The tech side of interiors

While every office these days is trying to have an eco-friendly space, architect and interior designer Nishanth Chawda decided to show the best of both worlds.

His office — a 1,300 sq. ft space — at Jubilee Hills is the perfect amalgamation of nature and technology.

A Buddha mural with potted plants all around welcomes you in front of the office. And this is the only place where you find the colour black.

An automated door opens and you enter a world of white. “We decided to have an automated door and not a regular door as right at the entrance we wanted to show the use of technology,” says Nishanth, adding, “Right from the blinds to the lights, everything is automated in the office. I could be at any corner of the world but I can see what my staff is doing and also access my computer.”

And this mix of technology and architecture is also seen in the feature wall at the entrance. A mural from the top of the ceiling starts like the branches of a tree, the centerpiece has the Zen representation of the negative and positive elements and the surrounding parts are made of computer parts, like motherboards and chips. It also has framed pieces of an artist’s work on the architectural marvels of the world, to show the evolution of architecture.

The wall opposite is white with an abstract mural made from steel with many colours. “This was to show that white enhances every colour,” says Nishanth.

Inside his office, there are many Buddha statues. Ask him why and Nishanth says, “Buddha statues symbolise peace. That’s why I have a lot of them in the office. Designers have to leave aside  their worries when they work, so we decided to keep everything white so when people step into the office, they have a sense of calm. ”