Nowadays an office space is more than just a place where people work. Design sensibilities are maturing. Client expectations have gone up. Architects, facility managers and interior designers have to satisfy and offer a lot more than ever before.....

One of the leading firms in Corporate Design is the Adrianse Group. Here are excerpts of the interview with Mr. Vivek Kharia, Director, Adrianse India Pvt Ltd.

What has changed in the design industry from the last decade?

A decade ago it was a plain vanilla office concept. Cost was the overriding factor. For example, in an 100,000 sq ft office the requirement was to meet the head count. The corporate interiors industry was in a nascent stage.

The design industry has matured in India. Designers are focusing on integrating specialist contributions. The range of materials available to architects and designers has improved and this gives them an opportunity to use the same in their designs. 

At the same time, the nature of requirements for office spaces has changed. There is lot of variation required and possible. Office spaces need cafeterias, gymnasiums, snacks bars, break out areas and more. Clients have requirements based on functionalities of the employees. There is lot of opportunity to design the spaces

So has the cost per sq ft increased?

The cost of materials has gone up. If you look at the cost per sft, it may appear the same or marginally higher but what is required is to look at the specs being met in that cost. Factors like market competition, better materials availability, cost effective materials have improved cost efficacy.

So in what way would you say the Adrianse group makes a difference?

We focus to manage the design and implementation process through the active involvement of experienced senior personnel. They are involved at all stages of the project, from pre design to handing over. This is a different approach. This ensures high quality of design and better management of client expectations.

Our clients include Microsoft, Fidelity Investments, Juniper Networks, Northern Trust, Ernst & Young, etc.

What is the toughest part in the design process?

The most challenging and interesting part is get stake holders on same page on design concept.  There are differences and opinions to be addressed to arrive at the same frequency.

What future trends do you foresee in the interior design industry?

Office design will see focus on sustainability and mobility.

Use of environment sensitive design approaches and products are expected to pick pace. Energy saving will be an important trend. Lead rating has emerged as an important benchmark in the commercial spaces. The government may decide on tax benefits for per unit energy saved. Energy consulting will be a specialists domain.

Mobile workplace resources will be commonly found in offices. For example, companies would want the same workstation to be used by 2-3 employees at different times during 24 hours. In such a case, space design for more employees but less number of workstations will happen.

Design Build approach: In developed countries, the turnkey model is preferred .The same firm gives the total solution.

In India, the concept is at preliminary stage. There are supply chain issues. For build design model the vendor supply chain has to be simple for an architecture firm to manage. Transparency in transactions is a major issue.

Global Vendors: The profile of vendor base would change; with more imported materials easily available, vendors would seek to carry out transactions in their own different ways.

What dream project you would like to work on?

A collaborative design exercise with the client - jointly evolving the design.

What are the issues that this industry has to address at present?

Interior design has emerged as an important niche.

Skilled manpower and specialists in segments like lighting, energy conservation are increasingly in demand. Training institutes with global curriculums would improve the quality of interior designers.  

Architecture and design is a creative field. It takes time to mark your presence. Young architects want to make a fast buck. Not many are interested to go through the learning curve. It is an important human resource issue that needs attention.

Contact Details: Vivek Kharia Director, Adrianse India Pvt Ltd  2988,1st Floor 12th main  HAL 2nd stage, Indiranagar  Bangalore - 560 008.  Phone: 080-41126460  Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

by Arvind Dhanuka for businessgyan

Issue BG83 Feb 08

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