Out Of The Ordinary

Mumbai-based firm, Connect Four Design Studio, creates a fluid workspace for client, Wok Express in a busy industrial area of Mumbai. A departure from that of its previous offices, the design here is a blend of austerity and stylish modern flourishes.

- Sanjukta Nandy

 In his quest for a revamped workspace for his new venture, Wok Express, Ayush Agarwal, the youngest director of F&B chain, Lenexis Foodworks, chanced upon Connect Four Design Studio whom he had been introduced to by a common friend whose residence was designed by Manoj Patel, one of the firm’s principals. Manoj and Ayush struck an immediate connect with their common penchant for simple design that focuses on considerations such as productivity, comfort, transparency and fluidity. So, when Manoj took the design of this project to the drawing board, an optimized seating capacity, open plan and an uncomplicated design that could incorporate the client’s hobby of collecting art became prime requirements. Arriving at simplicity can often be anything but easy, but for principals of Connect Four — Manoj Patel and Rujuta Mody — it was a welcome challenge. Their practice excels in tackling the design of commercial spaces. Both are graduates of KRVIA, Mumbai, and Ohio State University. Having gathered ample work experience at esteemed organizations such as LehmanSmith+McLeish and Esocoff and Associates in Washington DC, they returned to India to start their integrated design firm in 2011, with two other partners Ashok Mody and Rutu Mody-Kamdar, whose focus is integration and branding while Manoj and Rujuta head the architectural and interior designing division.