Skylight Offices

Early 1970's - The Industrial area in Chandigarh started as an epicenter for economic growth with mass production of products that built the infrastructure of the city, physically and financially.
As for any industrial unit to yield maximum revenue, cost effective practices were adopted by many, and involuntary sustainable practices of architecture had a major role in maintaining low production costs. Many units installed skylights or north-light glass facades to use natural light rather than artificial lighting, which instead was more energy efficient than cost effective.

2018 - Recent transformation of Industrial area from being an industrial unit to the Commercial Business District of Chandigarh has changed the typology and character of the city. With financial growth, sustainable practices need to grow and architecture needs to be responsible and sensitive to its inhabitants and to the infrastructure.

This is an office for a pharmaceutical company conceptualized around its occupants, their functionality and the idea of introducing the natural exterior into the artificial interior. Each space inside has a North -facing skylight overhead of varied sizes and angles which transmits optimum diffused light into the office and creates a work environment that increases productivity of its occupants and decreases the running costs of the building. On the southern side of the triangular projections, there are photovoltaic panels that reflect the harsh sunlight and provide energy to the office. With the change in weather and season, the environment inside the office reflects and changes according to the sky.
To preserve the industrial character with respect to urbanization and introduce new practices of sustainability to make it energy efficient was the main challenge that this design has attempted to evolve around.