In the ever-evolving landscape of design and architecture, staying abreast of trends and disruptions is paramount for industry professionals. In a recent interview with Shashirekha, principal architect at Space Studio, Chennai, a firm that is known to explore and deliver high-performance workspaces, we delve into the shifts and innovations that have shaped her illustrious career. From the transformative impact of software advancements to the growing emphasis on sustainability, we explore the challenges and opportunities that define modern design practices. Join us as we uncover architect Shashi’s insights and experiences in navigating these dynamic forces within the industry.
What were some of the biggest disruptors in the workplace industry, in your opinion?
I am someone who comes from the manual drafting days. So, I would say the biggest disrupter in recent days is the way we use software. Because earlier, if we made a mistake, we would have to draft again and again, with different pointers or tracing paper. And if we made a mistake, we had to go back and correct it or scrape the sheet and redo it. So when CAD came, we could just erase it and start over. And then came coding, where we were able to generate multiple designs in a very short span of time, and the iteration became a lot easier. So, the kind of software that we use and the technology we use to shorten the iteration duration of a design is one of the biggest disrupters.
Sustainability has been a buzzword in our industry for decades now. But what is the ground reality of this concept? Is it as strongly implemented as it’s being preached?
Companies are certainly taking it seriously, and it’s also about time that we did. The climate crisis is real, and it’s affecting us all in many ways. But when it comes to the design of offices, recently, I had a conversation with an executive from a large corporate company, and he voiced this concern that sustainable materials could be expensive or a sustainable space could be difficult to maintain. The truth is that you can go sustainable at an optimized cost. So, we have created offices and energy models and found proof that sustainable buildings could actually cost less and not more to construct. Okay, it could become easier to maintain and not more difficult. So that’s the misconception that I would like to remove in the market: that you don’t have to be too scared to go sustainable; it’s about time you have to be scared not to go sustainable.”
What are your firm’s ethos and principles? Could you share with us a project that reflects these principles?
We experiment a lot with curved architecture, so we follow biomimicry. We look at how nature builds things; if you look at nature, it does not build anything in straight lines. Most of what is available is beautifully curved and composed well. So that’s the philosophy that we adopt as a design ideology and ethos. One particular project that comes to my mind is the ABS Marine Services corporate office that we’re doing on Harrington Road in Chennai. It’s a marine company shipping office. So we went for a yacht-shaped design, and given that we embrace luxury a lot in our projects, so we shaped it like a luxury yacht. And there is a lot of engineering in this building, which is interesting, where we have created an air corridor all around, so the heat load gained by the walls of the building is cut down by about 40%. Okay, and the AC cost reduces, then that becomes a sustainable solution. Beautiful curved glasses, wooden panels, and it’s also about access control. It’s a smart office, I would say. Okay, so the latest technology and the most interesting solutions that you could see.”
You mentioned that the ABS corporate office’s design extensively uses glass. How was the execution managed, keeping in mind the intricate details of the design?
When it comes to architectural interiors, the architectural hardware matters a lot. So that is where we look to companies like Dormakaba, especially for floor springs or architectural hardware because it handles access controls and curved glass. What we look for is a company that we can rely on, a supplier who will also be there to support us. Dormakaba is one of the companies that we usually opt for. And in general, we tend to specify the best brand for its class. So, the best in the market, if it’s architectural hardware, is the best in the market. This has a great advantage because the lifecycle of the product is longer, and there’s a huge cost benefit to it as well. And we don’t get many complaints. So that’s most important as architects.