The Agilitas R&D Centre project is conceived in a stand alone building in Noida; the building had a vernacular look & feel with Exposed brickwork jaalis and fascia.
Project Name: Agilitas R&D Centre
Location: Phase 2, Noida
Area: 25000 sqft
No of Floors: LG, Ground, First, Second
Project Team: AVA Design Studio (Vistasp Bhagwagar, Perwaiz Kamal, Asif Furqan)
Photographer: Arch Mohd Danish
Our approach was to build upon this raw earthy feel and create an R&D Space for the Sports Shoe company that allowed for L&D in the lower floor, Receiving and offices on the Upper floor. The cafe and Tech areas were located on the first with the Innovation zone on the second looking down on the double height cafe!
The design is a creative play of volumes and earth finishes, embellished with lots of art and visual engagement.
Introduction
In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate research environments, architecture plays a critical role in shaping the culture of innovation, collaboration, and identity. For Agilitas, one of India’s leading sports shoe companies, the brief was not simply to house its Research & Development teams but to craft a space of imagination and experimentation—a place where creativity could thrive within a context rooted in material honesty and cultural resonance.
The new Agilitas R&D Centre, located in Phase 2, Noida, represents this philosophy. Conceived within a 25,000 sq. ft. stand-alone building with four distinct levels—Lower Ground, Ground, First, and Second—the centre embodies the idea of an architectural journey: one that begins in the earth and ascends into the light of innovation. Designed by AVA Design Studio (Vistasp Bhagwagar, Perwaiz Kamal, Asif Furqan) and photographed by Arch Mohd Danish, the project reimagines an existing vernacular building into a dynamic, future-ready workplace for research, learning, and creative collaboration.
Site & Contextual Response
Situated in Noida Phase 2, a zone characterized by industrial campuses, warehouses, and emerging corporate hubs, the R&D Centre is immediately set apart by its distinctive architectural presence. The existing structure bore a vernacular aesthetic—exposed brick façades, brick jaalis, and fascia detailing that lent it an earthy, tactile quality. Instead of erasing this identity, the design team chose to amplify its raw, grounded character. This decision was not merely cosmetic. It was rooted in an architectural philosophy that acknowledges the value of continuity and place-making. In a landscape often dominated by glass-and-aluminium corporate blocks, the Agilitas R&D Centre’s material honesty becomes its most striking marker. The building feels familiar yet surprising, contextual yet aspirational.
Design Intent
The design approach can best be described as a dialogue between the vernacular and the contemporary. The team’s intent was to build upon the raw earthy feel of the existing structure while introducing spatial interventions that would enable a modern R&D environment.
The building was envisioned not as a static office but as a living organism—a layered sequence of experiences that support learning, experimentation, social interaction, and innovation. From the Lower Ground’s training environments to the Second Floor’s innovation hub overlooking the café, each level is conceived as part of a spatial ecosystem that fosters both focus and collaboration.
Spatial Planning & Zoning
The project’s programmatic zoning reflects both functional clarity and architectural imagination.
- Lower Ground (L&D Spaces): Dedicated to Learning & Development, this level acts as the foundation for the company’s future talent. Its interiors are designed for flexibility, accommodating workshops, training programs, and prototyping activities. The earthiness of the materials reinforces a sense of grounding, quite literally connecting Agilitas’ growth to its roots.
- Ground Floor (Receiving & Offices): Functioning as the formal threshold, the ground floor houses the reception and administrative offices. The design ensures that visitors are immediately immersed in the building’s earthy yet contemporary identity. Circulation is deliberately porous, offering glimpses into the café above and hinting at the layered experiences within.
- First Floor (Café & Tech Areas): This level is the social and technological heart of the building. The double-height café creates a dramatic central volume that is visually accessible from multiple levels. Adjacent tech zones encourage informal interactions, blending work with leisure in a way that aligns with the ethos of modern R&D culture.
- Second Floor (Innovation Zone): Symbolically placed at the top of the building, the Innovation Zone embodies aspiration and forward-looking energy. Overlooking the café, it allows researchers and designers to work in an open, visually connected environment. The vertical relationship between the café and innovation zone reinforces the idea of dialogue—between work and play, between nourishment and imagination.
The Double-Height Café as a Social Heart
Among the project’s most striking features is the double-height café, which functions as the social condenser of the building. Far more than a dining space, it acts as a stage for interaction, a forum for exchange, and a visual anchor for the entire R&D Centre.
Its soaring volume, coupled with earthy finishes and art-infused walls, creates an atmosphere that is at once grounded and uplifting. The ability to overlook the café from the Innovation Zone above reinforces a sense of transparency and community. Here, spatial design becomes a metaphor: creativity is nourished not only by technology but by conversation, camaraderie, and cultural engagement.
Materiality & Tectonics
Materiality lies at the core of this project’s architectural identity. The palette deliberately celebrates earth finishes, exposed textures, and vernacular techniques while integrating them into a contemporary workplace vocabulary.
- Exposed Brickwork & Jaalis: These act as both aesthetic and climatic devices, filtering light and air while offering visual richness.
- Plaster & Earth Tones: Interior surfaces are finished in muted, earthy hues that evoke warmth and tactility, ensuring that the work environment never feels sterile.
- Wood & Metal Accents: Selective use of wood softens the interiors, while metal details add a note of precision and modernity.
- Play of Light & Shadow: The brick jaalis allow sunlight to filter in patterned layers, creating dynamic, time-sensitive experiences throughout the day.
Together, these materials foster a sense of authenticity and timelessness, grounding the cutting-edge R&D functions in an architectural language that is both local and universal.
Art, Culture & Identity
What sets the Agilitas R&D Centre apart is not only its material palette but its embrace of art and visual storytelling. Throughout the building, walls and surfaces are embellished with graphics, artworks, and installations that echo the spirit of sports, movement, and innovation.
This infusion of art does more than decorate. It animates the workplace, offering moments of reflection, engagement, and delight. Employees and visitors are constantly reminded of the company’s ethos, making the space not just functional but culturally resonant. The building thus becomes a brand statement in built form, embodying the agility, dynamism, and groundedness of Agilitas itself.
Workplace Philosophy
The spatial organization of the R&D Centre reflects a progressive workplace philosophy. Unlike conventional corporate buildings that prioritize hierarchy and isolation, this project fosters interaction, collaboration, and flexibility.
- The L&D spaces support continuous growth and skill-building.
- The café and tech areas blur the boundaries between formal and informal zones.
- The Innovation Zone emphasizes openness, collective creativity, and knowledge exchange.
This workplace model aligns with global trends in R&D design, where architecture becomes an enabler of innovation rather than a backdrop. The design is future-ready, anticipating evolving modes of work and ensuring adaptability over time.
Human Experience
Ultimately, architecture is measured by the human experience it generates. At the Agilitas R&D Centre, this experience is defined by:
- Groundedness: The earthy material palette fosters a sense of calm and authenticity.
- Engagement: Art, graphics, and visual cues keep the space lively and connected to the brand’s identity.
- Community: The double-height café and interconnected volumes create opportunities for serendipitous encounters.
- Inspiration: The Innovation Zone, with its open, light-filled ambience, encourages bold thinking and experimentation.
For the people who use the building daily, it is not just an office but a landscape of discovery—a place where research is energized by space, and space is animated by people.
Conclusion
The Agilitas R&D Centre in Noida Phase 2 is special because it transcends the conventional definition of an office building. It is at once vernacular and contemporary, grounded and aspirational, functional and poetic. By building upon the existing structure’s earthy character and layering it with innovative spatial interventions, AVA Design Studio has created a workplace that embodies the very spirit of research and development.
It is a project where materiality becomes memory, space becomes dialogue, and architecture becomes identity. In a rapidly homogenizing corporate landscape, the Agilitas R&D Centre stands out as a testament to the power of design to shape culture, foster innovation, and root the future in the richness of the present.
At 25,000 sq. ft., across four levels of layered experiences, this building is more than just an R&D facility—it is an architectural manifesto that declares: innovation thrives where design and humanity meet.
