In a quiet Bengaluru neighbourhood, what began as a simple renovation of a single-storey office evolved into something far more transformative—a complete architectural rethink grounded in context, climate, and community. The project—helmed by a thoughtful, climate-conscious architecture team—challenges the dominant typology of Western glass-box offices in India and proposes a locally rooted, sustainable alternative.

Set on a modest 50’ x 80’ landlocked plot, the site was initially home to a converted residence where bedrooms functioned as meeting rooms and storerooms served as server hubs. The original brief asked for an interior overhaul and an additional floor. However, a structural audit revealed that the slabs lacked supporting beams—a revelation that prompted a bold decision: to reconstruct the office entirely from scratch.

What emerged is a building that questions why office design in India often neglects climate and context. The design team proposed a new model—one that draws cues from domestic architecture to integrate seamlessly into its residential surroundings while responding intelligently to the environment.

A Zoning Strategy that Fosters Productivity and Collaboration
The reimagined office is organized into three intuitive zones:

• Public Zone (Basement & Ground Floor): Designed for visitors and guests, this area includes reception, waiting lounges, and ample parking.
• Private Zone (First & Second Floors): Home to the core working areas, including open-plan workspaces, private cabins, and focused discussion rooms.
• Collective Zone (Third Floor & Terrace): A flexible social space for employees, featuring a cafeteria, multipurpose hall, amphitheatre, and an urban terrace garden.

This strategic planning ensures seamless movement and interaction while prioritizing comfort, community, and clarity in spatial experience.

A Climate-Conscious Façade That Breathes
The structure utilizes a slab-beam-column system with rigid cores for long-term durability and flexible reconfiguration. But what sets the building apart is its adaptive façade design. With solid east, west, and south walls that block heat and ensure privacy, the north-facing front façade is designed as a grid of recessed 600mm-deep windows. These cavities double as continuous planters, creating a vertical garden that reduces heat gain, enhances air quality, and introduces a tactile connection to nature.

This approach transforms the façade into a living, breathing element—cooling the interiors naturally, reducing reliance on artificial systems, and promoting wellness through biophilic design.

This office isn’t just a building—it’s a manifesto for a new way of thinking about workspaces in India. It proves that architecture can be climate-resilient, people-centric, and elegantly integrated into its surroundings, all without compromising on modern needs.

About the Firm 

Founded by architects Sabyasachi Routray and Anisha Menon, ma+rs is a contemporary architecture and design studio known for its context-driven, climate-responsive approach. Based in India, the firm has built a strong reputation for delivering sustainable architecture that harmonizes form, function, and feeling. From residential retreats to institutional and commercial spaces, ma+rs specializes in reinterpreting everyday typologies with sensitivity to site, culture, and the human experience.

At the heart of ma+rs’ philosophy is a belief in architecture as an evolving dialogue between people and place. The studio’s designs prioritize natural light, material honesty, and spatial fluidity, often blurring the boundaries between built and unbuilt. Their projects—rooted in regional contexts—reflect a thoughtful balance between modern aesthetics and local craftsmanship.

Whether creating homes, offices, or community spaces, ma+rs consistently pushes the boundaries of sustainable design by integrating passive strategies, indigenous materials, and user-centric narratives. Each space is a crafted experience that aims to foster connection, comfort, and ecological harmony.