Office that thinks outside the box

Earth, bamboo and sunlight invite you inside a Bengaluru office by Source Architecture

26 May 2025

This office’s intention and physical layout slowly unravels itself, from the monolithic beige wall at the entrance that quietly rises from earth, to a single wooden door frame waiting to be found. A semblance of a hideaway-like sanctuary that operates as a workspace is the core visual imagined by Source Architecture — asserting that business deals don’t always have to be solemn and serious!

Called Elements of Design, the office in Bengaluru is designed by Sneha Ostawal, Principal Designer at the firm, along with founder Manu Gautham. The sales office allows visitors to assimilate into its surroundings and see it as more than a place of work. “The office wasn’t just meant to inform potential buyers about properties, but to invite them into a thoughtful relationship with the environment and the architectural philosophy,” says Sneha.

“One of the biggest challenges was achieving a balance between openness and enclosure. The office needed to feel expansive while providing intimate, focused spaces for meetings and presentations" — Sneha Ostawal

bengaluru office design — The reception desk is a mixture of beige, earthy browns, muted greys and warm wooden hues, crafted by Studio Mud and the wooden log seating, by Timber Artisans Collective turns functionality into sculpture; Photograph by Shamanth Patil

Memory of earth

Elements of Nature harmonises with its surroundings by using locally sourced materials and intuitive spatial design. The beige wall greets guests, while the wooden door acts as a segue into the natural hues of the space — beige, earthy browns and muted greys and the greens of the outdoors. The reception desk is a mixture of these tints, and is a preservation of the memory of the ground from which it was formed. The intention of a sensory experience is accentuated by the unconventional seating in the form of wooden logs found across the office. These turn ordinary utility space into sculptures — emphasising the beauty of natural materials.

Materials, old and new…

By using the concept of impermanence as a central theme, material choices like steel framing and bamboo cladding reinstate the space’s natural characteristics. With a focus on sustainability, materials find a second chance — old wooden doors are turned into tabletops and stone slabs turn into outdoor seating, a reminder that innovation can borrow from old ideas too. Filtered light enters the office, emphasising the authentic, raw materials that desire a real connection with the surrounding landscape.

The textured micro-cement surface is a quiet background to the handcrafted wooden door frames; Photograph by Shamanth Patil

The designer plays with light and shadow in a way that they manoeuvre around each other through the bamboo facade on the ceiling. Its presence diffuses sunlight into dynamic patterns, allowing each to be unique across time and space. The natural light also highlights the surface textures like micro-cement and raw wood, as well as their purpose of sustainability and adapting to changes in trends over time.

In between walls and air

“One of the biggest challenges was achieving the balance between openness and enclosure. The office needed to feel expansive while still providing intimate, focused spaces for meetings and presentations,” tells Sneha. The AV room is set apart with its enclosed nature — an area for focus. Meeting rooms surpass formalities and are a place for quiet engagement. Centred by a 12ft wooden table, etched with natural imperfections, the room is illuminated by diffused lighting and micro-cement walls that gently enclose the space ensuring conversations remain intimate.

The cafe explores a shift in the energy by using soft curtains and minimal seating. The breezy expanse allows for free-slowing conversations and reflection. This office set-up goes bold with its design intervention, in the form of a yurt. The shelter is in the liminal space of being part of the office site yet a standalone structure. Materials like untreated wood serve a multitude of purposes — a test against Bangalore’s weather, a reflection of the transient nature of the project and the solution to forgo heavy maintenance.