4SPACE Design’s new workplace encourages well-being and fosters a sense of belonging for the team
4SPACE Design has unveiled its new office at the Jumeirah Lake Towers, which exudes a sense of well-being and belonging. Neutral monochromatic schemes and a large breakout area with 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.
About the execution
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. About the ambience The 4SPACE office has the appeal of a solid but inviting fortress. The distinctive concrete modernism provides lighthearted 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
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.
Unique and key features
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.
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.5&appId=https://www.facebook.com/designmiddleeast”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
Say hello to ema! A new design firm launched by former Wilson Associates’ core team
Further to the closure of Wilson Associates and its Dubai office, managing partners Tim Etherington and Iain McLaughlin launched their interior design firm – Etherington, McLaughlin & Associates (ema).
With its headquarters in Dubai Design District, ema will continue to cater to large-scale luxury hospitality, but also to F&B, wellness and corporate workspace markets.
Joined by Wilson’s former design directors Maud Capet and Julie Djohan, the key design leaders behind iconic hospitality projects, including yet-to-be-opened Marsa Al Arab, Anantara Mena Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah, MGM The Island, the studio will offer full-service interior design and FF&E services.
“We stayed together because of the legacy we’ve built. Our objective remains the same. With a clear vision of strengthening and enhancing a team capable of designing and implementing luxurious projects, ema’s emphasis is on creative excellence, documentation quality,” says Iain McLaughlin, founding partner of ema and a former operations director at Wilson.
Both Tim and Iain have had extensive experience in the design and architectural business, having designed and managed a wide typology of projects for both small specialist boutique studios through to large global corporate organisations – from luxury yachts and hospitality to flagship retail stores, showrooms and brands.
Former managing director of Wilson Dubai and Gensler Shanghai offices, Tim Etherington, a founding partner of ema, brings to the table nearly three decades of multidisciplinary design experience, spanning 15 distinct markets on five different continents.
Etherington comments: “As a firm, we want to establish and maintain strong client relationships and deliver excellent creative solutions. The firm’s primary focus centres around creative innovation, talent development, maintaining and developing key client relationships and strategically positioning the business to support and optimise client’s position in their respective sectors”.
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.5&appId=https://www.facebook.com/designmiddleeast”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));