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.

Well, for those of you who have been diligently reading our blogs know that Summertown Interiors is committed to being a leader in green interior design initiatives. Our new headquarters and showroom, which is up for gold LEED certification, will be a tangible sign of that commitment!

Keeping the momentum going, Summertown Interiors was recently nominated for the prestigious Environmentally Sustainable Design of the Year Award at the annual Commercial Interior Design Awards held a few weeks back on December 1st.

Sharing this nomination with two other renowned firms is a great feat as is being recognized as a leader among the region’s leading commercial interior designers, contractors, developers and construction industries. We strive to continue to move with the times, merging superior interior design with environmental consciousness! Keep reading this space and we’ll keep you posted on our progress.

“Going green” has truly emerged as a hot new trend these days. Everyone seems to be jumping on the green bandwagon, from companies adopting virtualization technology--a green computing initiative for those non-techie types (which sadly includes me!) -- to the more accessible use of compact fluorescent bulbs and recycling in our everyday lives. We all can do our little bit to help conserve energy, be more energy efficient and reduce our collective carbon footprints (another hot term being thrown around).

When it comes to die-hard corporate green consciousness, green building initiatives take the cake with its extensive energy efficient practices that are typically fully-incorporated in a corporate space. From adopting specific material selection that lends itself to a healthier outdoor/indoor environmental quality to power-saving technology, these steps are becoming all the more common internationally and more interestingly, regionally and locally.

LEED certification -- short for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which is an internationally accepted benchmark established by the United States Green Building Council – has finally made its way to our neck of the woods! Various UAE corporations have taken notice of this new LEED Green Building Rating System –which is divided into four categories: certified, silver, gold and platinum—and have adapted their offices to get this rather difficult certification. We are proud to say that we currently are the only interior design specialist that have recently applied for gold LEED certification for our new showroom that is set to open its doors in March 2009! This is as a testament to our on-going green values.

Although this is fast becoming a trend, this may be the first time you will hear me say I sincerely hope this trend actually sticks (unlike parachute pants and rubber platform shoes, good riddance!).

As we come to the final months of 2008, the outlook for the economy has become more uncertain. The debate among economists has changed from one of whether the economy will weaken, to one of how much it will weaken as we move toward the end of the year.

The commercial interior design sector is one area which may be impacted - it is perceived to some extent as a luxury-led industry –although everyone presumably needs a desk, chair, and the other basics of the office environment.

Market chatter has revealed that some interior designers are concerned about design being compromised in this financially tight context but I beg to differ!

Cost of green materials

Awareness of appropriate design and specification decisions has been steadily growing over these last few years. In many cases, this is driven by suppliers looking for commercial advantage in an increasingly green-aware society.

The current economic situation may make some of these more exclusive materials more accessible, as the market becomes more competitive, so this could possibly be a plus for those wanted to use such materials.

Demand for durable material

Secondly there is the issue of the increased demand for durable products in commercial interiors. While the economy is in its current state, people don’t want to repeatedly invest in furniture, so increasingly we are finding people opting for materials that they can rely upon for a longer period of time.

Space limitations

I think in this market we will see people opting for smaller offices, which is not always a negative for the commercial interior design sector. In some instances you can find that people will be more selective about the pieces that they buy. For more info, read our thoughts about space limitations in a previous blog.

Thinking outside the Box

This financially challenging situation might be the catalyst that we need to improve and evolve the profession. For far too often, we’ve seen big budget projects produce less than stellar commercial interior design. One could look at this opportunity as a way to separate the designers from the geniuses!

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.