Sanjay Wadhwa

Cairns India is one of the largest independent oil/gas exploration and production companies in India with a market capitalization of approx. US$ 7 billion. Cairns India was rated as the fastest-growing energy company in the world, as per the 2012 & 2013 Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings. Cairn Indias exhaustive Design Brief aims to create a sustainable workplace Solution that incorporates the Best Design Practices of Interior Space Planning.

Conceived as an ambitious Corporate Office relocation Project, the client brief defines a Collaborative environment with open and transparent spaces, with an option of being flexible and scalable. Imbibing the firms Culture while crafting a Work-Centric space, the intent was to create a friendly, yet professional Office Space that is Global in appeal, young, lively, open and vibrant and open in its treatment and spurs its people to be result-oriented, exploratory and analytical.

Designed as a LEED Platinum building (certified by USGBC), the office incorporates 2,00,000 sq.ft area spread over five floors in a standalone building, Lending a Distinct and Meaningful Expression to the Campus, and communicating the nature of work Cairns India is doing, the chosen theme for this Campus is Terra that manifests itself through the campus, to be in line with nature of work client is into.

The project involves a major change management exercise and workplace consulting by housing all common amenities on the ground floor with three typical work floors, while the top floor is reserved for management officials. The various floors depict sub surface, surface and on-surface thematic expression through colors, textures, graphics, interior landscape and visual design elements. A central boulevard of activity around the cube clusters is planned with that brings together the spaces merging and flowing around the central meeting hub and is further supported by smaller collaboration/ breakout zones.

The Central meeting hub flanked by cabins and cubicles encourage employee movement and interaction. Building upon the concept, the feeling of an entry into the earth core is envisaged to welcome the visitor into the facility. From there on, the lowest floors are the Sub Surface levels, the mid-levels are surface followed by the On-Surface levels. An open plan layout with full height rooms at either ends frees up the glazed surfaces for easier penetration of natural light and views.