A Holistic Design

Ar. Harish Tripathi and Associates (Arhta), design an office building that utilizes maximum natural light from all directions, resists heat gain in the interiors, and provides a fair water management system.

Fact File

Project: STPI (Software Technology Parks of India)
Location: Meerut
Structural Consultant: D&R Consultant New Delhi
Civil Works Contractor: NPCC Lucknow
Interior Contractor: Sristi
Building Materials Used: AAC blocks, Dry Cladding with Red Agra, Saint Gobain DGU Glass

The STPI campus is a study in contrasts—weight and lightness, opacity and translucency, tradition and modernity. The angular interplay of cuboidal masses is accentuated by the tactile depth of red sandstone, a material deeply rooted in India’s architectural lineage, set against the crisp reflectivity of blue-tinted glass. This juxtaposition is not merely aesthetic; it speaks to a deeper negotiation between permanence and adaptability, anchoring the structure in its cultural context while engaging with the evolving language of contemporary technology spaces.

The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) campus is situated near the NH-58 bypass Ved Vyas Puri Yojna in Meerut, UP. The campus comprises a 4-storey building which accommodates the organization’s office, an NOC Area, a multi-purpose hall, GM office, and plug-and-play area with 10-30-seater modules, and other facilities. The office building employs modern IT complex management systems and user-centric planning.

In a site with no particular contextual cues, the built form is expressed as an autonomous entity, through angular juxtaposition of cuboidal masses and space frames.

Ar. Harish Tripathi & Jyoti D Tripathi

In a site with no particular contextual cues, the built form is expressed as an autonomous entity, through angular juxtaposition of cuboidal masses and space frames. The exterior finishes combine the historically eminent red-sandstone with the modern surface of blue-tinted glass. The use of Red Agra for the façade of an IT building is unlike the commonly used grey/white ACP or granite. The 38-mm thick Red Agra stone is dry cladded using an aluminum frame on the facade. The dry cladding creates an air gap with the wall which reduces heat gain in the building. The DGU glazing with reflective glass on the outside and clear glass inside, provides good insulation and light into the interiors.

The structural design of the building accommodates complete structural grids and attains column-less spaces. The building is planned around a central, rectangular court, which anchors the angularly positioned rooms placed along the periphery. The covering of the courtyard is done using puff panels with partial transparent sheeting to provide enough light in the courtyard and reduce heat gain. The angular porch of the building is supported by a singular 600-mm dia column, creating interesting shadows on the building and in the mirror glass. The pergola comprises a grid of individual, white-painted MS-box sections.

Glass partitions, false ceilings combined with gypsum and acoustic grid ceiling, wooden flooring, modular workstations, raw incubation halls, an open terrace with a restaurant and guest suites, complete the holistic design of the building.