Transforming an abandoned wheat mill and car shed into a 12,000 sq ft contemporary co-working hub, DS2 Architecture has designed Popworks Cowork stands as a compelling demonstration of how adaptive reuse can be both resource￾conscious and experientially rich. Located at Kudlu Gate along Hosur Road, the project is headed by Ar. Mueen Haris with Ar. Raghuvamshi AB and Ar. Shridhar S reimagines the industrial past of the site without erasing its memory. Instead, every design gesture amplifies the rawness of the existing structure, celebrating material honesty and spatial fluidity while dramatically cutting down waste, cost and environmental footprint.

At its core, Popworks is a study in preservation through transformation. DS2 Architecture’s primary intent was to retain the industrial fabric—its rugged textures, structural bones, and volumetric clarity—while integrating contemporary functionality and thoughtful interventions. Rather than overlaying new layers, the architects chose to reveal, repurpose, and rethink what already existed. Original brick, concrete, metal, and structural elements remain exposed, echoing the brutalist language that ties the project together. This honesty allows the old mill’s character to permeate every workspace, corridor, and courtyard.

Zero Waste as a Design Ideology

What distinguishes Popworks from typical commercial retrofits is its uncompromising commitment to waste elimination.

• 100% of demolition debris— every brick, fragment, and chunk of concrete was reused for site grading and levelling, ensuring zero tractor loads left the site.

• Existing MS rolling shutters were dismantled and ingeniously recrafted into ceilings for meeting rooms and cabins.

• Jute, referencing the site’s agricultural past, was woven into monumental hanging lamps that offer warmth and sculptural softness.

• Scrapped MS components were reused to articulate staircases, mezzanines, and industrial detailing, reinforcing the design’s raw aesthetic.

This ethos also had a measurable financial impact. Against an initial estimate of ₹3 crore, the project was completed for ₹1.7 crore, demonstrating how creative reuse and circular thinking can directly influence construction economics.

Designing Through Raw Honesty

The design team embraced an unfiltered architectural language, brutalism softened by adaptive reuse, where functional clarity and material truth overshadow cosmetic finishes. Structural expressiveness becomes the visual identity. Every exposed surface, from brick walls to metal beams, tells its story.

The architects approached spatial planning with the belief that “wastage should essentially be non-existent” not only in materials but also in space. Every gallery, quadrant, and transitional zone is fully utilised, resulting in fluid circulation and zero dead spaces. Spatial articulation remains central: open workstations, CEO cabins, a training room, boardroom, and collaborative areas all stitch together seamlessly around a central garden and mirror pool, the latter adding lightness and a contemplative rhythm to the industrial envelope.

Contextual Sensitivity and Future￾Forward Functionality

While the design remains firmly rooted in the building’s original character, new interventions are layered with care, either contrasting in their modernity or harmonising through material continuity. The firm handled architecture, interior design, landscape, MEP, and construction in￾house, ensuring unified intent across all disciplines.

The program supports contemporary co-working functions while preserving the raw volume of the original structure. The central garden and reflective pool introduce softness within the industrial framework, while efficient planning accommodates substantial parking capacity for 80 four-wheelers and 75 two-wheelers.

A Symphonic Use of Leftovers

Rather than appearing patched together, the repurposed elements form a cohesive architectural symphony. The project demonstrates how creative recycling can result in a space that is not only functional but visually compelling, proof that adaptive reuse, when executed with intention and foresight, is not a compromise but an opportunity.

Popworks Cowork stands as a model for future commercial projects—one where context, circularity, and craftsmanship align to create a workplace that is environmentally responsible, economically efficient, and experientially rich. It reaffirms DS2 Architecture’s belief that designing with restraint, honesty, and ingenuity can transform forgotten structures into thriving contemporary environments.

Photography: Ar. Rayaan Raheel, Adulya ER, Rasha Fathima