Places Worth Working At
Program: Commercial Development
Area: 3 Acres (Phase 1)
Client: Dell
Status: Completed
Location: South India, Bangalore
For their 3.0 acres campus extension at Whitefield, Bangalore, Dell International Services appointed Zoras LUD to provide landscape consultancy services from concept to design documentation and to provide advice to the construction management team. The scope included the design of ground-floor landscape, Third floor terrace and roof terrace. The roof terrace was used up by building services to a large extend and therefore was later not considered as a suitable recreational space.
The creative inspiration to shape the landscape design language was derived from the motherboard and its components. An asymmetrical grid was overlaid onto the site and focal areas such as entrances and meeting spaces were assigned the different ‘components’. At the ground-floor these were materialised through contrasting granite cobble paving pattern, coloured concrete, stainless steel columns and the planting layout. At terrace level sandstone paving, benches, planters and pergola are arranged in this grid.
The creative inspiration to shape the landscape design language was derived from the motherboard and its components. An asymmetrical grid was overlaid onto the site and focal areas such as entrances and meeting spaces were assigned the different ‘components’. At the ground-floor these were materialised through contrasting granite cobble paving pattern, coloured concrete, stainless steel columns and the planting layout. At terrace level sandstone paving, benches, planters and pergola are arranged in this grid.
Design Drivers
Client Profile and Objectives:
– The opportunity to physically connect the new development with the existing campus, therefore enabling mutual gain
– To take advantage of the mature vegetation at the existing campus
– Dell International Services is a manufacturer of personal computers, manufacturing and assembling the various components of a computer
– The landscape design team was brought into the project at a stage where major infrastructure, especially emergency access, firefighting services and storm-water management were already conceived. This limited the possibilities for the landscape design
– Storm-water management was to happen through recharge pits connected to culverted water collectors and no scope for SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems that use living systems of soil and vegetation to manage water) remained
Client Profile and Objectives:
– The opportunity to physically connect the new development with the existing campus, therefore enabling mutual gain
– To take advantage of the mature vegetation at the existing campus
– Dell International Services is a manufacturer of personal computers, manufacturing and assembling the various components of a computer
– The landscape design team was brought into the project at a stage where major infrastructure, especially emergency access, firefighting services and storm-water management were already conceived. This limited the possibilities for the landscape design
– Storm-water management was to happen through recharge pits connected to culverted water collectors and no scope for SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems that use living systems of soil and vegetation to manage water) remained
– The building design already envisaged a physical connection between ground-floor landscape and Third Floor Terrace via a sequence of outdoor stairs and platforms that the landscape design responds to
As a result of the design process, the outdoor spaces are designed to provide an informal outdoor space for the employees to gather at leisure whilst having the opportunity to engage in a number of recreational activities such as table tennis and outdoor gym.
As a result of the design process, the outdoor spaces are designed to provide an informal outdoor space for the employees to gather at leisure whilst having the opportunity to engage in a number of recreational activities such as table tennis and outdoor gym.
Planting Design
At the terrace level there was limited scope to add to the structural load that deep soils and heavy planting would imply. Therefore, the planters at the centre of the terrace have a depth of 600mm to allow for medium to tall shrubs to be planted. Along the periphery of the terrace, a very shallow soil fill was permitted, limiting the selection of plants to drought resistant low growing, albeit colourful ground-covers, bulbs and grasses.
At the terrace level there was limited scope to add to the structural load that deep soils and heavy planting would imply. Therefore, the planters at the centre of the terrace have a depth of 600mm to allow for medium to tall shrubs to be planted. Along the periphery of the terrace, a very shallow soil fill was permitted, limiting the selection of plants to drought resistant low growing, albeit colourful ground-covers, bulbs and grasses.
