FHD India's Hyderabad Office: Sculpted in BIOMEBOARD™
Dozens of individually CNC-machined fins, each one a different profile, now ripple across the floor like fabric. The edges are left raw.
When one of India's leading architecture firms designed its own office, it did more than use BIOMEBOARD™. It was sculpted with it. The material shows up in two places you cannot miss: the parametric wall, and the louvre partitions that run through the studio.
The wall
Each fin is cut to its own profile and assembled into one surface that ripples like fabric. Look at the edges. They are raw, and they are on show.
The louvre partitions
Louvre partitions run through the studio. They separate zones without closing them off, and they double as display shelving for the firm's architectural models.
What the material did
BIOMEBOARD™ isn't a flat surface. It is visibly made of compressed straw, and the flecks are part of the finish. At FHD India nothing covers it. The fins are machined, the edges are left raw, and there is no laminate hiding the material.
Parametric work is a demanding test for any panel. Every fin is machined on its own, and with the edges exposed there is nowhere for the cutting to hide. FHD's designers chose to leave them raw, in their own office. Architects vote with their own offices.
The material is the design.
Where the straw went
All of it is made from crop straw, a farm leftover that farmers sold instead of burning. For the BIOMEBOARD™ on this project, Biome's certificate records:
- About 3,100 kg of agricultural waste diverted from being burnt.
- Up to 4,602 kg of CO₂e emissions are reduced.
- Up to 6,000 g of particulate matter kept out of the air.
- About ₹12,500 of additional income for farmers in Haryana.
These are Biome's own estimates, from its Certificate of Sustainable Procurement issued to Uniworks Designs.
If you are planning something similar
Plan the cutting layout early, so you waste less board, and test a sample strip before cutting the full set. Use the raw Type R surface where texture is the point, but note that Type R has not been fire tested yet. Keep boards dry, because BIOMEBOARD™ is for indoor, dry areas.
Planning a feature wall, partition or screen? Send us your brief or request a sample.
Thank you to the entire FHD India team. BIOMEBOARD™ procured by Uniworks Designs. Photos: Uniworks Designs.
FAQs
What did FHD India do with BIOMEBOARD™ in its Hyderabad office, and why does it matter?
FHD India, an architecture firm, designed its own new Hyderabad office and used BIOMEBOARD™ for a rippling wall of dozens of individually CNC-machined fins, and for louvre partitions that double as display shelving. It matters because the edges were left raw, with no laminate over them, so an architecture firm chose to show the board itself in its own workplace.
Can a straw board be CNC machined into fins that all differ, or does every piece have to be identical?
Yes. The FHD India wall is made of dozens of CNC-machined BIOMEBOARD™ fins, each with a different profile, so one digital file can drive pieces that all differ. Machining behaviour is different from MDF and is still being refined, so plan the cutting layout early to waste less board, and test a sample strip before cutting the full set.
Can BIOMEBOARD™ be curved, or does a curved wall have to be built another way?
Curved and rippling forms in BIOMEBOARD™ are usually made by cutting and arranging pieces, not by bending the board. The FHD India wall reads as one flowing surface because it is assembled from individually machined fins. If a design needs the board itself to bend, please ask us before planning it.
Can BIOMEBOARD™ be left raw with exposed edges, or does it need a laminate or veneer?
It can be left raw, and at FHD India it was: the machined edges are on show, with no laminate hiding the material, so the straw texture and the quality of each cut are part of the design. This suits dry indoor areas only. If a surface needs a fire rating or a particular finish, check the exact board and surface with us first.
Can straw board louvres double as shelving?
At FHD India, the louvre partitions run through the studio and double as display shelving for the firm's architectural models. Louvres suit the material because they are many identical parts cut from standard sheets, and they separate zones without closing them off. Shelving carries weight, so check spans and loads with us before you specify it.
Does BIOMEBOARD™ have a fire rating, and does it apply to every surface?
Not automatically. A rating belongs to the board that was tested: a 16 mm Type F BIOMEBOARD™ sheet reached class B-s1,d0 at Spectro Analytical Labs (Eurofins). Other thicknesses and the raw Type R surface are not tested yet, so we check the exact board and surface for each project.
How much farm waste did the FHD India project keep out of the fire?
Biome's Certificate of Sustainable Procurement, issued to Uniworks Designs for the BIOMEBOARD™ on this project, records approximately 3,100 kg of agricultural waste diverted from being burnt, up to 4,602 kg of CO₂e emissions reduced, up to 6,000 g of particulate matter kept out of the air, and approximately ₹12,500 of additional income for farmers in Haryana. These are Biome's own estimates, and the 'up to' figures are upper limits.
What is BIOMEBOARD™ made from, and is it a wood product?
No. BIOMEBOARD™ is a next-generation engineered board that replaces wood with crop waste. It is about 95% agricultural crop residue, mainly wheat straw, plus a 5% binder. The straw is a farm leftover that farmers sell instead of burning.
Can we use BIOMEBOARD™ in our own office, and what should we send you?
Yes, for dry indoor spaces such as feature walls, partitions and screens. Request a sample and send your drawings or brief. Tell us where each element sits and whether it needs a fire rating, because the right surface type and thickness depend on that.