Imagine this — while you’re busy tapping on your laptop, you are surrounded by lush green plants, trees and water bodies running just beside you. If you think I am talking about a ‘workcation’ among the mountains, you’re wrong. I am talking about an office space in the city of Bengaluru, which is not just a building but an architectural marvel.
What looks like a giant floating cruise ship is an open-air campus that does not have any air conditioning as it stays naturally cool. “The place was designed in such a way that it harmonises with the lake and greenery around the location,” says Swetha A, the lead architect of Mindspace Architects who designed this marvel.
The Better India spoke with Swetha to gain insights into the firm’s design philosophy.
A philosophy rooted in humanity and nature
Founded by Sanjay Mohe, Vasuki Prakash, and Suryanarayanan, the architectural firm is committed to innovative and sustainable design.
“Mindspace Architects is driven by the idea of creating spaces that enrich the lives of people,” Swetha says. “Our architecture focuses on encouraging interaction and creating a dialogue between the user and the spaces they inhabit.”
The firm’s human-centric approach is also driven by its urge to blend nature with design. “We strive to create experiences that engage and nourish the senses,” she adds. “We use ‘light’ as a building material and respect the five senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste — while working with the five elements of nature.”
Climate plays a crucial role in their designs, especially in the tropical context of India. “We work towards creating naturally comfortable internal conditions. Our goal is to integrate nature into the built form, blurring the gap between outdoor and indoor,” Swetha explains.
The Titan Integrity office in Bengaluru is a prime example of the firm’s ideology, but it’s not the only one. Karunashraya in Bengaluru, a hospice for terminally ill patients, stands out as a significant project by the company.
The Hindustan Unilever Research Center in Bengaluru further showcases Mindspace Architects’ commitment to harnessing natural forces. Swetha shares that its courtyards and verandahs seamlessly merge the indoor and outdoor spaces, allowing birds to fly through.
The Vellore International School in Chennai is another example of their principles in action. “We designed the campus to respond to Chennai’s hot, tropical climate by orienting buildings to capture sea breezes and shield from the intense Western sun,” Swetha explains. “The layout fosters a dynamic learning environment, with classrooms surrounded by courtyards and numerous open areas promoting both focused study and collaborative activities.”
Designing the Titan Integrity office
The opportunity to design the Titan Integrity office came through a closed competition organised by Titan Company Ltd, with participation from six architects, Swetha informs.
“We presented two distinct options, and the company selected the second option based on its response to the biophilic design brief,” she recalls. The design aimed to foster a fulfilling connection with nature, promoting health, fitness, and overall well-being.
The central concept of creating a ‘bio lake’ influenced the design. “The bio lake, positioned on the eastern side of the site, harmonises with the natural and organic contours of the existing lake,” she says. The office buildings and all the facilities are placed around this bio lake to emphasise the panoramic views and immerse users in a peaceful environment.
The office is located on a 6.5-acre site with a lake on the eastern side. The design takes full advantage of the site’s natural features. The building is oriented in such a way that its longer side faces north-south, allowing glare-free natural light into the space. Porosity in planning and form allows continuous movement of breeze, ensuring natural ventilation.
Swetha also emphasises that she focused on merging aesthetics with sustainability. “The three-floor structure has terrace gardens at every level, reminiscent of cascading rice fields,” Swetha notes. The terraces provide insulation to the office spaces below, reducing heat and aligning with the concept of a sustainable building.
The terraces also offer outdoor working spaces and trails for leisurely walks. “A walk along the green walk path covers around 650 metres,” Swetha adds. “Over the years, greenery on the receding terraces will embrace the built form, making it a non-building.”
The design of the Titan Integrity office reflects Titan’s core values of design edge, innovation, ethics, and trust. “The building is a ‘nature campus’ with thickly wooded trees and water bodies. The combination of low-rise buildings surrounded by landscape, water bodies, walkways, and outdoor meeting spaces creates an environment akin to a university,” she says.
They also used natural materials in the construction to follow their idea of sustainability. Swetha notes that they used cobblestones and unpolished granite for pathways. The exterior walls are dry-clad in granite with an insulating air gap, which helps reduce the ambient temperature of the interiors.
The Titan Integrity office boasts several unique architectural features. Swetha explains that the office has a central spine along the edge of the clear water body, which is a double-height linear space. This area includes wide steps, courtyards, product display walls, seating, and informal meeting spaces, all leading to an atrium that connects to the dining block by the serene water body.
Looking ahead, Mindspace Architects plans to innovate and expand. “We are currently involved in different exciting projects in Bhopal and Bhubaneswar,” Swetha shares. She concludes, “Our architecture is about taking inhabitants on a journey through time and space, light and darkness, unfolding layers and volumes, and stimulating the senses.”
(Edited by Khushi Arora; All images credit: Mindspace Architects)
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