d+a | Issue 115 • Apr/May 2020

37 “We used the extensive length of the site to full advantage by creating a building that was energy efficient,” Puri states. The first- and second-level retail spaces and the office spaces above are easy to access – via the road-facing frontage with vertical circulation cores in the case of the former, and the circulation cores on the southern side, towards the rear of the linear plot, in the case of the latter. The circulation and access points for the retail and office levels are completely segregated from one another. CAREFUL MONITORING Despite the fact that the building combines three distinct spaces, Puri says that his team did not face any specific technical challenges. His only concern was the largely unskilled workforce and deciding how these workers would pull off the project. “Working in India with mostly unskilled workers is never easy, so to ensure we got the job done the way we wanted, we had to conduct frequent site meetings and site checks. “It was important for us to make sure that the design was adhered to closely, that our drawings and plans were understood, and that the quality of the workmanship met our high standards. “This mixed-use building is contextual to the site’s location, the climate of the area and the client’s brief, and our priority was to bring all the elements together cohesively.” OPPOSITE. The standout terracotta-red feature is made from aluminium composite panels. Puri’s aim was to fashion a unique identity and clearly discernible office space for the developer.