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Studio Anagami

The Open Box transforms a rooftop terrace into a biophilic, tropical-modern workspace, celebrating raw textures, greenery, and open-air circulation. Split levels, collaborative decks, and contemplative corners blend indoors and outdoors, fostering creativity, well-being, and productivity, while sustainable materials and natural light create an energy-conscious, immersive urban garden in the sky.

  • Project Name: The Open Box
  • Location: Bengaluru

Studio Anagami

About the Project

The client envisioned transforming a raw, service-laden terrace atop a residential building into a workspace that felt open, creative, and deeply connected to nature. This aspiration became the catalyst for a design approach that celebrated, rather than concealed, the terrace’s inherent roughness, turning its imperfections into opportunities for spatial exploration.

The concept reinterprets these site-specific conditions into a layered spatial experience, articulated through split levels, open courts, and green spillovers. Inspired by tropical modernism, the design intentionally blurs boundaries—between indoors and outdoors, circulation and pause, structure and sky. Movement across the terrace is a deliberate journey, where workspaces, collaborative decks, and contemplative corners unfold gradually, offering moments of interaction and reflection.

Biophilic strategies anchor the project. Filtered daylight streams through planted screens and louvered panels, while cross-ventilation harnesses natural breezes, reducing dependence on mechanical cooling. Abundant planting—including container gardens, vertical green walls, and cascading vines—creates a sensory connection to the environment and fosters mental well-being. Sustainable material choices reinforce this philosophy: recycled fiber roofing, low-VOC finishes, passive cooling systems, and locally sourced wood all contribute to a responsible, energy-conscious design.

Spatial planning is organized linearly along the terrace’s periphery, keeping the central void flexible and light-filled. The upper level hosts reception, individual workstations, and informal meeting points, while the lower level opens to collaborative decks and quieter zones for focused work. A sculptural shelving mass serves both as functional storage and a cultural anchor, housing books, artifacts, and interactive elements that bring personality and narrative into the workspace.

Every design decision emphasizes a connection to nature and a sense of openness. The terrace’s raw textures—cement screed, exposed metalwork, and unfinished edges—are celebrated rather than masked, creating a tactile richness that contrasts with the greenery and lightweight furnishings. Circulation is fluid, inviting exploration, and the interplay of light, shadow, and texture ensures the space feels dynamic throughout the day.

Ultimately, this rooftop office transcends conventional workspace design, emerging as an urban garden in the sky. It is an inventive reinterpretation of what a terrace can offer—where creativity, sustainability, and biophilic design converge to create a space that nurtures both productivity and well-being. Here, the skyline, the sky, and the terrace itself become integral collaborators in the daily life of the office.

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