13 Feb Project Spotlight: Rain CII’s Harmonious Headquarters

In late 2014, the international industrial carbon company Rain CII moved it’s corporate headquarters in to the 40,000 square foot Greengate Office Building in the newly expanded section of Northpark along U.S. 90. Designed by Fauntleroy Latham Weldon Barré, the office building is the first to go up in the highly anticipated master-planned office park. AOS was brought in to the project early in the design process to help source furniture that would enhance the natural elements featured by the architecture and foster a collaborative environment.

The project took on an intriguing twist when Rain’s owner requested that his personal Feng Shui Expert consult on the overall design. He was adamant that the space adhere to the principles of Vastu Shastra. The India-derived Vastu Shastra is said to be the basis for Feng Shui. When translated ‘Vastu’ means ‘the environment’ and is all about building spaces that are in harmony with nature. Vastu principles are based on the interplay of energies emanating from different directions and the five elements. Vastu taps the energies of different directions and the five elements of nature and tries to co-ordinate them in such a manner that only positive energies emanate from their combination and negative energies are annihilated.

Vastu is often called the science of direction because of the heavy focus on the cardinal directions and floor plan of a commercial space. The appeal of the Greengate Office Building for Rain CII was the north-facing orientation and large windows that showcase the vegetation surrounding the building and bring in tons of natural light in to the interior space. It was necessary to complement those elements with flowing and unobtrusive furniture. This was achieved with pieces that featured curved shapes, soft materials, and earthy, organic colors. In addition to meeting the principles of Vastu Shastra, the furniture also had to fit the budget of the project and hold up to daily wear and tear. A strategic combination of Knoll Reff, Knoll Studio, Coalesse, OFS, and Bernhardt pieces was the perfect blend. The finished product is a headquarters that fosters a harmonious relationship between high-design and a hard working team, while embracing the benefits of Vastu design.

Much like the philosophy behind Vastu Shastra, our team at AOS is committed to helping create surroundings where creativity, efficiency, innovation and problem-solving processes are enhanced. We bundle our products and expertise to turn design goals in to reality, to add depth, dynamism and dimension to business environments, and to create satisfied clients.