A Bengaluru workspace whose spaciousness is underscored by a soft colour palette

MYVN Architecture turn to the working style and principles of the users to articulate a minimal workspace.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Courtesy MYVN Architecture

The site

The existing site had a low ceiling which made it challenging to keep up with the notion of comfortable space. The solution was found in an aisle opening up to the glazed façades to infuse natural light into the whole office — even the small workspaces.

The brief

Obvious is a product and strategy consultancy that partners with businesses to create digital experiences. “The client approached us to brief us about their third workspace in a row as their team grew bigger,” says MYVN Architecture’s founder architect Elayaraja Mayavan. “As designers, they work with a set of principles and a unique sense of choice. These played a major role in developing the design from the very start.”

The design intent

Further discussions and proposals led to a concept driven by minimalism, followed by a soft colour palette which eventually directed the narrative to a white and grey scheme, with a complementing texture of birch ply and a little green to complement the whites. 

“Unlike other offices in Bengaluru with sufficient area to accommodate the strength, our client believed in openness and enough space for everyone,” explains Elayaraja. “That is the reason they opted to work on a floor plate of 6,500 sq ft, double the required room for 25 people. Though the plan is divided into parts, it follows an order and feels vast.” 

The spatial flow

The functioning zones follows a Deep Work zone, a Transition zone and a Community zone. Starting with Community zone, the entrance is designed with the thought of privacy while using the sunlight from the opposite façade in the best way. The intent to provide privacy as well as grant blurred glimpses of the office encouraged the use of wide fluted glass. “The material made a huge impact on the project, be it the shimmering shadows of people crossing by or the sunlight filtering through the translucent screen,” reveals the architect. Partitions modulate the space into three layers: the entrance; a second one that creates a barrier between the dining and the workshop space; and lastly a partition created by joining two columns to part different workspaces for engineers and designers. Moving further in the Community zone, the workshop space is purposely designed for hands-on operation, a pocket for the team to interact and create better. 

The aisle follows the Transition zone consisting of one of the three pockets of workspaces, designed with a sliding folding system. This workspace is developed as a discussion area. The conference room is positioned at the entrance to present the glimpse of the work context and office culture. 

The Deep Work zone is the primary workspace where the group crafts their work and motives. This includes a work area with a long table near the column partition designed for engineers. The third work zone caters to the designers, and features high planter boxes for the designers. The requirement included a library and two meeting rooms, which have been deployed side by side.

The highlights

While all the other parts of the office are designed with the purity of white, the washrooms are all black and represent a complementing vibe of a dark zone. The space is dark, intimate and lit enough to relax while all you can focus on is yourself.

The relaxing feature of the office are the several balconies, which are flushed with green. The facades are fully glazed, and enclose the office as an entity. The balconies perform as a buffer zone creating a soothing filter, refining one’s vision while looking over the polluted city. The front side balconies are used as a greening element while the balconies to the rear fulfil the purpose of a utility area.

Fact file 

Project: Obvious
Location: Bengaluru
Area: 6,500 sq ft
Principal architect: Elayaraja Mayavan
Design team: Himanshu Lamba
Contractor: Rahul  Associates and Galore Constructions
Lighting: Achu P and Ikea
Furniture: Sandeep Sangaru, Spin and Ikea