Zoho’s ‘European Village’ Style Tech Campus Near Chennai: 64 Acres, 62,000 Trees and a Natural Lake

Zoho’s New Chennai Campus Brings an ‘European Village’ Concept to the Tech World

Zoho is developing a large new technology campus near Chennai that aims to create a work environment closely connected with nature rather than following the conventional glass-and-concrete corporate office model. Located at Vallanchery in Chengalpattu district, within the Estancia IT Park, the campus spans approximately 64 acres.

One of the biggest highlights of the campus is its extensive greenery. According to Zoho, the campus features around 62,000 trees and more than one lakh plants, along with landscaped walkways, open spaces and green areas. An existing pond on the site has also been preserved and transformed into a lake, which contributes to the campus landscape while supporting rainwater harvesting.

The campus also includes an approximately five-acre dense mini-forest featuring native plant species. The design is intended to create a more natural setting for employees and provide spaces where people can walk, interact and work away from the typical high-density office environment.

According to Zoho, the architectural vision associated with co-founder Sridhar Vembu draws inspiration from the “Urban Village” style of traditional European towns. Instead of concentrating everything into conventional office blocks, the campus is designed to combine buildings, open spaces, greenery and community areas.

The new campus has been planned to accommodate approximately 15,000 employees. Zoho has also stated that around 85% of the campus’s energy will come from renewable sources, while approximately 92% of its water will be recycled, highlighting the company’s focus on sustainability.

The campus is intended to reflect the idea that an office should be more than desks and buildings, creating an environment where employees can work closer to nature and collaborate more easily. This approach makes the project notably different from the conventional appearance of many technology parks.

The campus is reportedly still under development and is expected to take several more months to become fully operational. Sridhar Vembu has also indicated plans to eventually open the campus to the public on weekends, potentially allowing visitors to experience the combination of technology, architecture and natural surroundings.