The urban fabric of industrial zones—dense, bordering on claustrophobic and chaotic—stems not only from the proliferation of industrial activity in specific sectors, but also a perversion of functionality and efficiency when it comes to industrial architecture. Tight plots, with buildings abutting each other without regard for setbacks and the constant hum of traffic, machinery and people, proliferate poor working conditions for the city’s labour force. Most industrial districts are made of structures built quickly, without regard for their users and make up the non-descript landscape of the area, easily identifiable in its blandness. These zones are a far more common sight in smaller urban centres in the world today, including cities like Surat in India. Historically known for its textile manufacturing industry, the industrial quarter of the city in Gujarat has grown exponentially, buildings crowding buildings that have taken over streets.

Given a project to create offices in such quarters, Indian architecture studio DOT recast an existing four-storey textile house as a contemporary workspace, with an emphasis on user welfare. Speaking about the project and what seemed at the outset constraints to creating a more human-centric intervention, the team tells STIR, "For an industrial building: fast construction, minimum budget, sub standard contractors are a given set of constraints which the architecture has to navigate through and negotiate with, to achieve its larger goals than to give into a mere consequential architecture." These constraints became points of departure for the project, as the team notes, allowing them to conceptualise an "architecture which is climate responsive, cost-effective, socially integrated, uplifting for the community of users, all with passive architecture measures and principles of efficiency."

"As an industrial city with rising global demand and a growing consumer-driven market, Surat attracts migrant labourers from smaller villages to work in its textile factories. However, these workers often face poor living standards and unhealthy working conditions," the architects reiterate in the concept note. Hence, the core driving force for the project was the creation of a prototype for a more humane workspace that counters the poor conditions resulting from the building's narrow frontage and lack of proper light or ventilation. To achieve this, the design team enhanced the existing structure while adding clerestory openings on different levels and carving out landscaped courtyards on the top floor. A new external staircase design in exposed concrete and a metal mesh facade of openable perforated corrugated aluminium sheets were the other major interventions; adding to the industrial, brutalist language of the scheme.

The decision to refurbish was seemingly a matter of cost efficiency and frugality, with the entire project costing INR 1120 per sq. ft., as the architects mention in the concept note. "A relatively new building, just about a decade old, made us discuss the possibility of using the same structure for the new building with our clients. We had the structural engineers assess its potential through non-destructive testing (NDT), rather than opting for a full demolition and rebuild," the team notes in conversation with STIR, noting the possibility of expansion that the renovation allowed. To systematically renovate the decrepit structure, the floors and existing structural components were strengthened. Apart from the existing beams, new support beams were added to the different floors to optimise the current framework to support heavy machinery. The team also planned a mezzanine floor in the fabrication areas for offices and storage, enhancing a sense of flow and visual connectivity to the layout.

To bring in natural light into the renovation project, the architects devised open layouts for the floors, with the top floor also incorporating open-to-sky courtyards. On this top floor, the plan included executive offices, a design studio and a display space, meeting the various requirements of a textile house's functions. Elaborating on how the design meets programmatic requirements, the architects mention, "To accommodate the programmatic needs, alternate floors were constructed through metal fabrication. Additionally, a new floor was built on the existing grid, creating space for a design studio, a product display area, a lounge for client and team discussions, and a completely new staircase block and lift well." Particularly, the circular opening in the display space makes it feel distinctive, with soft light creating a comfortable atmosphere. The introduction of open-to-sky spaces was aimed at facilitating ventilation and flooding the top level with daylight.

This light also filters down to the lower levels through cleverly placed skylights. The lower levels house the other functions for the textile production and storage block, which include storage spaces for unprocessed fabric as well as products, workstations for packing and storing parcels, a space for embroidery workers and a reception area. On these levels, a rear light shaft with large windows and planters introduces greenery into the otherwise stark industrial landscape. This further adds to the light, airy nature of the design, making it more conducive to work.

As the architects note, the various openings designed for the project reduce mechanical cooling needs by 15 per cent and lighting demand by 35 per cent during the day. Apart from minor interventions within the building that foster openness and fluidity within an otherwise tight footprint, the introduction of a concrete staircase adds a heftiness to the external shell and a flow to the building scheme. The staircase, too, is equally shielded from the polluted urban surroundings, with a single opening running through its length. This frames views of a large peepal tree and the sky beyond, creating a dramatic vista.

While from its blank facade, the clever integration of function and comfort within the office design are indiscernible, the use of simple gestures such as light shafts and landscaping to create a comfortable working environment are well executed by the Indian architects. 'A breathable layer within Pandesara’s dense and polluted urban fabric,' as the Surat-based studio describes it—the project makes a worthy case for thoughtful retrofit projects, especially in the context of bleak industrial landscapes.

Project Details

Name: Urban Gauze
Location: Pandesara, Surat
Design Team:
Krishna Mistry & Anand Jariwala (Principal architects)
Dipal Patel (Project In-charge)
Area: 1300 sqm
Year of Completion: 2024