A row of cubicles and a drip coffee machine are no longer satisfactory tools for a generative work sphere. To keep up with the speed of modern development, more and more companies today are taping the expertise of architects and designers to develop bespoke office that fosters productivity, creativity and innovation.
One of the first firms to bring a creative and playful approach to office space is Dehsar Works (DW). Event and entertainment management company, Blues Communications Limited approached the firm with an idea for an office that specifically caters to the needs of its employees.
Dehsar Works’ solution to Blues Communication Limited’s unique request required an individual approach. Communicating directly with the company’s employees and following the working habits, the design team found their job is not a stereotype nine to five job.
The job involves long hours, lots of décor planning of the venue, doing a lot of budgeting, a million and one detail to be coordinated and scheduled. The design team realized that these employees need extraordinary elements to keep them creative and motivated to work. To better support the creative minds, Dehsar Works decided to create the office a happy medium between work and play. The office is designed as a welcoming and sleek whole that feels warm and domestic in parts but also maintains a strong contemporary edge.
This creative hub sits in between the heavy dense neighbourhoods of Solmaid, Bhatara in Dhaka city. Spreading over two floors, the wide rectangular-plan office spans almost 7,400 square-feet with flexible workspace that allows everyone free to pick up and work in the many open spaces distributed around the office.
The ground floor frames an open-plan office, promoting a collaborative working environment. The decision to propose an open office allowed the circulation between the departments to gather as one wholesome working zone, giving an important sense of unity. Mini coffee bars, informal lounges, meeting rooms are strategically placed throughout the building to support interactive and socializing among employees. These convivial hubs are juxtaposed by calm zoned desk areas across the floors.
Researched and designed to bring more flexibility to the space, plenty of nooks as well as a range of unconventional workspaces are designed that offer a different level of privacy, suited for a quick chat, a phone call, or an informal meeting, “It would take a while to list all the cool features held within the four walls. From walking meetings to colouring and video-games station, there is always something to get out of the chairs. Some enjoy ping-pong and others enjoy cricket in the frontyard, but the music breaks are loved by all”, says Farhadul Islam, CEO of Blues Communication Limited.
Architect Rashed Chowdhury, Principal Architect of Dehsar Works and team architect Sayedil Ashrafin explains that a prefabricated steel structure skeleton has been installed to minimize the impact of cost and time of intervention. To regulate the internal temperature, polycarbonate double layer roofing is installed that helps to maintain a cool environment even in high summer.
“The high ceiling and large transparent glass façade shell allow natural light to the core of the building that undergoes constant changes as light reflections alter over the course of the day. At night, the Blue Communication Limited office is lit by white Led-lights, resembling a giant luminaire, while making the building shimmer in dialogue with the surrounding vibrant neighbourhood”, adds architect Rashed Chowdhury. The office space is intelligently utilized as seen in the ground floor, where one wall spanning a huge bookshelf combines with a wooden staircase that also serves as a spacious bookcase. Leading up the staircase on the upper floor is the true hub of the office which is the open central lounge.
The L-shaped strips sofa as well wooden stools are alternate seating options in the lounge to sit and relax or to dive into books grabbing one from the shelf brimming with colourful books. A series of white winding tables with brightly hued comfy chairs are placed at one corner of the first floor where employees can work away from the formal desks to work individually or huddle as groups. To jazz up the white walls and to block north-heat partially, architect Rashed Chowdhury contacted architect plus artist Reesham Shahab Tirtho and the result is a gorgeously detailed graffiti art on the north glass façade at the upper floor of the building.“ The graffiti art speaks the stories of laughter, fun, innumerous adventures and fantasies of the employees.
They feel more connected and part of the family with these setups”, reveals architect Rashed Chowdhury. Another strong and rigorous design expression is the modular red-lacquered staircase leading to the mezzanine floor that features a ‘red room’, is the heart of the building. Given a vibrant red colour to this elevated building mass; it is designed to act as event space for art installations, lectures, and other cultural activities that ultimately ends underneath a terrace.
The design of the office set on to create a functional space that skipped away anything that encouraged repetitive and rigid working pattern usually seen in traditional office design formats. The ultimate result is an office that feels open, flexible and homely whilst fostering highly professional output.
