MAKING HER OWN RULES
Sustainable and smart, Camelot CoWorks by entrepreneur and designer Amrita Deora changes the way one views a workspace
With a neon sign that urges people to ‘Dream Big’, vibrant artworks on blue and grey walls and bright couches to unwind in, Camelot CoWorks is a burst of colour and energy in an otherwise glass and concrete sprawling mixed-used township, Aurum Q Parc’ in Navi Mumbai. “I was playing both entrepreneur and designer and this allowed me to work from a very unique perspective and achieve three objectives through my design—increased interaction, increased productivity and increased creativity,” says Amrita Deora, 20, founder of Camelot CoWorks, a 292-seater co-working spaces and a design studio, Camelot Design Studio that curates the aesthetic elements of her family’s real estate business. After a yearlong stint at Central Saint Martins in London to study design, during which she studied and visited several co-working spaces for a project, Deora returned home to set up the Camelot CoWorks in March 2017.
The co-working space has an open seamless design which encourages people to mingle, forge friendships, share ideas and unwind with a cup of coffee or sandwiches. Most of the areas have open workstations, a few cabins with glass walls and partitions that offer a sense of privacy while working and yet allow movement and communication. “It is meant to be a space for startups, freelancers, designers and anybody who is willing to break the conventional style of working,” she says. A large installation, motivational quotes in neon signs and vivacious artworks lend the space a youthful look.
Bright Meets Subtle
Loud signage on bright walls, colourful trunks, a cherry blossom tree installation and a bright red London telephone booth-inspired book case add a pop of colour to the otherwise muted grey and brown flooring and furniture. Deora selected the colour palette to match the mood and function of every space. So, the work cabins have subtle grey and wooden elements to create a calm and focused ambience while the common area near the food counter is splashed with bright youthful shades.
Made to Order
In keeping with the requirements of a workspace, Deora dipped into her personal experience to design the workstations—a lockable drawer, a cabinet and positioning the back to give ample leg room. “I also wanted to play with the levels of the workstations, where we have standard height desks juxtaposed with tall tables,” says Deora. The artworks—some featuring Mumbai’s iconic structures and
some abstract—have been created by her team of artists. There’s a generous use of neon signs which dual as both artworks and lights.
It’s Environment Friendly
The design focuses on energy efficiency by cutting out excessive heat and bringing in natural light. The building has a double glazed complete glass façade which keeps the heat out and brings in abundant light. This in turn, reduces the use of air conditioning and lights. Deora has also introduced a light schedule which turns on only a certain number of lights at different times of the day to avoid wastage of power. Emergency lights pepper the row of lamps and come on only when other lights are turned off.
The design of the space is completely seamless, with only glass partitions that allow natural light to travel from one end to the other and reduce the need for artificial lighting. Every corner of the space is naturally well lit. Another sustainable initiative is the flexible design. With the needs of the space constantly changing, the work areas can be adapted by removing or moving the glass partitions without having to demolish permanent walls. The wooden flooring, tables and chairs are durable and sturdy which reduces the need for constant upgrading. “Our material selection is also done keeping in mind our responsibility to the environment. From the walls to the workstations, there’s a heavy use of wood. The wood which we’ve used is extracted in the most environmentally responsible way and is one of the fastest renewable materials that can be used for furnishings,” she says.