I need the plans of the office. They should be 25cmsx35cms.

Does this office follow any laid down international design requirements?
Since the office was based in India we had follow the National Building code and local regaltory requirements .
However we also followed NFPA norms for fire-exits and safety.

Who worked on this project from SWBI? Can I interview them over the phone or mail the questions?
Project team:
Overall Project Head : Yousuf Kamaal
Senior Designers : S.Satheesh , M.Karthickeyan,
Design+coordination: Raj Pillai, Haseeb Ahmed
Visualisers/Graphics: Sachin Gothwal

How many people work in this office? What age group do they belong to?
This office is mean for total 500 people .But right now 200 people have already occupied till now.
Can you explain the Agile Working Methodology a little bit.
Agile software development
based on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between selforganizing cross-functional teams. The term was coined in the year 2001 when the Agile Manifesto was
formulated.
Agile methods break tasks into small increments with minimal planning, and do not directly involve long-term
planning. Iterations are short time frames ("timeboxes") that typically last from one to four weeks.
Team composition in an agile project is usually cross-functional and self-organizing without consideration for
any existing corporate hierarchy or the corporate roles of team members. Team members normally take
responsibility for tasks that deliver the functionality an iteration requires. They decide individually how to meet
an iteration's requirements.
Agile methods emphasize face-to-face communication over written documents when the team is all in the same
location. When a team works in different locations, they maintain daily contact through videoconferencing,
voice, e-mail, etc.
Most agile teams work in a single open office (called bullpen), which facilitates such communication. Team
size is typically small (5-10 people) to help make team communication and team collaboration easier. Larger
development efforts may be delivered by multiple teams working toward a common goal or different parts of
an effort. This may also require a coordination of priorities across teams.
Most agile implementations use a routine and formal daily face-to-face communication among team members.
This specifically includes the customer representative and any interested stakeholders as observers. In a brief
session, team members report to each other what they did yesterday, what they intend to do today, and what
their roadblocks are. This standing face-to-face communication prevents problems being hidden.
Principles
Some of the principles behind the Agile Manifesto are:

Customer satisfaction by rapid, continuous delivery of useful software

Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months)

Working software is the principal measure of progress

Even late changes in requirements are welcomed

Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers

Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (co-location)

Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted

Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design

Simplicity

Self-organizing teams

Regular adaptation to changing circumstances

Thought or idea behind the design of the office. How did you choose the patterns on the ceiling, on the frosted
glass...
Office area is large clusters of teams sitting in 4 high enclosures or bull-pen. So they were clustered in a manner which
allowed effective circulation without affecting privacy of teams. Common facilities such as meeting ,discussion cabins
and brain-storming areas were easily accessible.
Though the reception entrance was in corner but the space is designed in l-shape providing visual access to the workhall and the glass on the distant wall.
This big glazing becomes the focal point of activities as primary source of light in work-hall during daytime. `Public
spaces such as brainstorming areas, reading lounge and multi-purpose team-zones were planned here . Raised wooden
platform with designer lights and LEDs and tensile fabric ceiling was provided to break the monotony . This makes this
place a focal + relief point .
Ceiling patterns were used to distinguish between different zones of office as well to lead the eye to certain features or
areas. Acoustics as well as the light-reflectance (depending upon type of f light fixture and space-usage) was the guiding
factor. In open hall above team-clusters ,sound-absorbent glass-wool tile ceiling with good reflectance was used. This
provided noise mitigation between open team clusters and high reflectance and also allowed maximum light diffusion
thru direct-intrect type light fixtures.
Tensile fabric ceiling with SS frames and special lights were used in less-formal zones.
Ceiling pattern and lighting design also helped in creating a balance between formal/informal nature of workspaces. In
ceiling effective combination of glasswool tile grid ceiling, metal open-cell ceiling, exposed / plain gypsum ceiling,
tensile fabric ceiling helped create this transition between various spaces.
Frosted glass pattern was designed give some level of privacy and avoid distraction .But at the same time it didnt
compromise on the transparency which is also the cultural aspect of the organisation. Small rectangles of seemingly
irregular shape combine together to give an overall band pattern .Orange strips here and there provide accent in
otherwise white-gray pattern.Same parrn is used vertically in between glass cubicles in reception which are used for
interviews or vendor meetings.
Some glass-walls were given red/orange accent in cutomized translucent/transparent etching films from 3m.
All painting and artwork was also handpicked by us keeping in mind the accent colors required in diff areas. Since
most of the office was treated in white/gray colors scheme with touch of orange here there, these artworks provided the
reuired balance in the color-scheme.

How was the lighting planned?Why the LEDs?

Lighting in open office as planned to have flexibility in the projection area for light level control. I.e. if some team
wants to review their project, they can use the projection screen /wall for that .this area needed lower lux-level during
that time. This was challenge all were seated open hall and neighbouring clusters were have normal light levels . We
learnt to design in lighting software to come up with right level of lighting with effective position of fixtures, lamp
wattages and choice of type of reflectors in those fixtures.
Beams of light with special Slot-downlights were used in central open hall where open-cell metal grid ceiling was

there. This avoided throwing light on the AC ducts , electrical conduits and Sprinklers above open-cell ceiling. The zigzags of beams of lights also corresponded to the flooring pattern in otherwise sparsely gray carpet.
LEDs were planned in the passages and informal zones to bring some fresh change from regular office lighting .Since
these fixtures consume very less energy and therefore can be kept switched on all the time without having complete
darkness .This was especially useful for an office working with flexible spaces and work-pattern.
Innovative use of lighting fixtures and ceiling patterns also reflected the ideology of the company which believes in
out-of-the-box thinking in their work-approach.
The passage connceting cafe, washrooms and service areas was segregated from office area. Concealed cove lights
behind sweeping curves of partition/ceiling provides lighting to this area. Conceales LEDsat the bottom was the blackmarble pebble bed and provide emergency lighting also. One wall with red-accent LEDs stands out. This has small
cicular coutour peeping into office area. This play of light becomes visbile thru small glass slits thru office area
espacially in evening hours. Therefore this passage which is otherwise a nondescript area became talking point of the
office.
The cafe is also kept partly visible from office zone .Freestanding portals with sunken panels finished with wallpaer
provide space for artwork .These panels don't go upo the ceiling and therefore provide seemingly continuous ceiling
which add to the feeling space and also helps in getting the borrwed light in.
The glass cubicle clasters which divided open hall in two parts is kept transparent to max extent so as to give feeling of
continuity of space. Alternate cubicle door open on each side, allowing maximim continous glass panels from passage.

A list of the materials:

Flooring,
LEED certified modular carpet tiles from Interface in open-hall and meeting rooms.
Italian white Marble in reception.
Laminated Wooden flooring in brainstorming area .
Vitrified Tile flooring in cafe, washrooms and service areas.

Walls:

Plastic emulsion paint,

Paint-back glass cladding ,
Washable Vinyl wallpaper with subtle prints.

Furniture:
Work and meeting tables from Sedus Germany, with customized accent fabrics.
Modular partitions for flexible work cluster grouping : from Steelcase USA.
Lounge and cafe furniture were handpicked locally
Ceiling:
Glasswool tile ceiling from Armstrong.
Open-cell metal ceiling from Armstrong,
Customized Tensile fabric ceiling with imported PVC ferrari fabric.
Gypsum ceiling in genral areas and passages.

_______________________________________________________________________________
"Bringing content to Life" as Catch phrase,VIGNETTE a Global content management company
(..which is part of organization called Open Text now )was proceeding with a plan to set up their
own office space in India. The objective of this project is to design and execute fit-out of approx.
40,000 sft facility for software development function in the heart of Cyber-stop-Hyderabad.
.
To our pleasant surprise, client put forward a unique design brief with videos and illustrations for

an Open plan design concept for collaborative spaces with Agile working methodology. They had
various requirements in aspect of Working methodology, Lighting, Group disucssion etc.They
provided us videos so to understand their Working methodology . We felt encouraged to learn more
about their ways of working and philosophy behind Agile developement .
( We also stumbled across the lighter side of the terminologies used like `chicken and pig' to define
the roles of different groups and the jokes or cartoons strips describing those ! ...We were trying to
incorporate those in the the recreation /non-official zones but later on this was dropped infavour of
more sparse treatment ! )
The goal was to build a work environment that promotes innovative software product engineering
activities using agile software development methodology, which Provides effective work
environment with right balance between collaborative spaces and privacy requirements. The client
was particular about a collaborative environment, but not so open that employees are distracted
easily by people walking past their desks employees will need to concentrate deeply on their
tasks. They also required positively differentiating workplace for both people in the organization
and also for prospective candidates.
DESIGN BRIEF:* Encouraging collaborative spaces: The floor plan would provide spaces for both
planned and spontaneous meetings and for small and large groups.
* Accommodating different work styles: To design a workspace with a variety of seating
options instead of a single assigned seat for each employee. Throughout the day, employees
would select an appropriate environment to accomplish the task at hand: meeting in a group,
participating in a conference call, or working alone on a spreadsheet or project plan.
* Plan the work place completely with AGILE METHODOLOGY
* Provide presentation spaces(projecter screens) in open office area and lighiting to be
designed so that that it will not disturb the presentation and vice versa.
* Public spaces to be lively .
* Overall to create Elegant and a world class facility .
OUR APPROACH:In respect to the requirements, we started to work on AGILE methodology of working.
- The development team must work together
- No walls , cubicles or permanent barricades provided
- Desks suitable for pair programming and other work
- Desks preferably arranged as islands, facing each other.
- Free walls with multiple whiteboards
- Small team table for modeling, work item break down etc. (no chairs)
- Small rooms for phone and private conversations
- Larger rooms for demos and bigger meetings
The Planning process :

- Prioritization of hierarchy and spaces plays vital role

- Short and fixed time frame iterations
- Team planning and status is showed on the Task board
The Work flow focus:
- Short feedback loops
- Avoid handovers
- Respond to change
- Finish one thing before starting the next
The agile methodologies generally promote the project management that encourages frequent inspection and adaptation. A leadership philosophy that
encourages team work, self organization and accountability. A set of engineering best practices that allow for rapid delivery of high-quality software A business
approach that aligns development with customer needs and company goals.

The Meeting Room/common gathering space is used for small spontaneous meetings when one
need to have a private conversation or work undisturbed. The placement of the room within the
Work Area contributes to the creation of project groups as they divide the area into groups of about
8-12 people. The walls of the Mini Meeting Room are fitted with screened frosted striped glass
panes which provide semi transparent privacy. Type of seating is different from the work area chair,
so experience of work and meeting is distinguished. The Mini Meeting Room is also provided with
a glass marker-board.
Thus the Integration of Agile philosophy in work environment was done through space planning
furnitures and Lighting design been achieved..
Provision of collaborative work areas and shared resources like meeting/collaborative work
rooms, independent work /con-call booths, Private /semi-private and open spaces of varying nature
and capacity been created, Combination of breakout lounge and Agile team-spaces with
mobile/fixed writing screens provided to reach the goal of agile work environment .
Delineation of spaces been achived through reconfigurable partitions and mobile screens and
variation of space defining elements like partition/screens and ceiling elements
Individual controllable lighting and Air-conditioning for semi-open projects zones as well as
closed rooms to achive the desired ambinet lighting in desired manner.
Maintenance friendly details and finishes giving minimalist yet vibrant atmosphere with selective
usage of branding and colors.
In aspect of green and sustainable design, Maximum use of natural light be achived in the work
floor by planning full ht. cabins in middle of hall and in transparent partitions, Provision of VAV
units in the HVAC for power savings,office furniture form Sedus,Germany and carpet from
Interface whose product are LEED certified supplimenting the cause of Sustainability.
Developed branding and informal graphics to convey message or for stress buster elements
depending upon the space usage.
Over all Created a Work space with International Standards and thus satisfiying the needs of the
client.
CLIENT SPEAK:
.........I feel that you did a great job of integrating the agile philosophy in the work
environment through your furniture and space design. You met our goal of having flexible
workspaces for varying occupancy throughout the life of our R & D project.........
Brad Kinsley,

Treasury and Real Estate manager,

Vignette corporation,
Austin