Summertown Interiors

Space is certainly one thing we all could do with more of! Living in a city as busy as Dubai we have become accustom to clutter, whether that be the clutter of construction sites, cranes or road diversions— which certainly has kept us on our toes. We have not only gotten used to, but have come to expect, cramped and busy living. It may be safe to say that space is fast becoming a dwindling luxury in our growing city.

Unfortunately space issues have found their way into our homes and more recently our offices! With the shortage of available commercial space, and with what is available being rented and sold at astronomical rates, more and more corporations are opting to settle for less spacious offices which require resourceful interior design solutions.

Over recent months, and given the current economic downturn, space saving design has risen to the top of the fit-out solutions heap as it directly affects productivity and turnover! More businesses are making do with what they have by optimizing their current work space, by restructuring, rather than relocating to a space that fit their corporate needs.

Here are a few useful tips to optimize your fit-out investment:

Flipping through the morning papers, I have come to expect reports on political upheaval, traffic accidents and new Salik gates, poor air quality and crime with the occasional lighter piece on how to secure a cab via SMS messaging sprinkled in for good measure. What took me by surprise over the last few weeks have been the cover-page stories on the national newspapers the government’s zero-tolerance on “all acts of corruption, bribing and taking advantage of official positions”.

Impressive. Not only because this issue was being discussed but more importantly that it was being discussed in a very mainstream, public arena (and not buried in an obscure blog). Across the media, financial experts are calling for stricter laws to fight corruption after allegations of misconduct were uncovered in Dubai’s lucrative real estate market. This was a giant leap forward in the discussion of corporate governance and the need to address corruption in the region.

The issue of corporate openness and candor is clearly present on the minds of many living and working in the UAE. And the government and media have finally picked up on the frustrations experienced by many over the years. Irrelevant of industry, we all have heard of, or worse, experienced firsthand, companies rife with financial irregularities or simply shady business practices. How a little backhanding goes a long way, so much so that many may not even be aware that it unethical and illegal, but rather ‘just how things get done.’

A few months back, our integrity was put to the test. We had miscalculated the cost of a project for client. The miscalculation was discovered while conducting a standard “bill of quantities” check on preliminaries, civil work and joinery work in addition to electrical and mechanical operations. Every detail was measured, quantified and crosschecked with the original estimate. The original estimate was AED20,000 over the actual cost due to a discrepancy in space approximation.

Frankly, this is a fairly common occurrence within the interiors industry. With the client already signed off on the original estimate, and the check in hand, pocketing the extra AED 20,000 could have been yet another common occurrence within the interiors industry. But with Summertown’ longstanding commitment to our customers as well as our own frustrations with corruption fresh in thought, the overcharged amount was swiftly returned to the client. Surprised and speechless, the client was left thunderstruck. Giving back what was not rightfully ours after realizing the oversight was our small way of getting things done – what seems to be almost the forgotten way.

I would like to ask people who have a passion for Joinery to read my experience and share with me your thoughts. I have visited the IWF Woodshow exhibition 2008 in Atlanta. To be honest with you. For me it was an eye-opener. I am saying this because I have been in the industry for quit some time (15years) but I never had the opportunity to visit an overseas exhibition of this size so well organized.
 
It was the perfect exhibition for Summertown and myself as we are manufacturing custom made furniture based on clients detailed requirements even though they sound sometimes impossible. We do believe after receiving so many positive customer feedbacks from client over the years that Summertown is the one that is able to manufacture what the customer is having in mind. These "crazy" requirements we enjoy and call challenges!
 
The show was as I mentioned tailor suit for us as the market I believe in The States is not only focused on mass production as most of you people might think. It is also a good market for smaller companies managed by families or friends who are having a small workshop in the garage or basement. Summertown is having an 100,000 square feet factory which you cannot call a garage at all. By saying this I mean we are a modern Joinery factory in its total by having basically workshops on the floor responsible for the drawings which are assigned to each different team of carpenters. Each team is having its lead carpenter overlooked by the Joinery Supervisors.
 
I have made good contact with lots of interesting Joinery people who are in the business of manufacturing more than 30 years. Summertown purchased a number of tools and jigs in the exhibition which will do the job accurate and fast. I would like to mention one interesting website www.cutncrown.com. Please do visit this website and watch the video. It tells you about what is a spring angle and how to fix a crown molding. It is the number one system in the world for fixing crown molding. We are working with the system are are enjoying it.
 
We are looking forward to your response.
Hugo Bish

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.