Tell us about your approach to design…
Akshay Lakhanpal (AL): There are two ideologies behind all our projects. First, our endeavor is always to understand the client completely, including what they stand for, their vision, and the nature of their business. We ensure that these elements are included in our design for that office. Although there are few elements that might get repeated from time to time based upon the currency of a trend in the market at that time, all our offices look starkly different from one another. They are truly designed and built to our clients’ ambitions and their aspirations and we do not leave a signature of our own.
Second, we try and work around the experiential bit a lot. While one aspect of the design is owing to what the clients convey to us, a large part of it is about understanding the kind of experiences they wish to give to their employees, both existing and potential, and their own clients and visitors. We gauge these aspects and plan accordingly in order to build the right kind of experiences for clients. For instance, a consulting firm approached us with a very structured set of requirements for all their cohorts and teams in their office and they wanted us to functionally meet all of them. We challenged this idea and conveyed how while this would take care of their employee experience, it may not meet client needs. We worked with them to come up with several ideas, which led us to develop at least 15% of the office area into a space where the clients could come and engage. This is just one example of how we try and create enhanced experiences for our customers.
Jaiprakash Aildasani (JA): There is no particular style or language that we follow, the core idea behind our work stems from the very need of the customer. Apart from the project brief, we aim to understand the vision of the customer, culture and their key business drivers. We also account for the kind of audience that is going to be housed in the space we are designing. Our designers understand and study the needs of the client to the very core to offer very comprehensive and holistic design solutions.
How do you connect a brand’s function and culture through design?
AL: Our spectrum of clients is very vast, and we work with four different categories. The first is global multinational clients who have a strong brand positioning and culture and we try bringing in these aspects into their office design. It is also largely governed by the brand themselves wherein they have guidelines on branding, posters, signages, etc. These are fixed and we maneuver within these guidelines to create a space that is personalized. The second is Indian corporate firms who have some guidelines, but we have the freedom to around with them a bit more to create a personalized design in terms of branding, culture, etc.
The third and fourth categories are the most interesting: startups and co-working spaces. For startups, interiors are a medium of creating their branding and culture and a huge capital investment. So, we work with the founders closely and understand how all this can be implemented, one example being Browserstack. For another technology-based firm that is into hospitality, the vision of the CEO was that the entire office should start thinking hospitality and related services. They wanted to bring this change in mindset through their interior design. We have been somewhat successful in this and the office has a very hospitality-oriented design approach to it. The co-working spaces, on the other hand, are trying to create a brand for themselves and a culture. Thus, design plays a large role here as well.
JA: Brand and culture are intrinsic to each other and are the building blocks of the organization. The culture of a brand defines how the company wants to project itself to its employees or to the new millennial talent coming in. We strive to understand the aspirations of the people using the workspace as it is important to design the space as per employee needs to make them feel at home. Design solutions needs to reflect the ethos of the brand and this is done in different ways , both in a subtle manner and at times lot more dynamic.
What are the common challenges of planning commercial spaces?
AL: We do both design and build. In our country, all the partners that we work with are eventually governed by factors like the labor situation in the market, etc. These further govern the build certainty or the time frame. This becomes a big challenge in terms of finding the right partners and working with them to deliver what we have promised the clients at the outset. To address this, we have a large in-house team of project managers who ensure that any such uncertainties are removed. In terms of design, the biggest challenge perhaps is around the demand to build cookie-cutter spaces that only address functional domain and leave out the experiential aspects. While we do high-density jobs, when the experience aspect is completely missing from the design, it is challenging for us – also in terms of whether we should take up that project or not. It is therefore important for us to be on the same wavelength with our clients.
JA: We don’t believe in a one-solution fits all. Every design is the beginning of a new journey and for us it starts with getting a holistic view from the customer. The challenges that come in are many, and these can be addressed effectively if sufficient time is invested at the design phase. While the designers are working on the best solutions, it is important to look at the buildability aspect of the sapce as well. We look at solutions that are well-engineered and therefore easily executable. From sample boards to full scale mock-ups we run the whole process to ensure predictable outcomes for the client and also as visual representations four our partners to understand and control the outcome. One of the biggest challenges is to see how the design gets translated from the drawing board, and we have invested heavily on bridging these gaps. Another challenge is to be able to strike the right balance , while the client may push for an office which is more agile and collaborative, we need to educate them about the pros and cons of each of the components of the space. The third aspect is of wellness. Above all, workspace designs must integrate all the aspects of wellbeing for the employees else it totally defeats the purpose.
Share the strategies that you’ve adopted to deliver projects…
AL: One thing that is innate to all our project planning is understanding the team-wise requirements. We evaluate all the inter- and intra-team interactions and keep in mind the fact that every member is different. For instance, although the sales profile requires a person to be interactive in approach, he/she may be an introvert. Thus, when we start designing, we consider all these aspects right down to the minutest details.
However, some people may still be left out in the process. We are now working to develop an approach wherein we are assessing whether the design can actually work for each individual as well – a design where at least some of the elements try to satisfy the day-to-day needs of individuals with different profiles. The focus is thus on personalizing the experience of every individual rather than a team. In fact, the new office we are coming up with in Gurgaon is where we are testing this to the hilt. We are designing spaces that can be utilized by individuals at different points during the day as per their preference – a microenvironment.
A lot technology exists in every domain of the workplace today. Two years ago, we conducted an event to demonstrate the potential of these technologies. What we are now addressing is how we can get all of these into a singular platform – rather than having multiple interfaces – make it seamless. Also, how can technology be used to enhance user experience in the office. For instance, if five people are sitting in a room, the air con should be able to auto-regulate the temperature based on individual preferences. We hope to be able to launch our own platform and application in the next 3 to 4 months, to get all of this at one place.
JA: We are an extremely digital savvy organization. We have always worked towards using digital media across all our projects for enhancing client experience while making them a part of the entire journey. To be able to visualize every aspects of the project, from the walk throughs, the material, the finishes to the palette of the entire office space on a 3D model is a marvelous experience for our clients. We are the first and the only firm in India to install CCTV cameras on all project sites. Our live feeds allow clients to log in to a link and see the project execution from start to finish. Right from our ‘Move-in Brochures’ to creating a team to help the client move into their office and set up their space, we invest a lot on building unique customer experiences.
How crucial are inputs from facility managers?
AL: I think this is very valid. When a facility is built but not maintained at the level of the thought process behind it, then it is a failure in a lot of ways. It is therefore best to get a feedback from the facilities team upfront to understand the challenges. There is also some kind of education required when we work with facility managers. For instance, there are some new age systems that require new age maintenance technologies. The facilities and design teams must also be aligned right from the planning stages to the finish.
JA: This is a very crucial aspect and as explained earlier, while the design would incorporate the brand’s vision and what they stand for, where the facility managers come in is to ensure the operational readiness of the space. This is the main building block of the design and a key component to ensure the design is aligned to the clients business needs. Our teams look at the finer details of the project, and that is what makes the experience more holistic and complete for their team members as well as the organization. We recently finished a project where in the client wanted all aspects of their space up and running from day one, whether it was the coffee points, printers, artwork, accessories, plants etc so that the minute anyone walked in the first experience is thoroughly enriching. Moving into an office that is complete in every aspect – this is something we look out for constantly and our endeavor is to keep pushing the bar on this front.
What hinders the use of software like BIM in India?
AL: Any change is usually resisted by a large segment of people. There is a lot of inertia in the system and the minds of people who must do this. Globally, people have moved entirely to BIM and we are yet to follow suit. One of the reasons for this is the fact that building models do not exist here. For example, if we are working on a building where BIM is not present, we need to physically make the model, which is an effort-taking exercise. Most often, the clients do not pay for this kind of service and the additional costs must be borne by the consultant to ensure that at least the BIM model gets picked up.
At Space Matrix, we do all services design on Revit, on a BIM model. BIM has several advantages including flash detection, resolution of issues, etc. Over the course of the next few months, we should be able to get our entire interior design on BIM and Revit as well. Currently all our MEP services are on Revit, but our interior design services still use CAD. If we can get through this inertia, it will help us in the long term.