Nocominter.pdf

An ITP Business Publication November Vol.7 Issue 11

GAJ CELEBRATES WINNING CID DESIGN FIRM OF THE YEAR 2011

BLUE CRUSH

Flavour of the monthIRAQI ARCHITECTURE INSPIRES PDL INTERIORS RESTAURANT

Suits you sir!SHED DESIGNS FLAGSHIP TAILORS

SHOP SPENCER HART IN LONDON

Naples goes retroKARIM RASHID CREATES FIRST PSYCHEDELIC METRO STATION

Midnight cowboy CONCEPTUALISE OPENS GAUCHO IN A TYPICAL ARGENTINIAN STYLE

CID AWARDS 2011 THE WINNERS REVEALED INSIDE

Great workspaces for great work places.

Come and experience the new unique office solutions just for you at your nearest Alshaya Office showroom.

Office furniture I Partitions I Workstations I Conference I Seating I Storage units I Auditorium seating I School furniture I Lab furniture

UAE: +971 4 6074200 | Kuwait: + 965 22242780 | Qatar: +974 44569229KSA (Riyadh): +966 1 2570920 | KSA (Jeddah): +966 2 2611914 | KSA (Dammam): +966 3 8984889

ÆWO�«— qLŽ s�U�_ WFz«— UŠU��

+974 44569229 ∫dD� | +965 22242780 ∫X¹uJ�« | +971 4 6074200 ∫ «—U�ù«+966 3 8984889 ∫©ÂU�b�«® W¹œuF��« | +966 2 2611914 ∫©…bł® W¹œuF��« | +966 1 2570920 ∫©÷U¹d�«® W¹œuF��«

VðUJ*« s� WK�UJ²�Ë …b¹d� ÎôuKŠ «uHA²«Ë UM{—UF� …—U¹eÐ «uKCHðÆ…b¹b'« UM²KOJAð s� rJðUłUO²Š« lOLł VÝUMð w²�«

«d³²�� «eON& I ”—«b� «eON& I «d{U×� ·džË Èd³� UŽU� wÝ«d� I s¹e�ð «bŠË I «d9R�Ë UŽUL²ł« ·dž YOŁQð I WO³²J� q�«u I w³²J� ÀUŁ√

PRECIOSA GULF, FZCOJAFZA View LB 19

Office 2407 Jebel Ali Free Zone

P.O.Box 18185

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

P + 971 – 4 – 884 8234, Ext. 202

F + 971 – 4 – 884 8235

M + 971 – 50 – 551 9086

E [email protected]

PRECIOSA CUSTOMER CENTREOpletalova 3197

466 67 Jablonec nad Nisou

Czech Republic

P + 420 488 115 555

F + 420 488 115 665

E [email protected]

WWW.PRECIOSA.COM

… W H E R E T H E S T Y L I S H , I N N O VAT I V E D E S I G N

I S B O R N O U T O F T H E C R A F T S M A N S H I P

O F W H O L E G E N E R AT I O N S O F G L A S S M A K E R S

Galaxy Hotel | Macau

CONTENTS

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 3

November 2011

06 DESIGN UPDATE

INDEX STUDENT CHALLENGE

PROFILEFind out more about Herman Miller and its latest news.

COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN AWARDS 2011A look at the winners this year.

DESIGNER Q&ACID speaks to Firoz Sainudeen, winner of Young Interior Designer of the Year at the CID awards.

FEATUREGAJ, winner of the CID award for Interior Design Firm of the Year, under the spotlight.

CASE STUDYAn Iraqi restaurant in Dubai gets a modern touch by PDL Interiors.

CASE STUDYShed designs a Savile Row tailors store in London’s Mayfair.

FEATUREKarim Rashid’s work on a subway station in Naples, Italy.

FEATUREA look at various bathroom projects in the Middle East.

OFFICE SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

PRODUCTS

CONTRACTS

OPINIONAna Seixas speaks about sustainability in fl ooring.

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 11

72

80

32 64

30

28

57

57

64

80

89

98

32

93

105

120

118

Created with Swiss precision and high quality demands. Combined with the love for detail, exceptional bathroom concepts come to life:LAUFEN livingsquare, design by platinumdesign

HEART MADE.HAND F INISHED.

LAUFEN SHOWROOMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

COMMENT

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 5

Abig thankyou to everyone who attended this year’s CID Awards. It was a fantastic night and I got some great feedback about the magazine as well as getting to know all of you on a more

personal level. I didn’t get the chance to make a speech on the night itself so a few people I’d like to mention are; Ben Corrigan, principal, Bluehaus Group, whose wife gave birth to their second child, Arthur, literally a few days be-fore the awards and a warm welcome to Patrick LeLarge, who has joined Blanchard, as design director.

I’d also like to thank Metteo Pellegrini, general manager, Finasi. He and three of his colleagues managed to make it to the CID Awards despite being involved in a car crash on Sheikh Zayed Road. Fortunately no-one was injured but I had to present the award for Middle East Interior Design of the Year: Residential on their behalf. Thanks also to Shahriar and Mansour Khodjasteh, Al Aqili, for sponsoring the awards ve years in a row, Lalique for providing gifts to each of the winners and congratulations to Chris Service, contracts manager, Highgate Interiors, who won a BeoSound 8 sound system from Bang & Olufsen. The evening was the highlight of a great week for the CID team, having completed our rst set of magazines, the Inspiration Daily for the interior design tradeshow Index, from October 22-25, at DWTC. I also attended some of the APID events, including the launch of the No-mad chandelier by Beau McClellan and a live urban art wall by Amartey Golding hosted by Karen Hay, founder, Stickman, at The Pavilion, Downtown Dubai. Of course, the CID Awards wouldn’t exist without the support of all our sponsors and contributors to the magazine, not forgetting all the people who work behind the scenes at ITP and my colleague, Devina Divecha, who tweeted live from the event on her iPad. Watch out for our next big event which will be the Objects of Desire Volume II launch early next year.

Until next year

JENNY EAGLE, [email protected]

Receive Commercial Interior Designevery month. To subscribe, pleasevisit: www.itp.com/subscriptions

Registered at Dubai Media CityPO Box 500024, Dubai, UAETel: 00 971 4 444 3000 Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030Web: www.itp.comOffices in Dubai & London

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING

CEO Walid AkawiManaging Director Neil DaviesManaging Director ITP Business Karam AwadDeputy Managing Director Matthew SouthwellEditorial Director David Ingham

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor Stuart MatthewsEditor Jenny Eagle Tel: +971 4 444 3363 email: [email protected] Devina Divecha Tel: +971 4 444 3502 email: [email protected]

ADVERTISING

Sales Director, Construction Group Yazan RahmanTel: +971 4 444 3351 email: [email protected] Manager Leigh RocheTel: +971 4 444 3679 email: [email protected] Development Manager, Saudi ArabiaRabih NaderiTel: +966 1 2068697 email: [email protected]

STUDIO

Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott

PHOTOGRAPHY

Chief Photographer Jovana ObradovicSenior Photographers Isidora Bojovic, Efraim EvidorStaff Photographers Lester Ali, George Dipin, Juliet Dunne, Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko, Verko Ignjatovic,Shruti Jagdeesh, Stanislav Kuzmin, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew GrantProduction Coordinator Nelly PereiraManaging Picture Editor Patrick LittlejohnDistribution Manager Karima AshwellDistribution Executive Nada Al Alami

CIRCULATION

Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati

MARKETING

Head of Marketing Daniel FewtrellMarketing Manager Annie Chinoy

ITP DIGITAL

Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan Web Designer Meghna Rao

ITP GROUP

Chairman Andrew NeilManaging Director Robert SerafinFinance Director Toby Jay Spencer-DaviesBoard of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman,Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin

Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3000Certain images in this issue are available for purchase.Please contact [email protected] for further details or visit www.itpimages.com

Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai

Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions

Audited by: BPA WorldwideAverage Qualified Circulation: 6,118(January - June 2011)

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances.

The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

Cover image:

Nawras telecom HQ,

Tilal Of ce complex,

in Muscat, Oman,

by GAJ.

Published by and © 2011 ITP Business Publishing, a division of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company number 1402846.

DESIGN UPDATE

www.designmena.com6 NOVEMBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

BARE GLOBAL GROUP CELEBRATES TOKYO-BASED AGE PARTNERSHIP

Turning Japanese

UAE: Dubai design and develop-ment company, Bare Global Group, has partnered with Tokyo interior design company, AGE, on a Middle East and India joint venture.

AGE will bring interior design experience and creativity to the partnership, whilst Bare Global will bring management expertise, including project coordination, documentation and production control processes and knowledge of the Middle East region.

“This is an exciting partnership. AGE Co. Ltd has an established reputation for being one of the leading interior design specialists in the hospitality industry.

Coupled with our own design and management expertise, and our knowledge of the Middle East, we’re sure this is going to be a powerful and creative relation-ship,” said Simon Duke, executive director, Bare Global.

Bare Global specialises in providing design and project man-agement services to the hospitality and entertainment sectors. Projects in the Middle East include; Cipriani dining and entertainment complex, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Hed Kandi beach club, Egypt, Honyaki Japanese restaurant, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, Meydan golf clubhouse and sports bar,

Dubai, Ministry of Sound, Egypt and EQ2 Edutainment Complex, Abu Dhabi.

AGE is recognised as being one of Japan’s pre-eminent interior design rms. Founder and leader, Ichiro Sato, is the former chief designer for world-famous Super Potato design rm, and well known for his designs in Japan.

“We value the in uence that Japanese design holds across the world. It holds a mysticism and depth that is hard to explain, but you certainly sense and feel it when you see and experience it. AGE brings exceptional attention and detail to all of its designs. We

are looking to utilise all of this where necessary for the right cli-ent and project,” added Duke.

Talking about challenges in in-terior design, Duke said the global recession affected everyone.

“I have 15 years experience in the Middle East, Bare Global has a history that precedes it in North America before we came here. It would be unrealistic to say there are no challenges in this industry,” he said. “Recessions hit different continents in different ways. We have never thought of expanding to ght a recession but we base ourselves in Dubai as this is a cen-tral hub for geographical growth.”

DESIGN UPDATE


ARGENTINE RESTAURANT RETAINS ITS SIGNATURE DESIGN MIXED WITH A LOCAL FLAVOUR

Desert Cowboy

UAE: London’s award-winning restaurant, Gaucho, will open its second Middle Eastern outlet after Beirut, at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) this month.

The interiors follow the trade-mark style created by Conceptual-ise, a London-based design team headed by Patsy Godik and Grant White. It has been working with Gaucho for 10 years and was hired to take the brand from its original concept to what it is today.

The Dubai outlet will feature Gaucho’s iconic décor of cowhide walls, blended with opulent black and white leather furniture, mir-rored panels and crystal chande-liers but is tailored to the design expectations of the region.

The 160-seat restaurant will be spread across a double-volume

space, with room for 100 guests on its private terrace that overlooks Emirates Towers with big windows. A glass staircase will link a nine-metre oating bridge between the 18-metre long white marble bar (which took a year to create) and the multi-level dining areas, with eight-metre-high oor-to-ceiling walls of multi-faceted glass. It also features a 12-seat private dining room and an eight-seat wine room.

“Gaucho is a lifestyle rather than a restaurant — it offers an experience through its food and design and it is for that reason we have chosen Dubai as a host to this superb lifestyle,” said Ryan Hattingh, international operations director, Gaucho.

Godik and White said the identity of the restaurant remains

the same, with the black and white colour palette, along with the cow-hide, and colonial elements from Argentina still making an appear-ance. However, they have used elements of Dubai in the design as well, without any constraints imposed on them.

“We have gone to town with everything that Dubai offers in terms of its scale. I think the design is modern, innovative and opulent, and made sure it has a wow-factor. We have had the opportunity to do something different in Dubai, whereas in Europe we haven’t done these things before,” she added.

White said this was because of the space restrictions faced in Europe, along with issues of listed buildings. He said with the Dubai restaurant, Conceptualise took

inspiration from the architecture in the region using it in the interiors.

“We pushed the boundaries of architecture to re ect the rest of Dubai. For example, we created what we think is one of the longest bars in the region, because we have the space to do it,” he said.

White added while the design of the restaurant stays true to the brand, Conceptualise has given it a much more Middle Eastern feeling than its other outlets in Europe.

“We focused on bringing elements of the region into the restaurant. Even though we have a common theme and brand identity, we tried to make it different. We used lots of silver, leather and a lot of white marble,” he said.

It has been a year since Concep-tualise saw the site at DIFC; even

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 9

though the designers felt this was a fast turn-around time, they felt it was refl ective to the speed of things in the region.

Conceptualise started design-ing the original Gaucho (‘cowboy’) steak houses 10 years ago. Godik and White brought the cowboy element into the design when they were hired for a re-design.

“We decided to bring the cowboy into the city. We see it in the use of leather and the herds in Pampas, but with a contemporary twist. The cowhide markings are interesting and different. The colo-nial fl avour of Argentina is present in the restaurants as well. All the materials we use are organic, with lots of white and leather, along with opulent chandeliers and marble,” said Godik.

The designers said considerable structural changes were made to the site because they had a “per-fect blank canvas” to work with.

“We created an incredibly glam-orous and opulent restaurant with

the space given to us, then a mez-zanine level and a marble fl oating bridge with a glass staircase,” said White. “In Dubai, nothing is unachievable. We had everything we needed to work with. We had no limitations on our imagination, whereas in Europe people try to impose restrictions,” he added.

When comparing the Dubai restaurant to the only other Middle Eastern branch of Gaucho in Bei-rut, Lebanon, Godik said both are completely different spaces. The Lebanon branch has a “Beirut feel” to it, according to Godik.

“It’s much smaller and cosier. We try very hard to represent each culture in the Gaucho family and ensure that site is representative of the city it’s in. We use different fl a-vours of the city within the building – no restaurant is identical.”

Godik said she felt UAE is a forward-thinking market, where they were able to mix the Middle Eastern fl avour with Gaucho’s traditional style.


DESIGN UPDATE

MORIX DESIGNS A HOTEL IN PRAGUE USING ORIGINAL VINTAGE FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES

Return to retro

EUROPE: The Vintage Design Hotel Sax, which celebrates its third anniversary this year, is fi tted out with original retro furnishing from the 50s to the 70s. The design is by Jaromír Pizinger from Prague-based interior design fi rm, Morix.

Based in the Czech Republic since 1999, Morix works on the reconstruction and redesign of historical locations, as a nod to the number of cultural monuments in the Czech city. Having already refurbished four theatres, it is now working on the interiors of restau-rants, bars, shops, showrooms, offi ces and hotels.

The 4-star hotel is in a historical part of Prague called Mala Strana (‘lesser town’), close to Prague Castle. Its interiors are meant to give people a sense of nostalgia

and take them back to the 1950s-1970s. Some of the original period furniture includes those by design-ers from that era. It houses 22 vintage design rooms spread over four fl oors. The décor in each room is individual and different.

The furniture used in the hotel isn’t new furniture distressed to look like vintage pieces. Instead, Pizinger and his team used almost all original items from the era. Items were bought from a series of worldwide auctions. The vintage designer furnishings in each room primarily consist of restored origi-nal pieces by artists such as Andy Warhol, Luigi Colani, Harvey Guz-inni, Verner Panton, EeroSaarinen, and Charles and Ray Eames.

Pizinger said the brief was to design a hotel in the city that

would look nothing like what was already on the market. He said the fi rm persuaded the hotel owners with its concept and outlined the marketing benefi ts of the venue.

“Because the hotel is located in the medieval heart of Prague, we tried to create an original concept. In addition, we took the trend of using vintage items for the interiors, which was not suf-fi ciently popular in Bohemia, to the market,” added Pizinger.

When the contract was given to Morix, it was time consuming for the designers to hunt for interesting contemporary originals at auctions and carry out the refur-bishment in a short period of time. The team worked fast and within 12 months of submitting its initial plans, the hotel opened.

The only challenge the fi rm faced, aside from working to a deadline, was convincing the client the end result would be worth-while. Pizinger said there were mo-ments when the project could have been cancelled, but the design team’s confi dence and enthusiasm in kept it on-track.

“Our inspiration came from the creativity and an interest in the de-sign of that age,” added Pizinger.

The fi rm is satisfi ed with the fi nal result. “It is our opinion that when the client gives a free hand to designers and architects and trusts them, the result is integrated and harmonic,” he said.

Morix is now working on the interiors of two bars and cafes, four family seats and two historic building refurbishments in Prague.

A SHAIKHA FATMA BINT MOHAMMED BIN ZAYED INITIATIVE

MANUFACTURERS OF THE FINEST HAND-KNOT TED CARPETS FOR HOMES, PALACES, HOTELS AND COMMERCIAL CLIENTS

BESPOKE INTERIOR PROJECTS RETAIL

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR UNIQUE SOCIAL COMMITMENTAND HOW WE’RE CHANGING THE INDUSTRY, PLEASE VISIT:www.tanweerfbmi.com

UAE E: [email protected] T: +971 (0) 50 2001149UK E: [email protected] T: +44 (0) 7918177777

DESIGN UPDATE


INSPIRING PRODUCTS INCLUDE PLATUX PHOTO-ART AND BOCA DO LOBO PIXEL CABINETS

Scarlet Opus Trend Tour

Victoria Redshaw, trend forecaster, Scarlet Opus UK, took Index partici-pants on their second Scarlet Opus Trend Tour on Sunday, October 23.

The session which lasted nearly two hours included a study of key exhibitor’s products by Redshaw and Shelley Pond, creative director, Scarlet Opus, looking at them as a snapshot of the show from a trend and design perspective.

As a trend forecaster, Redshaw works with retailers, manufacturers, product designers, interior design-ers and the media informing them of coming trends for the world of interiors; the colours, patterns, ma-terials, textures, shapes and styles that will answer the ‘wants, needs,

inspired city motifs. The bright ‘plugged-in’ colours and electric vibe is right on trend for 2012.www.platux.com

Annemette Beck Design Studio Hall 2, Stand D77, DenmarkThis stand could so easily be missed said Redshaw, but, the entries collection of woven textiles is ‘fantastically forward-thinking. Annemette is a true trendsetter’.

Made with unusual mixes of metal threads (silver, copper, brass, steel), paper, rubber, wool and crystals, the work translates into rugs, room dividers, panels, wall hangings, blinds and fabrics.www.annemette-beck.dk

and desires’ of consumers one to two years in the future.

“Having viewed every single exhibitor’s product range, we have collated our pick of the best.

“These were the real gems at Index 2011 in terms of current and future trends so that visitors can navigate their way to these ‘must see’ stands,” said Redshaw.

“It gives visitors a snapshot of some of the most inspiring, forward-thinking and on-trend prod-ucts for future reference.”Victoria Redshaw’s pick of the best at Index 2011 were:

MYB TextilesHall 8, E331, UK

The famous lace makers estab-lished in 1900 now launch their fi rst lace wallpapers, entitled PaperLace, taking the traditional fabric designs and giving them a new lease of life. The collection has been created in conjunction with the design company, Timorous Beasties, with the two archive designs used as a basis for the col-lection date back to the 1920s.www.mybtextiles.com

PlatuxHall 2, Stand D89, GermanyThere is no missing the Platux stand with its vibrant limited edition Light Art pictures. As a special highlight, it is showing a range of Dubai-

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE


THE ROVAL™ COLLECTION

RAISING THE BAR

Now Available as BIM Objects

T: +971 4 330 7771

F: +971 4 330 7177

Learn how Roval™ products can enhance your restroom.

Visit americanspecialties.com/roval for the Roval™ Collection catalog

American Specialties’ newest line of washroom accessories now features more than 25 complementary products, including automatic paper towel dispensers and hand dryers.

Boca do LoboHall 4, Stand A173, PortugalOn the Trend Tour for the second year running, we are particularly excited by the brilliant Pixel cabinet and waves pieces being shown by Boca do Lobo this year, as well as its Mondrian White.www.bocadolobo.com

Sotis Studio CeramicsHall 4, Stand C187, UKThese ceramic creations fi t perfectly with the trend we call ‘Forces of Nature’, which sees designers being inspired by extreme weather systems, such as volcanoes and earthquakes and the four classical elements of earth, air, fi re and water.

The dramatic Raindrop wall ce-ramics and gold vessels beautifully encapsulate the essence of this 2012/13 trend.www.sotis.co.uk

Variazioni/Mec ServicesHall 6, Stand A248, ItalyShowcasing its uber elegant, Diva D’Autore lighting pieces, designed by Italian architect and designer, Ilaria Marelli. The collection features exquisite and subtle pattern elements based on past and present female celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, fashion, culture and science. Personal favourites include Maria, Louise, Rita and Dolly (inspired by Dolly Parton).

Boxed OnlineHall 1 Stand E40 UAEThe braincchild of Sarah Saleh, this online business based out of Bahrain not only offers modern pieces for the home, but support to independent artisans in developing countries via a free retail platform. Redshaw’s favourite pieces include

potential of materials and experi-ment with new forms and colour effects. Lighting | Visione includes the work of 10 designers and brings together some of the most exciting and iconic lighting pieces from around the world.

Redshaw’s favourites include: Lampster by Damson, CCult fl oor lamp by Arturo Alvare, Hanging Orbs by Dylan Roelofs and Loop table lamps from Fontana Arte.

the porcelain micro tiles and felted wool, which add ‘a welcome ‘CraftPunk’d styling’.www.boxedonline.com

Lighting | Visione Concourse ▲The awe-inspiring Lighting | Visione installation proves that lighting is central to creating a sense of drama in interior schemes. As well as being practical, lighting is an opportunity to explore the

DESIGN UPDATE


DESIGN UPDATE

UK: Dukes London, owned by Dubai-based hospitality and real estate investment company Seven Tides, has won England’s Leading Boutique Hotel title at the 2011 World Travel Awards in Turkey.

The hotel was refurbished by Shaun Clarkson Interior Design and is tucked away in a cobbled street between Mayfair and Piccadilly.

Clarkson has been designing interiors since the late 80s. Some of his hospitality projects include the Raw Club and Denim, POP and Atlantic Bar in London.

He said his team won the project after refurnishing the hotel’s dining room and converting it into a Perrier Jouet lounge that opened in April.

“The collaboration turned out to be highly successful and upon com-pletion we were asked if we would like to work on the hotel suites and gratefully accepted,” he said.

“The brief was to the give the suites a modern classic look to bring them in line with recent changes to the hotel.

“We had to retain the discreet elegance of Duke’s with a contem-porary twist. Modern classic is a trend at the moment in London. It’s taking quite traditional motifs and furniture details but with a twist. This is with use of colour, pattern and new forms, i.e. Chesterfi eld button details on new chair shapes, traditional window treatments with

bold fabrics, wing back chairs in jewel colours with modifi ed shapes. All harp back to a grand age, like a gentlemen’s club, but with a modern slant.”

The project to refurbish four suites of the building started in July and is on-going, as the team has to minimise the interruption to the hotel’s operation. Each suite was only shut for a few days.

“The suites were well maintained but needed a new, fresh and more contemporary feel. The result is that they were given a new lease of life with fresh new fabrics, colour and bed dressing, crisper and in line with today’s client expectation,” added Clarkson.

“We are delighted to have been recognised in this award for Lead-ing Boutique Hotel. I am pleased, but not surprised. It is the most beautiful jewel of a hotel, central, elegant and tucked away. It feels like you are staying with friends in a discreet home.”

Following on from its success, the interior design company is currently working on a number of projects including; Del Aziz bar, restaurant and Deli in Clapham, London; Bincho, the second in a boutique chain of Yakatori restaurants, London, Annes Town House, a 15-room Boutique Hotel in Waterford, Ireland and Bravo Music Hall, in Tbilisi, Georgia.

SHAUN CLARKSON REFURBISHMENT RECOGNISED IN DUKES LONDON BOUTIQUE HOTEL AWARD

Green envy

B5 The Art of Living

Eggersmann

|

DESIGN UPDATE


ITALIAN LUXURY INTERIORS 2011 COMES TO UAE FOR A SECOND TIME TO SHOWCASE TALENT

Made in Italy

UAE: Mosaic and marble manu-facturer, Fantini, is one of many exhibitors taking part in the second annual Italian Luxury Interiors 2011 from November 27-30, Dubai.

Fantini has an of ce in the UAE and is currently working on the interiors of the AED 2.3bn Palazzo Versace hotel and residential resort, which is expected to open in Dubai in two years time.

It has also completed a mosaic for the Sahan Courtyard for The Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, Abu Dhabi and a project at Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Science & Technology Centre, Dharan, (KSA).

“We are coming to Dubai be-cause we are interested to spread our know-how and publicise our high end products, which are often hidden behind the scale of projects

we take on,” said Lorenzo Lotesto, head craftsman, Fantini,

“We are keen to align ourselves with the best of Italian craftsman-ship. Our challenge is to use modern tools and materials, whilst studying and investigating techniques and material belonging to past traditions and heritage. Sometimes we uncover traditions that would have otherwise been totally forgotten.”

Highlights at the show include Made A Mano for its ceramic and tile work, Tuttattaccato for its quirky and whimsical accessories and Formitalia, which creates interiors and accessories for Lamborghini and Aston Martin.

Other con rmed exhibitors in-clude Artunis, hand-loomed woven products, Selezioni Domus furniture

and household objects, Euro Lamp Art lighting, L’Opi co fabric for interior decorations such as quilts and cushions and Omnitech, which specialises in leather, mirror, LED screens and wood.

The exhibition is a follow-up to its successful debut launch, organised by the Italian trade com-mission at Emirates Palace, in Abu Dhabi, last year.

It will comprise of both small and medium artisans featuring an array of artisanal techniques handed through the generations with objects on display as well as live workshops and demonstrations.

Approximately 15 designers and manufacturers are expected to take part in the free event, hand-picked and personally invited by the ICE selection panel.

All the products will be on sale at the show and are handmade.

Every item on display has a connection with the town they are manufactured in and the designs are inspired by the Italian culture and its productive traditions, which have been handed down through the generations.

The event has already drawn great interest from the region’s trade buyers, as well as design consultants and architects.

New exhibitors this year include Omnitech and Tessitura Corte which produces fabrics including bed linen, duvet covers, pillows, duvets, blankets and bedspreads.

The Italian Luxury Interiors 2011 exhibition is held from 2-10pm on November 27-30 at the Johara Room, Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

DESIGN UPDATE


WESTIN ABU DHABI GOLF RESORT & SPA TO OPEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE F1 GRAND PRIX

Tee off

UAE: Starwood Hotels & Resorts will open a 172-bedroom Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa in conjunction with the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in mid-November.

Owned by the Tourism Develop-ment & Investment Company (TDIC), the concept is designed by Northpoint and developed by GREC Architects, based on the existing falcon shaped clubhouse of Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Inspired by the forms and tex-tures found in nature, the resort’s design embraces the elements of water, stone, wood and light. Natu-ral stone, polished porcelain and timber oors run throughout the building, and are interfaced with timber cladding, glazed panels and metal screens. Bold statements of colour are used creatively in the

nishes, as well as the fabrics, to create fun design statements. The natural stone and timbers are offset by full height bronze metal screens and vibrant, rich colours of fabrics and leathers.

Tinted glazed panels, oat-ing steel roof structures, and balustrades that are nished with a bronze tint, complement the natural colour of the stone.

“GREC Architects and their sub consultant Gettys Interior Design were awarded the contract to de-sign the Westin at Abu Dhabi Golf Club (ADGC) and they were chosen because of their experience and portfolio. Together they developed the brief and concept to create the vision we see today. I became the design manager for the project when I joined TDIC in March

2010,” said Laura Gow, interior design manager, TDIC.

“The brief was to create a state-of-the-art facility while communicating both the forward progressive nature of Abu Dhabi and simultaneously re ecting the cultural values of the region.

“The hotel setting within Abu Dhabi Golf Resort provided the inspiration, which includes the iconic Falcon Clubhouse building and the natural elements of the surrounding golf course.”

Work on the project started in early 2007 when the vision of the project started to form. Construc-tion started January 2010, and the project was completed this month.

Gow said the biggest chal-lenge was creating a facility that complemented its surroundings

(Abu Dhabi Golf Club is home to the PGA European Tour HSBC Golf Championship), while maintaining an identity and integrity of its own. It also had to create an operational and energy ef cient building that provided a return on investment

The hotel has six indoor and outdoor dining outlets, including Agadir, Moroccan restaurant, a sports lounge, gourmet cafe and Fairways, all-day dining venue, where the colour palette of lemon, fresh grass, sand and liquid blue complements the natural timbers found in the decor and furniture.

“Even though it’s part of the golf resort, the hotel is an independent venue for both gol ng and non-gol ng enthusiasts where sustain-able materials and glass portals enchance the design,” said Gow.

DESIGN UPDATE


DESIGN UPDATE

UAE: Parfums de Marly has opened a ‘shop in a shop’ in Dubai Mall’s Paris Gallery, collaborating with French design agency, Open D Group and AIC Arredo t-out, part of AIC Gruppo.

The retail outlet offers contempo-rary fragrances based on its original concept emulating the splendour of 18th century France and Louis XV.

Francesco Aveta, co-founder of AIC Design and AIC Arredo, which has an of ce in Dubai Investment Park, said the attention to detail, selection of material and colours combined with the design are meant to ‘imprint a piece of old France’ on everyone who visits the perfume shop.

Open D Group developed the entire retail concept for the brand inspired by the royal history of Par-fums de Marly and created its retail and merchandising including key visuals, coffrets (casket), glori ers, gondolas and wall units.

Perfume was popular with the court of Louis XV, named “La cour parfumee” (the perfumed court). Every day, the king requested differ-ent scents for his apartments and streams of aromatic scents sprang from the royal fountains. In 1743, Louis XV commissioned Guillaume Coustou to sculpt his masterpiece ‘The Marly horses’, in memory of his great-grandfather Louis XIV on the grounds of the Chateau de

Marly. Today, ‘the Marly horses’ can be admired at Champs Elysees Avenue, Paris where it earned its place in 1974.

“The brief was to pursue the story of the modern fragrance onto a highly visible French XVIII century environment. The detailing and expectations of the quality was high to ensure brand differentiation at the point of sale,” said Aveta.

He said the white crytalised marble is from Turkey and the black marquina marble is from Spain. The black upholstered fabric at the is charactertistic of the capitonè style with gold buttons.

The black cabinets and chairs were supplied by the owner himself

from France while the chandelier and two wall lights come from Voltolina Murano Glass in Italy.

“We have recreated a speci c style from that era of 18th century France but we try to give it a modern edge. The main theme is the use of black and white to give it a contem-porary, fresh, feel,” he added.

“Even though it’s built in an an-tique style, it appeals to everyone.”

Being a French Design Agency, with of ces in Paris, New York, Singapore and Dubai, Open D Group said its art directors and studio team is strongly in uenced by French history and heritage, therefore it did not need to look far for inspiration.

AIC ARREDO COMPLETES THE FIT-OUT OF AN 18TH-CENTURY ST YLE FRENCH PERFUMERY

A nose for detail

DESIGN UPDATE


CID ROUNDS UP WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE WEBSITE, TWITTER AND BLOGOSPHERE

MAKING CID’s OCTOBER 2011 COVEROur team had so much fun creating the Septem-ber 2011 cover, we decided to give it the same treatment for the October issue. Look at what went on behind creating the red image at the of ces of Ideaspice. Joined by Jenny Eagle, CID’s editor and ITP photographer Shruti Jagdeesh, Si-mon Cobon, CID’s designer and Devina Divecha, CID’s reporter worked to create a lush cover. http://bit.ly/qwwaKt

IN PICTURES: COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN AWARD WINNERSThe winners of the Commercial Interior Design Awards 2011 were announced on October 24 at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Dubai. Take a look at the photographs taken of the winners moments after they collected their trophies on stage. With a record 15 categories this year, the night was a star-studded one and full of healthy competition.http://bit.ly/nJohF1

@Studio_EMStudio EMGreat coverage of the CID awards tonight by @

designMENA *round of applause* well done

guys :)

@saharghazaleSahar GhazalePeople randomly call the of ce, ask what we do,

then ask how it costs to design a random space?!

@MarkSchueyMark SchumannThe #architectmap video is now fully integrated

into the @aurasma Augmented Reality app.

@luxuryinteriorsLaura BieleckiJust got back from #INDEX Interior Design Show

in #Dubai !! pic.twitter.com/5SSlYcC8

1 Winners for 2011 Commercial Interior Design

Awards announced

2 In Pictures: Commercial Interior Design

Awards winners

3 At the Commercial Interior Design Awards

4 Foster + Partner’s UAE Pavilion nears

completion

5 Elie Choucair crowned Interior Designer of

the Year

More education is needed in the Arab world to make

citizens aware of the need to embrace sustainable

products and socially responsible companies.

Raja Moubarak on ‘Green ooring products a trend at Domotex ME’

COMMENTS OF THE MONTHFIVE MOST READ STORIES ON THE WEBSITE

ON DESIGNMENA’S FACEBOOK AND TWITTER TOP TWEETS

This is an amazing development and shows the passive dimension of sustainable design. Nature’s restorative quality. Bravo.”

Joseph Szymczak on ‘Nature-focused Al Barari completes phase one villas’

Very neat design. Looks a bit like a smaller version of Beijing Airport. LEED Gold sounds impressive, what does it mean in terms of the total energy consumption of the airport and the use of materials?

Jochem Geheniau on ‘Kuwait airport design revealed by Foster + Partners’

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


Location Dubai, United Arab EmiratesPhilips Lighting MASTER LEDspot GU10 7W MR16

Damas JewelleryCase study

BackgroundThe Damas Jewellery Group is an international retailer supplying both jewellery and watches through some 450 stores in about 18 countries. The Group’s network of retail outlets includes subsidiaries predominantly in the Middle East, India and Italy. Damas sells jewellery and watches through three main distinctive store formats − Les Exclusives stores, Semi-Exclusives stores and Damas 22K stores − each tailored to a specifi c type of customer. The Group also has watch stores and mono-brand stores, as well as ‘Damas Kids’ for children and parents.

The challengeDue to the use of 12V 50W MR16 halogen lamps, Damas was faced with the problem of intense heat inside its 160 stores in the UAE.In addition to that, in January 2011 there was a rise in energy prices in Dubai. This prompted the Damas management to look for an alternative light source to help reduce heat, save on energy bills and bring down maintenance costs. “Another key challenge was to enhance the lighting ambience in our stores,” says John Joy, Head of Operations at Damas United Arab Emirates.

The solution“In Philips Middle East we found the ideal partner. They were able to help us with the necessary replacement operation and to refurbish our existing outlets with modern furniture and fi ttings”, John Joy continues. The fi rst step in the project was to replace the

existing halogen lamps with LEDs in 160 shops and in those stores where new LED fi xtures were needed as part of the refurbishment. The light points were counted and inspected both by the Philips Middle East personnel and the agent in Dubai, AL Ghandi Electronics. “Data was collected and incorporated into an energy audit report, giving details of the potential savings and the payback period,” John Joy explains. “The results were well received by the management, and the budget was also approved.” For 10 days a mock-up with the Philips MASTER LEDspot 7W GU10 replaced the existing halogen 12V 50W MR16 solution in one of the leading Damas stores in the world-famous Dubai Mall. John Joy: “On the whole, our staff members were very satisfi ed, both with the light performance and the heat reduction. The program has since been rolled out in fi ve stores, and several others are in the process of preparing for roll-out.”

Benefi tsJohn Joy’s calculations show that in 2011 the total energy and maintenance costs will drop by approximately 40%. Another advantage is the reduction in airco costs, compared to the previous situation. But there is more. “The ambience in our shops has been greatly improved. Our employees are more motivated, partly because there’s now less risk of damage to the expensive jewellery. Inspired by Philips’ green LED products, our chairman has even gone as far as having all halogen lamps replaced by LED lamps.

www.designmena.com

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE


DESIGN UPDATE


WINNERS TO REDESIGN ITALIAN FURNITURE COMPANY, NATUZZI’S SOUND CHAIR WITH ALL PROFITS FROM SALES GOING TO CHARIT Y

Index Student Challenge

The winner of the third In-dex Student Challenge, in association with Interior Services Group (ISG) and

design organisation Tasmena, is Manipal University. The young adults won the competition after creating a chair out of polyurethane foam bottle liners and backer rod, in line with the theme of the challenge ‘reuse’. The eight team members who won the title were Franzita Fernandes, Tooba Sarfaraz, Sakina Juzer, Tasneen Mustafa, Insia Shabbir, Jamila Hassanali, Ummu Habeeba and Shazia Fazllulah, who were led by faculty member Bhakti More. Their prize is to redesign the Sound Chair by Italian furniture company, Natuzzi, which will sell the fi nished product with all profi ts going to a local charity.

The runner-ups of the competi-tion were American University of Sharjah (AUS) for building a light fi xture using CDs (second place) and Zayed University (Dubai campus) for creating a light fi xture using EPS containers (third place).

“The Index Student Challenge is the only competition of its kind in the region for design students,” said Yunsun Chung-Shin, Tasmena. “Through the theme of reuse, these students have been given a platform to introduce environ-mentally friendly and sustainable designs into our industry.

“With the creativity and dedica-tion we have witnessed through these students, the future of the design industry here in the region is very bright.”

Competitors were asked to design items using local waste material from the region, including plastic, paper or wood.

In keeping with the environmen-tal theme of the competition, ISG will make sure the Student Chal-lenge exhibition stand is recycled and reused after the show, which fi nished at the end of last month.

“We are trying to use the materi-als that were used at the stand to tie in with other projects,” said Stephen Taylor, head of retail, ISG.

“We’re thinking of using the material at our staff canteen and joinery workshop. The exhibition stand was in use for the duration of the four day tradeshow at Dubai World Trade Centre so it would be a crime to let it go to waste and throw it in the bin.”

The young interior designers created projects to fi t one of six product specifi c shows at this year’s exhibition: InRetail, Textiles, Lighting, Furnishing, Outdoor Liv-ing or Kitchen & Bathroom.

Finalists were then asked to ex-ecute their designs at Index. Along with creating a prototype, students had to create an instruction manual and challenged students from other universities to replicate the design.

The challenge also consisted of a costing phase, in which teams were asked to prepare a budget for their prototypes. To develop the students’ communication skills, they had to present their concepts and designs to Index exhibitors for endorsement. As part of the fi nal stage, teams prepared a 15

www.designmena.com

The winning team of the competition is Manipal

University, Dubai.

The students visit recycling plants ahead of the challenge.

Drawing up ideas for the competition.

Working in groups to use sustainable materials.

www.designmena.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 29C

minute presentation, taking judges through each step of the process.

“The Index Student Challenge is an exciting opportunity that links academia and industry,” said Kristina Keutgen, Tasmena.

“It is an invaluable experience as it exposes the students to the actual design process, with an em-phasis on teamwork, leadership, working to budgets and deadlines. The industry bene ts by gaining new talent that comes up with a fresh approach, an understanding of the industry and what’s ex-pected of them as professionals.” Keutgen added Tasmena partnered with ISG in 2009 for the same event and has continnued to show its support to the organisation ever since.

“We advocate community activity and action through design and see the competition as an opportunity to engage students of local post-secondary academic institutions in socially conscious design,” she said.

“What’s more, Tasmena aims to support the professional develop-ment of these budding designers by developing a collaborative competition with an emphasis on teamwork, providing an opportuni-ty to network and an introduction to the working experience.”

She said reuse was chosen as the theme for the 2011 contest to encourage consideration of sustainability in design. “Sustainability is, without ques-tion, a pressing global social concern,” she added.

“Exposing students to industry and world-working experiences early on in their careers contrib-utes to their learning perspective

and prospects,” said Keutgen. She said it’s challenging in an academic setting to create a learning environment simulating industry, although institutions aim to achieve industry integration.

“Exposure to the actual design process involving clients, budgets, teamwork and timelines in a dy-namic and supportive environment like the Index Student Challenge, proves an invaluable experience for students.”

The industry bene ts by recruit-ing fresh graduates with a better understanding of what’s expected of them as professionals.

Among the universities partici-pating in the competition, Manipal University, Dubai promoted the interaction of its students with the design industry.

“This is a platform where the participants get an opportunity to interact with the professional world. The competition has made the show an active event, with the theme of sustainability, which is important in the global scenario for students who are the designers of the future,” said Bhakti More, senior lecturer, department of interior design, Manipal University. She added that by entering the competition and actively partici-pating in the design process the results will re ect well on the students’ academic ability.

As part of the preparation prcoess before the event, the teams visited various recycling plants in the UAE for research.

“The interesting phase is exploring the materials to t into the exhibitor grouping. Students worked extremely hard to identify materials which could nally be

turned into an innovative product. Everyone was actively involved from day one and the feedback we got and the sense of enthusiam for the project was overwheling,” added More.

Fernandes, a third year student, Bachelor of Arts in interior design, said to prepare for the theme ‘reuse’, she tried to understand the process behind recycling.

“I did a lot of reading on the sci-ence behind this process after we visited a recycling plant recently, so this theme de nitely got me thinking,” she added.

Kay Ann Sousa, another third year student, from another team at Manipal University, said the theme was appropriate for the current cli-mate, as it made them think about the challenges of waste reduction and how to environmentally sup-port a productive economy.

Fernandes has been to Index before and said she enjoyed seeing quirky designs on display. “This time round, I wanted to see a quirky revival of classic styles with a contemporary twist, and new technology to blow my mind away,” she said. “Last time I came across the Quantum glass by Saint-Gobain; I have never seen anything like that before.”

Oonagh McDonnell, lecturer, Al Ain Women’s College, said the university had participated in the Index Challenge last year.

“Lots of students participated and Tasmena was impressed with what they produced,” she said.

“The competition is great for our students. They are Emirati and, as a result, do not get a great deal of opportunities to integrate with other young people. With this, they

With the creativity and dedication we have witnessed through these stu-dents, the future of the design indus-

try in the region is very bright.

y in terms of their imagination and con dence,” she added.

Taking a different approach to the challenge, their diploma was tailored to the competition’s theme. The whole curriculum is in-volved with a recycling and design project and looks at the impact of materials on the environment.

Sharifa Al Hussaini, a second-year student, said there is a lot of research involved in the prepara-tion and groups were formed to increase brainstorming.

“I visited Index last year. It’s a great place to visit to see different companies and get inspired by what they do. I de nitely want to see more designers next year and get inspired,” she added.

Another second-year student, Muna Al Luqubaisi, said it was great to be able to select old mate-rials, put them together and create something completely new.

Artwork and sketches.

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES Interior Design

Abu Dhabi University, Ajman

University of Science & Technology,

Al Ghurair University, American

University Dubai, American University

of Sharjah, Canadian University

Dubai, Al Ain Women’s College,

Zayed University Dubai Campus,

Zayed University Abu Dhabi Campus,

University of Sharjah, Heriot Watt

Dubai, Manipal University and New

York Institute of Technology.

Graphic Design Ajman University of Science &

Technology, American University

Dubai, University of Sharjah, Heriot

Watt Dubai and Zayed University Dubai

Campus

PROFILE

30 NOVEMBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

Herman MillerW HO?

Herman Miller is one of the largest and best known of ce and healthcare furniture manu-

facturers in the world. We are particularly renowned for our great design heritage and

ongoing work with world leading designers to bring products that are not only functional,

ergonomic and practical, but that also delight the eye. In the words of our founder, D J

DePree, ‘Good design isn’t just good business, it’s a moral obligation’.

Herman Miller pioneered many ideas now con-sidered industry standards, such as the Ergon

chair introduced in 1976, the rst ergonomic task chair in the market. Ergon 3, based on

that groundbreaking design, is still in produc-tion today. In 1953 we started our environmen-tal policy, with our founder stating: ‘We will be

good stewards of the environment’, and that desire is still at the core of our policies today,

nearly 60 years on.

WHAT ’S NE W ?We are constantly developing our product

lines and introducing new offers.Our Canvas collection is an example of this, where two of our most successful furniture

ranges have been further developed and en-hanced into one complete collection that has solutions from benching to executive of ces.

The Sayl family of of ce chairs designed by Yves Behar continues our tradition of bringing

design led ergonomics to the market.Behar is known for pushing the boundaries of

technology and SAYL continues this trend.Offering Herman Miller quality and manufac-

tured with our impassioned respect for the environment, SAYL is at the cutting edge of design and ergonomics, whilst still offering customers a chair with an attainable price.

PROFILE

Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 31www.designmena.com

E V ENTS?Live Unframed is a celebration of out latest seating offer, Sayl by Yves Behar. The line was launched with huge acclaim worldwide and has won multiple awards across the globe and is featured in the London Design Museum as a permanent exhibit. Rather than just show the product, we decided it was a great time to cel-ebrate its incredible success and hold a party event featuring the entire collection, details and original examples of the evolution of the design own in from Yves studio. Beyond that, we thought it was time to have some fun, to thank the design community that work with us and to meet some of those we didn’t know.We hope to make this an annual event and have a number of other marketing events planned regionally throughout the year.We are also using the event to announce our regional sponsorship of the AIA, as we feel it’s important to continue the support of profes-sional organisations in our industry. Herman Miller’s rich history of collaborating with some of the most pioneering designers of our time, such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Alexander Girard, Isamu Noguchi, Bill Stumpf, Ayse Birsel, Studio 7.5 and Yves Be-har, combined with their leadership in the eld of workplace research and knowledge, makes them a great partner to share their learnings, insight and vision with AIA members. This will have both a positive impact on the direction of the profession within the region, and on the environments that they create.

PROJEC TS?We’ve had a great start to our business year, winning major work across the region. Some markets we expected to be relatively quiet this year, such as Egypt and Bahrain, have really surprised us with their activity levels.We’ve also had great projects in our tradition-ally strong markets such as Saudi, Qatar, UAE and South Africa.

CONTAC TRob Keddie — regional directorPO Box 37190Of ce 606, The Pinnacle BuildingAl Barsha 1, [email protected]+9714 515 6565

www.designmena.comwww.constructionweekonline.com32 NOVEMBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design

CID AWARDS 2011

CID AWARDS 2011


CID Awards 2011FIF TH ANNUAL CID AWARDS RECOGNISES THE BEST IN REGIONAL DESIGN WITH

THE REGION’S TOP DESIGNERS GATHERING TO L AUD THE WINNERS

Members of the region’s interior design industry converged at the Jumei-rah Zabeel Saray on

October 24, for the fth annual Com-mercial Interior Design (CID) Awards.

The awards are designed to pay trib-ute to companies and individuals shap-ing the region’s urban environment.

From a chocolate bar and equestrian club in Abu Dhabi to car showrooms in Oman, an art museum in Saudi Arabia and a hospital in Bahrain, this year’s entries were truly representative of the region’s interior design industry.

There were 15 award categories in total, covering the whole spectrum of commercial interiors, from hospitality, of ce and retail, to outdoor public sec-tor and institutional.

GAJ picked up two prestigious cat-egories: Middle East Design Firm of the

Year and Elie Choucair winning Interior Designer of the Year, Middle East.

New to the design community, Firoz Sainudeen, Al Mohanad Interiors, won Young Interior Designer of the Year, Middle East, after being nominated for the same category last year.

Woods Bagot’s Tawazun was lauded with two awards – Middle East Interior Design of the Year: Of ce, and Outdoor Design of the Year. DWP walked off with the Middle East Interior Design of the Year: Leisure & Entertainment award for the redesign of The Rib Room, while The Hues Hotel by Draw Link Group won the award for Middle East Interior Design of the Year: Hospitality. In the Middle East Interior Design of the Year: Residential category, Von Saldern Hamed Design won the award for La Coleccion, Arabian Ranches. UK-based Carbon won the Middle East Interior

Design of the Year: Retail for its design on Bloomsbury’s in Abu Dhabi. The Middle East Interior Design of the Year: Public Sector & Institutional award was given to King Hamad University Hos-pital by Inoui & Neo-Designs. Tanweer FBMI won the award for the Sustainable Interior Design Initiative of the Year category, and ISG was lauded for the Reader’s Choice Award - Middle East Interior Contractor of the Year.

The inaugural American Hardwood Export Council’s Outstanding use of American Hardwood in the Middle East Award was won by Zayed University Li-brary, Abu Dhabi, by ahk International.

Olle Nordstorm, chief interior designer of United Design, won the rst Lifetime Achievement Award, and

Jahangir Khan from Samuel Creations walked away with the Behind the Scenes trophy.

Steven Charlton

managing director

Pringle Brandon

Chamaali Marasinghe

design manager

Herman Miller

Robert Reid

assistant professor

AUS

Jessica Mondo

professor

NYIT Abu Dhabi

Paula Letelier

design director

dwp

Indu Varanasi,

founder

ir design

Rue Kothari

editor, Harpers

Bazaar Interiors

The judging panel

www.designmena.com34 NOVEMBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

www.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 35www.designmena.com

Quality wins every time and everywhere. No wonder, then, that more and more architects, designers, crafts-men and users around the world choose to build on sliding hardware systems and solutions from Hawa. And therefore on innovative technology, first-class workmanship and durability. Can we open up a few doors, windows or shutters for your ideas with wood, glass and metal? We look forward to seeing you at www.hawa.ch.

Hawa Middle East FZE, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE, Tel. +971 4 887 36 94, Fax +971 4 887 36 93, www.hawa.ch

Hawa sliding hardware: open for 1001 applications.

CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design Firm of the YearWINNER: GAJ

GAJ was named Interior Design Firm of the Year 2011.

In the eyes of our judges, GAJ was chosen for creating “designs which really leap out of the page” and the winning entry set itself apart for its “diversity and breadth”.

“It feels great to win. A real recogni-tion of all the hours and hard work over the years. We have supported the Com-mercial Interior Design Awards for the past fi ve years. It has been a memorable journey and we are delighted,” said Isabel Pintado, associate partner, GAJ.

The Interior Design Firm of the Year Award is presented to the company that has produced the most impressive work in the Middle East in the last 12 months.

Highly commended in this category was Draw Link Group, for the ‘sheer versatility of projects undertaken’.

Within the Middle East, Brian Johnson and his team at GAJ are best known for the design of the award-winning Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Clubs and have received international awards for The Arabian Courtyard, Residence and Spa at the One & Only Royal Mirage Hotel and the Bab al Shams Hotel.

The team is currently working on the Millenium in Muscat, a 4 star hotel at The Wave, Muscat, a golf club house in Scotland, and an apartment in Paris. Other projects include a 5 star hotel, apartments and a nightclub as part of Citystars in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Draw Link Group Stickman Design Pringle Brandon Inoui & Neo Design N & D Interiors Bishop Design Associates

HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

It feels great to win. A real recognition of all the hours and hard work over the years


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Designer of the YearWINNER: ELIE CHOUCAIR, ASSOCIATE, GAJ

“Impressive” is how the judging panel described Elie Choucair, winner of the Interior Designer of the Year award.

He was singled out for “having a great sense of style” and “a portfolio that showed a variety of design lan-guages, which is refreshing to see”.

“This is the most rewarding day of my career,” he said. “When I was study-ing in Beirut, I used to have a French teacher that said; ‘We all work hard in life but when you do it with a passion and follow your dreams, one day will come, when you will be rewarded and you will be able to harvest the fruits of your efforts’, today feels like that day.”

The award was created to recognise a professional, forward-thinking

individual who consistently delivers original, intelligent and effective design solutions for their clients and, according to the judges, Choucair’s submittal stood out by a long way from the other nominees.

“Design is my passion, not my job,” he said. This is clearly evident in the range of projects Choucair has worked on. With over 14 years of experience spanning three continents – Europe, North America and Asia his work is as diverse as the places he’s lived in.

He started his career with GM Architects in Beirut, then relocated to AE & Associates in Montreal, in 1999. He joined Lemay & Associes, North America, before joining GAJ in 2008.

We all work hard in life, but when you do it with a passion... the day will come when you are rewarded

Marie-Noelle Swiderski

Blanchard

Alfred Johnson Paul Bishop

Bishop Design Associates

Elaine Monfero

BBR Design

Dinan Salaheddine

N&D Design

Hassan Sherazi

Studio Two

HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

Finasi L.L.C. AI Ittihad Road P.O. BOX 118508 Dubai United Arab Emirates T +971 (4) 2971777 www.finasi.ae

Che

cker

s Ki

tche

n - w

ww

.arm

anid

ada.

com


The winner of this year’s Young Interior Designer was singled out by the judges for being 100% passionate and com-mitted to everything he does, having a good eye for detail, and going above and beyond what is expected of him.

The prize is awarded to the most promising young (under 30) commercial interior designer currently working in the Middle East.

Sainudeen graduated from Manipal University, with a bachelor’s degree in interior design in Dubai in 2010 and was nominated the same year for Young Interior Designer of the Year 2010.

“I am speechless. It’s been almost a year but the shock still brings me goose bumps,” he said.

“Being nominated, assured me I was on the right track. It set the bar higher, I knew I had what it takes and I felt a sense of reassurance from what I enjoy doing. I am truly honoured to be a part of the emerging young interior designers in the Middle East and I am overwhelmed to have won this presti-gious award.”

Sainudeen has worked for Al Moha-nad Interiors for a year-and-a-half and was the fi rst in-house interior designer hired by the company. He was recently promoted to head up the design team.

Sainudeen said the fi rst thing he did after winning the award was call his mum and his professors from university ‘who believed in me’.

Young Interior Designer of the YearWINNER: FIROZ SAINUDEEN, AL MOHANAD INTERIORS

CID AWARDS 2011

I am truly honoured to be a part of the emerging young designers in the Middle East

Cormac Lynch

GAJ

Emma Karczewski

Broadway Malyan

Atefeh Bashir


Muhammed Waqas Vohra

Vohra Asian Leather Crafts

HIGHLY COMMENDED SHORTLIST


CID AWARDS 2011

Commercial Interior Design Lifetime Achievement Award WINNER: OLLE NORDSTROM OF UNITED DESIGN INTERNATIONAL (UDI).

As a new addition to the Commercial Interior Design Awards the editorial team decided to honour an individual who stands out in the industry in the Lifetime Achievement award.

This is the fi rst time we have created this award and the winner had to dem-onstrate a long and successful career, full of signifi cant milestones, plus a consistent contribution to the develop-ment of one or more organisations.

This year, that title went to Olle Nor-dstrom of United Design International (UDI) who was chosen due to the ex-tensive amount of experience he has in designing for the hospitality industry.

“I think that this Lifetime Achieve-ment award could be the beginning of something new. I feel like I’m still a rookie,” he said.

“What I love about being a designer is that every project has its own chal-lenges, so it’s never boring.

“I come from Sweden but I’ve been working in the UAE since 1997 and I have been in Abu Dhabi for the last nine years.

“My main specialism is hospitality but I’ve recently been working on some prestigious residential projects for the UAE Royal family.”

Nordstrom’s distinguished career includes creating interior designs for major hotels in Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, and Germany along with con-tributing to the interior design of luxuri-ous villas and Majlis for Royal clients, health spas and private residences in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

He has commissioned artwork for Emirates Tower Hotel and boulevard, Dubai and his major projects to date include: Emirates National Centre for Education, Abu Dhabi; Sun and Sky Tower, Reem Island and the Dusit Hotel, Terevana Spa, Abu Dhabi.

What I love about being a designer is every project has its own challenges so it is never boring

HOME IS WHERE MY GROHE SPA™ IS

Transform your bathroom into a haven of relaxationwith GROHE SPATM luxury fittings.

grohespa.com

CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design Firm of the Year: HospitalityWINNER: HUES BOUTIQUE HOTEL BY DR AW LINK GROUP

The winner of this year’s Interior De-sign of the Year: Hospitality award was described by the judges as ‘creating in-terest through colour; accents of colour in neutral shades or simple white with straight lines for a simple design’.

“The Hues Boutique Hotel is unique and a fantastically unexpected design here in Dubai. It is quirky, inviting and fun, which is refreshing to see in this crowded hotel market,” said one.

The Hues Boutique Hotel opened in October this year, bringing together a colour theme of orange, blue, green and yellow.

“We are very proud to win this award. The boutique hotel project is an innovative venture, bringing not

only a stunning piece of contemporary architecture to Dubai but a new concept of affordable luxury,” said Daousser Channou , CEO, Draw Link Group.

“One of the main features of the ho-tel’s architecture is the widespread use of solid surface. It is the rst time in the GCC that solid surface has been used on the outside of a building.”

The abundance of glass, from the translucent lift to the see-through rail-ings, creates a transparent theme in combination with the natural light from the skylight, creating a feeling of space.

Chennou said he drew his inspira-tion from Ian Schrager, who rst intro-duced the idea of a boutique hotel and the affordable luxury hotel concept.

We are proud to win this award for an innovative venture, bringing a stunning piece of contemporary

architecture to Dubai

Intercontinental Bahrain

dwp

Tozeur Hotel

GAJ

Radisson Royal

Draw Link Group

New Hotel Project

Woods Bagot

Al Hallab Restaurant

Tao Designs

The Benghazi Hotel Palace

Straightline Interiors

HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design of the Year: Leisure & EntertainmentWINNER: THE RIB ROOM BY DWP

The judges for this year’s Leisure & En-tertainment award winner; The Rib Room by dwp, said the project ‘has a level of sophistication that looks both inviting and opulent in equal measure thanks to the detailing and choice of nishing, as well as a rare level of interior design sophistication’.

dwp was asked to breathe new life into the existing Rib Room in Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai. The venue pays homage to the original Rib Room at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, London.

“The Rib Room is sophisticated and has a beautiful level of nishing. The designer has fully explored the relation-ship of the materials and colours. Even the Jumeirah Group feels the redesign

has brought in a higher level of clientele. It’s an amazing improvement and I’m very happy about dwp winning this award,” said Paula Letelier, design director, dwp.

The design rm had its limitations as the project was a refurbishment of an existing space and the budget was xed. It had to keep some elements

such as the oor and wall nishing and integrate this into a new layout and features. All furniture and nishes were custom-made for the venue and it has lots of dark leathers, hides and rich dark timber. The space has a great mood particularly with the dark timbers, contrasting chair nishes and textured timber wall panels.

Tepanyaki

Draw Link Group

Celebration Hall

GAJ

Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club

RW Armstrong

Bateel Flagship

Kinnersley Kent Design

Channel V

Ideaspice

Fauchon Doha


HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

The Rib Room is sophisticated and has a beautiful level of finishing

CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design of the Year: OfficeWINNER: TAWA ZUN BY WOODS BAGOT

Tawazun is an Abu Dhabi Investment company, which supports economic diversi cation in UAE. Woods Bagot was engaged, with project manager Boartes, to design Tawazun’s new workplace occupying the top two oors and rooftop area of the Al Mammoura B Building.

It is described as “a smart use of tex-tured materials and a play of linear and organic forms.” The judges said it is a ‘sleek product’ and ‘well considered’ with ‘minimalist design details’.

“Great projects are all about the client - they need to understand and believe in designers and have a strong vision,” said Duncan Parkinson, principal,Woods Bagot.

“Tawazun is an Abu Dhabi client but it went for a very contemporary and in-ternational theme which was fantastic for us. The client gave us a lot of free-dom and really challenged the team.”

The client’s vision was to produce a high quality environment that would remain timeless during the length of occupation - the result is a design that is both international and contemporary. The space is both a work area and a hospitality area for international and local dignitaries.

Woods Bagot was responsible for the interior design of all areas, plus the architectural extension to the rooftop structures and the internal and external landscaping of the roof.

Great projects are all about the client - they need to understand and believe in designers

Day & Partners law rm

Outcast Interiors

TNS of ce

Pringle Brandon

Nawras Of ce

GAJ

Siemens

Bluehaus Group

Al Mas Tower


Banque Cantonal de

Geneve Swiss Bureau

HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

w w w . n a f e e s c o n t r a c t . c o m

PO Box 97035, Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel +971 4 2697272, Fax +971 4 2697557, Email [email protected]

BAHRAIN - OMAN - QATAR - SAUDI ARABIA - UAE

happy beinggreen...

At York Contract, green is not just a color, and our concern for the interior goes beyond good looks. We are concerned with the effect our product has on indoor air quality and how our manufacturing process affects the exterior environment.

energy conservation

Over the past few years, we have invested in new technol-ogy to meet our own tough standards and ambit ious goal of energy conservat ion and waste reduction. We reduced natural gas consumption by 40%, electr icity usage by 10%, and in-process waste by 15%. Those investments, among others, have made s ignif icant and permanent reductions to our environmental footpr int.

indoor air qual i ty cert i f ication

We reformulated our commercial v inyl wal lcover ing to meet Cal i fornia Department of Health Services sect ion 01350 indoor ai r qual i ty requirements for off ice and school inter iors .

water-based inks

We developed smoke free, low V.O.C., water-based ink and coating systems that el iminate the need for ai r pol lut ion controls . So for more than a decade, we have generated zero hazardous waste f rom our manufactur ing processes!

1

2

3

no lead or cadmium

Our contract v inyl does not use lead or cadmium in the pigments or substrates. And for those who wish to use a subst i tute product, we have paper substrates, produced from cel lu lose f iber, permeable nonwoven mater ials , plus natural mater ials l ike grosses, s i sals , and corks.

4

5 member of the U.S. Green Bui lding Council

As a member of the U.S. Green Bui lding Counci l , we are very conscious of environmental concerns. But being 'green' i s also smart business. I t not only saves energy costs, i t makes employees and customers feel good about us ing our products, and i t helps us to be a better member of the many communit ies to which we belong and serve.

York Contract has always been proud of providing a product to create beauti ful inter ior environments. And whi le that is st i l l most important to us, we are also proud to do our part to ensure our exter ior environ-ment remains beauti ful .

CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design of the Year: Public Sector & InstitutionalWINNER: KING HAMAD UNIVERSIT Y HOSPITAL BY INOUI & NEO-DESIGNS

The winning entry in the Interior Design of the Year: Public Sector and Institu-tional category is a project that used colours and lights to change the interi-ors of a hospital. Inoui & Neo-Designs was responsible for the design and fi t-out of the King Hamad University Hospi-tal in Busaitin, Bahrain. The judges described the project as an “excellent presentation of bringing life through colour to cheer up the space.”

The total area of the project is 64,000 square metres and will be com-pleted in December 2011. The focus of the designers was to bring the interior of a healthcare facility to a different level, where the dull look could be brightened up to a hotel-like feel.

Inoui & Neo-Designs wanted to mix the aesthetics and sensitivities of the hospitality business with that of the healthcare environment to combine the best of both worlds — functional spaces defi ned by inviting materials such as Varia from 3form.

Collecting the award, Hamad Janahi, managing partner, Inoui Designs said that the purpose of the design was to “cheer you up” inside the hospital.

“We knew we wanted to create some-thing dynamic, fun and funky,” he said. “Obviously being a hospital, even the materials themselves needed to be ap-proved, but the hard work was worth it. I’ve seen it make a real impact on both patients and visitors.”

These spaces can be quite dull, but wehad fun going crazy with the design.

Federal National Council

GAJ

Celebration Hall

GAJ

The Musee d’AMA

Alfred Johnson

DCCI

Bluehaus


CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design of the Year: ResidentialWINNER: L A COLECCION, AR ABIAN R ANCHES, VON SALDERN HAMED DESIGN

The winning entry in the 2011 Interior Design of the Year: Residential category is La Coleccion Arabian ranches, a luxu-rious project overlooking a golf course, fi tted out by Dubai-based Von Saldern Hamed Design.

The original arched architectural features and thick walls made the shell look heavy. The design team fi tted the shell of the house with large slabs of honed limestone and white plaster walls with warm teak accents. All openings were recycled creating oversized glass partitions to open up the house. The feeling is minimalistic with no clutter. The theme is modernism, most of the furniture is mid century pieces designed by key designers of this period.

Judges said the design was thorough, had a “minimalist and modern design with good mix of materials” and added the use of wood brought “warmth to the interiors without being overbearing”.

The award was accepted by Von Saldern Hamed Design’s founder, Rania Hamed and interior architect, Reshmi Ranesh. Hamed said the diffi culty was to make an impact with the design while keeping the overall aesthetic as mini-malistic as possible.

“The challenge was how you mix the simple and minimalistic with great de-sign and materials,” she said. “We are so happy to get this award; we always seem to miss out on awards like this – but not tonight.”

Riyadh Residential project

Woods Bagot

A Moroccan villa

Draw Link Group

The Mansion


Oceana Adriatic Penthouse

Blanchard

The Fairmont Residence

Alfred Johnson

Apartment Palm Jumeirah

Kart Design

HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

The challenge was how you mix the simple and minimalistic with great design and materials

CID AWARDS 2011


CID AWARDS 2011

Interior Design of the Year: RetailWINNER: BLOOMSBURY ’S, CARBON

This year’s winner of the Interior Design of the Year: Retail category goes to a new design fi rm, based in the UK, which designed a cupcake shop kiosk, Bloomsbury’s, in a mall with a function-ing production kitchen on full display.

The look of the shop followed a vintage Victorian theme and is based in Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi.

It is located within a triple height mall atrium with shops and kiosks on all sides. The site conditions had restrictions on circulation space, un-obstructed views from existing shops, maximum heights, safety and security, and limited construction hours.

Carbon decided to enclose the kiosk to focus attention on the branded area.

The judges were equally enthusiastic about Bloomsbury’s design, calling it “fresh” and said it made the “im-pression of an established and well considered interior environment which is often diffi cult.”

They said it gives the feeling of not being inside the mall and is “interest-ing” and “different”.

“I’m very thrilled – we did not expect to win, even though that’s what we aimed to do. As the judges said, it’s a refreshing concept,” said Lee King, business development director, Car-bon. “It’s our fi rst project in the UAE and we are pitching for a few more now. I think this award will defi nitely boost our profi le in the region,” he added.

I’m very thrilled – we did not expect to win,even though that’s what we aimed to do.

Lighting installation MoE

Parker 3D

F TV Store

DWP

Maya La Chocolaterie

Inoui & Neo-Design

Cocoon Retail Shop

Kart Design

Hyundai Showroom


Tere de The

Swiss Bureau

HIGHLY COMMENDED

SHORTLIST

See what’s new at me.

Rêve™ EnsembleEncounter the Rêve Ensemble and be drawn into discovery.

Balancing innovative design and uncompromising performance in a wide array of styles,

KOHLER® bathroom fixtures, faucetry and accessories deliver distinctive, lasting beauty.

Contact a Kohler representative at DIC, Al Thuraya Tower 2, 9th Floor, Suite 905, Dubai, U.A.E.

or 971-4-364-2650 to learn more about all KOHLER bathroom products.

CID AWARDS 2011


Sustainable DesignInitiative of the YearWINNER: TANWEER FBMI

Calling it a “good initiative that is sup-ported by the interior design commu-nity through the purchase of the rugs”, the CID judging panel selected Tanweer FBMI as a clear winner for the Sustain-able Interior Design Initiative.

In June 2010, Tanweer Investments partnered with Her Highness Shaikha Fatma Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and launched the Tanweer Fatma Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed Ini-tiative, a hand-made carpet production and community development program in Afghanistan. It offers women income generating employment in an industry they already possess skills in. It offers the entire community access to critical social services including adult voca-tional training, children’s education, and free health care. Tanweer FBMI is Afghanistan’s largest manufacturer of

hand-made carpets and rugs. Maywand Jabarkhyl, general man-

ager, Tanweer Investments said he was very proud. “It’s great for such an initiative to be recognised. We’ve now employed over 3,000 Afghani women, which in a country like Afghanistan is unique. I’m glad the Shaikha recognised that there’s a chance for Afghani women to show off their work.”

Project Salalah

GAJ

Equestrian Club

RW Armstrong

COMMENDED SHORTLIST

Outdoor Design of the YearWINNER: TAWA ZUN, WOODS BAGOT

“A beautiful, elegant and practical outdoor offi ce environment - a fantastic space for the employees” is how CID judges described Tawazun, the win-ner of the Outdoor Design of the Year category. Designed by Woods Bagot, the panel also called the design a “modern, linear composition with an in-teresting play of the horizontal planes.”

The new offi ce for Tawazun occupies the top two fl oors of the Al Mammoura Building in Abu Dhabi as well as the rooftop area. The design was given a hospitality touch, much like a glamour-ous boutique hotel, which extends to the rooftop staff recreational area which includes refl ection ponds, sunken seating, a library, a dining area and a garden.

Duncan Parkinson, principal, Woods Bagot, said it was amazing for the fi rm to have won two awards for the same project. “It’s been a long year of hard

work but it’s all coming together now. Last month we won a gong for Large Middle East Firm of the Year at the Middle East Architect Awards.”

“The project for Tawazun included a rooftop area. The client really trusted us to transform a plain space into something really valuable for the build-ing users. It involved a bit of architec-ture and an extension of the canopy,” added Parkinson.

Signal Palace by

Samuel Creations

SHORTLIST

CID AWARDS 2011


COMMENDED SHORTLIST

Behind the Scenes AwardWINNER: JAHANGIR KHAN, SAMUEL CREATIONS

“For his expertise in both visualisation and lighting design; a rare combina-tion” Jahangir Khan, 3D visualiser and lighting application artist, Samuel Creations won the Behind the Scenes Award this year.

“This award means a lot to me. I’m not an interior designer but I’ve been in the fi eld for fi ve years and I fi nd the industry very exciting,” said Khan. “I want to show that lighting is extremely

important in achieving great design. New techniques are coming in and I’ve been utilising 3D, which is really help-ing us at Samuel Creations,” he added.

Khan’s nomination included highly complimentary recommendations from his colleagues at Samuel Creations.

“Tonight has been a great experi-ence and I have met lots of interesting people. I think this award will be a catalyst for my career,” he said.

DEPA

Summertown

Interiors

Highgate Interiors

Spiceworks Interiors

Studio Two

AMBB

NOMINATED

Interior Contractor of the YearWINNER: ISG

For the third year running, the CID Awards included a Reader’s Choice Award, which called on the interior de-sign community to put their experience and expertise to good use by selecting this year’s Interior Contractor of the Year. Every single company that submit-ted an entry for this year’s CID Awards was asked to simultaneously vote for their preferred interior contractor.

The aim was to identify a contractor that delivers a consistently high stan-dard of work and is respected by its industry peers.

Those who nominated the winner felt this particular company stood out because in the past year, it has won 65% of repeat business as well as a fi t

out for 35% of tenants in the Central Business District of Sowwah Island, Abu Dhabi. It consistently combines innovation and best practice for Health Safety & Environmental management and received the fi rst ever British Safety Council International Award for a project within UAE.

This year, ISG received the highest number of votes in this category, fol-lowed closely by Highgate Interiors, AMBB, Depa, Summertown Interiors, Studio Two and Spicework Interiors.

“To win this award really ticks a box for us. It refl ects the outstanding commitment of our team to provide the highest standard of customer service,” said Alan McCready, MD, ISG.

Christina Carlos

GAJ

Lynrey Fernando

Design Work Portfolio

Jamie Smiley

Blanchard

Husein Ratlami

Bishop Design Assoc.

CID AWARDS 2011


AHEC Outstanding use of American Hardwood in the Middle East AwardWINNER: AHK INTERIORS FOR ZAYED UNIVERSIT Y LIBR ARY, ABU DHABI

The American Hardwood Export Council opted to use the CID Awards this year to acknowledge the most outstanding use of American hardwood for a completed project in the Middle East.

The council acts as an international trade body for the US hardwood indus-try and represents over 50 export mar-kets. The award was presented by Jude Akhidenor, regional director - agricultural trade offi ce of the US Consulate in Dubai and Rod Wiles, director of the American Hardwood Export Council for Africa, the Middle East, India, and Oceania.

“It’s a fantastic surprise to win and we are extremely happy,” said Carrie Das, design manager, ahk International. “We have been based in Dubai for three years

but opened an offi ce in Ibn Battuta Gate, Dubai, one year ago. The use of Ameri-can hardwood on this particular project brings an air of nostalgia to the library. It was a magnifi cent project to work on.”

In the heart of Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, the new campus library has been designed by Hadi Teherani, a German ar-chitect. Construction of the facility took over seven months to complete.

ahk Interiors, an interior design, proj-ect design and management fi rm was awarded the joinery works for the project and signed an AED 15 million (USD 4 mil-lion) contract with Al Habtoor Murray and Roberts Venture. It included construction and implementation of fi xed joinery, general cupboards, feature glass walls, timber fl oors and radial shelving.

One of the largest university libraries in the Middle East, the venue measures approximately 40,000m2 and is part of 28 buildings that have been completed for the new campus inside Khalifa City. It has been valued at over AED 3 billion, and has a circular arena-like setting, housing some 150,000 books from the Zayed Library collection.

The architects followed a design con-cept based on traditional amphitheatres, where students sat around a circular The Pavilion, Downtown Dubai Hakassan Restaurant, Abu Dhabi


The walnut features a modern look whilekeeping true to the nostalgia of historic libraries.

CID AWARDS 2011

1

CID AWARDS 2011


based theatre while the teacher would lecture from the centre of the room. ahk Interiors decided on showcasing the dark earthy colour of American walnut throughout the whole library, from the library’s fl ooring and bookshelves, to the wall featured wood cladding.

“We chose to use American walnut across the whole library because of its strong characteristics like its straight grained appearance and its durability, being highly resistant to heartwood decay,” said Das.

“The walnut successfully features a modern look while keeping true to the nostalgia of historic libraries. It warms the environment and provides a modern, classic and comfortable feeling,”

With over 200 workers on and off site, the fi rst two months were spent in ahk’s 15,000m2 closed area furniture factory in Antalya, Turkey. Activities included the production of the 17 tonne 30 mm veneered MDF; cutting the MDF according to the curved radius on the CNC machine, making sure it wrapped around the structured steel elements and all perforated sheet welded joints and structural steel elements remained concealed behind the veneered shelves and vertical gables. The following fi ve months covered the installation of all the elements produced.

All woodworks produced by ahk’s Tur-key factory comply with all requirements defi ned by ISO 9001:2000 Quality Man-agement System and ISO 14001:2006 Environmental Management System.

“This project refl ects our expanding services and expertise by setting a standard of excellence according to inter-nationally accepted values,” added Mike Swain, project manager, ahk Interiors.

The team had challenges in installing American walnut. The fi rst involved installation of the shelves, which had a height of four metres and the laminate had to match to maintain the specifi ed continuous grain lines. In terms of grain alignment, the top of each bookcase, which was clearly visible from the third fl oors, had to be aligned from the cen-trepoint to the laminate on top.

The designers tried to avoid the use of light colours as the staining of the American walnut followed a clear fi nish. Another concern was the slight damage and minor scratches on the wood, which was diffi cult to repair and conceal.

Lighting was also an issue, with the architect’s design allowing light to pass from seven metres above the walnut fl ooring and designed to suit the walk-ways between the shelves.

“Our design team was presented with three requests for the library. The fi rst was that we had to present the library in such a way that it showcased a jointless veneer appearance, highlighting the continuous fl ow of the natural grain of American walnut. The group was also requested to be consistent in the colours that we had hoped to achieve for the overall feel of the library,” said Swain.

The end result holds 4,500 book-shelves between metal mesh made up

of 12,000m2 of walnut veneer with seven different levels ranging from 3-8m in height. The library instantly captures the eye with its shelves being presented in a circular row setting with special sections housing search computers and sitting areas where students can spend time reviewing and reading the books.

The centralised seating area provides a contrast view from the third fl oor. The tiered shelves harmoniously match the ceiling’s tiered design. The library also has a reverse wall behind the reception counter, which ably blends well with the bookshelves and the contrasting off-white second reception desk.

“We are very pleased with the results achieved in using American walnut for this project. The end product has an amazing feeling of a traditional library amidst a modern facility like the new Zayed University campus. So far, we have been getting very good feedback from students, faculty and visitors saying it is a great space,” added Vicki Aronis, design manager, Al Habtoor, Murray & Roberts.

1

A continuous fl ow of

the natural grain of

the American walnut

was achieved by ahk

Interiors.

2

The tiered shelves

that match the design

of the ceiling tiers.

3

A view of the radial

shelving units.

3

2

Darklight Adjustable

Shower Proof

Drop GlassLow Glare

.

The Light Corporation


DESIGNER Q&A

We are sailing…F IROZ SAINUDEEN WA S SHORTLISTED FOR YOUNG INTERIOR DESIGNER OF THE YE AR AT THE CID AWARDS 2010, AND THIS YE AR, HE WA S OVERWHELMED TO WIN THE 2011 PRIZE T ITLE


DESIGNER Q&A


Firoz Sainudeen is a 23-year-old interior design graduate based in the UAE. He completed his Bachelors of Arts in Interior

Design, with a specialisation in product design, from the University of Manipal, Dubai in 2009.

Sainudeen has worked for Al Moha-nad Interiors for a year-and-a-half and was the fi rst in-house interior designer hired by the company.

He feels working as a 3D freelancer during his second year at university helped him to build up his confi dence post graduation.

He was recently promoted at the fi rm and given the responsibility of handling the design team, which includes visualisers, CAD operators, estimators and civil engineers. His tasks include coordinating with the sales team or a

specifi c client on a project and providing a design, and/or coming up with a con-cept or a solution at any given time.

Sainudeen works closely with his team to ensure communication is smooth and a task is achieved within the given timeframe. He believes it’s im-portant to try to visualise the fi nish line, develop a path with minimal obstruc-tions and stick to it, which has helped him to successfully complete a number of projects to date.

He feels grateful to have been given an opportunity to work in a design stu-dio that houses a joinery division as it is here that he gets to see projects evolve from a drawing to its fi nish. Constant visits, double checks of dimension, material, material fi nish and ensuring every drawing is approved is part of his daily routine within this division.

How do you feel about winning the CID Young Interior Designer of the Year Middle East award 2011?Words cannot describe how I feel. I might take a week off work and go sky-diving, I’m afraid of heights but it won’t matter. Winning an award is a dream come true. It has given me the break that will help shape my career and fu-ture. I have quite a few peers and juniors within the same fi eld that look up to me as a guide or an inspiration; they have always been a part of my success. This will give them a chance to excel in what they do best, work hard and know that their work will be appreciated in a truly rewarding manner.

Post the CID Awards 2010 nomina-tion, I was determined to do better, push myself even further and I’ve worked hard in achieving that goal.

3

1

Firoz Sainudeen.

2

An apartment in Al

Murjan Towers, Dubai.

3

A living room design

for a private client.

4

Private residence.

2

DESIGNER Q&A

4

DESIGNER Q&A


The outcome is evident and I’m here today. To be singled out by a team of expert and honorable judges who have been in the industry for many years’ means a lot to me. Competing against the industry best is overwhelming. To be recognised as a young interior designer within the industry, will now give me a solid base and the con dence to reach further into the international scene.

It has given me the support I need in achieving the impossible, something I truly love as I enjoy a challenge. I now feel more con dent in taking up new projects that I have not worked on before, perhaps airline interiors, a genre I’ve always wanted to get my hands into, as the challenge involved is by far the greatest in terms of interior design.

My friends and family have always stood by my side and have supported me through thick and thin, this is a great opportunity to give back to them what they have provided for me.

What projects are you working on?I’m working for a high pro le govern-mental organisation. Due to security reasons and client con dentiality I am unable to disclose any details about these projects. All I can say is that I’m greatly honoured to work for such a prestigious group.

The scope of work includes design and execution of various spaces within the rm which include of ces, confer-ence rooms, auditoriums and functional areas. Since it’s in the initial stage,

5

Lower deck master

bedroom.

6

Yacht upper deck.

7

The yacht corridor

lower deck.

65

7

design concepts and themes are being submitted for approval.

What is your favourite project to date?Hands down, without a doubt it’s the yacht interiors I designed for my client, Saeed Ghanem Al Suwaidi, (managing director of Al Ghanem Real Estate).

The task was to refurbish the yacht’s interior. Give it a complete new look with a modern air to it. It seems easy in essence but what was about to happen changed my entire perspective within that eld.

At the time, It was my rst large scale project and I could never have imagined starting my career with a project of an estimated six gure price tag. I was a 100% sure that all eyes were on me to

bring this project to life despite doubts from others asking me if I felt capable. Knowing myself and the fact that I’m always up for a challenge, I could not resist. I held on to the opportunity and had to prove that I could do it.

On my rst site visit, I knew research was the key to the initialisation of this project. Saeed advised me to visit a few yacht building companies and to understand the basics when it came to building yacht interiors.

I complied and took down notes, photos and made concept sketches whenever I could. Meeting a variety of engineers and specialists within the industry was a great experience. The emphasis to detail was fascinating for me, everything, be it a knob or hinge had to be of a speci c marine grade. Nothing goes unnoticed when building yacht interiors. The entire physique or structure had to be understood and thought about; everything had to be perfectly weight balanced to avoid the yacht from tilting to one side. Working in a space where berglass is your struc-tural base or canvas, has to be given the highest amount of care, as it is quite expensive and time consuming to repair if it gets damaged.

With a deadline of two weeks to prepare an initial concept, layout and 3D visuals, the pressure was intense. I worked back to back, constantly visiting the yacht for measurements. Pre-pre-sentation, I was held in a make or break situation. Negative thoughts entered my

DESIGNER Q&A


mind but I stayed positive and strong. I knew I did everything by the book. Looking at the rst 3D perspective view of the upper deck, Saeed said, ‘This is exactly what I want’, and it was from that moment I knew I could make it and my work could make a difference.

How do you feel about being a young interior designer in the Middle East?I feel thrilled, excited, valued and hope-ful for a brighter future. I’m thankful to be fortunate enough to start my career in UAE. Dubai especially, is the fashion and design hub within the Middle East. There’s great opportunity and potential here. I’ve grown up in the region and have friends from different backgrounds and cultures. It exposes you to different lifestyles and mind sets, shaping you as an individual to be compatible in a multicultural environment. It’s home to me and to have an opportunity to do something you love on your hometurf can never go amiss.

I have to admit, there have been a few times when I received a second glance from clients when I disclosed my age; I usually laugh it off and get back to business. Working as a young emerging interior designer especially within the UAE can be brutal or rewarding. It’s es-sential to be strong and make space for harsh criticism, it shouldn’t break you. It’s the trust factor that’s important.

Competition is tough especially when you’re young and clients are eager to know if their money is well spent.

The key is valuing what you do and understanding what you’re capable of. I don’t fancy imitating someone else because of their success, I’m sure the successful have had their share of rough seas and I’m prepared for it. If it’s my story I want to be the lead in it. It’s an individual’s character, upbringing, environment, exposure, ability to think outside of the box that de nes them.

Where do you get your inspiration from?Every client I meet inspires me to explore further; they’re the ones that literally pull my thoughts out of the box. It helps me to be more exible in terms of design. It’s brought me out of my comfort zone and has led me to explore new areas and concepts.

When I work in the studio I have my headphones on and my surroundings don’t matter. My colleagues know when I have my headphones on and I’m work-ing on a project I’m not to be disturbed. It helps to keep me focused on what I’m working on. Music inspires me.

Away from the studio, I’m spoiled with choice. Everything is an inspiration, from street lights to a concrete barrier. It’s been painstakingly designed by someone. I admire detail, I’m always arguing with myself regarding the pros and cons of an element in a design. I’m sure they have spent a lot of time, mon-ey and effort in the design process and I try and gure out why. The cost factors, material, ways to further research and come up with something more effective

and sustainable in nature. I’m a diehard fan of minimalism when it comes to inte-rior design. Clean shapes, earthy tones and natural design elements are what I look for. Simple is beautiful. The raw aspect in terms of design is intriguing. It should be easy for the eye to digest.

I’ve recently started using twitter and it’s a great way to meet and follow some of the industry’s best. It’s a great medium for keeping up-to-date in the in-dustry and a great source of inspiration.

What’s next for you?Accepting new challenges de nes me. I’m keen to know what may come in the future but time will tell. An opportunity to create the interiors for a private jet or commercial planes would be amazing. It is a whole new world and the challenge creating interiors for the air industry is fascinating. Weight is a crucial issue when it comes to aircraft interiors, sourcing out new materials or having the opportunity to experience or use differ-ent type of materials other than wood would be fascinating.

It’s always been on my mind to learn more about green design and build, as this is the future. I want to know more about the sustainable environment. To research and study about energy ef cient methods and ways in creating an energy ef cient space and pursuing studies on materials that are eco-friend-ly. The UAE is swiftly adopting green buildings; a LEED accreditation course will be next on the to-do list.

7

8

Upper deck lounge.

9

Lower deck bedroom.

98

TEKA AD Commercial interior Design.ai 1 10/24/11 10:44 AM

FEATUREFEATURE


FEATURE


FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS WORKING IN HER GR ANDMOTHER’S ST UDIO IN SPAIN, ISABEL PINTADO WENT ON TO JOIN GAJ, WINNING CID’S

INTERIOR DESIGN F IRM OF THE YE AR 2011

Isabel Pintado, associate partner, GAJ, claims her introduction to interiors came through her paternal grandmother who had a small decorating shop where she sold

furniture and undertook projects. From the age of 13, she started working week-

ends at her shop/studio, and this is where she developed a passion for design.

“I loved putting schemes together with her help and seeing them come to life,” she said. “Interior design and decoration fascinated me and drove my mother insane as I changed my room every couple of months. You could say that I started decorating and then after university moved on to designing.”

At the time, Pintado’s options in Spain were limited to studying architecture or interior

decoration so she moved to the UK where she rst took a foundation course in art and design in Brighton followed by a

degree in interior architecture at the Uni-versity of Wales.

In the last year of her studies, she started working part-time for architect,

Patrick Williams on the redesign of Aberystwyth University Student Union in Wales.

“After completing this project, the studio I set up with my husband and a colleague

from university took off and we spent many years designing restaurants, private villas, pharmacies, clinics and stands for fairs. A superb learning curve where we supported each other and undertook tasks we thought we would never do,” she said.

Pintado moved to Dubai 11 years ago, looking for a change of scene and new sources of inspira-tion from the Middle East.

She was introduced to Brian Johnson, through a friend, and after working on a couple of proj-ects on a freelance basis, he invited her to join GAJ (formerly Godwin Austin Johnson).

“With Brian’s support and trust in my abilities, the interior design team grew from just me to a team that reached 24 at our peak. Our staff have been with us for many years, some have moved on to other countries, some we sadly had to let go through the recession but the overall feeling is of a team that supports each other and craves to achieve the best possible work,” she said.

Over the last six months, many of the projects GAJ had on hold during the recession have come back to life, together with requests for new work.

The team is currently working on a series of hotels; Millenium in Muscat, a 4 star hotel at The Wave, Muscat, a series of private villas in Jed-dah, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. A golf club house in Scotland, and an apartment in Paris.

www.designmena.com

FEATURE


1

Isabel Pintado,

associate partner,

GAJ.

2

Walking through the

main of ce.

3

The design studio.

4

The GAJ design team.

5

The of ce interiors in

Al Barsha, Dubai.

2

4

3

5

It is also completing a series of projects in Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt, for Citystars urban develop-ment, from a 5 star hotel and apart-ment blocks to a nightclub.

“The extension to Palm Tree court, at the Jebel Ali Hotel has restarted on-site and we look forward to many of our other projects to reach site as to allow us to transform all our ideas and hard work into the nished project,” said Pintado.

“I see a year full of promises, new projects, new team members and developing the relationships with our current and new clients. A year that I am hoping will bring back the full potential of the team.”

For Pintado, the main challenges over the past three years have been getting projects to site.

She said many of the ideas clients have had, and commissioned to GAJ to

translate into designs, failed due to a lack of funding.

“Managing client's expectations for the budgets, that have over the last couple of years been allocated to projects, has not been an easy task. Value engineering is a word that I have

come to detest as design intents have been hard to maintain and sometimes lost. I believe this point could and can be resolved through the involvement of quali ed and experienced quantity surveyors involved at each stage, it would eliminate unnecessary abortive work and it would allow projects to run in a smoother manner,” she added.

“Good project managers, a key com-ponent to the consultant’s team, are not always considered necessary here and I believe all medium to large scale projects need them.”

For the rst year after the nancial crisis GAJ faired well in the industry as the majority of its projects were in North Africa, Libya, Tunisia and Egypt and they were less affected by the global downturn.

It was in the spring, the company found hardship due to the unrest in these countries and many projects

FEATURE


came to a standstill and it had to let go of a few members of staff.

“For better or worse, the crisis has acted as a purge of companies and I believe this has left the region with a better albeit smaller pool of design rms,” she said.

“Refurbishments and upgrades of existing buildings have picked up over the last year and I see these as a prom-ising source of work. Colleagues that specialise in of ce t-outs have seen a very good year and I see enormous potential in the UAE and the region.

6

Golf Club House.

7&8

The Federal National

Council building.

9&11

Kempinkski Palm

Jumeirah residences.

10

Golf Club House

library.

“From a design point of view, I would like to see it progress into an authentic interpretation of the region. An interpretation that avoids pastiche copies; where the history, the es-sence of the location of the project is distilled and applied in a creative way. I have always believed a project is as good as the client and luckily we have been blessed with them.”

Pintado said her advice to someone starting out in the profession is; ex-pect to work hard, listen to their senior designers and ask as many questions

as they need to get things right. Re-ally listen to what the client says and doesn’t say and always remember that they are the client and the end result must meet their brief. Egos are a dangerous thing in interior design and knowledge comes from experience and not from getting it right rst time round,” she said.

“I would suggest seeking work in a rm whose design philosophy meets

their own, where looking at the work they produce makes them want to discover more about themselves and

98

9 11

6

7

10

FEATURE


12

Westgate restaurant.

13

Tilal of ce interiors.

14

Tilal complex pantry.

15

Tilal complex of ce

view.

16

Westgate standard

suite.

17

Tozeur, Tunisia, spa.

18

Tozeur, Tunisia, bath.

where, once they have managed to get some work experience, they feel they would be happy. We all spend many hours at the of ce, more than at home and you need to be happy and be sup-ported to produce good design.

“Above all, have enthusiasm for what you do, try not to become overtly complacent with your designs and study what other designers are doing and their work constantly.”

GAJ is currently focusing on creat-ing good quality design and running

12

14

13

15

16 17 18

a team that feels proud of what they produce. Pintado said she wants to work in an environment where the design team can focus on ‘creating unique spaces, spaces that make people stop and look around, spaces that evoke emotions and achieve the client’s brief’.

“An environment that leads to creativity and happiness in the people around me.

Where will I be? You never know, life is full of surprises,” she said.

CASE STUDY: SAMAD RESTAURANT




PDL INTERIORS EMBR ACES ANCIENT HISTORY IN A MODERN DESIGN

Janan Khammo, set up PDL (Pro-getti Di Lusso) Interiors in 2007, having worked as an architect in Dubai for the last 15 years

with companies such as DEPA and Kocache Enterprises.

His fi t-out projects include the Sheraton Bahrain, Sheikh Marwan Al Maktoum Palace, Grand Hyatt, Dubai and the Kempinski Hotel, at the Mall of the Emirates.

He currently employs 60 craftsmen and 15 engineers at a factory that spe-cialises in custom made fi t-in joinery and loose furniture with an in-house design team working on concept presentation, design modifi cation, coordination and perspectives.

His company was asked to design the 470m² Samad Restaurant at Beach Park Plaza, Jumeirah, using the theme of Iraqi architecture, providing authentic traditional food and furniture within a related mood/atmosphere.

This idea was generated and de-veloped after the huge success of the fi rst Samad Restaurant built in Deira in 2005, also designed by PDL Interiors.

“At that time, the intention was to attract an Iraqi clientele, where the majority of people were located in Shar-jah, as well as people who pass by and tourists,” said Khammo.

“In our new Jumeirah branch the clientele are meant to be different; the majority are UAE citizens and expats, but we also wanted to appeal to various diplomatic corps, delegates and visitors to Dubai World Trade Centre exhibi-tions, in addition to the Iraqi society, living in Abu Dhabi.

“For most of the Iraqi community in UAE, Samad Restaurant has become a landmark, a gathering place, a venue for celebrations. Based on those tar-geted clientele, we made our designs and controlled our fi nishes to achieve the quality of interiors intended.”



Khammo said from an architect’s point of view, the design requirements set up by the management for Samad was like a ‘dream come true’ and an ‘architects playground’.

He said the team started the design process by exploring all possibilities for selecting the correct architectural vocabulary from an Iraqi dictionary of architectural details through to learning more about the history of Mesopota-mian architecture.

“In our design we have emphasised certain elements, such as the fl at dome,

1

Traditional 'Tanoor'

ovens.

2

Antique metal artwork

designed by PDL and

carved on MDF.

3

Chandeliers designed

by PDL.

1

which is usually used in the basements of traditional houses, mashrabia (in Iraq those are called shanashil) which are basically windows overlooking the path 'darboona' outside,” he said.

“The coloured windows (fretwork) called the URSI, which represent big windows covering the whole span of a wall with coloured glass, are used in the guest reception room on the upper fl oor, giving a warmth and privacy to the house residents.

“Most important of all is the building materials, the bricks (masonry work)

with all its intriguing details, used either for structural or ornamental pur-poses next to the wood work.”

Khammo believes that to achieve an aesthetically sound authentic design, it needs to make the whole space look as if it was actually built in the traditional method of Iraqi design.

“There should not be any 'stick on', 'faux paint' or 'decorative pieces'. In our design you feel that the 'décor' is the side product, which is revealed through the genuine authentic sophisti-cated structural technique,” he added.

2 3

Engineer of your creative visionArmstrong’s Atelier team of multi-talented, versatile experts experienced in pioneering ceiling and wall solutions is committed to providing intelligent, effi cient, cost-effective tailored solutions to meet revolutionary, state-of-the art interior project designs.

Discover the newly-launched Armstrong Atelier team, as well as a dynamic new Atelier website.

www.armstrong-atelier.eu

To decode this fl ashcode,you need to downloadMOBILETAG applicationon your smartphone app store.

Dubai Airport, UAE Founders Federal Credit Union, US



The biggest challenge for PDL Interiors was how to blend the various architectural elements, which are now relocated and pertain to more than one building prototype.

For example, the dome belonged to a house cellar, the mashrabia is an external window, the URSI window is the guest room internal window, arched ceilings resting on wooden beams are meant for public buildings.

All those elements were reshuffl ed and placed into a new format that could accommodate the function and style of a modern restaurant.

Then you have the smaller details and fi nishes, the traditional wood panel ornaments deriving from traditional cabinets called ‘Sandalia’ from mosul Northern Iraq, which have the patterns engraved in mother of pearl.

“We used those cabinets for the counter front. The wooden ceiling pat-terns are typical for the houses of the wealthy tradesmen with the decorative centre piece called the ‘Ayyina’. This is extensively used on the upper fl oor soffi t in our case and we have selected

the Ayyina called ‘Cobra’ pattern and developed it into a lighting feature.”

The menus are designed to refl ect the mood of the restaurant with Arabic poetry and the waitress uniforms are a replica of the old abbasid era, the dresses worn by the Hareem.

“You fi nd yourself sitting in a space that is not a house, a Khan (rest house) or a street (darboona), however the feeling is very traditional of Baghdadi/Iraq,” said Khammo.

“A lot of artwork is spread around the restaurant depicting various times of Iraqi history, most important of all is the major artwork at the top of the main

4

The reception desk.

5

'Qoori' teapots made

in Syria.

6

Marble slabs by PDL.4

5 6



staircase, which is in antique copper representing a mix of old Babylonian symbols and Assyrian fi gures of war-riors on their horses hunting lions.

“From our previous design experi-ence at the fi rst Samad restaurant in Deira, we noticed that one of the reasons of our success is the variety of architectural details and micro spaces (environments) provided in different corners of the restaurant. By doing so, the client is attracted towards a differ-ent area depending on where he sits.”

The project completion date suffered, due to several issues beyond the design team and main contractor’s control, such as the additional mezzanine fl oor steel structure that was added to the existing built up area which had to be approved by local authorities.

This space was needed for two rea-sons; functionally the allocated ground fl oor area for kitchens was not suffi cient for the set up menu and secondly from an architectural point of view, this ad-ditional space was indispensable.

sories, atmosphere and the details. The only disappointment was the delay in the opening,” added Khammo.

"Throughout a project and as a stan-dard process you are always faced with practical site problems that were not visible when setting out the concept.

“We had to alter the designs in many corners of the restaurant to accom-modate the MEP site requirements and spot problems. It was very interesting and challenging to alter the design details because we wanted to retain the same overall spirit.”

PDL Interiors has already won a new contract with another restaurant in Deira, thanks to the design of Samad and has had a lot of ‘encouraging feedback’ from visitors, architects and prospective clients.

It has completed a number of projects in its portfolio, including a AED40m in-terior for the head offi ce of the Environ-ment Agency, in Abu Dhabi, designed by RW Armstrong, Al Waha Capital, SABIC/Dubai and ALEC Al Jaber.

It also faced a problem with the scar-city of power, as the electrical power available in the mall was not suffi cient to accommodate the restaurant kitchen.

“The overall result is quite pleasant, we achieved almost everything we aimed for, from a design point of view, quality of space, furniture and acces-

7

Orient House

made the copper

chandeliers.

8

All woodwork is done

by the PDL workshop.

9

Decorative bricks

made in Greece,

supplied by Zad

Trading.

10

Chairs designed and

made by PDL.

11

Wooden relief, PDL.7

98

1110

Keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.Naturally.

American hardwood.

Follow us on Twitter ahec_europe

Each kilogram of U.S. hardwood product stores the equivalent of 1.835 kilograms of CO2 for as long as it remains in use. For more information visit: www.americanhardwood.org

CASE STUDY: SPENCER HART TAILORS




SHED HA S DESIGNED A FL AGSHIP STORE FOR LONDON TAILORS SPENCER HART, PART OWNED BY SINGER ROBBIE WILLIA MS

A stitch in t me



1



1

The oating table in

the store's entrance.

2

The shirts on display.

3

The front of the shop

is for the 'Mayfair'

customer.

4

The Neo-Georgian

building.

Matt Smith (ex Wolf Olins, Fitch & Imagination) and Nick Stringer (ex Prada) met at university and

founded Shed in London, in 2000.A former client of theirs introduced

them to Nick Hart and they were subse-quently invited to work on a project for him at Spencer Hart, Savile Row HQ.

After seven years of being on Savile Row, the company decided to broaden out and open a shop in Liberty’s in Lon-don and market a sub brand at a price in line with its competitors like Paul Smith and Richard James.

The result is a agship store within a period Neo-Georgian building, a former bank situated on the corner of Mayfair’s Brook Street. Shed has worked with many of the original features including the opening up of the fenestrated win-dows, impressive entrance portico and has retained the high bank ceilings.

“The store is about Savile Row and Palms Springs; it began as an out-there reference but has become physical in terms of both store-design and products. Spencer Hart Palm Springs is the casual wear, the scent - every non-suiting offering which will be at the agship,” said Hart.

The walls are constructed from geo-metric blocks inspired by Palm Springs’

Parker Hotel. This tesselated, iconic shape has become a 3D object; a mini sculpture and main feature born out of geometry. It is now the backbone to the whole store.

“The birth of Spencer Hart was in Sa-vile Row and was always about taking men on a journey into a world inhabited by these incredibly cool, well educated in the meaning of life, characters,” added Hart.

“My tale was centred around the world of Blue Note records in the late 50s and the paired down crisp under-stated but very disciplined approach to the aesthetics of that era and the way musicians would often take quite conservative preppy or establishment uniforms and give them an edge .

“Think Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk and the way they mis-appropriated white middle class dress, the Brooks Brothers wasp look, or in England, the way the Teds took Edward-ian Savile Row uniform and gave it a swagger. I also injected into the mix the David Bowie Thin White duke persona but then mixed in the romance of Brides Head Revisited.

“One of the single biggest in uences in terms of style, attitude and sounds was Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. The idea of men behaving outrageously and having it all,” he said.

Stringer said Shed began working with Hart by improving Savile Row and making it friendlier as it had been fright-ening for many people to enter.

It then invited the design rm to work on its next phase, which was to open a agship lifestyle concept store based

on the idea of Palm Springs in the 40s and 50s.

2

3

4



Hart wanted Shed to devise commer-cial spaces which worked for showcas-ing and selling collections of denim, underwear, luggage, shoes and scents; a oating table in the store’s entrance is an arresting centrepiece, housing ties and swatches.

The Spencer Hart ethos developed through its Savile Row origins was a useful starting place because although Shed knew there would be a more casual focus on tailored garments incor-porated into the design, the origins are still very much Savile Row.

“The trick was to take the best bits from Savile Row, attention to detail sharp tailoring and the fantastic per-sonal service and let that all breath with the new garments and accessories,” added Stringer.

“It was important for us not to forget where the brand originated. The architectural cool of Palm Springs was intrinsic to developing both the interior architecture and the brand, The Parker Hotel façade providing inspiration to anchor the interior with a strong yet delicate perforated concrete block wall.

5

The new garments

and accessories.

6

The collection of ties.

7

A mix of chalky dry

surfaces.

“This presented a chance for the brand to follow architecture in that Spencer Hart adopted the block motif as an integral part of the new 'Palm Springs' menswear range. Shed got the chance to develop packaging too for the Floris 'Palm Springs' scent, again bear-ing the block motif.”

Stringer said in the past, interior designs usually follow the brand 'ethos' set by another agency but with this proj-ect, the reverse is true. The landscape of the Californian desert played a big part on the ground oor, providing a mix of chalky dry surfaces with velvety sands and worn rock.

“We tried to exploit some of that richness into our project. The layering of materials and textures was important to take the store away from minimal-ism, that was never the right thing to pursue,” said Stringer.

“The mid century architecture sitting (literally) within these landscapes is often perched on the rocks in a particu-larly sculptural fashion. We loved the work of John Luatner particularly his Reiner Residence named ‘Silvertop’.

These homes were also refuges from the city, in this case Los Angeles where the movie stars and celebrities would retire to avoid the photographers. It’s always been a goal to design a store that became a domestic modern inter-pretation of that refuge.”

It took three years from conception; to nd a site and investors (there are 15 in total including singer, Robbie Wil-liams), to the design and nish.

“I went to Stringer and his team with very strong opinions and direction. This was a massive leap and I am a control freak as everything in the store is designed by me and we were taking a very big step,” said Hart. “It had to be comfortable for a hedge fund type chap to shop in, but at the same time a young creative or rock star could also be on the premises, and both feel welcome.”

The new store was formerly a bank, which meant it had a strong structure already in place with its façade, but, the team faced several challenges submit-ting the design to the City of Westmin-ster planning department in respect to its window fenestration and signage.

6

5

7



“We were insistent that the windows were opened up, as goods views into the space were intrinsic to the design's success,” said Stringer.

“The building’s history was interest-ing and we had to turn the challenge of an awkward basement space into the client’s advantage. That took the form of an almost clandestine VIP hideaway. Whereas the ground oor is light and bright, the basement represents a thoroughly luxurious environment in which the pop star and actor clients can have privacy and dedicated space for themselves and entourage.”

The basement at Brook Street houses the original bank vaults, which have been transformed into an exclusive area where access is by invitation only. Entering through a keypad-controlled, concealed door, the mood changes from the main retail space to become an after-hours hideaway.

The space is also lined in heavy velvet curtains and dark solid wood wall nishes, with tones of black, chocolate

brown and midnight blue.

Jazz, projections and specialist lighting add to the sense of a theatre and create a backdrop to exclusive product lines (vintage watches, Swaine Adeney Brigg leather goods, custom Oliver Goldsmith sunglasses) and bespoke tailoring.

At the heart of the basement is a vault room, lined in Rosewood, with its own changing space concealed behind two large sliding doors. This is where the bespoke tailoring happens.

“In every respect, it was a great project for Shed because the client con-tributed meaningfully at every stage. It’s not right for everyone, but working in this collaborative way with Hart pro-duced a result that everybody bought into along the way,” added Stringer.

The interior was centered on the different ’worlds’ of Spencer Hart. The southern elevation facing out onto Brooke Street and the Claridge’s Hotel re ects the more tailored side of the business, while the westerly façade facing Davies Street houses the diffu-sion ‘Palm Springs’ range. The store is dissected according to its clientele;

the ‘Mayfair’ customer is one which needs to be courted and made to feel comfortable in the tailored world. This is captured in the entrance with front facing garments to demonstrate 20 or more ‘looks’ instantaneously. The hanging table is a great talking point whilst accommodating ties, scarves and cuf inks to the adjacent suits.

The so-called ‘architect’ customer can migrate further into the store and discover his own Spencer Hart ‘world’ where changing rooms are at the back of the store with heavy velvet drapes.

“Texture was important as we headed away from minimalism and echoed the weaves of seersucker and corduroy in the garments. Some of the design was straightforward referencing to the world of show business, the theatre style lights for example and the lm projec-tions of Miles Davies and Bowie,” said Stringer. “It’s not about old school Bond Street agship, it’s a fresher way of retailing which the world of menswear needs.” Hart will open 10 concessions over the next three years with Shed.

8

The design echoes the

architectural cool of

Palm Springs.

9

A showcase for denim,

luggage, shoes and

scents.

10

The changing rooms

are at the back of the

store.

11

A perforated concrete

block wall.

12

Sharp tailoring.

98

10 11 12

Mysterious Forest by LASVIT at Index International Design Exhibition, Dubai

www.lasvit.com

Light Design Experience

Lasvit cordially thanks to all the visitors that have come to Lasvit’s Mysterious Forest feature for the fi rst time exhibited at the Index International Design Exhibition in Dubai.

[email protected]

Tel:+971 4 885 78 78

SUN AND SHADES L.L.C.PO Box 251997, Dubai United Arab Emirates

FULLY UPHOLSTERED, FULLY COMFORTABLE OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Introducing for the first time in the Middle East and Africa

100% all weather proof fabricQuick dry pu foam

Easy to washNo Stain

High end solutions ideal for outdoor and indoor spaces


FEATURE

Italian architect and design studio, Atelier Mendini and New York-based industrial designer Karim Rashid, has collaborated with the

M.N. Metropolitana di Napoli to create the interiors of the University of Naples subway station.

Rashid said a subway station is a temporal, transitional space, yet the commuter is contained for a short period of time before continuing his/her journey. The design concept focuses on the commuter experience within the train station, and how the surrounding environment can serve as a respite in a person’s daily schedule.

“There was a great synergy working with Atelier Mendini, particularly on the creative and technical level highly required for this project,” he said.

The subway station is the rst of ve new facilities integrating the Naples subway line 1 that serves strategic areas of the town and is part of the “Art Stations” network, which are all conceived by internationally renowned architects and enriched in both interiors and exteriors, by sculptures, installa-tions and contemporary artworks.

to the platforms below and intersecting the space between the head pro le benches is an abstracted, Synopsis sculpture re ecting the nodes of the brain and the synapses which occur within that.

Nearby, the subway station control centre is clad with DuPont Corian Glacier White to contrast with the pop-style graphics on the oor and wall.

Various artworks and other graphic art serve as a focal point. These abstract images invoke the user to shape the environment according to his/her own creative interpretations. The platform steps feature abstracted portraits of Dante and Beatrice. The accent colours, lime and pink, indicates the direction and guides visitors through the descent to the nal destination.

“I started this project more than six years ago. I visited Naples, in 2004, for a brie ng with Mendini then he and M.N. Metropolitana di Napoli selected vari-ous famous architects to design each station,” said Rashid.

“They showed me Gae Aulenti’s station design that was completed in 2002 as well as the station Mendini had

Entering the venue from the piazza, the visitor walks though a space clad with tiles, each one printed with new words created in the last century.

The mezzanine level of the station has four black columns clad with DuPont Corian in Nocturne (black). These are all positioned close to the gates, with two in a cylindrical section, and the others featuring the pro les of huge heads.

Along the back wall of the lobby level are lenticular icons that change colour and perspective as commuters proceed

Sliding DoorsA COLOURFUL DESIGN BY KARIM RASHID REVITALISES THE INTERIORS

OF A SUBWAY STATION IN NAPLES, ITALY

1

University of Naples

subway station.

2

Karim Rashid.

2

1

FEATURE


DESTINATION FOCUS

3

Lenticular icons

change colour in the

lobby level.

4

Pop-style graphics on

the ceiling.

5

The platform steps

have portraits of

Dante and Beatrice.

6

The Synopsis

sculpture.

7

The surrounding

environment has a

striking palate.

8

Digital artwork.

9

Curved walls and

sculptural columns.

10

Black columns

depicting huge heads.

designed. Aulenti’s station has work by Michelangelo Pistoletto and Joseph Kosuth. Some stations have art from Sol Lewitt to Sandro Chia. Alessandro and Francesco Mendini were the master planners on the projects.”

Rashid used pop colours in two tones – lime and pink – taking the theme of a conceptual descent when entering the subway as a physical and mental transi-tion for visitors.

“A new world is discovered below ground where travelers are impacted by the soft nature and striking palate of the

space. Since the stations were under the auspices of art, this allowed me to de-sign something more than a station, that is somewhat conservative, and ‘accent’ it with art,” he said.

“I did the whole station as a digital art space so I sunk the art budget into the interior wall and spaces instead of selecting art. I always thought it was a better way to spend money.

“A person is in the station on average for three to four minutes and in that time I want to communicate the idea of knowledge, global information, the

shrinking world, the data-driven third technological revolution, infosthetics, and a place that stimulates, inspires, and exudes energy.

“When I designed the station with large ‘digital data-driven brushstrokes I did not even think about whether it is wild or not, I guess I was more naive then, and thought that they wanted my aesthetic. And they did and along the whole process from the president to the politicians to the engineering team, everyone loved my concept. The only reason it took so long was because of

3

4 5

FEATURE


the tumultuous political condition that prevails in Naples.”

The whole interior design of the Uni-versità subway station is conceived to guide travelers on a pathway to knowl-edge and to stimulate creativity, imagi-nation and refl ection. Beyond guiding the traveler through the underground space in a fresh and exciting way, all decorative and structural elements of the environment create a link between the pragmatic function of the station and the academic and multi-cultural relevance of the city district.

The overall result is an astonishing, environment for a subway station: curved walls, sculptural columns, vivid colours and graphics refl ecting a strong spatial personality.

Rashid is currently working on a 600-room hotel in Bangkok and a condo proj-ect in Miami as well as a children’s store in Russia, limited edition cell phone and clocks for Alessi. His award winning de-signs include democratic objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh Chair for Umbra, interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia and Semiramis hotel, Athens.

6

7

9

8

10

FEATURE


Technology is increasingly being used in the bathroom design industry to combat the issue of water conservation. Showers,

sinks and general water use account for 40% of a resident’s water cost.

Interior design trade shows such as Index have tapped into this market by hosting specifi c events for the industry. K&B Essentials was a feature designed specifi cally for interior designers, archi-tects and project consultants dealing with kitchen and bathroom space.

“The K&B industry is driven by the latest state of the art developments in space planning, design aesthetics, functionality and longevity and there are three core areas that generally need to be considered when designing a kitchen or a bathroom for any small or large scale project: innovation and trends,

As a fi rm that delivers water every day to commercial and residential buildings, it prioritises products that address to-day’s environmental concerns, such as water conservation and water quality.

The Middle East offi ce opened in 2011 and since February, the team and distribution network throughout the GCC and Levant region has grown.

“Despite the fact that we are coming late to the region, we see a lot of oppor-tunities over here, since responsible use of our resources, in particular water, and the requirement for long-term warranty as well as longevity and reliability of materials are becoming the main criteria in the commercial sector,” said Ross Jackson, regional manager, Middle East.

Delta has worked on international commercial and residential projects, like the Las Vegas Centre, Trump Ocean

sustainability and water conservation,” said Muhammed Kazi, project manager, Index Kitchen & Bathroom.

Brands are working to combine innovation while making an effort towards reducing the environmental impact, lowering the consumption of non-renewable resources and improving water management.

Delta Faucet is one of the latest com-panies to enter the Middle East market. Founded by Masco Corporation in 1954 with the introduction of the single-handle faucet, it manufactures Delta, Brizo and Peerless branded products.

From Touch2O Technology that turns faucets on and off with just a touch, to a Diamond valve that helps the faucet last up to 10 times longer than the industry standard, Delta wants to provide a bet-ter way to experience water.

A Private AffairWITH SHOWS SUCH AS INDEX DUBAI HAVING A BATHROOM-SPECIFIC SHOW FLOOR,

CID DISCOVERS THE BEST BATHROOM PROJECTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

1

The Addison tap

created by Delta

Faucet Company.

2

The Pilar faucet.

1 2

FEATURE


3

Delta Faucet worked

on projects in Macau.

4

Duravit’s Starck

barrels were used in

the Burj Khalifa.

5

GROHE’s faucets seen

at the Sidra Medical

and Research Centre.

Club in Panama, and the Napa Valley residential complex in Beijing.

It was also named 2011 WaterSense Manufacturer Partner of the Year by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where it was recognised for its support of the WaterSense programme and ongoing commitment to promoting advancements in water effi ciency.

Mark Bickerstaffe, director — new product development kitchen & bath, Europe and Asia Pacifi c, Kohler, said sustainability is a global issue.

Having had an opportunity to under-stand how water is viewed in different cultures, Bickerstaffe said certain regions are attuned to the threat to its natural resources, like China, which creates a passion within consumers to respond to the problem.

“We see the same in India; there is an understanding in the high end of the market about conservation. Within the European mature markets there’s been a huge amount of scepticism about sustainability, but that is starting to change. That’s partly driven by the need to save money and to make sensible and long-term choices. People are changing their minds and altering their values,” Bickerstaffe added.

3 4

DURAVITWhat is the best interior design project your company has executed in the Middle East and why?Beside other significant projects

in Dubai, the tallest building in the

world, the Burj Khalifa, built by Emaar

Properties, is the most impressive,

which Duravit has worked on. The

tower’s bathrooms feature the “barrel”

made by Duravit.

In the last 20 years, Duravit has

successfully pursued an explicit

design strategy for its products and

offerings and, in collaboration with

high-profile names such as Philippe

Starck, Sieger Design and Matteo

Thun, has developed bathroom and

wellness products that stand out not

only on the strength of their unusual

design but also because of their value

for money.

“We offer everything in bathroom

design, ranging from jeans to dinner

jacket,” said Franz Kook, management

board chairman, Duravit.

The barrel is a vanity unit designed for

Duravit by Philippe Starck in 1994. He

was inspired by primitive forms, such

as the washing bowl, bucket, hand

pump, and nail.

Over the years, the Starck barrel has

become Duravit’s best-selling item

of bathroom furniture and has been

selected to move into the luxury

skyscraper, Burj Khalifa.

Duravit has delivered more than 1,000

barrels to Dubai, as well as over 4,000

WCs and bidets and more than 1,600

baths and whirltubs.

GROHEWhat is the best interior design project your company has executed in the Middle East and why?One of the biggest landmark projects

GROHE has worked on this year is the

world’s most exclusive hospital: Sidra

Medical and Research Centre in Qatar.

GROHE has fully equipped the entire

facility with its premium state-of-the-

art faucets, Eurosmart Cosmopolitan

CE, at the final phase of the project.

The centre, which was designed by

the world renowned architect Cesar

Pelli, will be an ultra-modern, all-

digital academic medical centre. The

centre will encompass three primary

functions: World-class clinical care,

medical education and biomedical

research.

5

FEATURE


ROCAWhat is the best interior design project your company has executed in the Middle East and why?The Wave Muscat is the rst ITC project

in Oman (freehold property). Roca SW

has been supplying this project since

2009. So far it has supplied nearly 400

toilets for ats. Recently, the client has

extended these speci cations to villas

and commercial spaces. Now the entire

project is likely to be with Roca. When

finished, it will have 4,000 houses

(town houses, apartments, detached

and attached villas), three hotels, a

Greg Norman signature golf club and

shopping area. Roca supplied Dama

Senso BTW + Concealed Cistern +

Push plate; Stratum Wash Basin with

base unit; Vythos BT + Front panel;

Targa range mixers; Play accessories;

and, Happening and Malta range

shower trays with wooden platforms.

GEBERITWhat is the best interior design project your company has executed in the Middle East and why?The Meydan Hotel is Geberit’s best

due to the sheer volume of high end

products supplied by Geberit and

due to the opulence, profusion and

attention to detail of this hotel with

rooms having spectacular views of

the racetrack. The range of products

Geberit supplied include Duofix self

supporting mounting frames and the

concealed cisterns with a range of

different flush actuators including

sensor and manual operated for the

concealed cisterns, Geberit Aquaclean

Shower toilets, Hytronic automatic

taps with infrared control and

numbers supplied go into thousands.

Geberit has a range of products that

are regarded as sustainable sanitation

solutions and which contribute to

increased quality of life with low

energy and water consumption and

with ecologically friendly materials.

Noise insulation or simple product

disposal are also part of responsible

product design. For decades, its

products have been setting standards

in terms of economical water

consumption and its production

plants practise active environmental

management with impressive results.

BAGNO DESIGNWhat is the best interior design project your company has executed in the Middle East and why?To date, Bagno Design has supplied many of the leading hotels in the Middle East. The hotel which stands

out as being the most significant in recent times would be the Yas Hotel. Straddling Abu Dhabi’s Yas racing

circuit, which annually hosts the Final race of the Formula 1 calendar, this hotel has become an iconic

destination with the world’s eyes focused on it. The project was designed and managed by an international

design team. The hotel was constructed in a very short period of time utilising both conventional and pre-

fabricated (pod) construction methods. These factors capitalised on Bagno Design’s varied product portfolio

and also tested its supply chain capabilities.

Bagno Design comprises of both wholly owned and franchised operations – there are currently over 15 Bagno

design showrooms globally, with more set to open in Q1 of 2012.

6&7

Some of the products

supplied by Roca for

The Wave Muscat.

8

The Meydan Hotel

bathroom by Geberit.

9

The Yas Hotel worked

on by Bagno Design.

6 8

7

9

Setting the standard forconstructionservices

www.isgplc.com

ISG is an international construction services company delivering

WINNERMIDDLE EAST INTERIORCONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR

Contact: Roger Clement - Business Development ManagerTel: + 971 4 350 6900 Email: [email protected]

Dubai Abu Dhabi Qatar Cairo

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW


With more than $300 billion worth of major projects to be awarded across the

Middle East by 2012, organisers of The Of ce Exhibition — Middle East’s largest industry exhibition for of ce design — said they are con dent the 11th edition will deliver more opportunities for participants to tap the anticipated market growth in the regional of ce segment.

With GCC interior design spend forecast to exceed US $5.67 bil-lion in 2011, according to industry analyst Ventures Middle East, the outlook for the of ce t-out seg-ment remains positive as contrac-tors support new infrastructure projects, developers manage existing assets and end-users

OFFICE SUPPLIERSYOU SHOULD KNOW

take advantage of the surplus in prime of ce supply.

“The GCC commercial t out and of ce refurbishment seg-ments are poised for exponential growth in the coming years. Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia have revealed plans for big infrastruc-ture projects, which will ensure supporting commercial property, while in the UAE we continue to see businesses take advantage of the declining prices in of ce space,” said David Wilson, event director, dmg :: events.

“With the Of ce Exhibition attracting visitors from across the wider Middle East and even Africa, it really is the gateway through which to reach active business opportunities in the region,” he added.

Among the con rmed exhibitors for the event include international heavyweights Bisley, Bürotime and Guialmi who have each indi-cated plans for product launches at the 2012 show.

The Of ce Exhibition’s focus is to showcase the best in of ce design from around the world, educating the region about the latest of ce trends and providing invaluable industry networking opportunities for rms. It will also broaden its show offering to in-clude specialist health and educa-tion suppliers to meet the regional growth in both these sectors.

The Of ce Exhibition’s associa-tion with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) as its of cial knowledge partner for the second consecutive year also


enables the regional architecture and design professionals to ac-cess some of the most respected industry opinion.

Following the success of the 2011 show, when a signi cant amount of business was closed onsite, exhibitors are anticipating next year’s event. Nearly half of the exhibition oor space for 2012 has already been sold prior to the event’s of cial launch, with 30% of that booked at the end of the 2011 show.

The Of ce Exhibition will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 15-17, 2012.

With a booming of ce market and an exciting year predicted for 2012, Commercial Interior Design speaks to the of ce suppliers everyone should know.



Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 99www.designmena.comwww.designmena.com Commercial Interior Design | NOVEMBER 2011 99

By Tom DiLillo, director of marketing

Tell us about your company?Coalesse offers highly crafted, award winning furnishings for designers and their clients who realise the value of art-fully appointed spaces.Our customers want style, authenticity, and craft to inspire them everyday. They want their values embodied in their environment. They want premium expe-riences and original designs.As the premium brand of Steelcase Inc., Coalesse supplies a comprehensive offering that supports work in lobbies, lounge, conference and meeting rooms, private of ce, cafeterias and canteens, and informal meeting areas.

What are your best selling products?While all our products are very popular in the market, our new SW_1 low col-laborative collection is now our fastest growing product range.Our broad collection of lounge seating including the new Millbrae and Visalia, coupled with our CG_1 and Sebastopol occasional tables have also been really well received by our clients.

Recent developments?We’ve recently introduced a line of casegoods to enhance the meeting and collaborative space. This line includes a lectern, a series of credenzas, benches for over ow seating, a serving cart, and personal mobile storage unit, which we call the Moby.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?We strive to understand the needs and expectations of companies and their workers by continuously researching people, work, and lifestyle needs.By combining insights from research with a world-class design culture we as-pire to create solutions that will inspire people, help ease the fast pace of work and life, and change the landscape of our homes and of ces.

How do we contact you?PO Box 502596Dubai, UAET: +9714 369 7838F: +9714 369 [email protected]

Steelcase

By Rand Sandher, sales director and Sid-dharth Peters, managing director

Tell us about your company?The Total Of ce is a 15-year-old organisation within the Middle East that provides furniture solutions for the corporate and hospitality sector.

What are your best selling products?Idea Paint, which turns virtually any surface you can paint into a high-performance dry-erase surface.Transit, which offers a high-performance of ce furniture system, designed for maximum planning exibility.Cwtch is an elegant high back sofa solu-tion designed to offer a private place in any busy or public space. It won The Best of Category: Seating – Group Seat-ing at The Of ce Exhibition, May 2011. Tek/N is a durable, elegant and econom-ical solution for the of ce environment which features a linear and minimalist aesthetic and a carefully edited selec-tion of design options. Revo includes desks, extensions, work, stretch worktop, cabinets and confer-ence tables designed to create work

spaces ef cient, functional and comfort-able. It was awarded the Good Design Award from the Museum of Architecture and Design of the Chicago Athenaeum and is in its permanent collection.

Recent developments?The new version of Idea Paint will be available in November 2011 which will be odourless, low VOC, writeable in two days as opposed to seven and sprayable. New is Dossier, the executive line by Teknion launched at NeoCon 2011. It is case-goods rede ned with a clean architectural look and exible.

What sets you apart?We have 15 years experience with con-tinuous understanding and adapting to market trends. We are committed to en-vironmentally sustainable practices, evi-dent with our LEED accredited facilities. We tailor our service to each customer to ensure their corporate vision is realised.

How do we contact you?T: +9714 450 8700, F: +9714 450 8702info@thetotalof ce.bizwww.thetotalof ce.biz

The Total Of ce



By Andrew Jackson, director

Tell us about your company?Having operated in the Middle East for over 30 years, SAS International is a leading designer and manufacturer of interior building solutions. Products include metal ceiling systems, parti-tioning and architectural metalwork. We’ve recently opened a 15,500 sq ft dedicated training suite at our Dubai site which offers contractors exible training and seminar programmes for our metal ceiling systems or partitioning. SAS International has supplied a number of signi cant projects in the region including Aldar’s Headquarters in Abu Dhabi and the VIP car park at the Abu Dhabi Financial Centre. The company has recently supplied a bespoke metal ceiling solution, which is currently being installed, to Trust Tower in Abu Dhabi.

What are your best selling products?Our metal ceiling solutions have a lifespan in excess of 25 years with only very basic maintenance. They provide building tenants with a value option, of-fering a high quality, long lasting nish as well as a sustainable one. They offer an inert and inherently hardwearing surface, making metal ceiling systems both hygienic and a low-maintenance option. They can allow for service inte-gration and ease of access for ongoing maintenance and cleaning. Perforated metal ceiling solutions can provide outstanding levels of acoustic perfor-

SAS International

mance which is a major consideration to provide enhanced occupant comfort in an of ce environment.

Recent developments?We recently launched a range of com-modity products, available from stock, direct from the local depot in Dubai including metal ceiling solutions ideal for the commercial environment.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?SAS International is driven by core val-ues of quality, innovation and value. The continuous investment and develop-ment of the business ensure high quality product solutions providing outstanding value to project teams and clients pursu-ing excellence. Metal ceilings offer the sophisticated look desired by Middle East clients and are available in a variety of nishes that help to enhance the value of a building and perception of the internal environment. In the commercial sector where letting of ce space is hugely competitive tenants are attracted by grade “A” of ce space that represents real value for money.

How do we contact you?SAS International Of ce No. 1, Sun & Sands BuildingDubai Investment Park 2PO Box 450575, Dubai, UAET: +971 4 8855 545; F: +971 4 8855 [email protected] www.sasint.ae



By Prashant Sharma, division manager

Tell us about your company?Alshaya Trading is part of Alshaya Group, the region’s largest retailer founded in 1890, and now spans more than 11 countries. The furniture division represents some of the best brands in the industry across the GCC with dedi-cated project showrooms in UAE, KSA, Kuwait and Qatar with of ce furniture like demountable partitions, executive, operative desking and seating, confer-encing and auditorium solutions. We offer design services for client’s of ces.

What are your best selling products?We sell demountable partitions and executive ranges from Estel, Italy, seat-ing from Sedus and Grammar Of ce, Germany and operative desking and conferencing solutions from Nowy styl group, Poland.

Recent developments?We have completed prestigious projects in the region like Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, Buraimi University in Oman, community colleges in Riyadh and RAS

gas HQ in Qatar. We are investing a lot in infrastructure and human capital and are exploring new markets in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent.

What sets you apart?We derive our strength from our recognised management quality, in-novative strategies and favourable em-ployer culture. We only represent top of the line brands and our committment to high quality products and services sets us apart from the competition. We pride ourselves on our professional sales and marketing team, supported by in-house design, logistics and service teams. This expertise gives us a competitive advantage in executing projects of any scale in the region.

How do we contact you?Alshaya Trading Co LLCFurniture DivisionSalahuddin Street, Deira, DubaiT: +971 4 607 4200F: +971 4 269 [email protected]

Al Shaya Trading

By Abdul-Aziz Azem, founder

Tell us about your company?Our company is the rst of its kind in the Saudi market. In the last 30 years, we have handled massive projects all over the country. Our expertise rests in the supply of architectural lighting xtures, lighting control systems, of ce

furniture, carpet tiles and raised oor-ing with branches in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. With a capacity of 100 employees and being exclusive dealers for many international brands including Vitra and XAL, we have set professional standards in the Saudi market.

What are your best selling products?Vitra, Erco, Rovasi, Actiu and XAL.

Recent developments?Important projects executed in 2011: Princess Noura University (architectural lighting and of ce furniture); Capital Market Authority Head Of ce (of ce fur-niture), Riyadh; King Abdul Aziz Library (of ce furniture), Riyadh; Electricity & Co-Generation Regulatory Authority (architectural lighting and of ce

furniture), Riyadh; Sanabel (of ce fur-niture), Riyadh; Omrania & Associates (of ce furniture), Riyadh; Deloitte Head Of ce (of ce furniture), Riyadh; Commu-nication & Information Technology Com-mission - CITC (architectural lighting), Riyadh; King Abdullah Financial District (architectural lighting), Riyadh; Tamkeen Tower (architectural lighting), Riyadh; Uroba Gallery (architectural lighting), Riyadh; and King Fahad Airbase (archi-tectural lighting), Taiff.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?We always try to have our uniqueness in projects with high quality design prod-ucts, making sure our customers are satis ed. For us, a project is a challenge to make each penny worthwhile.

How do we contact you?Nouran Technical Lighting & Contracting Co. Ltd., P.O Box 17420Riyadh 11484, Saudi ArabiaT: +966 1 462 1150F: +966 1 465 [email protected]

Technolight



By Chan Abraham, national sales manager – of ce solutions

Tell us about your company?Since its inception over three decades ago, FAMCO is committed to providing outstanding second-to-none service levels to customers and to maintaining quality, safety and environmental stan-dards. FAMCO is an ISO 9001:2008 & ISO 14001:2004 certi ed company.

What are your best selling products?As the largest Bruynzeel agent in the Middle East region, it is a market leader for mobile shelving and archiving, pro-viding an ef cient solution to storage problems. Bruynzeel’s systems include both static and mobile shelving and cabinetry, meeting quality and safety standards such as RAL, GS and CE to provide storage solutions for of ces and archives, including government institu-tions, libraries, museums, universities, nancial and healthcare organisations.

Recent developments?It has recent additions including a range of ergonomic seating with certi ca-

tions from Greenguard, BIFMA, 1S0 9001:2008. Its of ce solutions depart-ment has completed many projects in the private and government sector including Abu Dhabi Archiving Depart-ment, Dubai Hospitals, Lexus, Toyota, ADNOC Ruwais Hospital.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?FAMCO’s of ce solutions team are well-equipped to provide complete turnkey solutions for of ces. With international furniture, ling and archiving brands, as well as innovative design options, a pleasing, diverse and effective combina-tion is guaranteed. Its of ce solutions showrooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi ex-hibit a carefully selected range of of ce seating and work stations. With a 50% growth in 2011, the of ce solutions team is the translation of the relation-ship utilising advanced technology with style, aesthetics, durability, safety, and care for the environment.

How do we contact you?www.famcouae.comToll free 800 FAMCO(32626)

FAMCO

By Rob Keddie, regional director – Middle East and Africa

Tell us about your company?Herman Miller is one of the largest of ce and healthcare furniture manufacturers. It is recognised as a leader in design innovation and manufacturing for the environment. We sell globally through an extensive dealer network, with regional headquarters in Dubai.

What are your best selling products?Launched in 2004, and still produced at a rate of one every 15 seconds, Aeron is still one of the best selling products for Herman Miller. With its groundbreaking design, Aeron provides healthy comfort and balanced body support using its innovative suspension and easy to use adjustment controls.

Recent developments?In 2010 Herman Miller launched the SAYL family of of ce chairs designed by Yves Behar, continuing our tradition of bringing design led ergonomics to the market. Yves Behar is known for pushing the boundaries of technology;

and SAYL continues this trend. Offering Herman Miller quality and manufactured with respect for the environment, SAYL is at the cutting edge of design and ergonomics, whilst still offering custom-ers a chair with an attainable price.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?Herman Miller are probably best renowned for their iconic designs, from the launch of Ergon 1976 as the world’s rst ergonomic task chair, through to

the newly launched SAYL family of seat-ing, the design of which was inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge. The strength of this shows particularly with seating, where products are designed in line with decades of ergonomic research and understanding of the human body, and manufactured with a class leading 12 year, 24-hour use warranty.

How do we contact you?Herman MillerPO Box 37190, Dubai, UAET: +971 4 515 6565; F: +971 4 515 6566 [email protected]/worldwide.

Herman Miller



By Ralph Ong, managing director

Tell us about your company?Based in Malaysia, Oasis Furniture Industries has been in the of ce chair manufacturing business for more than 13 years and makes high quality ergo-nomic healthy chairs. Burosc, a brand by Oasis, provides the highest standards of healthy and comfortable of ce seating for the corporate market worldwide. Burosc by Oasis has more than ve years experience in the global market project line and is now expanding its business and is looking for partnership in the Middle East and North Africa.

What are your best selling products?The innovative Sorrento mesh chair is sustainably eco-designed. It is ergo-nomically contoured, designed with a balance between aesthetics and func-tionality, integrating ergonomic support and comfort with emphasis on healthy seating and is environmental friendly.

Recent developments?Oasis’ successful delivery of its projects include: Paris – Sarbonne University

Abu Dhabi, UAE; Emirates National School Project in Abu Dhabi, UAE; Multi-National Corporation Projects in Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Airport Free Trade Zone in UAE has further enhanced its image and credibility internationally. Burosc by Oasis is making a strong entry into the of ce commercial project busi-ness and is making its presence felt in the regional markets.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?All Burosc by Oasis chairs meet ANSI/BIFMA compliance standards. We ad-here to stringent quality controls with no compromise to ergonomics. We believe in human resource development and training is part of our working culture.

How do we contact you?Oasis Furniture Industries Sdn Bhd2 & 3, Jalan Perindustrian Gemilang,Jalan Mersing, 86000 Kluang, Johore, Malaysia.T: +607 773 3292F: +607 773 [email protected]

Burosc by Oasis

By Gaurav Jaisal, key accounts manager

Tell us about your company?Human Space Of ce Furnishing LLC is a mid to high-range furniture distributor with a showroom located at Oud Metha in Dubai.We promote brands from the USA, Italy, Germany, UK and Thailand. We specialise in the supply and installa-tion of of ce furnishings.Our staff is trained in ergonomic seating and is able to demonstrate how to use the desks and chairs correctly.Most of the companies we represent are part of the Green Building Council and the furniture we supply can help clients with their LEED credits.We pride ourselves on the quality of our furniture, the knowledge and expertise of our team and our delivery and post-installation services.

What are your best selling products?Some of our best selling products include: All Steel, USA; Gunlocke, USA; HBF, USA; Martex, Italy; Dauphin, Ger-many; Connection, UK; Techo, UK; and, Rockworth, Thailand.

Recent developments?We have a new showroom with a 5,000 sq ft display area on Sheikh Rashid Road, behind Mövenpick Hotel in Oud Metha, Dubai. We’re also opening a showroom in Abu Dhabi soon. Some of our projects include: Dubai World Cen-tral (DWC), Bank Melli Iran (BMI), Ameri-can School of Dubai, UAE ExchangeArcadia Middle East and Honda Motor Co. Middle East.

What sets you apart from the compe-tition?Human Space prides itself on its quality service, its expertise of design and installation of our team, and the variety of quality brands that we supply.

How do we contact you?Gaurav Jaiswal+97150 107 [email protected] of ce:T: +971 4 357 4393F: +971 4 357 4352Abu Dhabi of ce:T: +9712 443 3363F: +971 2 443 3373

Human Space


PRODUCTS

New on the market

Novalis Fine Arts, design and art gallery in Turin, presents the fi rst retrospective of the Austrian designers mischer’traxler, curated by Maria Cristina Didero. From November 6 -December 6, the space will show some of the most

MISCHER’TRAXLERwere awarded the Designer of the Future Award given by W Hotel with Design Miami/Basel.

NOVALIS FINE ARTS

+39 011 19713628

www.novalisfinearts.com

important products and installa-tions of the Austrian duo.Their work has been exhibited at venues like the Art Institute of Chicago, the Design Museum in London and more. At the Salone del Mobile 2011 mischer’traxler

Dubai SharjahAbu DhabiUnited Kingdom

P O Box 7185 DubaiUnited Arab Emirates

T +971 4 3237555F +971 4 3237717

E [email protected] www.gaj-uae.ae

to

Our ClientsOur Team..

PRODUCTS


FIRELINEThe FireLine insert is a safe and easy way to display a long ribbon of fl ames on a wall, in a recess or even on a shelf.FireLine provides this exception-ally long showcase running on biofuel – 1034mm.The new model mixes contem-porary design and functionality, which fi nds its application in

most interiors and opens new possibilities for architects.FireLine is a manual alternative to the remote controlled Digifi re models. It also has a new auto-matic model released at Index.

BOCONCEPT 2012 COLLECTIONThe 2012 BoConcept collection of design furniture and accessories is inspired by nature. There is a new softness in the look – the rounded corners of the armrests create a relaxed and cozy at-mosphere. The same soft lines appear in the dining chair with oak legs and plain or upholstered seats. The round shapes of the

black dining table, the coffee table with glass top and side ta-bles complement the look. Wood dominates and colours are subtle and inspired by the 70s with a palette of browns and greys.

BOCONCEPT

+9714 341 4144

www.boconcept.ae

THE KONTAINER

+971 4 323 2932

www.momofire.com

ELET TRA COLLECTIONOpera Contemporary, a modern brand from the historic Italian furniture company Angelo Cappel-lini has launched new collections recently, designed by Studio Castello Lagravinese.The bedroom with a Tosca bed is completed with products from the Elettra collection which features walnut wood and shiny brass tips on the feet.This collection includes the romantic dressing table which comes with the new glossy-framed Bersi mirror, as well as bedside tables and a chest of drawers with wave-like carvings on the solid wood doors and sides that offer a three-dimensional play on light and shadows.

OPERA CONTEMPORARY

+39 0317 66024

www.operacontemporary.com

108 OCTOBER 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.designmena.com

In October 2011, InterfaceFLOR re-leased its Once upon a Tile series of latest carpet tile collections in the Middle East, which is targeted at architects, ooring contractors, speci ers and interior designers

throughout Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.The latest series is made up of the following collections: Concrete Mix, Scribble, Vintage — Ornate & Re ne, Circles, Consolidation,

ONCE UPON A TILE SERIES

This collection by RAK Ceramics boasts an eye-catchy design in uenced by an oval-shaped grid that gives a contemporary outlook to interiors. The classy look of this tile has a smoothing effect on the walls and is the

answer to growing urban demand for exquisite tile designs. It is available in size 45 x 45 cm.

The Serenity collection by Bati Bali is all about nature. Stone allows people to unwind in a peaceful setting. Gita and Serena washbasins are not only sculp-tural and artistic objects but also functional bathroom elements.

Bagno design luxury showrooms exclusively offer the Bati Bali col-lections across the GCC.

CHARM SERENIT Y COLLECTION

RAK CERAMICS

+9717 244 5046

www.rakceramics.com

BAGNO DESIGN

+9714 330 7177

www.sanipexgroup.com

Kettal Vieques is a collection char-acterised by the combination of an aluminium frame with a new and revolutionary three-dimensional fabric, Nido d’Ape. Urquiola said her intention was to maintain the lateral aluminium double moulding but with a seat and back similar to taut netting, a soft and pleasant

KET TAL VIEQUESgrid, in three dimensions, which was achieved after two years of re-search. Kettal Vieques is modular and consists of pieces for the living and dining room.

PRODUCTS


KETTAL

+34 932 72 3695

www.kettal.com

Discover a new standard in off ice furniture solutions with a portfolio of brands perfectly paired with unparalleled quality and value.

Dubai, Pyramid Centre, Umm Hurair Road, PO Box: 31558, UAE, Tel. 04 358 2272, Fax 04 358 2273, Toll Free 800 OFFICE.

Visit our new showroom now at Pyramid Centre, Dubai.

PRODUCTSPRODUCTS


CORALThe latest light collection from Arturo Alvarez is called Coral, and is designed to feature an organic look. The collection will feature wraparound and warm luminaires that is meant to remind people of the origins of life in the sea. The shapes of the lights are reminiscent of the beauty and richness of coral reefs, according to the designer. He used silicone mesh to experiment with volume and different textures.

ARTURO ALVAREZ

+34 981 81 4600

www.arturo-alvarez.com

PRODUCTS


PRODUCTS

HOLMIALaunched in October 2011 by NGC Nafees, under the Little Luxuries brand, Holmia is a contemporary collection of wall-coverings from France, which expresses its original designs through its play on light and textural effects.Fine shavings shaped into waves, subtle interlacing, a fi nesse and

depth of lines and circles charac-terise the products.The Holmia collection has a good light resistance and is washable.The dimensions of the Holmia are 10.05 by 0.53 metres.

LENS BY ZINCPart of The Romo Group, Zinc is a new furnishing fabric brand that is strong, tactile and urban with playful, quirky undertones. Zinc’s style captures the chic hedonism of the 1970s and salutes the great designers of the time. Lens collection from Zinc is a compila-tion of decorative and metallic weaves. It features sophisticated

designs that capture texture, contrast and outline through sen-sual qualities that play with light and silhouettes of pattern. These are made in in Chorex – non-slip and water-repellent.

WARPS AND WEFTS

+9714 355 4867

www.warpsandwefts.com

HOLMIA

+971 4 269 7272

www.ngcmiddleeast.com

Voilà Home has launched a col-lection of decorative lights called Illusions and Wave; reusable wall art, including Autumn Golden Tree, Emperor Consoles, and dining tables. The design of the products is meant to be a mixture of modern and colonial trends.

REUSABLE WALL ARTAccording to Nitin Nagpal, direc-tor, the collection is minimalist and focuses on comfort and manufacturing excellence.

VOILÀ HOME

+91 9212 1788 19

[email protected]

PRODUCTS

Door Technology | Automatic Door Systems | RWA and Ventilation Systems | Safety Technology | Glass Systems

BEWEGUNG MIT SYSTEM

29th November, 2011Emirates Palace Hotel Abu Dhabi

Join us at an exclusive event that will open doors to Synchronize Architecture & Construction Harmoniously.GEZE Middle East invites you to the Supreme Building Technology 2011 - 2012 event, an interactive evening that showcases our high quality German constructed product line ups.

GEZE is a German manufacturer with a prestigious heritage of innovative systems for door & window technology. GEZE was founded in year 1863 and is a globally leading player in the building technology with emphasis on distinctive design, premium quality, engineering solutions and best services for manual & automatic door, window and safety systems.

This event is by invitation only. Reserve your place to this edifying event by registering today on www.gezeme-events.com. or email [email protected] to avail your invitation.

SUPREME BUILDINGTECHNOLOGY2011 - 2012

GEZE Middle East | Cayan Business Center | PO Box 17903, Tecom, Al Barsha | Dubai, U.A.E. | Tel: +971 4 4541434 | Fax: +971 4 4541474 | [email protected] | www.geze.ae

PRODUCTS


PRODUCTS

JACOB COFFEE TABLECombining bold colours, tex-tures, style and functionality, this functional coffee table from the Jacob collection is designed for contemporary lifestyles and is very fl exible to different needs.It has six sections which can be repositioned to provide sofa

tables, ideal for TV dinners and for watching or using laptop com-puters, whilst sitting comfortably on the sofa.

GRANGE

+971 4 344 4734

www.carpediem.ae

ROOMSKINSFromental’s Roomskins collec-tion comprises subtly repeating patterns and textures. Elegant ogee curves defi ne Fromental’s latest wallcovering Phoebe, the fi ne embroidery dictating delicate contours of an etruscan

vase. A tribute to Jacques Emile Ruhlmann, its Emile wallpaper of interlocking circles appears in the new Cotys colourway.

LELIEVRE

+9714 339 4645

www.fromental.co.uk

ECODREAMEcoDream is the collection of fl oor tiles in porcelain stoneware using advanced HD digital technologies to bring the warm mood of wood in every environment. EcoDream has an extremely natural and vivid look.

Its colours are realistic – avail-able in sessile oak, ash, honey, chestnut and oak shades.

ECODREAM

+39 053 686 1111

www.novabell.com

WINNEREMAAR Best Garden

Competition 2010 & 2011

PRODUCTS


ROCK CRYSTAL BASINFor glamour and sophistication in your bathroom, the Baldi Rock Crystal Basin is ideal. A geomet-ric basin, it features facets like a diamond and a smooth sweeping bowl. It features a white haze of veins that create the feeling of

depth and a distinctive organic pattern. Combined with a glossy black surface, this crystal basin takes on a 1950s vogue.

BALDI

+39 055 233 5614

www.baldi.biz

MINI AND MONO CARPETSCarpets with a contemporary design, its basic shapes show a modern fl air paired with original texture to furnish exteriors and interiors. Functional and decora-tive, the designs are inspired by European cities from Siviglia to

Dublino. Made with Chorex; non-slip, water-repellent, rot-proof, offering shock absorbance.

ESEDRALAB

+39 052 397 2028

www.esedralab.it

IL BAGNO ALESSI ONE COLLECTIONThe Il Bagno Alessi One collection from Laufen has been extended to include new shapes and furniture. Central to the range is the countertop

washbasin with ceramic shelf. It is joined by a new 400mm high ‘half Tam Tam’, without a taphole or overflow, which can be combined with new washtops in various widths, plus a new semi-recessed

washbasin and washbasin bowl characterised by a flat, oval design and wide rim.

LAUFEN

+41 617 657 611

www.laufen.com

lalique.com

LALIQUE BOUTIQUE DUBAI MALL 04 3398782TANAGRA STORES IN UAE:

CONTRACTS


Note: The above information is the sole property of Ventures Middle East LLC and cannot be published without the expressed permission of Ventures Middle East LLC, Abu Dhabi, UAE

PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTRACTOR VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

Taibah University in Madina - College of Science For Men

Taibah University Zuhair Fayez & Partners Ahmed Al Hurafi Company 31 - 100 project under construction

Educational Facilities

Marriott Hotels in Jizan Marriott International / Global Sales Middle East & Africa

Abdul Rahman Saad Al Rashid & Sons(Artar)

500 project under construction

Hotel

Starwood Hotels in the Kingdom Saudi Brothers Commercial Company /Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide (USA)

Fawaz Al Hokair Trading & Contracting Establishment


Hotel

100 Bed Hospital in Qatif Ministry of Health Beeah Planners Saeed Radad Al Zahrany 17 project under construction

Hospital

Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport Expansion in Madina - Phase1

General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) Zuhair Fayez & Partners Saudi Oger Riyadh / TAV Airport Turkey / Al Rajhi Holding

2,400 project under construction

Airport

Taiba Aramas Hotel in Madina Taiba Investment / Al Aqeeq Real Estate Dar Al Riyadh El Khereiji Company 16 - 30 project under construction

Hotel

Dar Al-Qeblah Complex Munshaat Real Estate Projects Company Zuhair Fayez & Partners Saudi Binladin Group 180 project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Ministry of Hajj Complex in Makkah - Phase 1 Ministry of Hajj Dar Al Omran Projects & Trading Company 150 project under construction


Alesayi Tower in Downtown Jeddah Saudi Real Estate Development Company Innovators Consulting/Said Al Elsaei Engg.

International Center for Commerce & Contr.



Olaya Towers in Riyadh General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI)

Zuhair Fayez & Partners Nesma & Partners Contracting Company



King Fahd National Library Arriyadh Development Authority/King Fahd National Library

SaudConsult/Gerber Architects Saudi Binladin Group 78 project under construction

Recreational Facilities

King Faisal University in Al Ihsa - University Hospital

King Faisal University Zuhair Fayez & Partners Al Arrab Contracting Company 31 - 100 project under construction

Hospital

Al Birr Foundation Offi ce Tower in Riyadh Al Birr Foundation Perkins + Will Not Appointed 101 - 250 project under design Commercial Buildings

ITCC Park in Riyadh Phase 1 The Public Pension Agency Zuhair Fayez & Partners Al Rajhi Projects/Al Yamamah / CCE 1,500 project under construction

Mixed Use

King Abdulaziz University - Nuclear Research Facility

King Abdulaziz University Not Appointed Not Appointed 150 project in concept stage Others

South Obhur Project Rayadah Investment Company Sulaiman Al Khorashi Offi ce Not Appointed 15,000 project under design Mixed Use

696 Residential Complex in Jubail General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI)

Shaw Sofcon Azneel Contracting Est. 300 project under construction

Residential Development

Pediatric & Maternity Hospital in Rafha Ministry of Health Al Mashriq Contracting Al Mashriq Contracting 53 under construction Hospital

Municipality Building in Yanbu Ministry of Municipal & Rural Affairs (MOMRA)

Golden House for Trading and Construction Co.



Souq Okaz in Taif Supreme Commission For Tourism Not Appointed 500 Design Shopping Centre

Qassim University - Health College Project Qassim University Imar Urban Cons. Rakan Contracting Company 150 project under construction


King Saud University For Health Science Saudi National Guard Health Affairs Dar Al Handasah Shair & Partners Saud Binladin Group 150 project under construction


Nasamat Al Riyadh Talaat Moustafa / Aloula Development Co; Zuhair Fayez & Partners Alexandria Construction Company 2,500 project under construction

Residential Development

Sheikh Saleh Al Rajhi Center Ministry of Health Al Majaz Engineering Offi ce Al Areel Contracting & Industrial Co. Ltd.


Hospital

Beach Tower in Jeddah Anda Commercial Investment Company Talal Al Kordi/Mohamed Harasani Arch.

Anda Commercial Investment Company


Residential Buildings

Tabouk University Phase 1 - Medical College Tabouk University Al-Shabanat Engineering Consulting Al Shar Trading & Contracting 30 project under construction


S AUDI A R A BI A PROJEC T S DATA B A SE

Project Focus COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN IS COMMIT TED TO HELPING ITS RE ADERS GROW THEIR BUSINESSES, SO WE HAVE TE AMED UP WITH VENTURES MIDDLE E AST TO BRING YOU THE L ATEST TENDERS FROM AROUND THE REGION ON A MONTHLY BASIS.

Take the opportunity to show something new at The Office Exhibition . You’ll find thousands of architects, designers and project managers visiting the show to find the latest in design, innovation and best practice.

Book your stand nowContact Tim Wilson, Project Managert: +971 4 438 0355e: [email protected]

rentrap egdelwonKhtiw detacol-oCyb desinagrO

15 - 17 May 2012Dubai World Trade Centretheofficeexhibition.com

The Office ExhibitionShow something new


OPINION

2011 is the year of the fairytales. Feature fi lms, social events and design trends have been infl u-

enced by mystical and surreal at-mospheres of fables and fantasies. And so too has the ‘Once Upon A Tile’ campaign, the latest collection of InterfaceFLOR, launched in the Middle East.

Inspired by the vintage revival and a return to natural, organic shapes, we worked with photogra-pher, Michael Woolley and theatri-cal costume designer and stylist, Ameena Kara Callender to create a stunning ad campaign.

But at the heart of this is the chal-lenge that modular fl ooring needs to keep its designs fresh, innovative and aspirational to stay ahead of the current fashions.

Refl ecting the trends of the mo-ment, while evoking nostalgia for all things past, the collection includes a variety of colours, textures and installation techniques, allowing

customers to create an ultra-modern interior with a timeless quality.

Any offi ce or commercial space is a white canvas from a designer’s perspective, so it is great to see more and more designers who start designing a space from the fl oor up. The whole ‘offi ce concept’ has changed so much from the 21st century cubicle standard.

More and more, companies realise that innovation strives from collaboration and are refl ecting that mantra in their offi ce environment. Employees are no longer confi ned to small enclosed areas - open spaces and collaborative areas along the hallways, for casual conversations, are becoming the trend. At the same time, conference rooms are becoming brighter, permeable and see-through.

The whole idea is that the offi ce is not the only place you come to work in, but, a place to socialise, especially at a time when the wire-less internet, Blackberry phone and

i-Pads allow you to work literally from anywhere.

Companies are starting to realise collaboration in the work space means employees need to feel comfortable - the new worker is a ‘thinker’, that feeds from interaction with other people and it is the de-signer’s role to create a space which fosters these interactions.

The Once Upon a Tile campaign addresses exactly that – it is not only about a new carpet tile but a whole set of stories/fairytales which can infl uence design ideas, helping them to recreate different atmospheres/interiors, by mixing and matching different patterns and colours, some conservative, while some are contemporary.

The visual look and feel of the campaign is infl uenced by the Brothers Grimm and Stanley Ku-brick, with the fi nal result a range of imagery that depicts tales such as Cinderella, Rapunzel and Hansel & Gretel, with a modern twist.

BY ANA SEIX AS

Fairytales and fantasies

On the other hand, let’s not forget how sustainability is play-ing a bigger role when it comes to offi ce planning and design. The Middle East is booming with sustainable certifi ed buildings and spaces and Dubai and Abu Dhabi are encouraging companies to go for LEED certifi cation. We have sustainable features in our new collection, including recycled content in the pile yarn and backing, random installation to minimise waste, Microtuft construction which uses less yarn and Cool Carpet, which means the product’s carbon emissions are offset during its entire lifecycle. (You have to compare the environmental impact of different products over their full life-cycle to know how sustainable it is).Design and sustainability should go hand in hand and it’s good to see this ‘reality’ adopted in the region. Ana Seixas, director of marketing, Middle East, Africa & India, Inter-faceFLOR

United Arab Emirates: Dubai Mall, Dubai, Tel: +971 4339 9314 Burjuman Centre, Dubai, Tel: +971 4355 1162 Abu Dhabi Mall, Abu Dhabi, Tel +971 2644 0587Saudi Arabia: Fronting Sands Hotel, Jeddah, Tel: +966 2665 1695 Olaya Street, Riyadh, Tel: +966 1464 3619 King Abdul Aziz Street, Al Khobar, Tel: +966 3865 0775Bahrain: Bahrain Commercial Complex (Sheraton Tower), Al Manama, Tel: +973 1753 3855Kuwait: Tel:+965 67 074 474

FINALLY.A DOCK STATION THAT ADAPTS TO YOU.

No matter what your mood or location, the BeoSound 8, our rst Bang Olu sen doc station, is designed around you. Let our pure sound technology bring your a ourite bands to you, exactly where you want them. Our BeoSound 8 ts per ectly on your des , wall, or seamlessly in a corner. ith a choice o optional spea er colors and adapti e room settings we re gi ing you the tools to unleash your creati ity and design your own de ice. Sit bac , enjoy your creation, recharge yoursel along with your i ad, i hone, or i od and enjoy your music the way its artist meant or it to sound.

bang olu sen.com

For more info: P.O. Box: 14662, Dubai, U.A.E. Tel: +971 4 3309244, 3364666, Fax: +971 4 3309245, E-mail: [email protected]

SU

BL

IME

LO

UN

GE

@ IB

IS, D

WT

C

The Food & Beverage industry relies on expert hands to create the best cuisine. The

same applies to the interiors as well. At Al Reyami Interiors’

Hospitality & Retail Division we have the best minds to infuse vibrance

into your interior fit outs and execute the design to perfection. Fast and well within your budget. We harmonize contemporary designs concepts with functional excellence. So your ambience is as appreciated as your cuisine.

Dining is a fine art, make surethe interiors are nothing less.

AR

A19

3\04

-11

Toll Free: 800 REYAMI (800 739264)

Nocominter.pdf

Documents

Transcript of Nocominter.pdf