Popworks Cowork

Nestled along Hosur Road at Kudlu Gate, Bengaluru, PopWorks is a compelling case of adaptive reuse that reimagines an abandoned industrial warehouse into a high-performance corporate workspace. Led by Mueen Haris, Founder of Ds2 Architecture, the project is grounded in the practice’s core philosophy of Functional Empathy, where architecture responds not only to users but also to resources, context, and responsibility. Guided by principles of Raw Honesty and a Zero-Wastage Ideology, PopWorks establishes a benchmark for sustainable, cost-efficient, and conscious design. The transformation was governed by three defining directives. The first, Wastage Singularity, mandated absolute elimination of construction waste. Every material present on site- whether debris, remnants, or salvaged components- was treated as a valuable resource rather than expendable matter. The second directive, Revenue from Remnant, demonstrated how leftovers could be elevated into design features, reducing dependency on new materials while simultaneously adding functional and aesthetic value. The third, Spatial Articulation, focused on achieving 100% utilization of the site, ensuring that no dead spaces existed and every quadrant contributed meaningfully to the overall program. True to its ethos of Raw Honesty, the design exposes the building’s original brickwork, concrete, stone, and steel, allowing the structure’s industrial past to remain visible and celebrated. Brutalism and industrial aesthetics dominate the visual language, with materials retained in their truest form. Existing MS rolling shutters were dismantled and repurposed as ceiling elements in cabins and meeting rooms, while mild steel was extensively used for staircases and mezzanines to reinforce the industrial character. Monumental hanging lamps crafted from jute pay homage to the site’s original identity as a wheat mill, blending narrative with material expression. Adaptive reuse extends beyond form to performance. Despite severe site challenges such as persistent waterlogging below two feet of excavation, the design team innovatively managed water extraction and reused the dried soil for foundation anchoring. Notably, 100% of demolition and construction debris was reused for ground leveling and grading, ensuring zero tractor loads exited the site. The completed facility accommodates workstations, CEO cabins, training and board rooms, a central garden, mirror pool, and extensive parking for 80 four-wheelers and 75 two-wheelers. Achieved at a cost of ₹1,400 per sq. ft., the project reduced its original estimate from ₹3 crore to ₹1.7 crore through material recycling and strategic reuse. PopWorks stands as a meticulously orchestrated symphony of remnants- proof that sustainability, economy, and spatial excellence can coexist. It is not merely a workplace, but a manifesto for responsible architecture.