MUMBAI: Team One Architects (TOA), a design-first, tech-enabled architecture firm, has successfully designed and delivered Columbia Group’s first Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India, marking a significant workplace delivery for the global maritime major.
Located at Mindspace Business Park, Navi Mumbai, the 20,000 sq. ft. facility accommodates a 220-member workforce and functions as a key operational and digital hub supporting Columbia Group’s worldwide activities.
The project was commissioned to support Columbia Group’s entry into India, leveraging the country’s strong maritime talent base and digital capabilities. Navi Mumbai was selected for its Grade-A commercial infrastructure, connectivity, and mature business ecosystem — aligning with the operational requirements of a global ship management organisation.
Team One Architects was appointed to provide end-to-end architectural services, including workplace strategy, design development, and turnkey execution. The scope focused on delivering a future-ready workspace that balances operational efficiency, collaboration, and long-term scalability.
Commenting on the delivery, Mr. Aditya Yamsanwar, Director, Team One Architects, said: “Global Capability Centres today are no longer transactional spaces, they are strategic hubs that need to support collaboration, operational excellence, and future growth. For Columbia Ship Management’s India GCC, our focus was on creating a workspace that is flexible, people-centric, and aligned with the realities of global maritime operations. The design reflects how GCCs are evolving into long-term strategic assets for global organisations.”
Columbia Group Deputy CEO Demetris Chrysostomou added:
“People are central to how workplaces perform. This GCC was designed to inspire and motivate our teams while delivering the technology, amenities, and operational readiness required for a globally connected organisation. At Columbia we believe well-designed spaces play a direct role in productivity, wellbeing, and long-term engagement.”
The GCC features acoustically designed focus zones, technology-enabled meeting rooms with global video conferencing capabilities, and modular planning to enable phased growth. The layout prioritises productivity while allowing teams to collaborate effectively across time zones.
The design language draws inspiration from a philosophy of ‘Resilient Collaboration’, integrating subtle maritime cues through biophilic elements, flowing spatial transitions inspired by wave formations, and a refined palette of soft neutrals and muted blues. The space has been optimised to support hybrid work models while reinforcing organisational culture.
Technology has been seamlessly embedded throughout the facility, including sensor-based lighting, digital room-booking systems, secure access controls, and robust IT infrastructure designed to support round-the-clock global coordination.
For Team One Architects, the project reinforces its expertise in delivering high-performance Global Capability Centres and complex commercial workplaces for international organisations, further strengthening its portfolio in the GCC and maritime sectors.
About Team One Architects
Team One Architects (TOA) is a design-first, tech-enabled architecture firm specialising in the creation of future-ready commercial workplaces for Fortune 500 companies, Global Capability Centres, and high-growth enterprises. With over 25 years of experience, TOA offers integrated services spanning concept design, architectural planning, project management, engineering, and turnkey execution, with a strong focus on wellness, sustainability, and technical precision.
Headquartered in Mumbai with operations in Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, TOA has delivered over 10 million sq. ft. of commercial space for clients headquartered in more than 50 global cities.
About Columbia Group
The Columbia Group offers a fully transparent and integrated maritime services and logistics platform, cooperating closely with its global partners to drive bottom line value and leverage economies of scale. Columbia’s services are cost-efficient and fully optimised to the individual client’s business scenario, resulting in the delivery of top-quality customisable and modular maritime solutions.
