BBNIA Office Retrofit

Positioned within the rugged industrial terrain of Himachal Pradesh, this intervention for the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industrial Association (BBNIA) engages with the idea of institutional visibility, spatial democracy, and climatic resilience. The project involved the retrofitting of an existing structure, transforming it into a symbol of renewed governance and architectural presence within the region’s industrial framework.

A new perforated steel façade wraps the building — a calibrated environmental device designed to mitigate direct solar exposure along the southern and south-western faces, where summer heat gain was previously excessive. The perforation logic shifts in density based on orientation: opaque and protective toward the sun, open and transparent toward the north. This duality allows for solar control without compromising daylight access, creating a thermally tempered and naturally lit interior environment.

The tectonic language is intentionally restrained: the façade reads as a continuous veil — one that mediates between institutional formality and industrial rawness. Minimal material intervention and a monochromatic palette allow the architecture to assert presence without excess. The entry sequence is articulated as a shaded threshold, framing the interior circulation and offering a moment of pause within the otherwise utilitarian context.

Beyond performance, the project also operates as a spatial gesture of authority and inclusion. By embedding legibility, porosity, and climatic logic into its design, the building reinforces the BBNIA’s role as a democratic and representative node for the industrial region — not as a closed bureaucratic office, but as an accessible and structured civic interface.