The design for the corporate office of India Glycols in Greater Noida embodies the issues concerning the workplace today and explores the paradigm of the office space as a social activity. Directors Manit Rastogi, Sonali Rastogi and Sanjay Bhardwaj of Morphogenesis, explain how the non-contextual suburban setting of Delhi, led to the development of an introverted scheme that addresses environmental and socio-economic issues.

As is the nature of most custom designed corporate developments, the building had to exemplify the identity and corporate ideology of equity and transparency in the workplace as an integral part of the architectural vocabulary. Conceived as a solid perimeter scheme with a more fluid interior, the morphology blurs the interface between the inside and outside.

The site surroundings and context along with an optimum enclosed square volume (391,741Sqft) enabled a built form which offers minimum exposed surface area. The built form constituted of 8m wide office bays, optimizes the natural daylighting and helps to define the programmatic requirements of the office. A stacking system is used to generate a variety of open spaces, courtyards, verandahs, terraces and green roofs that help to structure the office spaces. A central spine traversing the built volume serves as the common activity zone, with other departments branching out. The design’s conceptual strength comes from the spatial organization which creates overlaps between the exterior and the interior and between the various programmatic requirements, hence creating a vibrant and creative work environment.

Energy consciousness dictates the internal spatial and programmatic composition through a series of open and semi-open spaces. Instead of an overlay of an environmental layer, passive design techniques are employed throughout the scheme and takes into consideration the importance and relevance of energy conscious design within the modern work culture. Solar exclusion is achieved by means of a solid external perimeter, which only permits diffused daylight into the office environs. A variety of materials has been used for the IGL Campus. The building seems opaque from the outside as clear glass has been used extensively. This is to avoid maximum heat gain. Furthermore, a three inch air gap has been provided which acts as an insulating material. It serves as a ventilated air cavity. The building performs well thermally as a lot of natural materials have been used. Use of clear glass allows sufficient daylight enter the building. Also, there is a good distribution of spaces in terms of the ones enclosed and the ones that are open. Approximately 40% of the office area contains open spaces comprising of courtyards, gardens and roof gardens.

  The intervening open spaces and enclosed areas was a deliberate attempt to divide the formal and the informal workplace. However, the efficiency of the workplace does not get challenged. In fact, the employees appreciate such an environment and feel inspired to work. In addition, the reliance on artificial lighting is substantially reduced as courtyards are created to increase natural light levels on the floor plates. The courtyards help to keep the solar ingress out and control the temperatures of a multitude of spaces throughout the building while also allowing for sufficient daylighting into the workspaces. External spaces are tempered using courtyards and terrace gardens that facilitate thermal insulation. Shaded outer façade with air cavity construction, very small slit windows on the outside, courtyards with microclimate controls (shading and mist gardens, water bodies and plantations) all aid in reducing the solar ingress. Green roofs and terrace gardens also provide a high level of thermal insulation. Water bodies aid in evaporative cooling thereby reducing dependence on artificial means of cooling and also create a microcosm of the civic environment rich with the potential for social transactions. The building is a simple design with a simple budget; it is not extravagant and thus the maintenance of such a building is not an issue. On the whole, the building works very well contextually.

  The underlying principle for the project was ‘The work place should manifest itself as a more flexible and integral part of an employee’s life rather than a separate entity of specified hours of confinement.’ The building accommodates for all levels of 200 employees and provides recreational areas separate from formal conference areas. Rhythmic articulation of volumes and spaces generates a scheme that is a radical departure from the structured differentiated spaces of the traditional office and the monotony of the open plan halls that have dominated office planning. The IGL campus makes a cultural statement through the importance and relevance of energy conscious design within the contemporary Indian work culture paradigm.