Introduction
Pune, this 18th Smart Office India Summit 2024 witnessed the keynote address by Mr. Ramprasad Akkisetti, who is Co-founder & MD, CCBA Designs. Mr. Akkisetti comes with more than 30 years of experience, and has become a name synonymous with architect and commercial design. His speech from the summit brought in some really important perspectives on how office spaces are changing and why architecture plays a major role, moving forward.
A Journey of Passion and Creativity
Mr. Akkisetti’s journey Speaks for following one’s passion. Initially pursuing a career in medicine at the prestigious Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, he made a bold decision to switch paths, driven by his creative sensibilities. This turning point led him to collaborate with Professor Christopher Benninger, a Harvard and MIT postgraduate and master architect, to co-found CCBA Designs. Together, they have transformed CCBA into an internationally recognised firm, known for its innovative and sustainable architectural solutions.
Keynote Highlights
He rightly stated how quality essentials are pivotal in one’s investment just like where and what kind of office place you should be investing in. He focused on three major purchases, a decent chair, a bed and shoes, and said that these are necessary for health and productivity. Using much of the same terminology in describing the airports and their circular design, he took this comparison to offices, saying brilliant workplaces are essential for employee happiness, effectiveness and therefore an organisation’s overall wellbeing.
The Impact of the Pandemic
A strip segment of Mr. Akkisetti on the views about workspaces during this pandemic phase of life. The situation has made businesses rethink office environments, aiming for new agile, more sustainable and innovative ways of being. He observed that as the pandemic has forced us to think deeper, we can now reclaim and question what other parts of our lives — like workspaces — perhaps looked like initially.
Forbes Marshall New Corporate Office
The Forbes Marshall New Corporate Office was also one of the highlights featured in his Symposium. This project is a perfect example of how CCBA Designs thinks and recreates previous structures. Once the floor of a disused factory, this space has been converted into a sleek and highly functional workspace. The project embodies our commitment to sustainability, innovation and the adaptive reuse of already existing places of work — setting an example for office design in years ahead.
Conclusion
Mr. Ramprasad Akkisetti’s keynote at the Smart Office India Summit 2024 highlighted a paradigm change in creating and using office space. His perspectives brought to the fore the indispensable value of architecture in shaping its built context that fulfills present requirements and envisions them ahead. While the commercial design world grows and changes, leaders such as Akkisetti are leading the way in helping the field evolve toward more sustainable, adaptable and human centric solutions.
