Till a few years ago, office spaces were synonymous with cubicles, work desks and closed meeting rooms, all put together in a structured layout. Since then, things have come a long way with an increased focus on sustainability, biophilic design, flexibility, ergonomics, multipurpose spaces and wellness areas. With an intrinsic relationship between structure, materiality, and the senses, many offices today exude vibes that blur the boundaries between the workplace and home. Case in point is Sanofi’s Hyderabad office, aptly called ‘House of Dreams’, which is spread across a massive 2,50,000 square feet over six floors.
The space is thoughtfully organised into three key areas: the arrival experience, workspace floors, and hospitality experience. “The arrival experience features the main entry, town hall, and interview centre, while the work floors accommodate more than 2,000 employees in dynamic, collaborative environments. The hospitality experience is a full-service cafeteria offering fresh, wholesome meals to employees throughout the day,” says Mrinal Duggal, head of Sanofi.
A view of Sanofi’s Hyderabad office.
No logo or waiting area
The arrival experience is akin to entering a home rather than a traditional office. It is surrounded by gardens, art, and rustic materials that create an immediate sense of approachability. “Warm textures, handmade ceramic tiles, and furniture sourced from local vendors were intentional design decisions,” says Jaime Daza, design director at Gensler, an interior designer firm based in Bengaluru. “Natural fabrics, rattan, Indian-inspired textures and colours are some of the elements that have been consistently used across the floors. Some other design interventions include minimising the use of glass, metallic finishes, and a detailed approach to the use of wallpaper and multiple tones of wood.”
A view of Sanofi’s Hyderabad office.
The arrival experience is stripped of all details that one would expect from an office reception — there is no logo, reception counter, or waiting area. “Every meeting room was carefully prepared as a unique home-scale space, comfy with different colours and materials typically used in residential projects, and decorated like a studio room. Soft lighting and handmade furniture complete the sets for every meeting room,” adds Daza.
The entire office has been designed with the purpose of making it feel like home. “At every step, the decision-making process we followed was inspired by the way we do things at home — arriving, resting, enjoying, dining, working, and more,” explains Daza.
A view of Sanofi’s Hyderabad office.
At the working level, the space includes specific considerations to guarantee successful sessions in multiple formats: active, passive, group, and focused. This provides options for every kind of individual and every working style.
Positive vibes
The design has resonated well with Sanofi’s employees. “Most of them describe it as a welcoming space, ingrained in Indian culture,” says Duggal. “The design has also helped foster creativity and a culture of collaboration as they have the freedom to choose between quiet, reflective areas and vibrant communal zones, which allows people to work in ways that feels most instinctive to them.” Employees have experienced a remarkable difference in how they spend their days, she adds, due to “this balance between energy and ease, and it has inspired them to bring their most true selves to work every day”.
The Bengaluru-based freelance writer is passionate about all things design, travel, food, art and culture.
Published – March 06, 2026 03:51 pm IST