Renovated Small Office Design Allows for Future Company Expansion

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features a modern industrial office design by 2021 SBID Awards Finalist, JN Interior Designs.

What was the client’s brief? 

The brief was to design a really funky and cool space to attract the best/most talented people to work for this new and exciting tech finance company.

What inspired the design of the project?

When I looked at the initial space it was your typical office style set of rooms, although in bad need of repair and renovation. However there were some unique features that caught my eye such as the exposed brick pillars. There was a false ceiling in place, part of which was falling down so I could see there was a huge expanse of room above it. This gave me the inspiration to take down the false ceilings and create a really high loft style industrial type design which also made a small space seem much larger.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The main office space was not huge so there was a lot to fit in to a small area to not only make it look nice but function for both now and a future expanding business. Removing the false ceiling created an amazing airy space and meant that additional design and storage features could be incorporated, such as a separate mezzanine office with pull-out filing and storage units underneath.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

Seeing the design features come together; such as the Floor-to-ceiling glass partition walls, graffiti art mural and a 3m high bubble wall go in, as these elements set the tone for a really funky creative work space.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

The SBID Awards are one of the most prestigious global interior design Awards and to receive recognition from being chosen as even a finalist is a real honour. Therefore, I wanted to enter the awards as I was extremely proud of the finished project and the hurdles we overcame to deliver a successfully designed space that my client was amazed with and truly exceeded his expectations for what could be done with the space.

Questions answered by Jennifer Neill, Owner, JN Interior Designs.

Skandia is an insurance company founded in 1855, with current operations in Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia. The systematic work environment has evolved in the same way as people and their ideas, which drives the creation of strategic environments where creativity flows and concepts of collaboration and innovation multiply. Simultaneously, the demand for workspaces that encourage social interaction, contemplation and transdisciplinarity increases.

The present project succeeds in increasing creativity and productivity within a framework of comfort, and the collaborative work in the organization becomes more visible through areas that inspire effective communication between everyone to strengthen the pride of working there. Spaces that integrate and promote both working and recreational life are designed with solutions that allow people to create the environments they need and choose the workspace that improves their individual experience of habitability.

Spaces with natural lighting, fresh and air-conditioned. Application of acoustic materials in interiors and open areas. Lightweight and transparent materials. Integration of dynamic and functional furniture. Open-door privates. Different types of Boardrooms and Casual Collisions (informal meeting spaces) between work teams that facilitate interaction. Balance between workspaces and common areas, suitable for appropriate technological connection between all users.

Skandia is equipped to meet every need that may arise within the workspace, surrounded by colour accents in functional spaces specially designed for efficiency and productivity. Workstation trains rotate at different orthogonal angles, following ceiling planks and apparent slab with coloured accents on the carpets. The colon of the space responds to the colour theory, adopting the combination of neutral and warm tones to uplift concentration and productivity, with details in green, blue and yellow to energize the people who inhabit it.

Game tables, TV screens and seating spaces were installed. As well as the University space, adapted with dynamic furniture, moving walls, front-bleachers and high-tech equipment to facilitate communication and videoconferencing. The Work Café was designed with a bar on the ground floor to enjoy the terrace, accompanied by some cabins, benches, tables and chairs.

Skandia redefines the concept of traditional offices, based on clear objectives of socialisation, creation, agility, connection and inspiration that strengthen the trust between collaborator and client relationships. By offering an iconic, productive, natural environment of social interaction and well-being, the highest standards of quality in infrastructure and service are met, and the barriers of the common functional and habitual are surpassed with spaces designed to increase work performance through comfort and versatility.

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In this week’s interview with 2021 SBID Awards winner for the Office Design category, 4SPACE Design talk about how they ensure a design for a commercial space represents the company’s ethos and explain their process of integrating lighting into workplace designs.

How important is it to enter the SBID Awards & receive industry recognition for your work? What are the benefits?

Winning an award and being acknowledge by the SBID Awards gives us untold recognition in the field of interior design. Receiving such praise is a testament to the team’s exemplary hard work and commitment to being the best firm in Dubai. The accolade allows us to build trust with our clients, both current and new. The international award gives us the opportunity to promote our award-winning name globally.

What do you think made this particular design an award winner?

Designing spaces for the innovative and forward thinking team at the BE Meliorism office allowed us to weave the personality of the brand into the interiors. The minimalist and sleek lines of the furnishings allowed us to be creative with the use strong colours throughout the office. BE Meliorism is tech reliant and the designs embrace the futuristic core of the business. Open plan spaces allow for ample natural light whilst clever screening affords the idea of privacy.

When designing for commercial office spaces, the interior becomes an extension of the company’s visual identity. How do you capture and communicate a company’s brand ethos through interior design?

As a team, we reviewed the brands guidelines and spoke to the owner and the staff to understand the company vision and its core values. We used this vital information and chose and translated the inspirations into the design. Various design elements give good ambience to the space by underpinning the company values

What are the key considerations when specifying lighting solutions? How do you integrate lighting design into your projects, and specifically for working environments?

Life in the office was studied to understand how many users there would be throughout the day and into the night during any given 24-hour time period. We were careful to provide the necessary function with beautiful aesthetics so not to detract from the overall design.

Now that you’ve won an SBID Award, what are the next steps? Is there anything new you are excited to be working on?

We want to continue to support SBID over the coming years. We have lots of exciting projects in the pipeline throughout the rest of 2021 and into 2022. The projects are diverse and cover unimagined F&B venues, entertainment, virtual reality and metaverse. Excitingly, we are exploring many possibilities of designing spaces; we are bearing witness to a new world of tech, design and a major shift from the real economy to the digital economy, which have all accelerated since the global pandemic.

What advice can you give to young designers starting out in the design industry?

Be brave and soar high, strive higher and be patient. Be bold, innovative, and sustainable. Leverage your effort for exponential growth, find ways to navigate the digital jungle to market yourself across different platforms.

Questions answered by Firas Alsahin, Co-Founder, 4SPACE Design.

“A brief from the team to the team”. The new 4SPACE Design offices are designed for the team. The leaders put together a questionnaire asking the team to imagine their new workspace. Overall, the team wanted there to be an intrinsic sense of wellbeing and belonging within the space. They wanted light. And lots of it. Neutral monochromatic schemes and a large breakout area with a games and relaxation space for the team to draw breath and find a sense of peace from a busy day.

Concept

“When brutalism meets minimalism with a twist of industrial”. 4SPACE has paired unfinished concrete breeze blocks with a smooth monochromatic pallet and verdant trees to nod to biophilic living. Richly covered modern furniture, exposed piping, stainless steel accessories, and fluorescent lighting create exciting spaces for work, meetings, and play.

Various design elements

The 4SPACE Design offices are exciting. The exposed breeze block walls are treated with sealer material to enhance and preserve the brutalist look. It’s raw, unfinished, and playful. Modern angular lighting bounces light throughout the open spaces and communal workstations.

The central atrium of the offices boasts a beautifully preserved, semi-artificial olive tree that has been hand-fashioned by craftsmen in Dubai. The trees have come from historic groves across the region. Olive trees are known to flourish until they are several thousands of years old. Introducing biophilic design elements into a space can help alleviate stress, improve cognitive function, and enhance mood and creativity. The space is multi-functional, with open spaces for teams to assemble, but the team can create private spaces with impressive pivotal doors for important meetings.

The execution and ambience

This project was extraordinarily fast and only took a month to complete. It was a complete family affair where the 4SPACE design team, contractors and suppliers all contributed to the seamless execution of the new office space. Each person provided valuable support to achieve the tight timeline for the transition from the old offices to the new.

The 4SPACE office has the appeal of a solid but inviting fortress. The distinctive concrete modernism provides light-hearted intrigue yet is minimalistic and intimate. The office is set amidst endless city skyscrapers. As a result of the open workspaces, the office possesses spectacular views across the Dubai waterfront and the iconic Dubai Eye.

Challenges overcome and the unique key features

Contractors struggled to manoeuvre 2.70-metre glass partitions in the elevators; their hard work and brave efforts have created a remarkable installation. The concrete flooring was quite challenging; it had to be poured, dried and levelled precisely. From the questionnaire, the entire design process and construction took a mere 45 days.

There are many focal points, but the most exciting key features are the olive tree, concrete and exposed breeze blocks, the neutral monochromatic colour scheme and the open ceiling concept with exposed industrial metal piping.

Material selection: concrete, glass, metal, aluminium, wood and black leather.

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4SPACE provides quality, distinctive architectural, interior design and design solutions for commercial premises, restaurants, entertainment venues, retail spaces and private residences throughout the United Arab Emirates and further afield. 4SPACE has blossomed over the last 10 years and continuously innovates and intentionally disrupts interior design in one of the world’s most extraordinary cities, Dubai. Recognised as one of the finest interior design companies in the region, the company prides itself on blending light and space with delicate, well-considered features to create memorable aesthetics.

Firas Alsahin and Amjad Hourieh adeptly lead the award-winning interior design firm. Their international experience encourages the team to go beyond limits in Dubai. They explore different shapes and forms to create unique buildings that incorporate feasibility, efficiency, and originality. They led 4SPACE to be the overall winner of the Society of British and International Design (SBID) Awards in 2018. Commercial Interior Design Magazine voted the firm among the top 20 most successful boutique interior design firms in the Middle East in 2019.

Firas Alsahin was named one of the 50 most influential interior designers on the power list in the Middle East. He’s a fully accredited design professional with SBID. Alsahin’s design finesse embraces futuristic, minimalist, functional and sustainable design. He is well regarded in the industry and has an active voice on various discussion platforms in the Middle East.

Amjad Hourieh is also a fully accredited design professional with the SBID. He loves to create an element of surprise and intrigue with his designs. His designs incorporate the organic influence of Art Deco with the expected natural curves and geometry but with an unexpected sense of drama. Hourieh strives to unify visions between each client with innovation and technology.

Their imitable growth led to Ehab Alhariri joining 4SPACE as the principal architect to shape the new architectural division. His experience has seen him work on various projects in the USA and with world-famed Emaar, Dubai properties, Wasl, and Hilton. Alhariri earned global recognition for his sustainable mountain pod that pushed boundaries and merged his design capabilities by integrating art and science.

4SPACE work and experience

4SPACE creates environments that inspire well-being, drive innovation, and boost company development. Dubai is the world leader in unique and well-designed properties. 4SPACE, as a full-service design firm, has revolutionised the hospitality industry with its unique floating villas, futuristic sustainable mountain pod, the tube house and the towering Marina Twin Towers. The city’s impressive VR Park located in Dubai Mall is over 5,000 square metres and is the largest virtual reality experience venue in the region. On a smaller scale, designers have created extraordinary interiors for restaurants and retail including, Kava and Chai, Space Cup, Charcoal Garden, Karamna, PAPA Dubai, Tutus Kurniati and the Discovery Channel Store in Dubai Mall.

4SPACE has two fully immersive experience parks in the pipeline; 7000 square metres in Dubai Mall and 2000 square metres in Wafi Mall. The team are also expanding into Saudi Arabia with many food and beverage projects being successfully delivered such as Kactus and Dopeamine. Steam Kitchen, HOOK, Verde and Sandwhere are currently being designed and constructed.

Design approach and process

For a comprehensive understanding of the client’s needs, the interior designers examine the context of every space and deliver innovative solutions. 4SPACE is considerate and intimately works with each client to generate a comprehensive plan using physical models and mock-ups and provide accurate time frames and budgets. They seamlessly manage projects from beginning to end and communicate freely throughout the design process. The extensive team draws on the knowledge and expertise of in-house architects, technologists, engineers and project developers.

The team of architects and interior designers provides wide-ranging designs for various buildings, including homes, hospitality and entertainment venues, offices, and event spaces. They sympathetically design every element of a visitors journey. 4SPACE intelligently reformulate expectations and create innovative experiences that encourage interaction by playing with textures, materials and light. Their designs encourage touch and are delightful to the eye. 4SPACE creates memories and pleasure.

The pandemic experience

2021 has seen various successes for 4SPACE. Not only has the firm formed the architectural division, but they have moved offices, launched a new website and expanded their team with new hires.

Throughout the pandemic, each designer’s curiosity contributes to impressive restaurant design transformations; they are learning how to evolve, improve and remain relevant. Alsahin and Hourieh believe that their transformational philosophy, continuous development and evolutionary approach will ensure that they remain front of mind in the design field.

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Interprotección is a Mexican group of companies that are distinguished experts on insurance, bond and reinsurance brokerage. With more than 40 years of experience in integrated risk management and consulting, their business model is based on flexibility, decision making, responsiveness and creativity to solve risk problems.

Offices are beginning to be analysed away from the mere “employee container” mentalities, and closer to being recognised as competitive tools for organisations. Interprotección understands that during this period of forced isolation organizations have been affected by the impossibility to physically share ideas and have the processes of co-creation among collaborators that shape the office experience. spAce has detected the new needs and functions of the corporate space in pandemic and thus reinterpreted the requirements of Interprotección.

The importance of a well designed office space

A new approach to designing workplaces

About the design scheme

The finishes make up an integral part of the project, by combining them in a complementary way, we discovered coloured carpets, glass, wood, vinyl and furniture that emphasises the connection between collaborators and leaders. In general, neutral colours predominate throughout the project, but in some key points (walls, columns and carpets) bright tones were used according to a colour palette that uniforms the image and helps reinforce the identity of the corporation.

The atmosphere and sensations emanating from this space were strategically generated with architectural elements that refer to a place very different from that of a traditional corporate. With the aim of encouraging socialisation in a relaxed, fresh, natural and totally welcoming atmosphere, a large cafeteria is designed as the heart of the company—the nodal point that connects the three levels of the company in different atmospheres to achieve different levels of privacy and collaboration. On a cafeteria wall, shaped with black lines on a white background, different faces that the graphic artist interprets as “short stories to live today, because tomorrow who knows” have been shaped with the intention of activating creativity and inspiring.

Interprotección wanted to integrate an iconic element within its offices: a slide. Considering that it is an innovative, futuristic and avant-garde organisation, the company vision is projected through this different and fun component that connects both levels. It is important to fuel the concept of the importance of play and fun in a workplace as part of the experience, just as it is advocated in The Resilient WorkPLAYce. A visit to Interprotección, both from collaborators and visitors, will be hard to forget.

Interior design by Juan Carlos Baumgartner/Gabriel Téllez (spAce Arquitectura).

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Sanofi is a company dedicated to human health with a diversified portfolio of innovative solutions that respond to the needs of the population. It transforms scientific innovation into solutions for wellbeing.

One of the most difficult challenges facing the world today is to improve health. As a global biopharmaceutical company, Sanofi, driven by scientific innovation, renews and expands its offices, taking advantage of its great global commitment focused on continuous improvement.

The project is developed in 3 levels with key spaces strategically distributed through a route that connects the different stages of human life, understanding that architectural design creates memorable experiences in matter and time with points of connection through the senses. Starting with the reception, the playful heart of this organization, continuing through the innovation lab that inspires new ways of working, following through with the open area that encourages productivity and high performance, including the large dining room as a cozy interior patio that promotes friendship, relaxation and freedom of assembly.

Sanofi is a sustainable, flexible, inspiring and innovative organisation. The five senses are expressed in the textures, 3D finishes, interactive walls, colour applications, smell and acoustics in various areas. Space is experienced as the time is experienced, seeking to associate the world of sound, vision, colour and form in figures and volumes.

The finishes were very significant in the project. Combining them in a complementary way – wood, marble, carpets, glass, murals and furniture – helped accentuate the character of each stage. In general, neutral colours predominate throughout the project with some key colour accents on walls, columns and carpets, where bright tones were used according to a chromatic palette that unifies the image and reinforces the identity of its values. The flow of reality is structured by overcoming the barriers of the common, functional and habitual, creating well-lit spaces designed to increase productivity and that celebrate comfort and versatility.

The use of brand identifiers throughout the spaces – built through murals made by a great Mexican artist, furniture with artisan manufacturing techniques and symbology inspired by indigenous cultures – seek to honour Mexico’s rich natural heritage, from the Tarahumaras in Chihuahua to the Mayans in the Yucatan Peninsula.

Mexico is a tapestry of ancestral villages with unique visions, customs and aesthetic values. Taking patterns, textiles, colours and techniques from these tribes as inspiration, created a rich design language to sustain the connection. Death has meant, ever since ancient times, transformation, an opportunity to be reborn. The concept of life after death is also honoured in this great architectural space. Architecture allows us to perceive and understand the dialectic of permanence and change to establish ourselves in the world and ally with culture and time.

This week’s instalment of Project of the Week series features joined office and night venue designs by 2021 SBID Awards Finalists Teodora Panayotova & Max Baklayan.

The designers received one of the most unusual briefs for Tavex’s new home Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde – to transform one space to incorporate two areas that completely contradict each other. The challenging project was a great success with the team achieving outstanding results upon completion of the brief.

What was the client’s brief? 

The clients’ desire was to create a two-purpose space – a functional, convenient office during the day and a party venue in the evenings, but without the need to actually move anything around. This puzzle made the brief irresistible to the designers.

What inspired the design of the project?

The space itself created many challenges due to its position on the ground floor and the single space layout. However, it was simultaneously the biggest inspiration. “From the moment we set foot in the office, it screamed at us – Industrial Minimalism.” Teodora Panayotova says that as a designer, she could not ignore the scream.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The office presented two problems – one was obviously the duality of its purpose, the two could not be further away on the spectrum. The second was the fact they needed to increase the office area by about 150 square meters, yet keep everything airy and minimal. Since the space is on the first floor, with no panoramic views and no full day of sunlight, nothing was walled off, and only glass, OSB, and metal rails were used. We are particularly proud of the two balconies on each side of the office and the tall ceiling in the middle of the office, interrupted only by the mirroring meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The project’s highlight is the 6-meter marble bar that greets you when you walk into the office. With just a flick of the switch, the purpose of the bar changes instantly. It is the place where you get your morning cup of coffee, your 5 o’clock tea in the afternoon, and a sip of London Dry after 7.

Why did you enter this project into the SBID Awards?

Teodora sincerely believes that what they created here is unique. Countless offices have game rooms, pool tables, relaxing zones, and lots of areas for different purposes. This project incorporates two of the most opposite use cases possible. It does so in a single space, without one interfering with the other. It contains everything that an office needs and so much more yet stays true to the industrial minimalism the designers set off to achieve.

Questions answered by Teodora Panayotova, Interior Designer, Teodora Panayotova & Max Baklayan.

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Dentsu Hong Kong is an international advertising company which strives to create the best solutions and services, and unlock new opportunities for their customers.

Responding to the client’s brief, Crosstec International Ltd has renovated the office of a total of 23,640 sq. ft. with two floors in the heart of the City in Hong Kong. They designed a spacious open office with a feel of unity over the entire floor in order to introduce vitality to the workspace and enhance staff interaction.

The office floor is divided into the three main zones: workstation, town hall and cafeteria. Since an open plan layout was applied, it was essential to tackle the noise disturbance within the functional areas. In order to do so, the areas’ locations were determined based on the level of noisiness – the pantry is located at the top-left corner, the furthest distance from the workstation where silence is required. The town hall, which is located between the pantry and the workstation, plays the role of a separator. The conference rooms are located at the window side with glass partition in order to bring in more natural light across the whole floor.

The client emphasized that communication and interaction are the core values of the company. To facilitate the communication between co-workers, break-out areas and conference rooms are scattered all over the story. The main entrance is always open during office hours to welcome business partners.

In order to represent the dynamic working environment of Dentsu Hong Kong the spatial design concept of “Work in Progress” is applied. Industrial approach is used at the reception area to give visitors a workshop impression, which highlights that Dentsu Hong Kong provides a one-stop solution to their clients.

The area connected to the reception is the “Town Hall” – a place which aims to enhance internal communication by encouraging the staff to have meetings and share ideas. As per the client’s wish, this space has a seating capacity of one hundred.  In addition, an open pantry provides even more interaction opportunities between co-workers.

Across the overall office design, biophilia is applied to stimulate natural and casual atmosphere, which is enhanced through the wooden elements of the interior. The open plan layout minimizes visual blockage, which allows natural light to come through the whole space.