‘Looks Like a Cruise Ship’: This Lake Office Surrounded by Hundreds of Trees Doesn’t Need ACs

A Titan office in the heart of Bengaluru allows you to type on your laptop as you enjoy lush green plants, trees and water right next to you.

It may look like a massive cruise ship, but it's an open-air campus that remains cool on its own, without air conditioning.

“The place was designed in such a way that it harmonises with the lake and greenery around the location,” says Swetha A, the project architect of Mindspace Architects.

She adds that their architecture focuses on encouraging interaction and creating a dialogue between the user and the spaces they inhabit.

The firm uses ‘light’ as a building material and respects the five senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste — while working with the five elements of nature.

Climate plays a crucial role in their designs, especially in the tropical context of India.

Swetha says they aim to make indoor spaces naturally comfortable by integrating nature into their designs, so the line between inside and outside is less noticeable.

“The bio lake, positioned on the eastern side of the site, harmonises with the natural and organic contours of the existing lake,” she says.

Porosity in planning and form allows continuous movement of breeze, ensuring natural ventilation.

The three-floor structure has terrace gardens at every level, reminiscent of cascading rice fields.

The terraces act as insulation, keeping the offices below cooler and making the building more eco-friendly.

“The combination of low-rise buildings surrounded by landscape, water bodies, walkways, and outdoor meeting spaces creates an environment akin to a university,” she says.

Swetha mentions that they used cobblestones and rough granite for the pathways. The outside walls have a layer of granite with an air gap to help keep the inside cooler.

The firm’s human-centric approach is also driven by its urge to blend nature with design.