Every day, most of the people go to their office to do jobs. It is a place where they bring their respective skills to add value to their organizations. However, if the office spaces are aesthetic and provide a fostering environment, it increases the productivity of every employee and motivates them to be innovative in their future attempts. Also, having an inviting ambience induces a sense of freedom and comfort and paves the path for a strong workplace culture. And this is essential to thrive in these contemporary times.
Today, we bring forth just such a company that designs and creates living spaces reflecting the culture and personalities of their inhabitants. We would like to present Ostraca.
Based in Bangalore, Ostraca is an architecture and design firm, whose design philosophy is to provide solutions that combine functional requirements with timeless aesthetics. The firm’s design ideologies and architectural interpretations are client-centric and derived from the requirements of the end-user.
A Complete Package
Ostraca’s team analyzes every project against the parameters of design, functionality, and relevance and develops solutions accordingly . The company provide a complete package to its clients that includes architectural and interior design as well as mechanical (including HVAC, fire safety, security), electrical and plumbing solutions. Its design, therefore, seamlessly blends aesthetic and functional features and regulatory requirements into one comprehensive offering.
Ostraca’s technical competence is complemented by its soft sensibilities. The company incorporates sustainability in its design with a deep respect for the environment. Its design blueprints take into account maintenance and running costs which reflects its appreciation for the client’s time and money. The firm’s strength lies in its emphasis on practicality without compromising on unique elements and innovative design solutions.
Driven by Creativity
Establishing the company in 2008, principal designers, Arnab Ghosh and Vijaya Prasad Bhargav lead a 32-member team with a collective experience of 48 years. Under their supervision, the company provides architectural and design consultancy services in diverse verticals such as technology, manufacturing, hospitality (hotels, clubs and resorts), education, residential (single and multi-dwelling) real estate and venture capital.
Designing contemporary, comfortable and corporate culture-aligned workspaces is Ostraca’s specialty. Their expertise has given them an opportunity to work with prominent tech giants such as Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Bosch, Wipro, Cognizant, . .
In the words of Mr. Ghosh, “Our USP lies in deciphering the DNA of the client organization and offering design solutions that match the DNA. We have been able to get under the skin and understand who our target segment is – not necessarily the C-Suite executives in a tech company but the young people who spend over half their waking hours in the office. What makes them tick, what their recreation, health, and wellness needs are, what kind of physical environment puts a smile on their faces… We specialize in integrating the company’s culture into the design aesthetics and functionalities.”
Embracing the Change
According to Ostraca, the advancements in the industry provides opportunities to explore ways that were impossible in the past. Advancements in 3D modeling and walk-through tools have helped the company to speed up the design development phase. Also, the company has incorporated Building Information Modeling (BIM) into its conceptualizing process over 5 years ago. With the recent adoption of Virtual Reality (VR), the firm is able to generate and share digital representations of physical and functional characteristics.
Ostraca states that every design is first ‘Rendered’ to provide a ‘Look and Feel’ imagery of the commissioned project, along with 3D renders of each space. This helps the client visualize the project and allows them to provide inputs or required changes. This also helps the firm’s build partners to execute the project faithfully to the design brief. The same space is photographed again at the end of the project, to compare the ‘promise’ with the delivered product. This ability to deliver on its promise with minimum oversight from the client team has helped Ostraca to build strong ties with their clients and simultaneously conserved resources and energy of the client project team.
Preserving the Environment
Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between reconnecting with nature and a happier work environment with reduced stress levels. Hence, Ostraca aims to develop projects that are green certified. It has incorporated Biophilic design considerations into some of its designs. One great example of adopting this model is at one of its clients’ office, where the reception area boasts a living moss wall that helps to improve the air quality and buffer noise levels.
Drafting the Future
Ostraca believes the future lies in developing workplaces that incorporate nature. It is excited about the opportunity to creatively incorporate nature, life, and technology into its design and functionality.
The company has constantly strived to adopt disruptive design interventions and push the boundaries of convention and is committed to doing the same in its future endeavors. It aims to create path-breaking ideas and styles and become a prime mover in the design space in the years to come.
Visit www.ostraca.in to know more.
