architecture 31

Text: Sharmila Chakravorty

Images: Vishnu Raj

Drawings: Meister Varma Architects

Going

beyond a

superficial

makeover

Meister Varma Architects recently renovated

an existing building to accommodate the Identiti

Advertising office in Kochi, Kerala, as well as the

family behind the office. Going beyond a mere

decorative redo, the architects create a space

that stands out in its milieu of cookie-cutter

buildings. The new spaces are aptly designed

to respond to the fast-paced energy of the

advertising agency, along with the relaxed but

joyful vibe of the family inhabiting the building.

A

rchitecture is perhaps a way to solve complex problems using
simple, effective solutions that are related to design, and take
on a tangible form eventually. These solutions not only have to focus
on the issue at hand, but are also required to have a high human-
comfort quotient as most tangible design solutions will eventually be
inhabited, even if only for small amounts of time. Coming up with an
ideal design solution that addresses challenges while also infusing
a soul into the design is perhaps the greatest skill an architect or a
practice could possess.

For renovating the Identiti Advertising office in Kochi, Kerala, Meister
Varma Architects worked perhaps on a similar vein. Speaking of the
design brief, the architects mention, “Identiti is an advertising and
branding agency run by a father-sons trio who wished to consolidate
their home and office in different parts of the city into a spacious
live-work unit.” The clients had already purchased a building for

Identiti Advertising office in Kochi, Kerala