Space design | Furniture Design
Keywords:
Activate, optimise, engage, outdoor activities, social spaces
Completed in 2015, the GICT building was designed for The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Ahmedabad University. In 2019, we were approached to identify and design break-out spaces for students and teachers to connect, unwind or study outside the formal environment of the classroom or library. The large and spacious building provided many opportunities for creating such spaces and we identified the “airport” as a space for social gatherings for the engineering school community.
Brief:
Known as the “airport” because of its triple-height volume and distinctive Y-shaped columns that are reminiscent of the city’s airport, the space offered a clear expanse to hold get-togethers, events and social gatherings for the members of the school community. We had noticed how students naturally gravitated towards this space in the evenings as it offered a large, shaded space to unwind after classes.
We created a continuous bench and planters along the length of the space and designed outdoor furniture that could be used for day-to-day activities as well as social gatherings. The highlight of the space is the ‘snaking table’ that we designed to act as a versatile element that can transform the space from a community dinner setting to a conference space to a students’ engineering workshop. We also designed the ‘Uni’ chair for this project, which has gone on to be a popular chair across the University.
The minimal yet thoughtful introduction of furniture and plants into the area have transformed the space from a large underutilised space into a thriving hub for students to gather and use creatively on a daily basis.
Client — Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad
Scope:
Space design
Furniture design
Design — Rachita Sareen
Photography — Shweta Sauran
Client — Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad
Scope:
Space design
Furniture design
Design — Rachita Sareen
Photography — Shweta Sauran