Reconnecting with Nature

Designed by Studio Saransh and set among shady courtyards and Gulmohar trees in Ahmedabad, India, Oasis redefines the workspace by connecting with nature. The firm’s own new headquarters’ design harmonizes with the surrounding landscape to offer a refuge from the frenetic pace of urban life in a workspace in which architecture and nature intertwine.

The project has five distinct volumes, arranged around a central courtyard and connected by a network of outdoor paths and green spaces. From the entrance, visitors follow a high stone wall bedecked with bougainvillea, slowly transitioning them into the Oasis atmosphere. Next, a low, covered opening marks the entry to the complex proper, ushering visitors into a spacious courtyard where the mood is set by eight stunning Gulmohar trees.

Each volume has a specific function. The first has a small entrance area and meeting rooms that overlook a second, more intimate courtyard, bordered by tall citronella plants. The other volumes house administrative offices, amenities, and the actual studio.
The core of the project, this is a double-height open-plan space designed to allow for future expansion. It connects to the office volume via a bridge on the upper level. The studio houses workstations, a library, an exhibition area for material samples, and a multifunctional mezzanine level for meetings, design reviews, and collaborative design sessions. Expansive reflective double-glazing ensures an abundance of natural light, while also framing two Neem trees, further strengthening the connection between the interiors and the surrounding natural environment.

The color palette is neutral, with a dove-colored brushed concrete floor that connects the different rooms. The walls, 40 cm-thick local basalt, create a sense of materiality and solidity, while improving thermal insulation. Centered on wooden tables and essential seating, the furniture harmonizes with the warm tones of the terracotta-colored sheet metal roof. The roof itself is supported by a steel structure designed for potential dismantling and reuse.

Integration with nature extends to the outdoor areas, which the design team envisaged as spaces to be experienced rather than just passed through. A large pond in the middle of the main courtyard contributes to heat mitigation while providing a setting for casual breaks. Adjacent to it, a stepped amphitheater provides additional space for outdoor meetings and relaxation. Carefully selected plantings enrich the sensory experience, while the interplay of light and shade created by the plants and textured surfaces adds to the sense of a place designed for well-being and creativity.

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Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

A double-height open-plan space hosts workstations, a library, and an area for displaying material samples, while the mezzanine can host meetings and collaborative sessions.

Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

The dove-gray brushed concrete floor and walls made of local basalt blend with the warm tones of the timber furniture, creating a fluid space deeply connected to natural materials and colors.

Reconnecting with Nature | © Ishita Sitwala, courtesy of Studio Saransh

Thanks to extensive glazing, the greenery enriches the sensory experience both indoors and outdoors, making nature an essential element of the project.

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