Over the last two decades, Vijay Punjabi Consultants Pvt Ltd (VPCPL) has forayed into D&B projects cautiously and gradually as the market evolved. Headquartered in Mumbai with branch office in Bangalore, the four-decade-old firm forays into projects of varied scale and types on pan India basis with projects currently underway in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hubli, Devengere, Mangalore, Bathinda, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Pune, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Ludhiana, and Sasan (MP), to name a few locations. Their D&B specialty, however, focuses on interior design of corporate offices, with clientele including TCS E-serve, NTT Data, Concentrix Daksh, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Deshaw, SBFC & Qualcomm, to name a few.
Being an architecture firm gives VPCPL an edge over turnkey contractors because they understand both standardised design methodologies and customised, creative D&B projects. Large corporates have clearly defined design guidelines, from cabin and workstation sizes, defined lighting LUX levels, to clearly spelt out MEP details.
“We need to raise the bar in terms of design and execution here. Consistent performance is key to client comfort in such projects,” shares executive director Poornima Ananth, who heads the South Operations and has developed an expertise in software development centres, banks and corporate interiors. In comparison, small or mid-scale firms opt for this delivery model for ease of transaction and single point responsibility.
“D&B model hones our skills as architects who understand build ability with respect to time and cost. This challenge of D&B projects invigorates us, and the learnings are helping us to sharpen our skills even in consultancy projects.”
“Where client has no specific standards but only a requirement, we as architects help build the standards with our vast database,” Ananth shares.
The firm also enjoys creative freedom in the process and merges it with efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the delivery management. For VPCPL, navigating the two spectrums of D&B projects with confidence and good success rate is their core strength.
Case study – Qualcomm office, Noida
For Qualcomm’s office in Noida, VPCPL worked around a defined infrastructure standards to build the 105,000sq-ft space for 475 people. Two contiguous towers over an expansion joint were built to ensure that facilities and amenities like a café, building support, relaxation rooms, and stores are placed centrally to both towers.
The corporate brand colours find themselves articulated through wall paints, acoustic panels and graphics. Placed adjacent to the glazing, the workstations receive maximum daylight and the entire office is provided with occupancy sensors for energy saving. The cafeteria doubles up as a town hall as well. VPCPL also designed specialized labs like audio and proto lab that involve complex MEP demands such as supply of compressed air and <35 db levels.
In contrast to the ‘standard’ approach taken above, SBFC Mumbai Office asked VPCPL for a vibrant and cheerful office that would defy the serious finance company image. Colours and informal meeting areas define the office. TT tables in the break areas double up as discussion tables, while garage furniture adds a fun element to the space.
Columns are rendered with writing glass for encouraging informal meetings. To manage noise levels, the otherwise open layout is interspersed with break areas along with acoustical screens, ceilings and paneling. The only formal area in the entire office is the conference room. “The challenge in design intensive D&B is to ensure procurement of items from diverse sources in time. SBFC Office was completed within 60 days of site work,” highlights Ananth.