One of our most memorable experiences has been the way we have designed campuses for Cisco across India for the last 10 years. Here is a client who has entrusted with everything about this project.
STATISTICS
Client : Cisco India
Location : Bangalore
Site area : 15 Acres
Total built up area : 3 Million Sq.ft.
Parking area : 1.7 Million Sq.ft.
Scope of Services : Masterplanning, Building Design, C/S Engineering, M&E Engineering, Interior Design and Landscape
A relationship 10 years in the making
“Our physical is not forcing people to do something that they don’t want to, it is actually modeled after the way our occupants are behaving, and how they are doing their work. The key to that is to have a tremendous selection of space types to accommodate a diverse span of functions, set of cultures and ultimately generations in the workplace.”
– Dave Wagner, VP of Global Workplace Resources, Cisco
When Cisco was seeking to establish a presence in the East in 2005, they set foot within the largest conglomeration of engineers in India in Bangalore. RSP began partnering with Cisco to create their Globalisation Centre East, one of the most important campuses for Cisco worldwide.
RSP has been entrusted with building and interior design, MEP and ancillary consulting for their various projects across the country.
Design Direction
Planning ahead of the times
The site layout accommodated a total of eleven buildings, two multi-level car parks and a hotel, of which Phase 1 of construction would address two office blocks, one clubhouse and one multilevel car park.
Change with the times
10 years is a long period in IT employment culture where the average employee spends about 3-4 years in one company. One of the things we realised and implemented in the design scheme was the way workstations would adapt over the times. Over a period of time, concepts like paperless offices, non-allotted workstations and standing desks were adapted.
The culture of neighbourhoods
The working culture in Cisco had been evolving through the years. When the R&D centre was initially set up, people were usually anchored to their desks, working from personalized workstations. Certain businesses were clubbed together and formed ‘neighbourhoods’, which occupied consolidated areas within the buildings. However, with passing time, the work environment witnessed much change, which was demanded by the people working there.
Creativity Zones
The requirement for a flexible work environment resulted in a new typology of
space – the ‘Creativity Zones’. These were designated areas each with a different function, sprinkled across the later buildings. Since each zone was rendered with a specific purpose and aesthetic, offering varied ambiences, it facilitated the movement of people away from their work desks and around the campus.
Self-sustaining green campus
Cisco is a completely self-sustained campus that presents to its staff a space for personal work and recreation, as well as welcomes their families into its realm for social activities and occasions, is pleasantly witness to a high happiness quotient. They staff is found working as much as playing, and seems to enjoy the space they are in. The building conforms to the highest LEED ratings.
Techies are Foodies
The Cisco campus probably has one of the best variety of cuisines available throughout the day. Cisco cafes are themed in different flavours – pottery themed, bazaar themed, street food themed, by RSP’s design team.