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.
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GROHE PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Patrick Speck, The Leader LIXIL Global Design EMENA at GROHE, talks about the importance of health, well-being, and sustainability in the hospitality sector
Well-being has become a global movement. How do you define this?
This can be defined by the fact that consumers want to take good care of their health and well-being to live better lives, that are also more sustainable and better for the environment. Especially now, the bathroom is understood as a deliberate contrast to the hectic world outside, it has become an oasis of well-being, a personal retreat for body and soul. This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that consumers expect more from their bathroom products: they should create precisely those special moments.
COVID-19 has changed our thinking process like never making health and well-being a priority. What kind of transformation can you see at GROHE and in your industry?
The year 2020, has left a major impact on many industries across the world, especially the industry of hygiene and sanitisation. People are looking to recreate well-being experiences in the comfort of their homes while ensuring the highest hygiene standards. At GROHE, we can say that we are already experiencing a higher demand for our hygiene enhancing products – from both our private and business customers.
What are the consumer’s new expectations in the pandemic context in terms of hygiene and how can a brand like GROHE fulfill those needs?
Touching surfaces is not an attractive option anymore. With our wide range of touchless and hands-free products, like the infra-red faucet GROHE Essence E or the kitchen faucet GROHE SmartControl, we have the right response to this increased need of hygiene as they minimise the risk of spreading germs and cross-contamination.
How do you see this shift towards hygiene and well-being affecting the hospitality sector?
The COVID-19 pandemic has highly affected the hospitality sector considering travel restrictions and safety measures that were imposed in many countries around the world. People are eager to be able to travel again, but in the new normal, travellers and guests are prioritising safety and hygiene when choosing their accommodation creating new needs that hotels will have to meet.
Do you think the design of the hotels needs to change as well? If yes, then how?
Yes, adaptation is a must. GROHE is mapping out how improved architecture and design can help tackle current hygiene challenges. Particular attention with regard to these requirements is paid to areas like hotel bathrooms, public washrooms, and spas. Touchless faucets, controlled by an infrared sensor, can be a good alternative to make hand-washing more hygienic. Thanks to the activation of the water flow by just holding the hands under the spout, the spread of germs and cross-contamination are minimised.
What kind of offerings from GROHE can lead to the well-being of guests at hotels and how can technology play a vital role here?
Intelligent technology is increasingly used in the hospitality sector to guarantee a clean and comfortable space. But I believe technology is an enabler and not a solution itself. We need to ask what the purpose is and how it is going to impact our customer’s lives.
For example, using GROHE’s infra-red and touchless technologies in a public space like a hotel gym can have a great impact on the consumer journey and the hotel’s offering as these technologies minimize cross-contamination, from the faucet to the shower to the toilet, creating a more hygienic and comfortable experience for guests who still seek to use the health and fitness facilities available at hotels.
What is your business strategy in this regard?
For decades, we have supported designers and architects and equipped hotels with high-quality fittings, showers, and sanitary systems. For each hotel category we have the perfect product to meet the highest standards based on our brand pillars quality, technology, design and sustainability. With new hygiene measures being rolled out, intelligent architectural concepts are playing a key role in improving consumer health and safety, especially in public spaces such as lavatories, offices, or restaurants. Developing touchless products to improve hygiene in sensitive areas like these is not a new topic – we offer this portfolio for private and public settings since years. We aim to continue growing this portfolio, living up to our reputation as a pioneering brand in the sanitary industry.
How do you see the future of hospitality?
Despite the unprecedented circumstances witnessed by the hospitality sector this past year, it still remains resilient in the face of these new challenges. Today there are countless actions adapted to each market, considering the severity of what is happening. The first thing the sector must do is transmit a message of security and normality. We have a pipeline of almost 600 new developments in the hospitality sector in the MENA, of which 46 are within the UAE. This shows how the sector is succeeding in taking action towards creating this sense of normality and as GROHE, we have a great responsibility towards our partners to support them in acquiring the latest innovations and technologies in hygiene that guarantee a state-of-the-art offering to their guests.
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GROHE brings health, well-being, and sustainability to the spotlight
In the course of its continuing efforts to support the design community, GROHE held the first 2021 edition of its GROHE Design Series event virtually, tackling the new hygiene focus in the hospitality sector, as well as the shift in consumer behavior around health and well-being, ending with a spotlight on sustainability in MENA. The Digital Dialogue between Renu Misra, Leader, MENA, LIXIL EMENA, Patrick Speck, Leader LIXIL Global Design EMENA, and Catherine Belbin, Editor and Editorial Consultant, was moderated by Yeliz Olcay, Regional Specification Manager at GROHE MENA. Leading architects, interior designers, and media attended the event, and interacted with the speakers during the live session.
Health and well-being in the hospitality sector
The first session of the event covered the new Hygiene focus that emerged in the Hospitality sector as a result of travel restrictions and safety measures imposed in many countries around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though consumers’ needs and the way they plan their traveling journeys have changed, they are still eager to travel and are looking for spaces that they trust are maintaining the best hygiene standards. It is therefore a must for the sector to adapt to the shift in consumer behavior to remain resilient in the face of these challenges.
When it comes to hotels in specific, there are many sensitive areas that are considered public, like spas and gyms where the chances of encountering people are high, which might cause hotel guests to start avoiding these areas, while still wanting to have access to the wellbeing experiences that many hotels offer. This is where GROHE’s touchless products and technologies can help make a difference. “Public sectors such as hotels, food preparation, catering, and high-traffic are very sensitive areas with stringent requirements when it comes to hygiene especially in sanitary facilities and washing areas. With the increased demand for hygiene, we are experiencing right now and in order to minimize the risk of spreading germs and also cross-contamination, we need to reduce contact with any surface as much as we can. As a sanitary brand we are developing solutions for quite a while now to answer this consumer demand: An example are our touchless-control faucets, like the GROHE Essence E. Touchless products are not new but the sensor technology allows for example an extra hygienic hand washing routine without touching the faucet and also reduces water consumption, as the water flow automatically shuts off when the hands are removed from the sensor. On top, GROHE design quality ensures that the long service life and functionality of our products is not affected by heavy use” explained Patrick Speck, Leader LIXIL Global Design EMENA.
The effect of urbanisation on health and well-being
Moving on to the second topic, the speakers discussed how global trends of seismic scale – namely urbanization – are creating shifts in consumer behavior that is driving technological development. “Today consumers are fundamentally changing how they define and use their living spaces. Consumers are creating new living spaces that blend and redefine the kitchen and the living room, the bath and the bedroom – bathroom and kitchen products become furnishing items. They have risen from passive consumption to taking control over the creation of their living spaces while seeking simplicity and intelligent product solutions” said Renu Misra, Leader, MENA, LIXIL EMENA. “Now, more than ever, product innovation and design depend on an empathetic understanding of these trends as consumers are inclined to choose integrated solutions over single products to create spaces that enhance their health and wellbeing” she added.
Sustainability and creating better homes for everyone, everywhere in the MENA
The focus of the last session was on sustainability and GROHE’s efforts in working towards LIXIL’s vision of creating better homes for everyone, everywhere. Besides quality, technology and design, sustainability is one of the four GROHE brand values and it is deeply anchored in the brand’s strategy. GROHE committed itself in its “principles and guidelines for sustainability” to continuously improving all products, processes, and services in terms of protecting the environment and conserving resources. Since then, GROHE has set new industry standards, applying its 360-degree sustainability approach and in the past ten years alone, more than 490 design and innovation awards as well two recognitions at the German Sustainability Award 2021 have confirmed GROHE’s success. “I firmly believe that the MENA region and the UAE, in particular, embrace the sustainability movement and welcomes the new products such as those from GROHE, that contribute to both their own wellbeing as that of the planet. People are aware of the need to minimize their carbon footprint and are open to new concepts and ways to do this, from buying a shower that uses less water to choosing to live in a custom-designed green residential community” said Catherine Belbin, Design Editor.
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Swiss Bureau creates an interactive workspace for Julius Baer with a focus on employee well-being!
Swiss Bureau Interior Design collaborated with leading Swiss wealth management group, Julius Baer, to design its new corporate office in Dubai. As the firm enters a new chapter in the UAE with its move to ICD Brookfield in DIFC, Swiss Bureau worked with the Julius Baer’s global architecture concept as its framework to help maintain uniformity across locations. The new premises intend to provide greater interaction space and promote employee well-being while offering unrivalled views of the DIFC and Downtown Dubai.
The contemporary corporate workspace designed with sustainability in mind has an expansive client reception area with seven meeting rooms and three boardrooms with state-of-the-art facilities and excellent infrastructure. Colors inspired by the Dubai desert add a local touch where light sand and orange hues connect with biophilic elements. A naturally lit reception sports a focal wall inspired by the UAE sand dunes, sweeping from the point of entry across to the glazing facade. The Julius Baer Art collection featuring artworks of contemporary Swiss artists adorn the walls across the two floors, realizing an elegant space able to withstand the test of time.
Besides work desks allowing for healthy alternation between seated and standing activities, provision of quiet rooms (i.e. ‘phone booths’) are placed enabling colleagues to quietly talk to clients while enjoying the facilities of an open office. A large pantry also serves as the heart of social interaction for employees.
With a solid history of 130 years, Julius Baer is a premium brand in this global sector, focusing on servicing and advising sophisticated private clients. In the last 16 years, in addition to Dubai, the bank has strategically grown in the Middle East and Africa with additional offices in Abu Dhabi, Beirut, Johannesburg, and Manama, offering its clients proximity and access to a well-established range of advisory and wealth management services.
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WELL-BEING IN INTERIORS – Design Middle East
The environment and décor elements within our living and workspaces are important to our psyche, well-being, and productivity, say Shadi Bakhour, Business Unit Director B2B at Canon Middle East.
Scientific research has proven how interior design elements can evoke positive or negative emotional responses in people, and it is important to manipulate how we dress our surroundings to our benefit.
Whether you’re remote working or returning to offices, everyone today is looking at their environment, from practicalities of social distancing to how design can improve morale and boost creativity – taking into consideration light, colour, texture, size and spaciousness, and even furniture shapes.
With wall covering becoming a rapidly growing business as it makes a comeback within the interior design world, now is the time to banish plain white walls, and think about introducing wallpaper, murals, and other large-scale décor elements to work in our favour.
The current trend towards personalisation of various applications provides more room for bespoke decoration, reflecting your individual outlook or corporate ethos. Focusing on wallpaper, the global digital wallpaper market is forecast to grow to US$14.44 billion by 2026, according to reports and data, indicating the increasing adoption of this trend by consumers and interior design aficionados.
Wallpaper can completely transform a space as a standalone décor item, and this minimal change can have a great impact with simple yet differentiated designs. Offering more variety and textures, wallpaper is very durable, easy to hang and remove, tidier than paint, and using the right technology, is more sustainable and cost-effective.
Canon’s Colorado 1650 with UVgel technology is a perfect fit. We have developed a technology that offers odourless prints that combine a very rich colour gamut with a velvety matte finish, which is preferred by many interior décor specialists.
Prints are instantly dry, ready for finishing and are extremely robust. The wide-format printer also secures the colour consistency and dimensional stability of the output, even when doing re-runs weeks later.
From a sustainability perspective, which is a core element for us, the Colorado improves sustainability with a 30 per cent lower overall energy consumption compared to other wide-format printers, and close to zero ozone emissions.
Customers today are increasingly adopting more sustainable practices for their daily lives and are also integrating this approach when it comes to their living and work interiors. Opting to work with print providers that use the Colorado give them peace of mind in knowing that they have been stayed true to their preferences.
In the next phase, as we emerge from a global pandemic, our physical and mental well-being is key. Improving our interior environments is something we need to consider as an integral part of our health and adaptability to a new normal.