project details
Client: Confidential Tech Company 06
Location: New Delhi
Size: 17,000 sqft
Completed: Mar 2018
Type: Workplace
Industry: IT/ Media
Collective Members: Paperspace Asia, Alcove
project summary
An American online social media and social networking company based in Menlo Park, California, and a flagship service of the same name. Founded in 2004, this tech giant has become the world’s most popular social networking site, with over 2.6 billion monthly active users worldwide and 290 million in India as of July 2020. Their goal is to build technologies that give people the power to connect with friends and family, find communities, and grow businesses.
With the help of Paperspace India, the company was able to:
- Implement a creative balance of both international and local intricacies in a modern design.
- Adhere to the standards set in the corporation’s manual through creative solutions in necessary situations.
- Prepare the site for in-house live broadcasts with a full-fledged studio.
the challenge
Paperspace had the task of working with pre-defined design standards which were set by their Projects team in Menlo Park, California. However, the corporation also wanted to align its standards with the Indian context, catering to the local audience’s comfortability.
One of the clients’ many sites in India, the Policy office is located in the capital of New Delhi. This site is strategically located at the center of India’s political institutions as a venue for policy-making with regard to social media. This meant the office would need to be equipped with a full-fledged recording studio ready for broadcasting and interactive sessions by ministers and bureaucrats. Considering this, sound-proofing and acoustic insulation were of primary importance.
Both the design manual and cultural implications posed a challenge to the tasks. Strictly adhering to the quality standards while still maintaining a local feel was a hurdle that needed to be overcome. Additionally, some standards were unviable in the local setting and required modification.
the solution
To cater to the live broadcasts, an acoustically insulated studio was built within the office but away from the main working area. This allowed undisturbed facilities for both recording and deskwork.
In terms of hurdles, this is Paperspace’s only project to import light plywood outside of India due to its rarity in the region. The specific Light Plain Oak had to be sourced from California, but greatly enhanced the look and feel of the design while still adhering to the standards set by Menlo Park to the best extent.
Another note of importance: Cuisine in India is not as dry as in Western states. As such, stone countertops were used in place of the recommended laminated pantry counters for ease of cleanliness.
Local art and materials were adapted to make the workspace relevant for the location. Subtle additions of cultural materials, such as traditional tiles and Paisley fabric, were integrated into the design while retaining the global and modern design of the office, drawing out key elements.
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