Smart Solutions for Smart Spaces

Smartworks is one of India’s leading provider of co-working spaces. Apart from providing an efficient workspace, it also provides the user with top-notch real-estate design, technology and hospitality. The brand recently launched its first facility in Hyderabad, spread over an area of 86,000 sq. ft. and has 1,700 seating capacity.

The key guiding principle of this office was to ‘break all the barriers’. From breaking the mental barriers that restrict the visualization of a workplace. Employees were at the centre of the entire designing thought process. Conceptualised as an innovative and futuristic workplace, this office has set a benchmark in terms of its design sensibilities and aesthetic appeal.

It provides fully serviced office facilities like Day Pass, Smart Cubes, Smart Labs and Smart Suites. Space has been designed to suit the needs of every aspirant, be it technology or the ambience. Selective colours create a vibrant ambience, while the designers break away from all things conventional in their design of this office space by using new concepts and materials. The spaces have been planned to provide an ecosystem of functional yet extremely efficient workspaces.

Space aims to enhance the productivity of the members with a wholesome lively environment. Warm meeting spaces. The vibrant colours spreading energy.

Another meeting space with colourful graphic wall art.

The office is planned as one central area with seamless demarcation. There are no corridors breaking the space. The feeling of seamlessness is further enhanced by the use of different materials. The skilful use of flooring is one of the media to create the desired aesthetic vibe for space. There are different types of flooring finishes introduced in the space, as intended for the exact look and feel.

The colourful wall mural on the pillars comes alive enhancing the space.

The seating arrangements in chill-out zones and cafeteria with exclusive wall art to suit the space. The ceiling here is dominated by grid patterns.

Walls being the primary template to showcase the aesthetics of the space are treated in many different ways, some of them being lustre paints, customized wallpaper graphics, material finishes and hand-painted murals. On the whole, one notices a lot of colours and texture. The wall murals at the chill out zone are all about food and relaxation, while the other spaces have similar geometric creations.

The spaces are very meticulously separated according to the functions. And depending on the need of the room, the partitions are either done in a combination of aluminium and gypsum structures with sound dampening glass wool infill or are done in a modular glass system.

The seating spaces are very comfortable and sometimes warm and casual, sometimes formal and neat. And the spaces have been derived from the kind of activity space is intended for – lounges and break out zones have more relaxed seating arrangements active zones like cafeterias are arranged with dynamic dining furniture set up, and office spaces are planned with ergonomic task furniture best suitable for high-efficiency work hours.

Meeting/Conference rooms range from cosy four people discussion rooms to a 20-seat conference room equipped with all AV amenities for a productive collaboration. This space is basically in neutral shades of grey and black, giving a very official touch.

The fluid geometry of the office finds its meaning in the abstract artwork that explores the concept of art that simulates motion. Some spaces have unusual and dramatic ceilings, while bursts of colours are in the form of upholstery and wall art. This makes for a striking visual, catching the attention of everybody. The ceiling is something that depends mostly on the kind of activity space is planned for, common areas like high-activity zones are given a more industrial look to get more volume in the space, and focus zones like workstation areas are fabricated with a combination of false ceilings and access grid systems.

On the whole, the layout of the office retains the official but fun elements and is very user-friendly. Challenging the norms of a conventional workplace, here one notices how it turns to be more of an art gallery than a regular office.

Creating something ‘out of the box’ is through a risk, here it has yielded multifold benefits. The designers have managed to sculpt a subtle, understated space which wins one over by its simplicity and charm. This workplace is definitely a respite from the run-of-the-mill office spaces one sees all around.