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Facets: Recasting Industrial Architecture for Climate and Context
Set in Jodhpur’s industrial belt, Facets is a climatic and cultural recasting of the Industrial Architecture into a bold statement. Its design is rooted in the ancient Vedic planning system and guided by strict design constraints. The staggered volumes, terracotta cladding and passive design strategies stem out of a strong response to the site's harsh climatic conditions. Beyond its design, Facets is also the embodiment of pride and legacy of the labourers, on-site workers, and craftspeople who created something many had never attempted or imagined before.
- Project Name : Facets
- Designed by : Studio UF+O
- Location : Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
- Design Team : VINEET VORA , PRACHI PAREKH , AISHWARYA GAITONDE
- Address: 82 Shreyas, Flat no. 7, 1st Floor, Road No. 25, Jain Society, Next to SIES Science College, Sion West, Mumbai - 400022, India
- Email Id : info@studioufo.in
- Firm’s Website https://www.studioufo.in/
- Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/studiouf_o/
- HVAC Consultants: SAI AIRCON PVT LTD
- Contractors: NARPAT BUILDERS, JODHPUR
- Acoustics Consultants: Environmental & Sustainability
- Structural Consultant: RAJIV SHAH & ASSOCIATES
FACT BOX
- Year Built : 2025
- Site Area : 13000 SQ FT.
- Built up area : 38000 SQ FT.
- Photography : Niveditaa Gupta
Across India, industrial belts are usually identified by a blur of prefabricated sheds that are quick to build, efficient to run, anonymous and forgettable. However, In Jodhpur’s Basni Phase II, Facets, a 3,500 sq.m mixed-use facility designed by Studio Urban Form + Objects breaks the monotony. It’s a warehouse, workplace, and experience centre for an electrical switches company. But more than that, it carries a larger ambition: of what India’s industrial architecture can be when it is shaped by climate, craft, and collaboration.
Instead of a steel shed, Facets takes the form of interlocking brick-clad volumes that respond to the desert climate. The stepped massing creates terraces and shaded pockets that keep the interiors significantly cooler than the scorching heat outside. Deep-set windows, overhangs, and recessed openings allow soft daylight while reducing solar gain. The façade, made of hand-cut terracotta bricks sourced from the region, acts as a natural thermal buffer. In a city where summer temperatures routinely cross 45°C, the building maintains conditions that are 4–5°C cooler indoors, without relying on excessive mechanical systems.
The architecture also respects cultural principles. Working within Vaastu guidelines and height restrictions, the design integrates a sky-lit courtyard at its heart. This space is not just symbolic; it becomes a refuge where its inhabitant pause, recharge, and connect with the outdoors amid their daily routines. By rooting contemporary industrial functions in both climatic logic and cultural wisdom, the building demonstrates how traditional principles can meaningfully shape modern workplaces.
“It’s humbling to see how people with no formal education in architecture can adapt so intuitively,” recalls co-founder Prachi Parekh. “Their pride and ownership are now embedded in the walls,” adds Vineet Vora, co-founder of the Studio.
That sense of shared authorship runs through the project. Industrial buildings are often faceless, reducing human involvement to a minimum. Here, the workers’ hands, decisions, and ingenuity are inseparable from the architecture. What could have been another anonymous shed has become a landmark that celebrates both regional craft and contemporary industrial needs, proving that even the most utilitarian typology can carry social meaning and environmental intelligence. By doing so, Facets offers a prototype for a new kind of industrial architecture in India. In a landscape of industrial sameness, it shows how architecture can get it all right: climate, context, culture, and dignity of workers.
