The British American Tobacco Bangladesh (BATB) Savar office allows the re-thinking of a working ambiance within a factory compound. The interior design is done by Roofliners Studio of Architecture and the fit-out work is done by Charuta Private LTD. The collaborative project between the two entities incorporates nature, simultaneously creating a melting pot of culture and crafts.
The first floor houses small seating arrangements and two outdoor semi-open pavilions, the Gallery and Garden Pavilion acts as the heart of the total compound. The fully equipped landscaped area contains a waterbody, green lawn, and gardens proposed to change colour, smell, and texture alongside the seasonal cycle. The area is connected to the compound through an external staircase, attached to the internal office space.
The corridors at the ground floor level, as well as the cafeteria and open lounge, are physically linked to the future landscape in between the built structures. The working environment is intertwined with nature with the office space, the first and bottom floor, being linked with a modern staircase of the perforated light-screen to the reception lounge. This space flows into the terrace garden, facilitating a refreshing work environment and accommodating interactive spaces. The project area itself is approximately 2102 square-meter, the interior space occupying 1445 square-meter and the landscape area on the first-floor terrace, is 657 square-meter. The existing building had been of an R.C.C. frame structure. The first-floor terrace garden, two galleries, and garden pavilions followed a simple steel structure.
The interior fit-out work of the project began in June 2021, taking almost 8 months to reach completion. The design process was done in two phases, the first phase was in 2020 before the initial covid lockdown. The second phase was completed in April 2021. The interior design consultancy was handled by Roofliners Studio of Architecture while Charuta Private Ltd. oversaw the fit-out work. The maintenance of the weight balance of the soil upon the previously built structural roof, waterproofing and drainage system work proved to be a challenge during construction.
The interior fit-out work of the project began in June 2021, taking almost 8 months to reach completion. The design process was done in two phases, the first phase was in 2020 before the initial covid lockdown. The second phase was completed in April 2021. The interior design consultancy was handled by Roofliners Studio of Architecture while Charuta Private Ltd. oversaw the fit-out work. The maintenance of the weight balance of the soil upon the previously built structural roof, waterproofing and drainage system work proved to be a challenge during construction.
The architectural style of the space is a mix between modern and neo-futurist, featuring recurring elements such as granite, steel, glass, concrete and perforated screens.
The cohesion of architectural styles is evident through the use of geometric shapes to create motifs within partition walls and windows. The second-story office space is accented with a rectangular box structure with rounded edges and glass doors leading to a seating space, featuring neo-futurist detail, creating a space within a space. Two types of granite stripes mirror polished and flame polished have been used in the design pattern to create a special texture, look and feel of reflective and non-reflective elusive yet contrasting surfaces.
The strategic use of cool and warm-toned lighting relating to the purpose of the space creates a subtle division of utilization and efficiency maximization. While concrete and glass envelop most of the structure, notably the mural in the seating area and the multi-hued walls in the background of the reception space mimic a colour scheme, adding strategic vibrancy which takes away from any possible monotony.
Photo Courtesy – Noufel Sharif Sojol
