The Social Spine
A spine in its literal sense is the most integral part of a body, giving it structure. As a response to the brief, we introduced the ‘social spine’, which is a 400 mm thick wall (clad in stone) as a means to subtly disrupt the traditional, mechanical work culture and introduce a set of newer programs into the office environment.
Completion Date
2022
Location
Ghatkopar, Mumbai
Size
6250 sq.ft
Project Team
Aashna Shah, Ruchir Jain, Anasuya Nalavde
Photography
Suleiman Merchant
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site & about
The office was to be designed for a 40 year old laboratory & scientific equipment trading company. The clients had a specific requirement of dividing the 6250 sq.ft floor plate into three interconnected sections, while maintaining a sense of connectivity and coherence within the office space.
design
The social spine cuts across the office, like a serpentine body, dynamically shaping space through it. It thins and thickens along its length to create spaces of pause, spaces for social interaction, of storage and for display of their different equipment and products, carrying services above it. The spine divides the large floor plate into three parts for the different departments. Clusters of tables are strategically placed within each section having parts of the spine creating table tops at certain points and enclosing tables for informal discussions in other areas.
A combed, Indian, brown limestone wraps around the spine, showing off some depth when it curves to divide and enclose spaces. It is topped with a warm grey marble as the coping. Sleek brass rods hold up shelves to allow for visibility above the counter. These rods also support the blue storage cabinets that are strategically placed closer to the table clusters. The colour blue was borrowed from their brand as an accent in the larger monochromatic palette. Bespoke furniture pieces such as the conference table and the light fixtures were inspired from their product catalogue.
