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Luxe’ workplace

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Oberoi Constructions complements the rapid businessgrowth of Mumbai by offering the city its firstcomposite 32-storey mixed-use commercial tower in

the suburbs of Mumbai with the Oberoi Commerz. Thisstructure, completed in March 2008, indicates the emergingtrend of a shift of commercial offices towards suburbanMumbai. Oberoi’s vision for Commerz – located in Goregaon(East) – combines the latest in contemporary office spacealong with a luxurious five-star hotel.

The structureThe company pooled in the talents of top architectures,designers and specialists to create an extraordinary meetingpoint of business and pleasure. This iconic mixed-usecommercial high-rise offers an area of approximately825,000 sq. ft., which houses commercial office on the lowerfloors, including four floors that has already been taken byOgilvy & Mather, the global advertising agency.

The structure epitomises a striking vision of commercialexcellence based on attention to detail by incorporatingcutting-edge design and architecture. Says Nayan Trivedi, thestructural engineer for the project, representing Leslie E.Robertson Associates (LERA), New York, “Belt Collinsconceptualised the landscape design for the building and itssurroundings keeping in view the diverse behaviouralrequirements of both, the office and the hotel. The landscapecaters to the formal feeling of the office as well as theresort-like feeling of the hotel.”

Structural featuresRising 133 meters high, Oberoi Commerz is being

developed as the region’s new landmark business centre andis acclaimed as India’s first tallest, fully-glazed commercialstructure. This project is a part of Oberoi Garden City, an 85-acre township that is self-contained with its own shoppingmall, international school, hospital and residential complex.With a 14-storey high atrium starting from the 18th floor,the building is centrally air-conditioned with a DG powerbackup, a bar and restaurant on the 18th floor, guest roomsfrom the 19th floor onwards and a unique Y3K readyworkplace, and a helipad on the terrace.

Additionally, the building has two levels of basementparking and 11 high speed and three parking lifts, allsupplied by Mitsubishi. Talking about the prestigious project,Vikas Oberoi, managing director of Oberoi Constructionssays, “Oberoi Constructions is taking its proficiency ofbuilding stylish and classy-living to the next level throughthis mixed-use commercial skyscraper. This iconicdevelopment is the need of the hour owing to the high valueattached to the land making it the paramount responsibilityof the urban designer to consider its multiples uses. The ideabehind the conception of this project was to create aninnovative yet simple, no-fuss building that integratesbusinesses into one single tower.”

To combat the Mumbai heat, the company has adopteddouble glazing technique and has used glass from Glaverbel,Belgium, which has excellent technical properties of solar

Project Facts

Height: 132 mts

Total Cost: N/A

Overall floor plan: 32 storied skyscraper in

approximately 800,000 sq ft. Includes a 5-

Star hotel.

Prominent material used: Concrete

Architect: HOK, Los Angeles, USA as Design

Architects.

Structural Consultant: Leslie E. Robertson

Associates (LERA), New York.

Mechanical and Electrical Consultant: Lehr

Consultants International, LLC, New York.

International Consulting Services, USA as

glazing consultant.

Elevators: Mitsubishi.

Contractor: Larsen and Toubro

Oberoi Commerz, with all the trappings of a Y3K trendyworkplace, is set to be the latest address on the corporate block.Remona Divekar reports.

Nayan Trivedi, the structural engineer, OberoiCommerz, representing Leslie E. Robertson Associates(LERA), New York

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control with low reflection and thermalinsulation, an ideal glass for all seasons.The glazing contract has been undertakenby Permasteelisa, Singapore, leaders indesigning and executing architecturalenvelopes.

To reduce the load on the airconditioning and to enhance convenienceof the people working in the offices, thebuilding has been built facing north-south.The design criterion of this building was tohave office space on both sides – facing the north-southdirection – with a scenic view to the west and east.

The people Furthermore, adding value to the design and constructiontask, Oberoi Constructions engaged Leslie E. RobertsonAssociates, New York, the renowned structural designerswho have designed buildings like the World Trade Centre inNew York, Bank of China building in Hong Kong, ShanghaiWorld Financial Centre (500m high) at Shanghai, and a1,000mt tall residential building. In addition to this, thecompany partnered with HOK, Los Angeles, one of the bestdesign architects in the world, and New York-based Lehrconsultants as mechanical and electrical consultant. Thequality and standards of the project has been set andmaintained by Larsen & Toubro (L&T).

The design aesthetics and material standards have beenmaintained very high and the attempt has been to provide a‘best-in-class’ environment and a high-quality experience toits occupants.

ChallengesThe design of the building’s structural system had toovercome several challenges. Says Trivedi, “First andforemost, Oberoi Constructions wanted an elegant buildingwith a cost-efficient structural system. Secondly, HOK LosAngeles, the tower’s Design Architect, wanted the maximum

floor-to-ceiling height for both the hoteland the office space. Finally, L&T – ascontractor – wanted to use table formworkto build the tower for ease and speed ofconstruction. As a structural engineeringfirm, Leslie E. Robertson Associates (LERA)met all of the design challenges bydesigning a shallow-depth beam and jointsystem that achieved the developer’s goalsby reducing both building loads and overallconstruction costs, as well as getting the

maximum floor-to-ceiling heights, thereby enabling thecontractor’s use of table formwork.”

LERA’s design for the typical floor framing consisted of a475 mm deep post-tensioned ribbed slab and flat beamsystem. A lighter slab system reduced the building loadsenabling LERA to reduce column sizes at the bottom of thebuilding. The slender 800 mm diameter concrete perimetercolumns contributed to the tower’s delicate appearance.

An additional challenge for the structural design is thebuilding’s mixed-use programme. The bottom 17 floorsconsist of office space with the top 15 devoted to the hotel.Typically, hotel and office layouts are incompatible. LERA’sstructural solution consisted of a distinctive transfer systemfrom office to hotel at the building’s service level. Concretebrackets attached to the building’s concrete core at theservice level transfers the floating column. This reduces thebuilding loads on the slender perimeter columns andtransfers the loads to the building’s service core. This designalso provides an efficient hotel floor framing. Additionally,LERA provided a unique approach to the tower foundation.

So, what’s noteworthy?The foundation design used raft foundation under core wallsonly. Isolated foundations were suggested for the perimetercolumns. This dual foundation system saved excavationquantities, material quantities and sped up foundationconstruction. Commerz, the newest address on the corporateblock, provides a stimulating work environment conducive tohigh productivity. Apart from all the trappings of the Y3Kready workplace, a helipad, a 5-star hotel and ampleparking, Commerz offers a view of Aarey’s protectedgreenery in its backyard and proximity to both the airports(15 minutes at best).

The final wordThe selling point of any commercial space today isaccessibility, and Oberoi Commerz fulfils this demand as theproject is ideally located off Western Express Highway atGoregaon (East) with easy access to the domestic andinternational airport, proximity to the central and westernline local railway stations, enormous garden, residentialcomplex and five star hotel in the premises. Owing to thisaccessibility convenience, this architectural landmark isexpected to anchor a new dimension in hospitality speciallydesigned for business and corporate travellers, thus, markingthe beginning of the trend of commercial offices shifting tosuburban Mumbai. ●

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The landscape

caters to both the

formal feeling of

the office and the

resort-like feeling

of the hotel.

P R O J E C T F O C U S

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