The prospect of envisioning architecture that endures change keeps getting bleaker, as rapidly evolving tech and climate change become an inherent part of our lives. A seemingly ideal strategy for a world in constant flux appears in mutable architecture that adjusts to our ever-changing lives. From modularity to universal spaces, designers continue to expand the horizons of adaptable architecture. Oasis, an office campus for an architectural studio in Ahmedabad, India, is a visceral exploration of the same, attempting to transcend the limitations of a traditional workplace.

For the 30-year-old practice Studio Saransh, the move into a new office was driven not just by the need for more space. An intrinsic need for a change in pace brought the studio from the chaos of a bustling urban landscape to the tranquillity of a campus in the suburbs. This transition was intended to reimagine their design practice by harmoniously integrating nature with the working environment to nurture the flow of creativity. The 1170 sqm workspace is a composition of multiple blocks spread across the site, with its landscape designed to define the experiential quality of the space, beyond aesthetic ornamentation.

Speaking of how the project adapts to the studio’s continually evolving requirements, Malay Doshi, the director of Studio Saransh told STIR, “A lot of our clients get their houses and offices built from us, and then keep coming to us for their new homes and new offices. Everybody's life keeps changing and no one knows what’s to come. We see that in the current landscape of architecture and design, it has become very fast—trends keep changing and people want new things. Thus, Oasis was our endeavour to build something that can—if need be—change and evolve without creating a lot of wreckage and degrading the earth.” The project employed materials that could be reused; such as steel, stone, and plywood. The vision thus became the beacon for architecture that unconventionally sustains the test of time—by being gracious to change.

While the project honoured the deep-rooted need to maintain functional transience, the design studio intended for the built spaces to be integrated with the landscape. “We wanted the office to demonstrate a sense of maturity, that the building has existed for a lifetime and the ecology has had the time to find congruity with the structures. The project does not appear to have been built a year ago and appears as if it has always been here,” Doshi elucidated. This intentional attempt to showcase timelessness to the project gave birth to a landscape that isn't merely ornamental but also prompts people to sit outdoors, allowing for spill-out spaces that rouse conversations and foster collaborations.

The design language of the studio points towards an intent to instil a mindful slowness in the inhabitants. A low entrance evokes intimacy with the surroundings, which is further heightened by a tall stone rubble boundary wall covered in bougainvillaea creepers. The entrance is located at the farthest end of the plot—on its southeast corner—compelling every individual to take a short walk after parking their vehicle. The block closest to the entrance is dedicated to visitors, with a small entry porch and a couple of meeting rooms. One of them peers into a courtyard covered with rubble and shaded by eight large gulmohar trees, and the other looks into a courtyard—surrounded by tall lemongrass—that functions as a spill-out space during long meetings. These liminal spaces become vital to life at Oasis, as they impact the cultural notion of working in an office. The site is attuned to create sunken areas that compensate for the contrasting proportions of the towering blocks in the west and a shorter trio of buildings in the east. The stepped courtyard thus became a small amphitheatre facing a large lily pond at the centre, attaining the focal significance in the campus, as the surrounding landscape design equips it with a cosy ambience that invites people to linger around.

The southwest block comprises cabins for all the partners and is strategically positioned for privacy and focused work. The northwest block—the largest structure on the campus—houses the main studio space, a library, a material sample display, and a printing area. One-half of the studio has an upper-level mezzanine which is a multifunctional space that shapeshifts to be used for lunch, model-making etc. Designed to be adaptable to change, this level has the potential for expansion to allow space for more workstations. The other half is a large double-volume that overlooks a couple of neem trees through the north-light windows. The studio and the cabins are connected by a bridge on the upper level, and a pathway through the water body on the lower level. The play of levels formed by the site, structure, landscape, and walkways creates an engaging sensorial experience through variance in spatial scale. With the functions divided into fragmented building blocks across the campus, the open walkways allow individuals to experience the outdoors throughout the day—facilitating chance encounters and fostering synergies between one another.

Designed with a careful climate response strategy, each element of the Oasis serves a purpose to make the space more habitable with lesser energy requirements. As per Studio Saransh, “Locally sourced basalt stone walls, measuring 400mm in thickness, serve as an effective heat barrier against the southern sun. The building features a predominantly steel structure with corrugated steel sloping roofs, crafted without welded joints, imparting a temporary character that allows for future dismantling and reuse. Reflective double-glazed windows provide another heat buffer in the summer months of Ahmedabad, while a large glass northlight in the studio block gives ample daylight without direct sun. Tactfully planted flora in the landscape goes hand in hand with the glazing, filtering beautiful sunlight in all spaces throughout the day.”

The material palette used in the project—constituting stone, timber and concrete—creates a timeless visual composition that seamlessly blends with the surrounding landscape. With a keen avoidance of using finishes, the project’s materials are selected in a process that reduces waste and allows for them to be reused.

The largest block on the campus—the studio block—has optimal roof angles for generating solar power. Studio Saransh employed roof and surface materials to harbour rainwater harvesting creating a certain degree of self-sustenance for primary resources. “A special emphasis was paid to permeability so that rainwater percolates through the ground and recharges groundwater levels. We focused on comprehending the flow of water on the campus and that aided us in designing a rainwater harvesting system that holds an experiential value through flowing water—using an interplay of gutters and rain-chains,” Doshi explains.

Studio Saransh’s exploration of the Oasis goes beyond material design and landscape integration to delve into the influence of built spaces on the human psyche. Doshi emphasised the studio’s principle to not have their designers be limited to the bubble of working all day in centralised air-conditioning. “When the designers have to go out and experience the effects of climate change regularly, their sense of empathy is heightened and those sensibilities reflect in how we design buildings, which becomes highly necessary in today's day and age,” Doshi propounds. Oasis thus becomes a reflection of the aspirations Studio Saransh hopes to achieve through their architecture, one that is gracious to change.

Project Details

Name: Oasis
Location: Ahmedabad, India 
Area: 1170 sqm
Architect: Studio Saransh
Structure: Saksham Consultants
MEP: Ravi Engineering
Year of Completion: 2023