Could you give us an insight into Brigade’s design approach for its commercial buildings?
Brigade’s competencies across multiple real estate asset classes, developed over more than three decades, are manifested in the developments that are best in class and offer superior value propositions. We can gain significant advantage in terms of leveraging our core-competencies and create connected communities- be it a residential, commercial, or retail development. Our marquee Brigade Gateway development in Bangalore is a demonstration of highest-class mixed-used development of how we have transformed neighbourhoods and continue to impact the lives of the community. As a brand we have successfully achieved seamless integration of residential, commercial, retail, hospitality and education.
The Brigade Tech Gardens (BTG) campus designed by NBBJ, Seattle, USA.
Starting from the first office space development, ‘Brigade Towers’ completed in 1986 to the iconic ‘The World Trade Centre’ at Brigade Gateway our properties have been trend setters in the design and development of office spaces. Our focus on ‘Building for tomorrow, today’ motivates us to such create landmark developments by consistently challenging our own thoughts and benchmarks.
In order to harness the immense collective capabilities within the organization, we have crystalized our ethos under the six tenets: creating landmarks; building for tomorrow, today; design first philosophy; green thinking at the core; community vibrancy that fosters wellbeing and exceptional facility services and management that are the foundations of our inspire next philosophy.
We partner with designers and architects of repute from across the world who create enviable designs that are modern, creative, innovative, and collaborative working environments based on our ‘design first’ philosophy.
To quote a few, World Trade Centre, Bangalore and Chennai is designed by HOK – the largest US based architectural firm; Brigade Tech Gardens designed by NBBJ – an internationally renowned architectural firm based in Seattle, USA, and Brigade Signature Towers designed by Venkataramanan Associates, are some of our developments that dominate the city skyline.
What are some of the key design principles adopted by Brigade Group to create holistic workplace infrastructure?
We place strong emphasis on people-centric approach, creating communities and positive workplace experiences. Our sustainable and futuristic design right from the reception to the offices are built on ergonomic principles to ensure maximum productivity for its occupants. We aim to offer our tenants and their employees an invaluable sense of pride of operating and doing business from our bespoke workspaces. We take utmost care to ensure we give our tenants healthier and in fine fettle workspaces.
In the design of people-centric workspaces Brigade follows certain key aspects to provide effective real estate solutions, such as ensuring convenience in terms of mobility and office arrangements. This entails well-designed parking with safe and quick access to the office, optimally designed vertical transportation, and building core and large span column grids to enable flexibility of spaces that evolve with the tenant’s requirements. In addition, most of our large office buildings have a central core design that allows for maximum ingress of natural light through high-performance glazing. We also have in place soft services and digitally accessible food and beverage ecosystems.
We believe in adopting a long-term holistic approach to stress management which is why at Brigade we have dedicated spaces that are aimed at wellness and wellbeing and encourage collaboration and connection. For instance, forming the focal point of the World Trade Centre in Bangalore lies a man-made lake. Similarly, Brigade Tech Gardens’ activated lobbies catalyse human interaction, and the central spine serves as the nerve centre for all social interactions. A botanical garden and garden theatre, a 75-year-old banyan tree that serves as an outdoor breakout area, innumerable food and beverage options available in our state-of the-art cafeteria and food courts, an open-to-air amphitheatre to encourage creative expression, and a dedicated Amenities block that houses a unique health and fitness centre which includes a swimming pool, aerobics and yoga studio, and spa services are the endeavours we undertake to encourage the community spirit. Our philosophy of ‘creating vibrant experiences to foster wellbeing’ orients us towards designing our premises with the overall community in mind.
What are the specific strategies that Brigade has adopted to reconcile with the constantly upgrading changes in the workplace environment?
Technology is ever evolving, and what might be current today may be obsolete tomorrow. It is important to be predictive in our design viz-a-viz technology as it is not easy to provide a fail-safe solution to keep up with technological advancements. The tenets we have in place, allow for us to keep up with the latest in technology making it easy to plug into our design.
We partner with companies that are leaders in design technology in their fields. All our new commercial spaces are equipped with infrastructure such as dedicated server and BMS control rooms and optimally designed MEP plant room spaces that can be upgraded with the latest technology to meet the evolving customer requirements. Superior air quality is maintained throughout the building through app enabled air quality monitors.
At the World Trade Centre, Chennai, right from the beginning we deployed real time water management systems that aim to reduce water wastage. We work closely with the end user to create niche work models and ensure that their technological design requirements are fulfilled.
What are the systems and software the company has in place to monitor the structures operations and functions?
We use state-of-the-art software called Proleaz, E-facility, Facilio, and SAP for facility management; cloud-based software – Focus-i, for accounting and billing Novapro, Delbi, and Security Centre for CCTV and security operations.
What are some of the biggest challenges faced across the Brigade properties?
Traffic and parking management is one of the challenges involved in managing commercial campuses, especially during rush hours, in the morning and evening where there is a prolonged wait time at entrance and exit gates, and at elevators.
Additionally, each tenant has their own set of security checks in a multi-tenanted facility either at the external gates, common entrances at lift lobbies and specific entry points. This involves different visitor management SOPs making coordination among tenants a huge challenge.
The cafeteria, and shared facilities, are also challenging in terms of management as requirements vary from tenant to tenant regarding the menu, cost, timings, and service standards.