Evolution Of Design In Future Workplace

Studiokon Ventures (SKV), presented Workplace Trends, India. Tushar Mittal, MD, SKV and India Partner for Workplace Trends kick-started the conclave by announcing that the conclave will be focusing on people, place, and performance powered by technology. The conclave was held on Friday, November 15, 2019, at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi.  

In the event, a panel discussion on ‘How design is evolving in future workplace’ had eminent dignitaries providing their views and perspectives. The discussion touched upon the key possible demands for the future of the workplace and what critical patterns of change will be seen in the days to come. Piyush Gandhi, Executive Director, JLL India, moderated the panel.  

Chris Bubb, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners adding to the discussion spoke on the need to take on the challenge of making the design of our buildings carbon-neutral. Having attained major success in this field, one such is having his work being displayed in the Royal Academy Exhibitions. Bubb is currently involved in the design of Amaravati, the new capital city of the state of Andhra Pradesh.    

Bubb informed the audience that the demand for carbon-neutral buildings is more from the people who are working in the office, especially the millennials are who are demanding.  

Sonali Bhagwati, also participating in the discussion, is the President of New Delhi based DPA, an integrated design consultancy firm. Giving her perspective in the discussion, she says, “The kind of hierarchical structures that we have in the workplace is not more.” She added further that the workplace has become much more elemental and raw.” 

Looking ahead she reckons that whatever changes that happen to the workplace the ‘Essence of using less will remain.’ Also, the idea she conveyed was there is a need to have a broader view of the matters. “Workplace is not just your workplace it is how you use or what you do.” 

Valentin Blanchard, Co-Founder of Happy Monday, gave his simplistic and unique view on the matters and said, “The way I perceive is the workplaces of the entire world is connected.”  

Martand Khosla, Managing Partner, RKDS, said, “If we step back and look at the education system, we have observed the priority has been in quantitative analysis of things – maximizing through improving the efficiency however now it is becoming more qualitative.” Khosla co-founded the partnership RKDS (Romi Khosla Design Studios) – award-winning architecture studio.  

Speaking about how design is going to change in the future workplace, Khosla said, “Prediction would be in the future the Indian materiality will be a lot more added to the focus and the tactile aspects of things will be more added.” 

Syed Moinuddin, Director, Projects CBRE@Google, giving insights into the industry said that the task at hand is to meet the demands of the end-users which are mostly the millennials. This is the new challenge.” He further informed on the changing trend that the now the design is moving from the function-based to the mood-based. Hence, there is the need for evolution in engaging with the changing demand. Lastly, he touched upon the need for looking after both the physical and psychological needs of the consumers.  

Ekta Kanakia Sanghvvi is the Director of Lighting Concepts, an independent lighting and consultancy firm based in Pune, India. A major part of her practice includes integrating natural light and innovative lighting systems, leading to the experimentation of cutting-edge energy-efficient technologies. From her experience in the field, she informed, “Earlier the work environment was not very healthy as there are too much light, especially white light, coming from everywhere especially from the screens, which is changing and will change in the days to come.”