Set within Padmini VNA’s Gurugram factory warehouse, the new office unfolds within its tall industrial shell, strategically bisected by a mezzanine that shapes space while honoring volume. A series of open workstations sit at the heart of the layout, flanked by cabins, meeting rooms, and breakout pockets that thread across the linear floor plates. These elements move between openness and enclosure, fostering collaboration while carving room for quiet focus.
The building’s industrial frame is not disguised but composed with. The double-height reception remains open to the shell, while the low-slung mezzanine structure is left exposed. This contrast between expansive and compressed volumes creates a rhythm of movement through the space. Terracotta-toned paint wraps around services and metalwork, softening the structure’s rawness while holding on to its grit. A restrained material palette and the reuse of existing elements honor the brand’s values of efficiency and sustainability, long central to their automotive legacy. Natural light is drawn deep into the plan through rhythmic openings, reducing reliance on artificial lighting across the day. In key areas and workspaces, custom fabricated lighting adds precision - balancing task with atmosphere.
Breakout zones sit quietly at the margins, close enough to the action without interrupting it. Below, booth-lined alcoves invite informal chats over chai - a gentle nod to Indian workplace culture. Above, the mezzanine lounge channels a living room, with solid timber furniture, textured textiles, playful decor and striking artwork by emerging Indian makers and artists. Built for durability, the furniture holds up to the rigors of a factory office while retaining warmth. Designed for client and investor meetings, the space feels private and composed, softened by tactile materials and sophisticated detail.
The W shaped terracotta modules appear throughout as porous screens that divide without severing, their earthy texture catching light and casting shadow. Used as railings, backdrops, and visual thresholds, they create a sense of continuity without rigidity and enclosure without disconnect. These screens form both an architectural language and a climatic response, their cooling nature moderating indoor temperatures. What emerges is a material rhythm, one that ties the workplace together while allowing light, air, and people to move through with ease.
Design – Studio Avesana
Principals – Ayesha Hussain, Smita Makhija, Ziaul Hussain
Project Lead – Reecha Barkakati
Designers – Sonu Baid, Vikas Chaudhary
Styling – Monica Mewar
Photography – Vishwajoy Mukherjee
Furniture and Lighting - BDCL Lighting, White Lighting Solutions, Oorjaa, AFI Office Furniture, LMNOH, Lap and Dado, Objectry
Art – Avneet Chawla, Portside Café, La Dimora Selections, MG Art Studio
Décor – Muun Home, Sarita Handa, Portside Café, Roz, Jaipur Rugs, Shades of India
