Mumbai-based architect Sanjay Puri reveals his latest workspace offering, The Courtyard Office in Raipur, India

Drawing on the vernacular forms of the region’s courtyard house typology, The Courtyard Office is a new piece of workspace architecture sprawled across a generous site in Raipur, India. The design, created by Mumbai-based architect Sanjay Puri and his team, seeks to balance tradition and modernity, the feeling of old and new. Elegant, yet dramatic, in its strong, linear forms that feel low to the ground but also elevated through the rhythm of the building’s sequence of vertical fins, The Courtyard Office is the home of a private cement company.

Its distinct floorplan defines this building’s character. ‘A linear office space twists organically in plan, creating a large landscaped courtyard within it,’ the architect explains. The layout, and each part’s orientation and openings help define the internal experience as well as support the building’s sustainable goals, in terms of natural lighting, shading and thermal control, and ventilation. Additionally, as the volume undulates, rises and falls, it ranges from one to two levels sectionally, adding diversity and options in the interior. The gaps created underneath the building also encourage the region’s breeze to travel through the site and cool it. 

Those parts that lift off the ground create a visual landmark for the area, while flagging up a special use inside – functions that are beyond the meeting room and desk spaces found elsewhere in the building. ‘The north-east and north-west corners of the building are also lifted, creating singular large volumes at both ends to allow visual contact between floors, where a cafeteria and a library are housed,’ say the architects. The outdoor areas created by the main structure’s movement and the open space at its heart ensure there’s plenty of greenery and a water element present in the daily life of the users – either to look at or stroll around. 

Award-winning studio Sanjay Puri Architects is based in Mumbai but works internationally, with projects spanning Australia, Spain, Montenegro, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman, and Dallas, in addition to some 40 Indian cities. Innovation and sustainability are at the top of the dynamic studio’s agenda, tackled through many typologies, from commercial to leisure and residential. Offices are also a big part of the practice’s remit, making The Courtyard Office a key addition to its growing portfolio. §

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