Zarafshan Shiraz, Delhi
The contemporary workplace is in a continual state of flux and workspaces today are expected to reinforce the company culture through their planning and design vocabulary, instill a sense of belonging and well-being and spark innovation and exchange of ideas so, functionally, the 21st-century office can be purpose-built to suit the specific requirements of an organization. It must also encourage social interaction—through spill-outs, common areas and breakout zones—to create and foster a sense of community and belonging among the workforce.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Rachna Agarwal, Founder and Design Ideator at Studio IAAD, revealed, “The cookie-cutter similarity of lobby designs has dominated the interior schemes of workspaces for decades. However, polished surfaces shining under unflattering lighting and a long reception desk can be boring and rather uninviting. To create an impressive lobby/reception area, one must anticipate the lobby as a space for social interaction that caters to community interaction but in a less pretentious way.”
According to her, here are some ways to do so:
- Set up a more personable experience where guests can enjoy a cocktail while mingling with other guests. Add a television to transform this area into a social hotspot to connect.
- Break up spaces creatively into open and enclosed areas with plugin options for various devices.
- Keep the colour scheme warm and welcoming instead of using stark colours.
She advised, “Remember that the reception or the lobby area isn’t a selling point for your commercial space yet it creates a bespoke welcoming experience. Reimagine this area with a smooth traffic flow to set up dynamic spaces where your employees and guests would love to hang out.”
Asha Sairam, Principal at Studio Lotus, highlighted how an office structured and operated can have a direct consequence on organizational culture and said, “It is crucial for designers to interpret a company’s structure, ethos, and culture it seeks to nurture in order that the workplace is representative of those values. The reception area presents a great opportunity to create a memorable first impression on visitors and clients, besides offering a seamless transition from the entrance to the workstations.”
She suggested creating a balanced expression that unites the firm’s roots in Indian culture with the modern spirit and aspirations of its new-age workforce where the interiors form the canvas for a series of Indian art and craft forms. She recommended that Sanjhi — a paper cutting art form usually depicting Hindu mythology with origins in the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan — can be reinterpreted to showcase Delhi’s architectural landmarks and biodiversity in the reception area where the intricate paper cuts are sandwiched between glass panels and scaled up to form a backdrop for the reception while conventionally used white paper can been replaced with a black sheet to screen off the meeting room behind.