Economic slowdown has been a recurring like the weather and a decade is usually a good indication of the timeframe for this shift.

Designers were having a field day during economic bliss, as both clients and designer could play with ideas, even to the point of being crazy.

This part of the world (UAE) produced a lot of amazing ideas that gave birth to some of the most exiting if not unusual designs and creations on such a massive scale, never before seen or “I have never seen elsewhere”.

But the real challenge in design is now! When resources are scarce and situation murky. Having said that, the world has to move on and business must continue. The need for designing an efficient economical and practical solution is the criteria.

Minimalism is not just a jargon or a fancy word, but a must. And design towards sustainability, efficiency of energy and waste management becomes a reality. not hype but by necessity. Designers have to push the limits of innovative creativity and to provide a practical solution with an aesthetic touch, maximizing all possible solution. Giving clients their every penny’s worth, squeezing creativity from Designers' every pore!

The pole has shifted in favor of the client, but there’s a responsibility or a limit to all this. Designers can only push their back against the wall but not beyond it. Looking back in the 30’s during the great depression, giving birth to to an era of Art Deco. At that time, this style was seen as elegant, glamorous, functional, and modern and new age of design was born.

Therefore this goes without saying that this is just another phase in our history books, another era and perhaps a new style?

We’ve recently moved to our new headquarters and showroom at the in the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, and what a ‘move’ this has been!

We are now all stationed in an office space that is among the first in the UAE interior design and fit-out world to be eligible for international LEED gold certification, based on green standards that we already offer to our clients.

This was not an easy task, I must admit, but the benefits of becoming a leader in the eco-conscious building industry has definitely been worth the effort. There were some initial challenges…

Designing in accordance with the LEED rating system was a steep learning curve for us all. The greatest challenge was to design within set LEED and budget parameters while maintaining the functionality of the interiors and without compromising on the look and feel of the office.

The second challenge was working with the interior designers and project team to execute the office interior fit out in terms of finding suppliers and sourcing materials that adhere to the strict LEED specifications. And finally there is the preparation, compilation, and submission of LEED documentation for final review by the US Green Building Council prior to award of LEED certification.

In saying all of this, our team now feels ‘at home’ in the office space and we have never looked back! We now have central building management control system, we use LEED certified furniture and products as well as materials with high recycle content. Our premises now has water efficient fixtures to reduce water consumption by more than 32%, and building lighting energy has been reduced by about 54.98%. To create a healthier working environment, ventilation has been increased, providing about 30% more fresh air than the minimum specified in the standards.

Most importantly, I feel like the office environment that we now work in is much more positive… the lighting that we use now is less harsh with an abundance of natural light and open space which I have no doubt, has increased our productivity levels.

All wood used in the project was certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, in keeping with the responsible management of the world’s forests. We have also designed the whole workplace to have easy access to public transport as well as provide bicycle storage spaces with changing room facilities for all of our members of staff. We have even introduced car pooling to our staff to help reduce pollution and the strain on the local infrastructure.

Having energy and environmentally friendly interiors is extremely important to Summertown and we hope to spread the word about the opportunities that are available in Dubai. If Summertown, as an interior design and fit out contractor, is to design and execute green interiors for others than we ourselves must ‘walk the talk’ and LEED by example.

Imagine that a dry wall partition is carefully erected from the floor slab to the ceiling. This dry wall partition has an isolated stud frame which has been filled with acoustical insulation and finished with multiple of layers of dry wall. During construction work an electrician/plumber uses a claw hammer to run a conduit/sprinkler pipe. You then notice that there are gaps and that the dry wall partition no longer fits properly so you issue an instruction to fill all the gaps with insulation.

At this stage it should be noted that insulation does provide sound absorption but does not provide a barrier to sound transmission through and around the wall. Although a ¾ inch gap along the top of a 10 foot wall represents only 1 square foot of an opening, filling it with insulation instead of sealing the gap can limit the walls overall performance by more than 10dB.

The most important aspect of facility design and construction is balance. There is no point installing a good quality door in a poor quality interior wall or vice versa as you will not achieve the required results.

It is crucial to note that in order to optimise acoustical performance, how the materials are put together is often more important than what materials are selected as when sound isolation requirements of a room increase, the effect of an acoustical weak link becomes more and more devastating as each of the components must meet the required performance or they will fail collectively.

At Summertown International we are dedicated to providing our clients with good quality materials thus reducing sound transmission and ensuring customer satisfaction.

With aesthetically pleasing designs at the forefront of everyone’s minds, it is no wonder that the health and safety of office employees is often overlooked.

Neck pain, shoulder pain, backache and headaches are common complaints amongst office staff that spend most of their working day sitting behind a desk.

These common complaints often arise due to poor quality office furniture and inadequate workplace design, which does not take into account the working practices of the company or the individuals.

Unlike the UK, the UAE does not have regulations in place protecting the health and safety of office employees. The regulations in the UK state that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that the working environment does not cause ill health to its employees. This is often achieved through the use of individual risk assessments of workstations i.e. identifying the potential risks of the workstation to the employee. Measures are then taken to reduce the identified risks by ensuring the workstation is conducive to the work being carried out and that the working position of the individual is not harmful to their health. The correct working position for a workstation is:

• Legs are at 90 degrees with feet flat on the floor (footrests may be used).
• The back of the chair should support the back of the individual (chairs should be adjustable – seat height and back of chair).
• Arms should be sitting horizontal to the desk (some chairs have armrests which support the arms – armrests should be adjustable).
• Eyes should be level with the top of the computer screen (monitor stands may be used).
• The keyboard and mouse should be within easy reach to avoid overstretching.

With the above in mind, Summertown Interiors are dedicated to providing their clients with office interiors that reflect their ability to understand their clients business needs whilst ensuring the health and safety of the employees by specifying good quality ergonomic furniture increasing both wellbeing and productivity.

When designing a corporate space, many considerations come into play. There are the usual issues of lighting, furniture style and comfort, open-plan layouts versus enclosed private offices, bright versus subdued color schemes, and how specific spaces need to be used to meet specific business roles and aims.

But the bottom-line objective to any office design is to ultimately create an interior conducive to a productive and inviting work environment, and one which is tailored to the nature of the work climate.

With that in mind, corporate design oftentimes must transcend these fundamental considerations, and must function in harmony with specific cultural expectations. In the Middle East, design considerations can be cultural as well as environmental. Let's take a look:

Modesty panels

These panels are common fixtures in offices around the world but are most particularly incorporated in Middle East office design. For those unfamiliar with their function, modesty panels are essentially a thin board of wood or metal attached to the front of a desk, which shields the legs from view. These panels can be incorporated onto individual desks or boardroom tables as a means to ensure exactly what the name implies: Modesty.

Prayer rooms

For many corporations in the region prayer rooms are an important design consideration, enabling employees to practice their faith onsite while working. Typically situated in a quieter part of an office, prayer rooms are simple in their design, with little or no embellishments other than wall to wall carpeting and a compass directing worshippers towards the Holy city of Mecca. As music is not appropriate within a prayer room, any office sound system must ensure background music is not filtered through.

Washrooms

In addition to prayer room considerations in many Middle Eastern offices, washrooms are also designed to accommodate ablution, and may have separate ante-rooms to ensure more privacy within the restroom itself. Company Chairmen, CEOs and directors in the Middle East often request separate washroom areas incorporated in the design of their own private office.

Artwork

The Middle East is witnessing an intense interest in corporate art collecting, which is impacting commercial design around the region. Corporations adhering to more conservative viewpoints may be more inclined to display contemporary, modern artwork or landscape portraits rather than art of the human form.

Heat and light

The climate is a fundamental consideration in any commercial design project in the region. Intense sunlight, humidity, and the dustiness of the Gulf must be accounted for in terms of window coverings, air conditioning, access to the outdoors, and availability of covered parking for staff.

Last word

Commercial design is a malleable profession that can easily be tweaked and altered to fit into endless cultural provisions. Custom-creating a corporate space is no different to a home office, or residence in this instance. As long as your specific cultural and environmental needs are identified, then the design solution can be uncovered and interpreted in a modern and elegant form.

One of the best things about working with companies to design their commercial office space is their enthusiasm in creating a new professional environment. Perhaps it is this enthusiasm that also causes companies to forget what are often fundamental issues impacting how their new working space will function.

In the spirit of learning from previous experience, outlined here - in no particular order - are some of the top six issues that companies in the Middle East may overlook when designing their office layouts.

Overlooked issue one

Expansion needs for future growth. The Middle East incorporates some of the world's fastest-growing economies, yet companies often only plan to outfit offices for their current employee base. When designing a new space, management needs a clear picture on how many people are likely to be using it in the next six months to two years, based on the company's growth strategy. Otherwise, previously pristine offices can be compromised by new desks and other necessary expansion elements added haphazardly.

Overlooked issue two

Storage optimization. Many companies don't realize or account for exactly what needs to be stored in their offices, from marketing materials to sales collateral to employee belongings. In each new office layout, careful thought should be given to an appropriate level of storage space that can be easily accessed by staff who require it. And although storage space is not always necessarily overlooked, it often takes a back seat to work place aesthetics, which eventually results in untidy offices, cluttered desks, and a poor work environment.

Overlooked issue three

Communications equipment and flow. In today's technology-centric world, companies need to consider how to manage space for their IT equipment, including appropriate cooling and security if required. But communications needs are also more basic in office design, and need to encompass which teams work most closely together, whether the company needs separate meeting space such as multiple conference rooms and how large these should be, and even considerations such as privacy rooms for more sensitive phone calls to be made in open-plan offices.

Overlooked issue four

Traffic flow. Companies designing their office space should think about how both staff and visitors will make their way through the work space - including the ideal locations for reception desks, restrooms, kitchens, conference space, and fire exits should an emergency occur. Outlining smooth traffic flow helps ensure that colleagues can work more efficiently and effectively together. Remember, it is not about how many people can be fitted into an office space but more about the effective use of office space and the optimization of human resources, employee well-being and output.

Overlooked issue five

Acoustics and sound masking. Noise costs businesses money. Research suggests that office workers can lose up to two hours a working day through broken concentration. The worst offenders are vocal colleagues, mobile phone ring tones, and noise generated by arriving emails on computers. Summertown clients who have advocated open-plan offices or ones with trendy touches such as cement floors have often not considered the auditory ramifications of these choices. When looking at new office space, think about how sound carries in the office, and the effect that a team of excitable sales people all working the phones together may have on the rest of the company, for example. Sound masking technology and a well-considered design plan can alleviate acoustic issues from the very beginning.

Overlooked issue six

Price versus quality. Locally operating organizations often overlook the consequences of going with the cheapest option not necessarily the best. International organizations are installing more and more flexible work sites, each of which are used by more than one person. Desk sharing increases the occupancy of desks. Apart from wishing to promote flexible work styles, customers can also achieve cuts in operating costs. This involves the need to make intelligent use of office space and furnishing solutions. Intelligent solutions combined with a long working life lower the total cost of ownership even if the initial investment may be slightly higher. Too often is the price-only-approach the motivating factor in the decision-making process

Last word

In our years of experience in designing offices for some of the Middle East's most prominent businesses and multinational brands, the Summertown Interiors team have seen some fantastic client ideas, but we've also had narrow escapes in catching these overlooked issues and others before they became sources of contention. Before you invest in fitting out your new office space, give some measured thought to these considerations to ensure that it meets your current and future business needs.