PATHFINDERS
Commercial Design | September 2019 | 31AMIT RAMANI
CEO and founder, Awfis
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enjoys a strong technological inclination when it
comes to providing solutions to its customers
and managing spaces. It has developed a revolutionary,
tailor-made mobile application that enables users to Ànd,
review, book workspaces and meeting rooms in its owned
managed centres realtime. Each centre provides the
latest technology-enabled physical infrastructure (video
projection, NFC cards, CCTV, high-speed internet, laser
printing, VC, etc). The coworking venture not only enhances employee productivity
but also helps manage it effectively. In addition to designing futuristic workspaces
that accentuate interaction and enhance productivity, $wÀs is also building
capabilities and mechanisms to build a centralised system that remotely maps and
manages productivity levels of community members.
“Today’s multigenerational workforce seeks to collaborate, work from anywhere,
at a cost-effective solution, without having to spend on a completely new ofÀce setup.
The thoughtfully devised $wÀs app allows customers to book spaces realtime, opt for
alliance partnerships and purchase F&B through its mobile wallet. We also have a chat
bot called ¶$va ³ $wÀs Virtual $ssistant’ that allows customers to log complaints,
share feedback and suggestions or utilise concierge services,μ highlights 5 amani.D
FI adopts contextuality, sustainability and build-ability into the design
though and processes. Contextuality ensures that the project
responds to the physical, chronological, social and economic context,
the brief as well as the surroundings; sustainability, since the inception, makes
the project responsible towards the environment; and build-ability evaluates the
design from the points of view of construction, maintenance and adaptability.
In our new-age economy, people are spending more and more of their
productive time in workplaces. It’s no longer a 9-5 engagement, the architect
trio believes. They say, “It is, therefore, important to engage and ensure that the
connection of worker and workplace goes beyond just a stop-over
for delivery. Not only that, interaction with nature and interaction
for needs beyond just work are imperative.μ
While DFI plays the role of an agent of change, their efforts
are rooted in the principles of sustainable architecture and
response to the local context. Their prime objective is to achieve
excellence in design, while perfectly balancing time and cost, with a
commitment to emphasise communication and design for people
and the environment. DFI has won many accolades for their
diverse oeuvre of work, emerging as an institution that attracts
great design minds — people who love to thrive in a professionally
charged environment, while focusing on details and exploring new
design methodologies for each project.ANAND SHARMA, ANOJ TEVATIA AND
GOONMEET CHAUHAN
Partners, Design Forum International