Design talk: Titan Corporate Office, set amidst nature to inspire creative minds

The vision behind Titan Corporate Office building was the company’s philosophy of ‘we create elevating experience for the people we touch and significantly impact the world we work in’,fusing together the ideas of sustainability and integrating nature into the built form.

The building is located on a 6.17 acre site which has a lake on the eastern side and road towards north.

The generative idea of the design is based on understanding the forces of nature, trying to use their energy to create a healthy and energy efficient environment, where the five elements (sun, earth, air, water and sky) becomes an integral part of the built, breathing life into it making it a sustainable building. The design has a very special connect with the site and the adjoining lake. The idea is of exploiting every view possible to the lakeside makes any user a spectator of this serene setting.

A bio lake is conceived towards eastern side of the site which responds to the existing lake and would seem like an extension of it. The office building with all its ancillaries is proposed around this bio lake which is visually connected from all areas of the office.

Cascading green terraces giving a feel of elevated ground at every level.

Eventually, greenery embraces the built making it a non-building.

Porosity in planning and form allows continuous movement of breeze with wind tunnels creating a ‘venturi effect’ . Common areas are open and non-air conditioned. The three floor structure has terrace garden at every level .Free flowing cascading green terraces which is reminiscent of rice fields, are connected through external staircases gives a feeling of elevated ground at each of these floors. Green terraces also become areas of social interaction; cultivation and dispersion of ideas. These terraces also provide insulation to office spaces below thus reducing heat and AC load resonating to the idea of a sustainable building.

Green terraces not only allows one to work outdoors and stimulate interaction amidst the flora and fauna, but also offers trails for those who wish to enjoy leisurely walks. Over the years greenery on the receding terraces on either side of the lake would embrace the built making it a non-building.

Integrating Sustainability

 

West Facade

A green wall on the western side of the building shields the usable spaces from harsh western sun.Green buffer zone in between green wall and usable spaces further cuts off the radiation.

Solar Panels

Solar Panels are housed on the roof above services and above service yard on south side.

Zoning

Planning of the program is in such a way that each of the departments like watches, jewellery, eye ware, accessories etc has its own zone but are yet connected to the other departments through voluminous atriums which brings in light and allows hot air to escape and houses lifts and staircases.

Atrium

The five atriums in the campus vertically connect all the floors from basement bringing in natural light and also signify each of the departments.

Central Spine

A completely glazed island unit which is like a crystal floating above water houses director’s cabin and an ideation centre.The central spine along the clear water body edge is a linear double height space integrated with a series of wide steps, courtyards, product display walls, seating and informal meeting spaces.

Lake and green terraces creates an adequate micro-climate, thus minimising mechanical cooling. A two stage air conditioning system is planned to minimise energy consumption. Solar panels are planned above the terrace along the western side and above the service yard on the ground floor to generate on site energy to adhere to certain amount of total annual energy consumption.

Façade Development 

Landscape

The landscape design is conceived as a vertical park where each level is a green terrace starting from waterfront park at the ground level to the sky park at the roof level. Integrated with the dynamic architecture the landscape spaces seamlessly merge from outside to inside.

In this, the idea of a corporate office is reinterpreted seated amidst nature is designed to inspire and elevate experience of the end users.

 

Entrance – North east facade

Central Spine

Atrium and cascading green

 

(All images copyright of Mindspace Architects)