Narrow space forming Longitudinal focus and a linear rhythm while creating visual pathways – And balancing the order with whites and yellows, some shades of blues and a touch of red.
Text by: Zulekha Sarfaraz | Photography by: Umair Ahmed
Any good corporate place aims towards projecting openness and providing an inviting feel for its employees and the people visiting. The interior of FND Office also justifies and fulfills that rationale in resolute proportions. Nestled amongst the streets of Saddar, Karachi; the FND Office situates in the old ILACO HOUSE building.
The Company’s name frosted across the look-through glass door façade at the main entrance, is quite delicately accentuated and illuminated with an indirect light beam recessed within the glass’ edges. Upon entering the office, the first glance falls upon a sleek white-on-white reception area, accented with a terrazzo slab back-lit with a warm recessed lighting channel. The cubicle is further softened out with small potted plants adorning the reception counter and the hind rack. Recessed spot-lights also adorn the ceiling of the reception and its immediate surrounding area. Two low-height arches, flank the reception from both sides, which serve as a byway towards the engineers’ work-stations.
The immediate east-side of the entrance emplaces the visitor’s waiting area. This particular section of the interior is slightly elevated; with a wood platform and ceiling finish and enclosed with a wooden slabbing from one end. The back-drop of the entrance-side wall and the waiting area is featured with a white and coral blue textured wood laminate, housing a wall mural of the Quaid on one side.
The central walking passage slices through the 200-ft long space, proportioning the engineers’ work space on one side while the other end encompasses enclosed offices / rooms of the upper-management including the conference rooms, meeting rooms, huddle rooms, library, the board room and private offices of the higher-ups. Lined with wood-framed glass and opaque foreparts with powder-blue accents and small infusions of metallic silver, the innards of these enclosed rooms, are housed with slightly lowered false-ceilings decked with hanging single-ring lights.
The longways of the office space is divided such so that one side encompasses the work-pen for the engineers. And the break-up of that section is created in separate work cubicles for each employee designated in that area. This side of the office also includes a small break-out corner / waiting space sectioned specifically, only for the employees. The 11-ft high industrial-style minimally insulated charcoal-black ceiling of the work-pen holds an accented fabric duct in striking yellow which smartly creates the ducting for the air-conditions thus giving freedom to forgo insulation. The array of suspended ceiling lights over the work-stations, further punctuates the linearity of the length of the ceiling running over the engineers’ work zone.
Having a west-side opening, the wall running along the entire length in the engineers’ work pen is lined with fenestrations, inviting streams of natural light to flow in. However, this play of light and shadows casted by the Sunlight streaks the primary colors used in the interior to create a simultaneous effect of bedimming and enhancing the tonal shades of blue in the interior’s theme. Whilst the other side, horizontally bordering the work-stations; is bracketed in alignment with red and sea-foam green cabinets.
The charcoal-black ceiling over the central walk-path features a stream of warm down-lights, which upon lighting, ignites the surrounding area in a way that creates an interesting effect and play of light, shadow and emphasis; especially in absence of natural light.
The elongated center pathway creates a transitional zone for the flow of foot-traffic, while defragmenting the cubicles of the work-pen and the doored areas, thus maintaining privacy, while retaining the human connectivity. Thereupon, constituting a sense of shared space in practicality. Towards the other end, this concentered path further narrows, without fragmenting the visual rhythm; down to the area which locates a small kitchenette and the restrooms. The passageway then connects and the space opens further down the hall into a drafting room.
Apart from the retained mosaic flooring of the drafting room, the general walking area floor is encompassed in wood laminate, while the work-pen and enclosed office rooms are covered in carpet tiles to tone down the footfall and other auditory noises. The 200 ft. x 30 ft. space has been utilized to its maximum potential by effectuating the length in a way so as to create a focal point in the over-all L-shaped office space. On the whole, the space is designed in such a way that if you stand at one end of the central walking passageway, it viscerally creates a visual of a coalesced and stretched-out focal point.
Wood frames of soft-brown shade frames every glassed forepart of the interior including the windows. The over-all space is softened with green pockets placed proportionately across all the private, semi-private, shared public spaces in punctuated accents.
The interior of FND symbolizes its architect’s (Ar. Husnain Lotia’s) philosophy of keeping a minimalist approach, and that is what reared the notion of the design itself. The usage of blue in the theme’s design also symbolizes FND’s logo which is in a bold shade of blue. The theme of the interior justifies the elements and abides by the principles of design in a perfectly balance consonance. Maximizing the functionality and uniformity while fostering connectivity in the foreground as well as the background.
The Office is amidst its further extension mode onto another floor, on the immediate upper floor-level, expanding towards newer departments and facilitating more rest and relaxation areas, which will also conform with a similar theme.
