Located in the heart of Navi Mumbai, the KPMG office is the reporting hub for all recruits. They gather here to experience the culture of KPMG as an organisation, even as they gear up to assume their corporate roles across the globe. The workspace resonates with a sentiment of novelty in terms of the location and the intent of the space. The office is a physical manifestation of the ideology that the brand intrinsically represents—a continuing relationship between transition and transformation. The essence of the designed workspace is dynamic, impactful, doused in character and forward-thinking in its approach. The corporate office space was conceptualised, executed and handed over in a challenging deadline of two months, spanning January to March 2019.
The driving impetus behind the design scheme was to conjure a space that instantly tapped into the pulse of the youth—the predominant user-group that would come to inhabit it. The space had to bear the binary responsibilities of making the corporate office an inviting workplace for new employees, whilst allowing functionality to take centre stage. The design narrative at the KPMG office symbolically represents the energy of the electrified city of Mumbai, which is a result of the undying spirit of the people who call it ‘home’. The myriad functional zones in the layout have been treated with varied approaches that are an interplay of hues, and that align with an out-of-the-box design thinking—a mindset nurtured to life by Generation Z. The identity of the space has been interjected with elements of surprise, building a sense of curiosity and engagement amidst the user and their surroundings.
The aim was to create a space that instantly appealed to the youth instead of overwhelming them; the idea of team and community building through design was a central concept. Flexibility was a crucial aspect that was incorporated to cater to the varied requirements of the users, each adhering to a distinct style of working. Diverse themes have been crafted to distinguish the range of spaces, each with a distinct ambience and colour to elevate the experiential value of the spaces. The employment of thematic designs creates an immersive user-experience across the volume of the office.
Inspired by the concept of ‘adventure’, the spaces instantly pique the end-users’ interest as they navigate the office’s expanse—curated furniture, the unconventional usage of materials to create ingenious elements, and doses of colour come together to weave the layered persona of the KPMG office. For instance, the break-out spaces have been designed to recreate the look and feel of an amphitheatre and/or stadium, in order to foster the feelings of community and togetherness. The cafeteria is designed to generate oneness with nature by creating botanical-inspired details with a safari theme at its crux.
In the layout, curved walls and glass partitions create a seamless connection and flow amidst the creative spaces. The ceilings are adorned with an array of surface treatments and the custom furniture is in congruence with the overarching theme of the various zones. However, design interventions have not compromised the core functional and utilitarian aspects of the space at any level. The quintessential workplace setups in terms of flexibility (hot desking), agility, and services have been incorporated with a keen eye for detail.
Aspects of sustainability have been ingrained into the design scheme, with an emphasis on its indispensability—an essential principle that the office space hopes to impart to its young user group. The use of planters and living green screens in various sections of the office imbues the spaces with a responsive and rejuvenating quality that impacts the mental and physical wellness of its inhabitants. The impulsion of the design process at the KPMG office has been to create a spectrum of spaces that best acquaints the new onboarding employees with what the company is rooted in—a system tailored to address the needs of the evolving times, while staying grounded to one’s identity.
FACTFILE
- Project: KPMG, New Mumbai
- Architects: ANA Designs Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai
- Client: Harpreet Kaura, KPMG
- Consultants: Electrical – Cardoz Consulting Engineering’s; HVAC – Anil Varma Consultants; Plumbing – Kapse Consultants; PMC – CBRE
- Contractor: Electrical, Civil & HVAC – Eleganz Interior Pvt Ltd; PMC – CBRE
- Built-up area: 48,000 sq ft
- Year of completion: 2019