions
PMC: Star Architects and Starlit Interiors
Acoustic consultants: Esteem Electronics
Environmental Green Consultants: Ankoor Sanghvi and Associates
Facade consultant: Star Architects and Starlit Interiors
Photographer: Mr. Hemant Patil
Materials Used:
Facade cladding, Bricks: Jay Jalaram Bricks
Rapicon Precast Cement Boards: Everest Industries
Flooring: GVT Tiles from Qutone Ceramic
Kota Stone: Classic Stone
Flush Doors: Everest Ply
Anodised Aluminum Sliding Sections Windows: Fenesta
LED, COB, and Laser Fittings: Changi Lighting
Interior furniture: Modular Workstations and Chairsfrom Spacewood Office Solutions
Wall Claddings: Italian Marble from Classic Stone
Precast Concrete Panels: Hey Concrete and FlexStone Inc.
Rapicon Precast Cement Boards: Everest Industries
Glass: Fluted and Clear Glass: Saint Gobain
Paints: Low-VOC Acrylic Emulsion Paints: Asian Paints
