Top Interior Designs: Offices

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Location: North 55
Design: Bluehaus

Even the business cards for Dubai-based creative agency North 55 are free from corporate pomp.

The back of each card is different – the company’s employees are free to fill the space with the graphic of their choice.

It is this kind of emphasis on personal expression and creative freedom, unfettered by over-restrictive brand standards, that characterises the North 55 offices. An independent print and online design agency with some 16 members of staff, North 55 had been operating out of Dubai Media City since 2000 before deciding to invest in its own space in Grosvenor Business Tower.

Having secured its own premises, North 55’s owners were keen to invest in an interior that would communicate its creative flair. “We wanted to do something a little more fun; something brighter, a little more creative,” said Craig Falconer, creative partner, North 55.

“The last thing we wanted was a standard, modular office or a cookie-cutter solution. If your interior doesn’t reflect your personality, it’s hard to sell yourself as a creative agency,” he continued.

Falconer and his partner worked closely with Dubai-based interior design firm Bluehaus to translate the North 55 ethos into a funky workspace. “They had an idea, right from the beginning, of what they wanted. A lot of people say creatives working with creatives is tough, but I think in this case, we actually made a good team,” said partner, Bluehaus, Ben Corrigan.

From the very outset, the message is clear – this is no ordinary, run-of-the-mill interior and no ordinary, run-of-the mill company. The reception area is dominated by a handful of very strong, visually-striking design statements: a Smeg fridge emblazoned with the Union Jack; funky light fixtures; and an exposed brickwork wall with ‘North 55’ graffitied across it. “The graffiti was a really nice touch,” said Corrigan. “They commissioned it from a guy in Canada. The old brickwork was another idea of theirs. They wanted to have that feel of maybe a backstreet London practice.”

From the reception, a rainbow arch leads into an informal seating area that looks straight into the main office. Falconer was keen to avoid the sterility of a ‘dentist-style’ waiting room. “We have no problem with clients coming in and seeing what we do. It was important that they were ushered into a seating area that overlooks the working area. The clients are part of what goes on in this office,” he explained.

This emphasis on transparency is reiterated in the extremely open-plan design of the main office area. “There is a real sense of openness. We wanted to make it very open plan because of the way the work flows. We have a very fluid, borderless work flow,” Falconer said.

“We also have a fairly flat management structure; everyone is entitled to a strong opinion. This is reflected in the space. Nobody is vying for the corner office. I cringe when I go into offices where your rank is defined by your furniture.”

Next page: Majid Al Futtaim Headquarters and Woods Bagot

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Location: Majid Al Futtaim Headquarters
Design: Woods Bagot

Named ‘Office Design of the Year’ at the 2009 CID Awards, the Majid Al Futtaim headquarters are elegant, high-tech and drenched in natural light.

Designed by Woods Bagot, the offices cover ten floors in a tower built specifically for the privately-owned retail property developer.

The project represented a significant culture change for the organisation. The aim was to create a more open working environment with fewer closed offices.

This was complemented by dedicated team meeting rooms on every floor, and open breakout areas.

To reinforce a sense of adaptability, there are identical layouts on all office floors, to maximise opportunities for future expansion and team collaboration.

There is also a dedicated floor for public meetings, and a dedicated floor for training facilities.

The design follows the natural curvature of the building façade. This was central to the planning of all custom items, from the breakouts areas and partitions to the joinery detailing. “It’s a project we are all proud of,” said Duncan Parkinson, principal and leader of the workplace sector, Woods Bagot.

Next page: The Environment Agency and RW Armstrong

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Location: The Environment Agency
Design: RW Armstrong

It is fitting, of course, that the offices of The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi would be inspired by the topography of the UAE.

The sabkha, or salt flats, that line the coast; the dominant desert landscape; the mountainous terrain that snakes along the Omani border; the dunes of the Empty Quarter; and the islands that hug the coastline; all had an influence on this interior design scheme.

RW Armstrong was responsible for the interiors of the three-storey office. “The project brief was for 12,000m² of office space.

The agency was interested in a design that reflected its values and that showcased the UAE’s environment, but was also sustainable,” explained Mona Salem, senior associate and programmes director, RW Armstrong.

As a highly prominent entity, The Environment Agency receives a high number of dignitaries from around the world, Salem explained. Furthermore, the offices are located in Abu Dhabi’s prestigious Al Mamoura Building, which presented an additional incentive to get the design absolutely right.

Home to the Mubadala Development Company headquarters, Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council, and various other high-profile inhabitants, the Al Mamoura building is no stranger to good interior design, Salem pointed out.

RW Armstrong introduced two distinct themes on each of the office’s three floors. Each theme was characterised by a specific set of forms, textures and colour schemes, which shaped the flooring, ceilings, façade and furniture.

And throughout the design, the focus was very much on sustainability. “The office has a luxurious feel, but it’s still sustainable. We used a lot of recycled materials, environmentally-friendly materials, and materials with a low carbon imprint,” said Salem.

Next page: CEVA Logistics and BAFCO

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Location: CEVA Logistics
Design: BAFCO

Located in a striking pyramid-shaped structure, the CEVA Logistics office and warehouse in Dubai needed an interior that would match its edgy exterior.

It also had to be an open-plan, collaborative environment where individuals and teams could perform with ease and efficiency.

According to Nasim Eshghi, senior designer at Bafco, the company responsible for the design and fit-out of the new offices, the scheme had to facilitate four main work modes: focus, collaboration between clients and departments, learning and socialising.

“CEVA Logistics is one of the largest global logistics companies in the world. Their workplace is much like a warehouse where every point of contact is an opportunity to be efficient, secure and reliable,” said Eshghi.

“The workplace of CEVA, as designed by BAFCO, is focused not on pushing paper and individualised tasks; it is designed to promote a collaborative environment where individuals and teams create greater organisational value and higher business performance.”

An open-plan environment was developed using Spyder workstations by Shetug. Freestanding and able to neatly connect and share electrical and wire management, the Shetug was a practical and aesthetically pleasing solution, Eshgi explained.

Next page: MCAN and Imagination

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Location: MCAN
Design: Imagination

When Imagination was called in to design new offices for branding agency, MCAN, it immediately recognised the importance of creating a space that would inspire prospective clients and employees alike.

“Not only did the environment have to impress MCAN’s clientele, it had to inspire the creative team working within,” noted Alfred Johnson, managing partner, Imagination.

“MCAN’s identity as a branding consultancy had to show in its interior. The company’s high-end clientele had to be assured of the company’s creative depth as soon as they walked in,” he said.

The brief was for a transparent, modern, luxurious, Arabian-inspired environment, and Johnson started by capitalising on the view. Set on the 21st floor, the offices boast striking views over Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road and The Palm, Jumeirah. Johnson then opted for rich materials and deep, luxuriant colours. “We planned the space as a journey that the clients are led on by MCAN. The chesterfield leather perforated wall cladding displays their completed project logos, while the graceful deep brown herringbone parquet floor was blended with the sunset onyx column and bar cladding, complemented by quarter-cut ebony veneer,” he explained.

“The floor-to-ceiling curved glass was conceptualised to enhance the space that we worked with, and to create an element of transparency and flexibility that MCAN rightly portrays as a firm.”

This was complemented by an intelligent approach to space planning, to create an office that is both highly functional and aesthetically striking. “The combination of materials, complemented by the space planning of the work environment, brought about an original creation,” said Johnson.

The centrepiece is the reception area, where a backlit, ‘egizaino’ onyx column dominates, bringing “an aesthetically pleasing element to an otherwise mundane necessity”, Johnson concluded.

Next page: Barclays and Rareform Branding

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Location: Barclays
Design: Rareform Branding

According to its website, Rareform Branding creates extraordinary expressions of visual and verbal language that stop people in their tracks.

Perhaps not the kind of creativity that one would immediately associate with a bank, but when Barclays needed interiors for its new regional headquarters and retail banking branches in Emaar Square, Downtown Dubai, it called on the services of Rareform’s Dubai branch.

The initial brief was for 10,000m² of space extending across four floors of offices, as well as Premier and Barclays retail branches on the ground floor.

One challenge with a project of such scope and size was keeping up with the rapid growth of the business, which continued unabated as the project unfolded, noted Guy Willis, design director, Rareform Branding Dubai.

“A staff matrix was provided at an early stage but due to the expanding nature of the business, over what was a significant development period, there was a certain amount of flex and variation in staff numbers over the course of the project,” he noted.

While the finished product is characterised by its simplicity, quality is the resounding theme that runs throughout. Understated, elegant, practical and affordable are the fundamental concepts that Willis worked around to create a space that sets itself apart by not trying too hard.

“A lot of projects are over detailed for the sake of it, when keeping things simple has always been my motto. There are no superfluous or frivolous details within the project. All elements are there for a reason. God is in the details, they say, and I’d like to think we provide clean, logical solutions to any client’s brief. The wow factor comes from the juxtaposition of materials and considered detailing.”

In keeping with the understated elegance of the project, Willis worked with a muted colour palette for fixed elements and injected splashes of colour and life into the mix with loose furnishings, fresh flower displays, accessories and unique artwork.

Furniture selection was the result of extensive research. “We visited a series of suppliers in Europe and eventually went with Bene for the desking system and Herman Miller for the chairs.”

As is to be expected, ergonomic considerations impacted every design decision, Willis explained.

One noteable characteristic
of the offices is the range of formal and informal meeting points built into the design. This, Willis maintained, is reflective of a prevalent design trend making its mark across the globe.

“I think, generally, businesses are more aware these days of the value of design, and of the fact that productivity and staff attraction and retention are greatly enhanced by the quality of the environment,” he said.

Next page: Nokia Siemens Networks and Bluehaus

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Location: Nokia Siemens Networks
Design: Bluehaus

The Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) office in Dubai Internet City is an innovative workspace designed to support a whole new way of working, focusing on networking, mobility and interaction.

The design came out of an extensive investigation into the work styles of employees at NSN. Employees were classified into three categories: ‘mobile’, ‘campus mobile’ and ‘desk-based’, and allocated space according to function.

The 6,000m² facility was completed in July 2009 and Cathy Ingram, senior design manager at Bluehaus, oversaw the project. “Through research, NSN discovered that the emerging way of working is varied and not as rigid as in the past,” she explained.

“NSN discovered that on average, workstations were occupied 47% of the time, with people spending one third of their day in meetings. In an office designed on hierarchy, 10% of the staff ‘own’ 20% of office space.

“A CEO, for example, may be given a large office, a PA, a private meeting room and a lounge. What NSN found was that these people are actually the most ‘mobile’, spending significant time out of the office in meetings or travelling,” Ingram continued.

“In the changing economic climate, office space is becoming premium; if you can save money by looking at how much space you really need, companies can really make a difference to their bottom line,” she noted.

In practice, this means that desk sharing is implemented and every workstation is cleared at the end of the day so that it can be used by anyone the next day.

And with desk space reduced to a bare necessity, there is more space for hot desks, phone rooms, meetings rooms, informal breakout spaces and lounges.

Next page: Med Gate Sales Centre and KCA International

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Location: Med Gate Sales Centre
Design: KCA International

Described by KCA International as “a collage of style and proportion”, Sama Dubai’s Med Gate Sales Centre in Tunis, Tunisia, features a rich palette of materials and textures.

Wood and stone are combined with colours more commonly associated with textiles, jewels and precious metals, to create a rich design that blends modern day finishes with age-old techniques.

In the reception lobby, KCA International drew upon Mediterranean influences, combining them with Arabic elements to create a contemporary space that captures the essence of modern Tunisia.

“Taking a simple, recognisable motif, we play with scale and texture to create a destination statement. The introduction of modern materials such as glass and nickel adds a subtle suggestion of the contemporary nature which dictates the first impression of the sales centre,” according to KCA International.

In the main sales area, Moorish arches and vaulted ceilings in light tones of plaster introduce impressive scale. Decorative elements frame entries and define levels.

Modern grandeur is coupled with intimate spaces and repetition of form, before guests arrive in an open forum defined by vaulted ceilings pierced with sky lights. Multi-faceted lighting fixtures bring decorative detail to the simple volume of the model area.

Meanwhile, ‘dealing rooms’ promote a sense of intimacy. Pattern and relief feature in the flooring, ceilings and wall panels, while furniture relates to the gentle curve theme seen elsewhere.

The VIP area draws upon richness of colour, form and light, translated into a curvilinear room where jewels and beads of silver shimmer behind majlis seating adorned with velvet and silks.