An ITP Business Publication January Vol.

7 Issue 1

Jamie’s Italian Cooking up a storm

RESTAURANT DESIGN THE REGION’S LEADING
AT ITS VERY BEST KITCHEN SUPPLIERS

COOL kitchens
KEY TRENDS, LEADING SUPPLIERS AND INSPIRING
EXAMPLES OF RESTAURANT DESIGN
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 CONTENTS

January 2011
VOLUME 7 ISSUE 1

05 DESIGN UPDATE

11 TRENDS
Daniel During on the evolution
of restaurant design.

14 PROFILE
Introducing G Style.

17 DESIGNER Q&A
CID speaks to Trisha Wilson 11 17 24
of Wilson Associates about
corporate social responsibility
and the challenges of being a
small business owner.

24 CASE STUDY
After ten years, the lobby of the
Moevenpick Bur Dubai was in
desperate need of a refresh.

30 CASE STUDY
The newest Jamie’s Italian
restaurant is brimming with
quirky design features.

36 FEATURE
Orlando Crowcroft meets
cybertect James Law.

43 FEATURE
A look at how home automation
technology is taking the desire to
personalise to a whole new level.

49 SUPPLIERS THAT YOU

SHOULD KNOW
A selection of kitchen suppliers
that you can’t ignore.

55 PRODUCTS
New products on the market.

62 CONTRACTS
Contract tenders in the region,
by Ventures Middle East.

64 OPINION
By Indu Varanasi of IR Design.
30

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 1

 COMMENT

Registered at Dubai Media City

Time for change

PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE
Tel: 00 971 4 444 3000
Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030
Web: www.itp.com
Offices in Dubai & London

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING

CEO Walid Akawi

T
Managing Director Neil Davies
Managing Director ITP Business Karam Awad
his month’s issue of CID contains various calls to
Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell action. Fitting, perhaps, that we should start a new
Editorial Director David Ingham
decade by inviting the industry to change its ways.
EDITORIAL
Rogier van der Heide, chief design ofjcer of Philips Light-
Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews
Editor Selina Denman ing, leads the charge by challenging the hospitality industry
Tel: +971 4 444 3502 email: selina.denman@itp.com
to up its game in the sustainability stakes. According to van
ADVERTISING
der Heide, who was the former global leader of Arup Lighting
Sales Manager Leigh Roche
Tel: +971 4 444 3679 email: leigh.roche@itp.com and is a reputable lighting designer in his own right, the
Business Development Manager, Saudi Arabia
Rabih Naderi
hospitality and retail industries remain “the most conventional” when it comes
Tel: +966 1 2068697 email: rabih.naderi@itp.com to the uptake of new, sustainable technologies.
STUDIO A little card in the bathroom asking guests to put their towels on the koor if they
Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott want them washed will no longer cut it, said van der Heide. Hotels need to invest
Art Editor Simon Cobon
in innovative new technologies, particularly in the jeld of lighting, in order to radi-
PHOTOGRAPHY
cally reduce their energy expenditure.
Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Jovana Obradovic
Staff Photographers Lester Ali, Isidora Bojovic, James Law takes it a few steps further. Best known in this part of the world as
George Dipin, Murrindie Frew, Lyubov Galushko,
Shruti Jagdesh, Mosh Lafuente, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav the designer of the Dubai Technosphere, an eco-project that would contain its
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
own river, waterfall and rainforest, Law believes that our buildings, our cities and
Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith indeed our way of life need to fundamentally change in the 21st century. He is also
Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant
Production Coordinator Nelly Pereira
adamant that architects and designers are responsible for driving that change.
Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn In Law’s eyes, cities should no longer be thought of as satellites sub-divided
Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell
Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami by districts and buildings but, rather, as part of an intelligent network. “A city
CIRCULATION should not be built as it was before. It should be conceived much more like a piece
Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati of technology, like a circuit board. Every piece of circuit is symbiotically linked to
MARKETING everything else, and everything has to work together like a piece of nature. This is
Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell the ubiquitous city,” is Law’s theory.
Marketing Manager Annie Chinoy
Daniel During, managing director of Thomas Klein International, is also cham-
ITP DIGITAL
pioning change – but on a more manageable scale. During has mapped the evolu-
Director Peter Conmy
Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan tion of restaurant design, from the 1990s to date, and questions why designers in
Web Designer Meghna Rao
this region seem to have stopped taking risks.
ITP GROUP The region’s restaurant scene is a mire of quasi-sameness, he argues. Whether
Chairman Andrew Neil
Managing Director Robert Serafin this stems from complacency, or a fear of taking chances in the current economic
Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies
Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman,
climate, is irrelevant. The result is a sea of nondescript, cookie-cutter interiors.
Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin It is the responsibility of the designer, as an artist, to push boundaries and chal-
Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3459 lenge the status quo. Whether this means making our hotels more sustainable,
Certain images in this issue are available for purchase.
Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit our restaurants more unique or our cities more intelligent, it is a responsibility that
www.itpimages.com
designers can no longer shirk.
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The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions
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in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised SELINA DENMAN, EDITOR
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.
selina.denman@itp.com
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part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

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Jamie’s Italian Cooking up a storm
RESTAURANT DESIGN THE REGION’S LEADING
AT ITS VERY BEST KITCHEN SUPPLIERS

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www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 3


In the butcher’s den
THOMAS KLEIN INTERNATIONAL UNVEILS
‘MEAT Y’ NEW DESIGN FOR THE EPICURE GROUP
KUWAIT: Dubai-based F&B
consulting jrm Thomas Klein
International (TKI), has unveiled
the jnal design for the Butcher’s
Den kagship restaurant in Kuwait.
The concept was developed in as-
sociation with TKI’s Chicago-based
architectural ofjce, PS Studio.
The chain is owned by The Epi-
cure Group, a subsidiary of the Sul-
tan Group in Kuwait, and is set to
open its kagship outlet in Al Bidaa
early this year. The restaurant will
be 266m² in size with a seating
capacity of 70 people, and will be
set across two levels.
Daniel During, managing direc-
tor of TKI, is a jrm believer that
a good restaurant begins with a
good product. “A great steakhouse
starts with great meat and there-
fore the product itself was pivotal
to every facet of the concept. We
wanted to celebrate the food chain
– the sourcing, the ageing and the
carving of quality meat,” he said.
“There is also something slightly
dangerous and sexy about the
brutality of the food chain, the
primitivism of jre cooking. When
you mix that with inkuences of
modern art, it becomes a potent
combination,” During added.
Upon entering the restaurant,
customers will be greeted by a wall
that pays tribute to Andy Warhol,
the celebrated American pop art-
ist. The space will be adorned with
Warhol’s famous Cow Wallpaper,
designed in 1966.
“Opposite to the cow wallpaper
will be a ‘grass wall’ which forms
part of the food chain concept,
whereby the grass symbolises
food for the cows that is then later
turned into our food. It is also a
sustainable feature acting as a nat-
ural air purijer,” Paula Palombo,
principle of PS Studio, pointed out.
“The grass is a renewable, vital
www.constructionweekonline.com
DESIGN UPDATE
natural force, a live texture that
will allow customers to see change
over repeat visits.”
But the restaurant’s showpiece
is a 7m-high glass ageing room.
“When I look at a glass enclosed
meat ageing room, I am im-
mediately reminded of the artist
Damien Hirst’s controversial half-
cow installations and the brutality
of the food chain. I think it makes
a jarring contrast with the pop art
and fresh grass design features,”
said Palombo.
During maintained that the
aim was not to be provocative or
create shock value. “Ultimately, it
is always about the product and
we are just trying to inspire our
customers to think and appreciate
the product,” he said.
The glass enclosure allows for
the most traditional method of
ageing meat, known as dry ageing.
The meat is hung in a controlled
refrigerated environment, and the
natural ageing process improves
the meat’s tenderness and kavour.
Aged meat is prized and harder to
jnd because of the vast storage
space, refrigeration, time and
labour required.
Other design features include a
perpetually moving ‘cow parade’
on the upper level of the restau-
rant. A custom-made conveyor
belt will showcase a collection of
30 porcelain cows painted by a
variety of different artists, once
again evoking the injnite continu-
ity of the food chain whilst paying
tribute to the successful public art
exhibits of jbreglass cows that
feature in cities across the globe.
The eatery will also feature a
private teaching room where chef
Ahmed Al Bader, director of culi-
nary development for the Epicure
Group, will personally take partici-
pants on an gastronomical tour.
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 5
DESIGN UPDATE
Philips challenges
‘conventional’
hospitality industry
MORE CAN BE DONE, SAYS ROGIER VAN DER HEIDE
UAE: Rogier van der Heide, chief
design ofjcer of Philips Lighting,
has challenged the hospitality
industry to become more sustain-
able, claiming that hospitality,
along with retail, remain “the most
conventional” when it comes to
the uptake of new technologies.
“By dejnition, hospitality is
not sustainable at all, once you
take into account what it takes
to get to the hotel, by train, by
plane, or by car. But if you look at
the actual hotel, you can do a lot
there – beyond the little card in
your bathroom that says put your
towels on the koor when you want
them to be washed. You can do far
more substantial stuff.
“I haven’t really seen hotels
being innovative like that, in terms
of harnessing daylight and bring-
ing it into the space, for example.
Corridors are still very dark and
in most hotel rooms, the lighting
is halogen. If you’re lucky they
replace it with kuorescent,” said
van der Heide.
As the former global leader of
Arup Lighting, and a lighting de-
signer that has worked on projects
such as The Yas Hotel, Sheikh
Zayed Bridge and the Bird’s Nest
in China, van der Heide has been
a pioneer of LED solutions for ten
years. “They gave me the freedom
to design what I had in my mind,”
he said. “[With LEDs], we see all
kinds of new form factors that
were not possible before.
“The architect has greater
freedom because if we do the right
thing with LEDs, then we unlock
the design potential of the archi-
tect, and that is our ambition.”
6 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
At present, LED solutions rep-
resent 10% of Philips’ business,
but van der Heide predicts a rapid
global take-up of LED solutions
over the next few years. “In three
years time that will be 50%. We
are ramping up production and de-
velopment at an incredible speed.
The market will follow slightly
behind but we see 50% of lighting
solutions worldwide being LED
within jve years.
“These are staggering numbers.
I would say there will always be
very niche applications of other
light sources but LED has become
a really good alternative – very
energy efjcient and very easy to
maintain. Every six months there is
a new generation of LED lights and
they outperform the previous ones
on energy and on light output,
but also on things like colour tem-
perature and colour rendition. It’s
commonly perceived that LED is a
cold light source, well we can show
you LEDs that feel as warm as an
incandescent lamp.”
However, lighting trends are
not driven by technology, van der
Heide noted. They are driven by
social and behavioural patterns,
which is why Philips takes a more
user-centric approach to product
development. “If we just develop
a new type of LED and bring it to
market, it may well not connect
with people and their lives. So
we try and look at what really
motivates people.”
When it comes to lighting
trends, key drivers include an age-
ing population, a more empowered
consumer and a growing desire to
personalise one’s environment.
www.constructionweekonline.com

GCC needs innovation, not imitation
AMERICAN ARCHITECT ERIC KUHNE ARGUES THAT ARCHITECTURE INDUSTRY IS IN TURMOIL
UAE: The GCC should not seek
to copy the US and Europe when
planning and designing its cities,
according to architect Eric Kuhne.
Speaking at a conference in
Dubai, the American architect
told construction professionals
that new American and European
cities had the wrong model, which
was leading to the breakdown of
social networks.
Kuhne, who is the designer of
Kuwait’s City of Silk, a massive
project that will include the
world’s tallest tower if it is built,
said that the Middle East had a
rich history which should be bet-
ter explored and exposed in con-
temporary design. “You have to
begin to see what your civilisation
gives to the world, and to simply
www.constructionweekonline.com
build European or US skyscrap-
ers does nothing to speak to the
genius of your own culture.
“It is such a shock to (develop-
ers and governments) that any-
body would care about their own
culture. They are so desperate to
be respected by North America
and Europe – which is a complete
waste of energy as far as I am
concerned,” he continued.
The outspoken architect also
said that the architecture industry
was in a difjcult position at the
end of 2010, with as many as 20%
of architects leaving the profes-
sion due to the global recession.
“Any economist will tell you that
when any profession loses 20% of
its talent it can take a decade to
recover,” Kuhne pointed out.
Kuhne also argued that the
problem was affecting the
construction industry too, where
many of the experienced pioneers
and leaders were now in their 50s.
He fears that a new generation of
developers will not understand
the importance of quality design,
quality developments and
relationships between all parties
involved in the construction trade.
“In jve or ten years this indus-
try will be starved of talent and
starved for experience, at a time
when clients are young, inexperi-
enced, and money has never been
more naïve – never – than it is
today,” he said.
“People who control the
money, they’re the ones that
are impatient, they’re the ones
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011
DESIGN UPDATE
that are driving the quality out of
developments. They’re the ones
that are young and brash and
conceited and inexperienced and
don’t have a clue what it takes
to build magnijcent projects,”
Kuhne maintained.
Kuhne is the founder and CEO
of Civic Arts, and the designer of
a number of high-projle projects
across the world. He designed
the City of Silk development for
the emir of Kuwait, and the tower
that is its centerpiece is designed
to be 1,001m tall, rekecting the
stories of 1,001 Nights.
Commenting on the project,
Kuhne reiterated that as far as he
was concerned it was still going
ahead, and that enabling works
had already commenced.
7
DESIGN UPDATE
Timeless design
SUPERIOR MATERIALS AND BESPOKE DESIGN
ABOUND IN DUBAI’S NEW ROLEX TOWER
UAE: James Clar’s Soundwave
sits at the heart of the striking
new Rolex Tower on Dubai’s
Sheikh Zayed Road.
A bespoke piece by the Dubai-
based artist, the 7m-long stain-
less steel structure represents
the actual waveform of a human
voice saying ‘Rolex Tower’. The
piece is suspended 2.5m above
the lobby of the new building,
and sets the tone for a custom-
designed interior that is brim-
ming with superior materials and
advanced technologies.
Residents can enjoy IP televi-
sion and video on demand,
complemented by high-speed
wireless internet access, while
businesses in the Rolex Tower
will make use of keyless entry
and controlled floor access.
“Our mandate was to achieve
the highest levels of distinction
from both a residential and
commercial perspective, and
to create a benchmark for our
portfolio of turnkey properties,”
said Abdallah Yabroudi, CEO of
the Dubai Contracting Company
8 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
(DCC), the turnkey contrac-
tor responsible for the Rolex
Tower. “With custom-designed
interiors, superior materials and
a unique architectural design,
the Rolex Tower is a work of art
that is reflective of the impec-
cable standards that have been
set by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons,”
Yabroudi continued.
The tower includes 25 floors
of two-and three-bedroom
apartments, including two pent-
houses, 31 levels of office space
and ground-floor retail outlets.
The building was commissioned
by Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, and
is the only branded Rolex Tower
not owned and managed by the
watchmaker itself.
The 60-storey mixed-use
tower was the second building to
be completed by architects SOM
in Dubai in 2010, after the firm
saw the Burj Khalifa – the tallest
building in the world – open for
business earlier in the year.
SOM intended for the Rolex
Tower to represent a ‘shimmer-
ing desert mirage’. According
www.constructionweekonline.com

to the firm’s managing partner,
George Efstathiou, the design
of the building is reflective of
the Rolex watch brand. “The
building epitomises the clas-
sic design elegance of the
iconic timepiece that shares the
tower’s name,” Efstathiou said.
A total of 40,000m of alumi-
num and glass was used for the
exterior, with 3,385 tonnes of
steel and 29,150m³ of concrete
used in the structure.
An impressive glass facade
extends from the foot of the
235m building up to its very tip,
which is capped with a clear
glass beacon that is visible from
www.constructionweekonline.com
DESIGN UPDATE
all over the city of Dubai. SOM
selected high performance, pat-
terned green glass which fades
as the building ascends, making
the tower appear taller than it
actually is.
The intention was for the glass
to shine in the bright Dubai sun-
light, appearing, at a distance,
to be a mirage.
The tower has two set back
areas, designed to be used as
sky terraces, while the horizon-
tal slots at the base of the build-
ing are intended to mimic the
movement of the street below,
while also providing shading
onto the pavement.
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 9
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Restaurant design
trends: 1990s to date
BY DANIEL DURING, PRINCIPAL AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, THOMAS KLEIN INTERNATIONAL
F
ifteen years ago, Asian design
informed and inkuenced
global restaurant design,
starting with a Thai-inspired
vibe and moving onto the very clean,
minimalistic lines of Japanese design.
This was the age of mind, body and
soul. Spas proliferated and yoga
became very popular, along with
candles and incense. We became
www.constructionweekonline.com
j xated on the quiet and calm beauty
of Asian spirituality.
A lot of restaurants actually ended
up looking like spas and the hush in
the room allowed one to almost hear
their own hair grow.
As the world got richer, brasher,
louder, more conjdent and more
global, design followed this trend
with graphic prints and themes that
TRENDS
were very brand oriented. Hip hop,
bling bling and hedge funds were the
buzzwords. And it wasn’t just restau-
rants, either... remember the top-to-toe
Burberry babies?
Then came environmental and
social concerns. There was a back-
lash against the ostentatious and a
much-welcome movement towards
the authentic. We wanted to feel
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 11
TRENDS
again; to be cloaked in warmth and
security, and perhaps experience a bit
of nostalgia too. Restaurant designers
began to source more natural or even
tribal materials. Chefs returned to a
less kamboyant food ethic, to one of
comfort food with a modern edge and
artisanal ingredients.
But whilst seeking for this new
design ‘trend’ of authenticity, we
seem to have contradicted ourselves.
After all, authenticity is not a trend or
a design direction – it stems purely
from the soul.
The actual design process is the
soul of any concept. It involves the
research, the joy of creation and col-
laboration, and the sourcing of materi-
als to create an end product that is
also joyful for the customer to behold
and experience.
If we look at some of the UAE’s
latest restaurant concepts – without
I think this is the era of the anti-trend, and I think
that is good. The slate has been wiped clean and we can
begin in a more organic place.
naming names – the designers have
managed to achieve a warm ambience
with soft lighting and appealing seat-
ing areas. The food is always great,
and they have excellent service, but
in their search for the authentic, they
have all melded into quasi-sameness.
I call them ‘comfort zones’ in a res-
taurant package, with their low yellow
lighting and monochromatic tones.
They are all very seductive – but not
very striking.
They all have nondescript interiors
with very little architectural personal-
ity. Whether inspired by China, Japan
or the USA, they all offer the same vibe
and feel, and these generic spaces
could easily be transformed into hotel
lobbies, upscale real estate ofjces,
spa receptions and boutiques. The
fact that they can so easily be repli-
cated is worrisome indeed.
I see this trend worldwide and
it causes me to wonder if we have
12 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
become complacent about our custom-
ers, our industry and our product. Or
are we just fearful of taking a risk in
these uncertain times? That would
truly be odd since the best art and
innovation tends to stem from difjcult
times – times when we seek to recon-
nect with values.
Remaining with the group of restau-
rants I mentioned earlier. They offer
similar experiences in terms of service
and product, but where they could
make an impact is in the design dif-
ferential. From the hotel sector, we can
see how design has leveraged projt-
ability – so it is not all about ethic
or aesthetic.
I believe that a designer is an artist,
and it should be their responsibility to
introduce and seduce a society with
the new and the unimaginable.
At no time in history have we had
such a global explosion of design
innovation – simply witness the
exponential expansion of venues like
Art Basel Miami and The Biennale in
Venice. Not to mention the elevation
of architects to ‘star-chitect’ status –
Gehry, Koolhaas, Hadid, Foster.
Perhaps the best example I can offer
today is of the recent Shanghai Expo.
There were over one hundred country
pavilions, and China’s citizens lined
up for blocks and waited for hours
and hours to see them. Exhibits were
greeted with gasps of delight. These
were ordinary people living ordinary
lives, but in those two or three hours,
they experienced the extraordinary.
Most of our customers lead pretty
ordinary lives, and we should want
them to be enchanted and delighted.
We should aim for ‘little gasps of ex-
citement’ and want to impart a feeling
of warmth in their hearts and electric-
ity in their brains. In essence, to have
all of their senses engaged.
So the question remains, what will
be the new trend for restaurants?
Quite simply, I don’t foresee a trend,
as such. I think this is the era of the
anti-trend, and I think that is good.
The slate has been wiped clean and we
can begin in a more organic place by
allowing our projects to be led by art,
design and our own milieu.
In the Middle East, designers seem
to be focused on replicating ideas
from the west. We must challenge
that. I cannot believe that the talented
designers and artists that we have
here have such limited imaginations
that they can only produce simulations
of design concepts from Las Vegas,
New York or London.
Are we not good enough to be
inspired by our own ideas in order to
create homegrown concepts? After all,
here in the UAE, we are known to take
risks, certainly in architecture.
To become a true 21st century
leader, we must carry that design ethic
through all that we do. As business
leaders, it is our job to support artists
and designers and convince investors
to take a risk and let us leverage that
risk into projtability.
I have been approached on many
an occasion by a client who wants a
cookie-cutter copy of a restaurant he
has seen abroad. I take the time to
explain to the client that while that
restaurant can serve as a design in-
spiration, I believe we should develop
our own product which can compete
anywhere in the world.
As restaurant developers, we may
work on a smaller scale but we should
strive for creative expression and the
realisation of our ideas. Budgets come
in all sizes, but that should never limit
our capacity for innovation.
It seems to me that I would rather
face a world where the design trend is
one that I dislike strongly, rather than
one that elicits very little feeling.
Daniel During has been based in Dubai
since 1997 and is the principal and
managing director of Thomas Klein
International. The food and beverage
consultancy has been operating from
Dubai since 2001 and covers the en-
tire Gulf region and Middle East.
www.constructionweekonline.com
PROFILE

G Style
W H O?
G Style is a manufacturer of stainless
steel products for the bathroom. The
company creates products in the following
areas: bathroom accessories, mirrors,
water screening elements, bathroom
equipment for the disabled, and public
washroom equipment.
The company was established in 1968
and since day one has been committed to
producing cost-effective bathroom acces-
sories of the highest quality, durability
and ergonomic standards.
The company currently holds a leading
position on the market, with customers in
Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Our products can be found in more than
3,500 hotels, residential buildings, cruise
ships and commercial complexes.

US P S ?
The philosophy of our brand is to convert
all our experience and knowledge into
high-quality products for the bathroom. To
achieve this goal we use only the highest
quality AISI 304 stainless steel and we
design product lines for both classic
and modern environments.
The accomplishment of this goal is crystal
clear to our customers, as all stainless
steel products or product parts are
covered by a 25-year warranty against
corrosion and defects in craftsmanship.
Our design team, in collaboration with
design jrms around the world, is on a
continuous search for new product lines
that can meet current trends but, at the
same time, can stand the test of time.
This is our strategy.

14 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

 PROFILE

P H I L OS O P H Y ?
We jrst look at the safety, ergonomics and
durability of the products and then we try to
link these to fashion. It is our philosophy to
create products that protect your investment,
are durable, maintenance free and safe to
use. All of our products are manufactured in
our own factory. Most of the components are
produced in-house so that we can maintain
quality levels. Our basic raw material is stain-
less steel AISI 304 in tubes, bars and sheets.
Production is divided into jve sectors: tube
processing, bars processing, sheet process-
ing, surface treatment and assembly.

CO L L E C T I O N S ?
We have organised our products into jve
collections, covering all aspects of the bath-
room. Each collection is divided into various
product ranges, so that you can easily choose
the design and feel that suits your needs.
The bathroom accessories collection features
a complete range of bathroom accessories,
available in a total of eight ranges to suit both
classic and modern design environments.
The mirrors collection is made from 5mm
crystal and AISI 304 stainless steel. There are
jve ranges, in a variety of dimensions and
designs, as well as mirror heaters that can be
installed to keep the mirrors dry.
Our water screening elements offer complete
solutions for the division of the bath or show-
er area. Designed to keep the rest of the room
dry, the range features bath screens, made of
8mm security crystal, and a mounting system
of AISI 304 stainless steel.
We also offer a complete range of bathroom
equipment especially designed for disabled
and elderly people. These products are
manufactured from AISI 304 stainless steel
with a mounting system that can support up
to 400kg. Finally, we have a complete range
of heavy duty equipment for the
public washroom.

CO N TAC T ?
G Direct, Ofjce 310, Business Centre II,
RAK Free Trade Zone, PO Box 16170, Ras
Al Khaimah, UAE; Tel: +971 (0)7 204 6570;
Email: sales.me@gstyle.com;
Website: www.gstyle.com.

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 15

 DESIGNER Q&A

Cause for hope

USING DE SIGN TO CH A NGE T HE WORLD –
SELIN A DENM A N SPE A K S TO T RISH A WIL SON

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 17

DESIGNER Q&A
T
1 he Wilson Foundation,
The lobby at the established by Trisha
Grand Hyatt Wilson to address the
Shenzhen. needs of disadvantaged
and underserved children
2&3 in South Africa, has raised a whopping
The grand deluxe $2.5 million since its launch in 1997 –
suite and penthouse no mean feat for a woman who started
at the Grand Hyatt her career selling mattresses in a
Shenzhen. department store in Dallas, Texas.
She went on, of course, to design
some of the most iconic hotels in the
world. The president and CEO of Wilson
Associates has worked on projects
such as The Palace of the Lost City at
Sun City in South Africa, the Atlantis
Hotel & Casino on Paradise Island in
the Bahamas, Caesars Palace in Las
Vegas, the MGM Grand in Connecticut,
18 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
the Four Seasons Regent Sydney and
the Conrad Bangkok.
In this part of the world, she is best
known for projects such as the Park
Hyatt, the One & Only Royal Mirage,
The Palace, Old Town, and the Kemp-
inski, all in Dubai, Shangri-La’s Barr Al
Jissah Resort & Spa in Muscat and the
Four Seasons at the First Residence
in Cairo. At present, the company has
over 200 projects in progress.
Early on in her career, Wilson made
a commitment to “do good work, treat
people right and give back”. Hence the
Wilson Foundation, which supports
education and healthcare initiatives
in the Limpopo Province of South
Africa, an area devastated by extreme
poverty, unemployment, sub-standard
2 We currently have over 200 projects
education and an AIDS pandemic. In
November, Wilson Associates received
CID’s inaugural Sustainable Design
Initiative award, for its commitment to
corporate social responsibility and its
unfailing efforts to use design as a tool
for social change.
The award was handed out in
recognition of the foundation’s most
recent initiative, the Hope Bracelet. All
proceeds from sales of the 14mm black
onyx bracelet go to helping support
education and healthcare initiatives for
disadvantaged children.
CID caught up with Wilson to learn
more about the work of the foundation,
and about how Wilson Associates has
weathered the storm of recent years.
What are you working on right now?
in the works. It is quite incredible. It’s
hard to believe our work can be seen in
46 countries spanning six continents.
We have many high-projle projects
currently underway in the Middle East,
ranging from large-scale residential
developments to ofjcial government
buildings and high-end hotels.
We have completed several sig-
nature projects this year in China,
including the InterContinental Nanjing
and Grand Hyatt Shenzhen. Blueplate
Studios’ recent work can be seen at
the Doubletree Kuala Lumpur, at the
Makan Kitchen, and a fresh new Italian
concept at the Hilton Singapore. Other
projects on the board include the
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 DESIGNER Q&A

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 19

DESIGNER Q&A
Conrad Haipang Bay Resort in Sanya,
China, Park Hyatt Saadiyat Island,
Shangri-La Hotel Mumbai, India, Ar-
mani Hotel via Manzoni in Milan, Italy,
St Regis Doha, Qatar, Four Season
Cairo, Egypt, Shangri-La Bangkok,
Thailand, St. Regis Zhuhai and the
Four Seasons Tianjin.
You have created a number of hotels in
4 Middle Eastern style. How difkcult is it
The Aqua Spa to create modern reinterpretations of
Suite at the Four Middle Eastern design?
Seasons Hong Kong. At Wilson Associates, we create each
project to interpret the vision of our
5 clients. We incorporate a sense of
The Blue Bar at place, use local materials and artisans,
the Four Seasons and draw inspiration from the site and
Hong Kong. its surroundings. It’s so important to
20 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
4 Anatole Hotel in Dallas, which I landed
learn about the various aspects of the
specijc culture and recognise their
impact on design. Understanding the
difference between Middle Eastern and
western culture is crucial.
I have found our clients in the
Middle East to be very open and
interested in cutting-edge design,
which is exciting for us in the creative
process. They push us to obtain new
and unique sources, materials and
applications. Every project is a new
design challenge.
How is working in the Middle East
different to working in other parts of
the world, would you say?
When designing in the Middle East,
Arabic culture and religion must be
respected. There are a number of is-
sues to be considered, such as sense
of place (e.g. separate men’s and
women’s areas in the spa), alcohol
licensing laws, choice of artwork, etc.
How did you become involved with the
design industry?
I started off selling mattresses in a
department store in Dallas, Texas. From
there I began doing residential design,
then moved on to restaurant design
through a residential client. I started
Wilson Associates in 1971 because
of my love and desire to be creative
through design.
My jrst big design project was The
by making a gutsy phone call to the
developer. There were certainly some
challenges that we had to overcome
then, though what I learned through
that project has inkuenced me my en-
tire career: that there is never any chal-
lenge too great! In fact, my personal
and company motto has become:
‘It can be done’.
How does Wilson Associates differenti-
ate itself in a highly competitive keld?
Luxury isn’t just about designing inte-
riors; it’s about creating unique places.
Success is found when we capture the
spirit of a place and bring the client’s
vision to life.
We have been in the Middle East for
over 20 years now. Wilson Associates
had the opportunity to design a person-
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 DESIGNER Q&A

al residence in Abu Dhabi for someone
who had seen our work at the Palace
of the Lost City in Africa. That was a
large job and enabled us to establish
ourselves in the Middle East.
To some degree, it was a matter of
being in the right place at the right
time. From that initial project we be-
came known in the Middle East market
at the same time that the hospitality
market started booming.
We have been fortunate enough to
work on some of the most exciting hotel
projects in the region.
How have you responded to the
challenging operating conditions of
the last few years?
My goal over the past few years has
been to determine how we can create
opportunities out of the challenges we
that where new development has
slowed, opportunities for renovation
have grown. Small changes through
renovation can go a long way and have
a big impact.
In addition, our focus is now on
different aspects of the market –
healthcare, commercial, senior living,
and specialty food and beverage
design. We recently launched several
studios: BluePlate, a food and bever-
age studio that focuses on creating
unique restaurant concepts worldwide;
Inn-Box Global Turnkey Solutions that
provides a comprehensive approach
to the design, specijcation, sourcing,
manufacturing and delivery of FF&E for
hospitality and commercial residential
projects; as well as Medica Design,
7
which offers the client forward-thinking 6
healthcare design solutions. It’s impor- Hilton Beijing
tant to keep in mind that in Chinese, Wangfujing.
the words for crisis and opportunity
share a character. 7
A deluxe twin
Tell us about The Wilson Foundation. room at the Hilton
How did this come about? Beijing Wangfujing.
When I established The Wilson Founda-
tion in 1997 my motivation was to
create a way to give back, and to help
provide an education for disadvan-
taged children. As the foundation has
grown, we have expanded our support
into healthcare and youth development
programmes, and such basic services
as food, clothing and shelter.
For the present, we are focusing most
of our support in a vastly underserved

face. As a small business owner, I am

in a unique position to not only survive
the tough times, but actually turn
them to my advantage. I have always
believed that kexibility is the key to
weathering the storm, and those who
survive are usually the most adaptable
to changing circumstances.
Current steps that I am taking include
watching my cash kow as never before,
and focusing on conserving the cash.
You cannot unspend money. Also, I
have never been one to follow forecasts
or models, but have found myself seek-
ing new priorities – there has never
been a better time to re-examine your
goals! These priorities include realising

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 21

DESIGNER Q&A
8 area of South Africa. We believe that
The Wilson focusing our efforts in a specijc area
Foundation focuses over a sustained period of time, with
its efforts on the the support of local representatives
Limpopo Province. working in the community, we can man-
age and measure the effectiveness of
9 our grants. We can truly see the differ-
The Hope Bracelet. ence we are making!
As we have grown, we have added
new ways to help raise money for The
Wilson Foundation, such as our Hope
Bracelet, a black 14mm onyx bracelet
with a pave-set logo charm. The Hope
Bracelet is a great way for people to
support the work of the foundation. In
fact, giving back never looked so good!
22 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
Do you think that businesses have a
responsibility to give back in this way?
I have always believed that it is im-
portant to give back. In fact, I have a
favourite saying: Do good work, treat
people right, give back, and success
will follow. In the case of Wilson As-
sociates, it is part of our corporate
culture. We all share a commitment to
helping others, either in our own com-
munities or – in the case of The Wilson
Foundation – in rural South Africa. We
also have many employees around the
world who have taken on their own
volunteer initiatives, and I am proud of
each and every one of them.
9 vulnerable teen boys.
What kind of initiatives is the Wilson
Foundation currently involved with?
The Wilson Foundation currently
focuses most of its efforts in Limpopo
Province, South Africa, in a rural com-
munity where we are the only US non-
projt organisation providing jnancial
support year round. We fund a range of
healthcare initiatives, including a mo-
bile clinic and an HIV/AIDS prevention
and support group, antiretroviral (ARV)
medications for HIV/AIDS patients, a
feeding programme for orphans and
other vulnerable children, scholarships
so that disadvantaged children may re-
ceive a quality education, a Boys2Men
mentoring programme for local teenage
boys, and food, clothing and shelter for
Our mission is to ‘Change Lives,
One Child at a Time’. We know we can
only do this by taking a holistic ap-
proach – we must address the needs
of the whole child, as well as the adults
in their life.
Is there anything that you haven’t
designed yet but would like to?
Over the years I have designed a
presidential yacht, palaces for royalty
(I think my youngest client was nine!),
private aviation transportation (a
747-SP, 737-BBJ and G-550), and a
swimming pool for racing camels… Just
when I think I have seen it all, a project
presents itself and surprises me!
www.constructionweekonline.com
FINLAY
PENTHOUSE PENTHOUSE GRACE

DONATELLO SARASI-ELLISE

‘VALUE FOR MONEY’ PRODUCTS THAT ADD TO ‘QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE’

CASE STUDY: MÖVENPICK BUR DUBAI

Making an
entrance
T HE MÖVENPICK HOT EL BUR DUBA I ’S LOBBY A RE A
WA S IN DE SPER AT E NEED OF A RE VA MP
Images by Lester Ali

24 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com


I
n its former guise, the lobby of the
Mövenpick Hotel and Apartments,
Bur Dubai epitomised the ‘more
is more’ approach that so often
characterises design in this part of the
world. With its gold and ochre colour
scheme and over-the-top jnishes, the
lobby was desperately outdated and in
need of a refresh.
Built in 2000, Mövenpick Hotels &
Resorts took over management of the
property in 2003. In 2009, the company
embarked on a renovation of all guest
rooms, while the public areas were ad-
dressed in 2010.
For the lobby area, Mövenpick worked
with Dubai-based Design Work Portfolio
to create a more modern and inviting
space. This is in keeping with a general
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move within the hotel company, which is
promoting a more contemporary feel in
many of its properties, explained Robert
Barker, general manager, Mövenpick
Hotel and Apartments, Bur Dubai.
“If you look at The Mövenpick Hotel
Jumeirah Beach, and Ibn Battuta Gate,
which has just opened, the new Möven-
pick hotel has a much more modern feel
to it. Open spaces, bright, clean, clear,
vivid colours – that is the direction the
company is going in. The name itself
is quite old and traditional. But it’s an
old name with a new image and a new
direction. The company is growing very
quickly and wants to present itself as
modern and fresh,” Barker said.
The aim with the Mövenpick Bur Dubai
lobby was to create a welcoming space
2 3
CASE STUDY: MÖVENPICK BUR DUBAI
infused with a more residential feel. 1
This is in keeping with the demands The lobby has
of the modern traveller, according to been given a more
Barker, who over the course of his career homely feel.
has witnessed a dejnite shift in the
projle and behavioural patterns of the 2&3
average hotel guest. The reception
“When I started in the business many desk was moved.
years ago, hotels were a place to sleep
in, and people used them that way.
That was when probably 90% of travel
was for business and 10% was leisure.
Nowadays it’s probably 50/50. And even
people that travel on business are prob-
ably adding a day or two of leisure on
either side,” said Barker.
“So, customers are looking for a
more residential feel, even in the guest
rooms. And this kows throughout the
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 25
CASE STUDY: MÖVENPICK BUR DUBAI
4 5
hotel. You must have areas that guests
can relax in. You have to build a kind
of comfort zone into your property. The
4,5&6 lobby lounge is no longer a showcase for
Furniture was the designer – it has to be a comfortable
reupholstered. and appealing place for the customer to
sit and relax in.”
7 To this effect, the lobby area was
The colour divided into ‘kitchen, dining and living’
palette is spaces. To start with, Design Work
light and fresh. Portfolio opted to move the reception
desk, kipping it over to the opposite
8 side of the lobby. In the space where the
Lighting was revisited. reception desk used to be, Design Work
Portfolio moved an existing wall and
9&10 took some space from the back ofjces
A large to create a new informal lounge area.
central staircase “In the old days, when you came here
dominates. and were waiting for someone, there
7 8
26 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
was nowhere to sit and have a coffee. So
we carved out a new space and created
an informal, timeless lounge where you
can sit and have a coffee while you wait
for someone, or even conduct a meet-
ing,” said Martin Wojnowski, principal
designer, Design Work Portfolio.
One corner of the lounge area now
features a juice bar, while another is
home to a striking cake display. Each
type of cake is named after a precious
stone, so the idea was to create a
display case that would be bejtting of
jewellery. The packaging and presenta-
tion of the cakes also builds on the idea
of each being a precious stone.
“They are packed in what looks like a
jewellery box. And instead of the box go-
ing into a bag, it is wrapped in a scarf,”
6
Barker explained. “It has always struck
me that you never get nice bags to carry
cakes in. So, we were inspired by the
furoshiki, which is a Japanese wrapping
cloth. If you are arriving in Japan for the
jrst time, usually the wife of your boss
will give you a box like this as a welcome
gift, and inside there might be a guide to
the city, information on schools, tourist
attractions, and so on. The scarf it is
wrapped in is called a furoshiki.”
In addition to creating a whole
new lounge area out of a dead space,
Design Work Portfolio concentrated
on revamping the lobby restaurant.
The aim was to develop a more “multi-
dimensional” restaurant concept, as
opposed to “your regular Dubai buffet
offering”, said Wojnowski.
9
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 CASE STUDY: MÖVENPICK BUR DUBAI

10

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 27

CASE STUDY: MÖVENPICK BUR DUBAI
Where the restaurant used to be
brimming with dark panelling and brass
chandeliers, it is now home to a far light-
er design language. A sand-coloured,
multi-faceted, moulded, lacquered MDF
panel runs along one wall, creating
depth and texture.
In the back corner of the restaurant,
leading into the kitchen, a large sketch
of a cartoon chef carrying a plate of food
jumps off the wall. “That’s chef Monty,”
said Barker. “We wanted a full-size
image of the chef coming out of the
kitchen. It was a dark, nondescript area
previously, and he draws you in.”
Other major changes to the overall
lobby koor plan included the consolida-
tion of the hotel’s business centre and
retail area. Both now occupy a single
space jtted with a couple of desks,
topped with laptops. These are kanked
by shelving cabinets jlled with essential
items for sale.
11 In Barker’s opinion, both the retail
The lobby now area and business centre are becoming
features a increasingly defunct in modern hotel
juice bar. design. “The business centre, if we are
honest, is gone. Why would you use a
12 business centre in a hotel? On the off-
The lobby chance that you don’t have your mobile
restaurant has also device with you and you want to check
been revamped. your email, we have laptops on offer.
The hotel shop is just for essentials, so
we took one areaand opened it up. It is
13&14 open 24-hours per day, and there’s no
The retail area and door,” he explained.
business centre This is also in keeping with the fact
were consolidated. that the needs of business and leisure
13
28 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
11
travellers – once quite diverse – are con-
verging. According to Barker, both are
essentially looking for the same things:
personalised service, friendly people, a
good bed, nice linen, good towels, wi-j
and a convenient location.
“In the old days, you had to have this
big business centre with secretarial
services and whatever else. And the
guestroom had to be very functional for
the businessman. Now all the business-
man really needs is wi-j and broadband
connectivity. And that’s what the leisure
customer wants too, because they want
to stay connected.”
For Design Work Portfolio, one of the
greatest challenges with this project
was the restricted budget, which dic-
tated that many original features had to
14
12
be recycled and reused. For example,
most of the furniture was reupholstered
and kooring was maintained, for the
most part, while carpeting was changed
and lighting was revisited.
“We painted the railing on the stair-
case, changing it from gold to an anthra-
cite jnish. The walls were painted grey
rather than ochre. All the lamps were re-
moved and replaced. All of the counters
are new. We kept the reception desks,
but the leather wall panels behind them
are new,” Wojnowski explained.
The end result is homely, in all the
right ways. “It looks like a villa – infor-
mal, soft, eclectic and comfortable. We
didn’t want to make a design statement.
Instead we wanted to create a fresh,
international feel that travellers from
all around the world could identify with.
Most of the hotels in Dubai are very
design-driven, but that can often just
make the guest feel lost. We haven’t rep-
licated that same old Arabesque feel.”
And the benejt of such renovation
projects is that the fruits of your labour
are immediately obvious, Wojnowski
added. “These are the kinds of projects
that I like. These are the jobs that you
get to do in Europe.
“It means you are instantly rewarded,
or not, for what you’ve done. Other
projects that you work on are realised
two or three years down the line. It is
very long-term. This is one of the jrst
short-term projects that we’ve worked
on, where you can see the jnal outcome
without waiting years for it.”
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CASE STUDY: JAMIE’S ITALIAN

High
street style
JA MIE OLI VER ’S L AT E S T ITA LI A N E AT ERY IS BRIMMING
WIT H INT ERE S T ING DE SIGN F E AT URE S, CID DISCOVERS.

30 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

 CASE STUDY: JAMIE’S ITALIAN

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 31

CASE STUDY: JAMIE’S ITALIAN
I
1 n his customarily profuse fashion,
A Jamie’s ice cream Jamie Oliver has described the
van greets diners. latest addition to his Jamie’s Italian
portfolio of restaurants as “prob-
2&4 ably our most stunning site to date”.
The Scooter Wall The new restaurant opened in the West-
features a selection jeld London Shopping Centre at the
of individual end of last year, and was designed by
scooter headlights. Blacksheep, a UK-based design agency
known for high-projle leisure projects
3 such as Whisky Mist and Inamo.
The restaurant Jamie’s Italian restaurants represent
can cater the celebrity chef’s jrst completely in-
for 250 covers. dependent restaurant venture. Already
present in 13 locations in the UK and
due to debut in Dubai’s Festival City in
the very near future, the brand aims to
bring ‘what’s best about casual dining
to the high street’.
3 4
32 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
Oliver is famously enamoured with
Italy and the country’s cuisine. “I should
have been Italian. There is such diver-
sity in lifestyles, cooking, traditions and
dialects. This is why as a chef I jnd this
country so exciting and what inspired
me to create Jamie’s Italian,” he said.
In the new Westjeld location, a
decidedly Italian kavour is infused with
Oliver’s distinct brand of Britishness.
According to Tim Mutton, managing
director of Blacksheep, the new res-
taurant is “a buzzy, stylish and warm
environment, inspired by Italian food,
retail and dining, combined with Jamie’s
own cheeky Britishness”.
As the team was dealing with a well
established and much-loved brand,
part of the process was deciding what
aspects of the design were generic and
should be maintained, and what fresh
creativity and site-specijc features
could be introduced, Mutton noted.
“We were very impressed with how
open the client was to new ideas that
expressed the fresh, honest and acces-
sible feel of the brand,” he said.
“Every material choice and the story
behind it was carefully considered as
part of the design process and, in order
to bring a truly authentic Italian feel to
the designs, Blacksheep extensively
researched not only the business, but
also Italian restaurant and delicatessen
culture,” he added.
DRIVING THE DESIGN
Blacksheep associate Mark Leib was
instrumental in helping create the
materials palette and major feature
areas for the new 250-cover restaurant.
“Our new ideas began right at the front
door,” he commented. “We suggested
having a Jamie’s ice cream van parked
outside as a kind of brand beacon, both
to highlight the restaurant’s location
and to serve passing trade.”
Oliver reportedly loved the idea so
much that he personally rushed out and
bought a classic old Citroën van. This
was lovingly restored and now serves
Oliver’s ‘Smash Ups’, where ice cream,
fruit and nuts are all mixed to order and
served on a plate.
The van sits in the corner of a large
L-shaped exterior space. Covering some
100m², this exterior area is located on
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 CASE STUDY: JAMIE’S ITALIAN

Westjeld’s Southern Terrace, and offers
al fresco dining beneath a canopy. The
external area is bordered and demar-
cated by planters made from reclaimed
scaffold boards, which are full of herbs,
creating a great smell and a sense of
anticipation of the food to come.
Other innovative design features in
the new Westjeld restaurant include a
Scooter Wall, made up of a selection of
individual scooter headlights; a Market
Place section that highlights the retail
and theatrical aspects of the kitchen;
bespoke wall treatments, both inspired
by and commissioned directly from
Italy; and dynamic lighting treatments,
from bespoke chandeliers to industrial-
style workmen lights in tongue-in-
cheek gold casing.
is a special, more intimate area, with
lower ceilings and a more bling feel.
Here the designers created an
intimate and glamorous space, lit by a
stunning feature made up of 30 brass-
spun pendants on little arms, in a single
conglomeration, set against a dark grey
ceiling. Two glazed walls allow views
out, whilst a feature wall to the rear of
the space includes bespoke hand-made
timber panels with patinated brass
inlay details. The back wall is taken up
by the restaurant’s antipasti bar.
The interior of Jamie’s new Italian
restaurant is dejned by a pared-down
industrial feel, with exposed gantries,
steelwork beams and columns, dark
grey paintwork and timber. With 4.2m-
high ceilings in the jrst two zones, the
restaurant is spacious, but still warm
and accessible.
“This isn’t in any way a pastiche of
an old building,” explained Leib. “It
expresses its modernity quite clearly.”
ZONING OUT
The Blacksheep team was eager to
ensure that while the restaurant offered
a selection of different seating areas,
each zone offered strong sight lines and 5
areas of interest. Bespoke booth seat- The restaurant
ing is complemented by freestanding is located in the
furniture, including the Omkstack and Westjeld London
Tolix chairs. Shopping Centre.
The latter is a signature item from
earlier outlets, but in the Westjeld ven- 6&7
ue was used in different colourways, The Market Place
from galvanised and stainless steel for features a retail area.

A LENGTHY PROCESS 6 7

The interior space covers an area of

610m² and is dejned by its consider-
able length – 55m from the main door to
the rear of the restaurant. A very narrow
central area presented a particular chal-
lenge, and encouraged Blacksheep to
develop zoned areas, which include the
main restaurant space, or Piazza, and
the central Market Place area.
Free of seating, the Market Place
made a virtue of the narrow central
space and offers customers views of the
kitchens and of fresh pasta making. It
also allows them to linger over a larger
retail area than ever before, en route to
either the toilets or to the restaurant’s
rear dining space, The Back Room. This

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 33

CASE STUDY: JAMIE’S ITALIAN
8 9
the outside area to blue and black in
the restaurant.
Flooring is an interesting mix of
recycled, engineered timber and Black
Mountain river slate. Timber is used for
the main restaurant area and the rear
restaurant zone, and is broken up by
slate in the central Market Place. Wall
treatments include reclaimed ceramic
8&9 bricks in the main restaurant, feature
The restaurant is metal panelling around the toilet area
“buzzy, stylish and bespoke timber and metal panels
and warm”. in the Back Room.
The restaurant’s lighting was care-
10,11&12 fully considered to ensure that it made
Quirky design a strong statement at any time of night
features have even or day. One of the mechanisms for
made their way into this is a metal gantry, which begins
the bathrooms. above the dispense bar in the main
10
34 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
restaurant space and continues all
the way through to the rear space. It
is used both for hanging antipasti and
for feature lighting, and serves to unify
the spaces and take customers’ eyes
through the space. Lighting hanging off
the gantry includes anglepoise lamps
and ‘worker’s lights’ – bare bulbs with
cage surrounds.
“Jamie really loves Italian glass chan-
deliers, so we also did a ‘meaty’ take on
this in the main space with two bespoke
chandeliers, with three different types
of glass hanging from butcher’s hooks
on a butcher’s rail,” said Leib. “The
chandeliers are situated above the
holding bar and the large group table in
this space, which seats eight people, as
well as one in the Back Room area.”
11
While the site of the restaurant pre-
sented many advantages and allowed
for a unique and multi-faceted design, it
also came with its fair share of challeng-
es. “When the centre was jrst planned,
this space had been designated for use
as a crèche and therefore had only a
small façade and little in the way of ser-
vices – and certainly not enough water
or drainage to run a restaurant with its
own boilers and pasta machine,” ex-
plained Jordan Little, another member
of the Blacksheep team.
“But the great thing about the site is
that it sits above the Westjeld library
as part of a standalone building. As a
result, it’s both away from other restau-
rants and also located on a corner with
highly visible approaches.”
12
www.constructionweekonline.com
FEATURE: JAMES LAW
Back to the future
C Y BERT EC T JA ME S L AW SPE A K S TO ORL A NDO CROWCROF T A BOUT
INT ELLIGENT MIRRORS, T HE DE AT H S TA R A ND T HE E VOLUT ION OF CIT IE S.
1 2
A
s the designer of the infa-
mous Dubai ‘Death Star’,
there are few people in the
GCC that won’t have heard
of Hong Kong architect James Law.
The spherical eco-project – which
contained its own river, waterfall and
rainforest – was an early casualty of
the jnancial crisis, but a similar pro-
ject in Mumbai has ensured that Law’s
reputation generally precedes him.
“Some people call me the Asian
Tony Stark,” said Law, with an ironic
smile, sitting in the lobby of Dubai’s
Al Qasr Hotel, stirring his jasmine tea.
“I have a lab not too dissimilar to his,”
he continued. “We’ve got engineers
and scientists all putting cool stuff
together. My dream is to have the
world’s most advanced factory and
help solve the world’s problems.”
Just moments earlier Law had pre-
sented a demonstration of a new intel-
ligent mirror that he has designed and
built in his Hong Kong lab. The Al Qasr
could be the jrst hotel in the world to
pioneer the product, which helps its
owners keep jt, surf the web and keep
36 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
in touch with friends. It is bold, but it
is just the beginning.
“We built the mirror from scratch;
we even made our own glass,” Law
explained. “But we have a whole
mish-mash of things we are working
on around the world. I’m working on
a new type of tile which can generate
energy for the building, as well as
a new module that can be added to
seating, which allows you to be linked
to the internet and communicate with
your friends.”
Critics may ask what an architect
is doing inventing stuff, but the name
of Law’s jrm – James Law Cybertec-
ture – goes some way to explain it.
“The company is full of architects,
engineers, industrial designers, re-
searchers, all working together with no
differentiation with who is an architect
and who is an interior designer or
whatever,” he said. “We call ourselves
imagineers now. We call ourselves
cybertects, because it’s not just about
architecture, it’s much more.”
The concept behind Law’s work is
as epochal as it is controversial. He
3
believes that it is not just our build-
ings that have to change in the 21st
century, it is our cities and our very
way of life which need to be consid-
ered by architects and designers.
Cities should no longer be thought of
as satellites, sub-divided by districts
and buildings, but as part of an intel-
ligent network – from the mirror that
watches your weight, to the building
with its own eco-system.
“Contemporary cities are very
outdated things,” Law explained.
“They are made out of concrete, steel
and glass. They have trafjc jams, and
they’re not energy efjcient. They have
a lot of social and political problems.
“We have these really incredibly
huge challenges to face – climate
change, natural disasters, growing
population, lack of food supply – and
we need to create something new for
the world, something more efjcient,
something different.
“It is our responsibility, as the
designers and engineers of the future,
to really look at the whole thing in a
different light and move forward.
www.constructionweekonline.com
 FEATURE: JAMES LAW

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 37

FEATURE: JAMES LAW

38 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com


“A city should not be built as it was
before, it should be conceived much
more like a piece of technology. Like
a circuit board, every piece of circuit
is symbiotically linked to everything
else, and everything has to work
together like a piece of nature.
“This is the ubiquitous city. We can’t
plan a city any more just to get cars
to drive around, just to make people
travel inordinate distances to get the
things that they need and get to the
places that they work. We need to
think about it in a multi-dimensional
way,” he said.
Easier said than done, critics may
say, but Law believes that the cur-
rent projects his jrm has underway
in Hong Kong and India prove that
6 7
www.constructionweekonline.com
such lofty ideas can be translated
into reality. Law recently installed a
system of ‘nodes’ in Hong Kong, which
are able to monitor the movement of
people and trafjc and provide real
time information to city planners and
the government. “As the city changes
these poles are monitoring the trafjc
security, monitoring the people, deliv-
ering information, and the government
is able to data mind the diagnostic
standards of the city and learn from
that and evolve the city into a 21st
century city,” he explained.
It all sounds a bit Orwellian, doesn’t
it? Not so, says Law.
“Technology is already around us.
When we’re driving a car we expect the
FEATURE: JAMES LAW
ABS brakes to work; we expect it to 1,2&3
work, but do you trust it or distrust it James Law
to the extent that you say, oh, I won’t considers himself
drive the car. We believe in that. as a ‘cybertect’, and
“There’s lots of information being believes that cities,
gathered about us. When we make a and the way that
phone call, when we search Google, people live in them,
even when we go to the library and needs to change.
borrow a book, there’s a record. So
it’s just degrees of trust, and society 4&5
relies on that,” he said. The Technosphere.
“The 21st century city needs new
components. New components like 6,7&8
the mirror, to keep people healthy and Law’s intelligent
safe, and ultra green buildings, which mirror helps its
will eventually create their own en- owners keep jt,
ergy. We need planetary cities which surf the web and
house a greater number of people in a stay in touch
more efjcient way, and jnally we need with friends.
8
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 39
FEATURE: JAMES LAW
9 ubiquitous urban networks that help
The Pad, us to monitor the state of the city.”
Abu Dhabi. Law is keen to emphasise the big
picture thinking angle of Cybertecture,
10&11 but it remains true that buildings form
Law sees his a big part of the jrm’s work, and an
buildings as even bigger part of the philosophy
super green behind it. A city is made up of its
devices. buildings, and sustainability has to
start with them.
“I see my buildings more as super
green devices which have skins that
absorb energy, and have sky gardens
that give greenery back to the city.
Take the Dubai Technosphere; it is de-
signed to be home to 30,000 people.
There is a valley which is naturally
ventilated and a river which is cooling
the space but also recycling the water
10
40 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
in the building. On the edges of the
sphere we have created areas of rain-
forest. These areas are used to cool
the building but also to be home to
nature that is being transported from
all over the world,” he said.
“Another example I gave was the Egg
building I did in Mumbai, which is an
ultra green building. This has not been
built and conceived in the same way as
a piece of architecture, it’s conceived
as a mechanical piece of nature. It’s
like a pod, it doesn’t need columns
to hold it up, the shape is orientated
towards the sun, so that it’s taking on
less heat – all of these things we have
the tools to do now. We have the tools
to build space-craft and air craft and
cars and thermal dynamics; we can
11
now integrate those by using the skills
of the cybertect, as opposed to the
architect, who is only concerned with
concrete, steel and glass.”
The question is how to realise this
future in a world where old-fashioned
cities, with their pollution, over-
population, sewage and waste, are
so integral to our social, political and
economic lives. Critics would rightly
ask how Law suggests the world
implements his lofty ideas without
abandoning New York, London and
Shanghai and starting from scratch.
“Of course you can’t knock all
the buildings down and start again,
you can’t dig up all the sewers, but
schemes like the Hong Kong nodal
points are an example of ways of mak-
ing existing cities better. At the same
time, there are a lot of new cities com-
ing forward. Masdar, and numerous
projects in China and India.
“This is an opportunity to get it
right from the start and not just hark
back to the old ways of doing things
and make a mess of it again. There’s
a balance between evolving and
introducing some of these things into
existing cities and trying your best
to start again where there are new
opportunities and not to waste those
new opportunities.”
It’s an ambitious call to arms, but
Law will have to persuade a great deal
of people before our cities will follow.
Until then, it’s back to the lab for
Asia’s Tony Stark.
www.constructionweekonline.com
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FEATURE: INTERIOR AUTOMATION

A controlled
environment WELCOME TO T HE AGE OF INT ERIOR AUTOM AT ION.

I
n this part of the world, inte-
rior automation is now the norm,
rather than the exception. From
increased control, comfort and
aesthetics to greater energy savings, experiences and spaces grows, the
consumers are more aware than ever of prevalence of automation in both resi-
the benejts of an automated environ- dential and commercial applications is
ment. And as demand for personalised only set to intensify.

42 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

 FEATURE: INTERIOR AUTOMATION

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 43

FEATURE: INTERIOR AUTOMATION
“People everywhere are dealing
with a much greater volume of infor-
mation than ever before and they need
the capabilities to process it much
faster than ever,” noted Ali Hani Fakih,
marketing manager of Al Mazroui
ICAS, which has a specijc business
unit dedicated to automated solutions.
Automation is particularly prevalent
when it comes to lighting control.
“What we are seeing is more control-
lability and more intuitive controls,”
said Rogier van der Heide, chief design
ofjcer of Philips Lighting. “You can
change the colour or the intensity of
the light, create scenes across a space
or across a building, or orchestrate
lighting based on all kinds of stimuli
– from weather and the movement of
people to the time of day.
“So, we see a lot of solutions in
professional lighting now being con-
nected to control systems, resulting
in a more holistic approach to the
lighting challenge,” van der Heide
explained. “That is exciting because it
offers the client greater kexibility.”
1&2 ROOM TO GROW
Integrated The growing popularity of interior au-
entertainment tomation is particularly evident in the
solutions from hospitality industry, where the uptake
Archimedia. of technology is growing rapidly.
44 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
People have become accustomed to
technology facilitating their everyday
lives and demand the same ease when
they are travelling. At the same time,
hotels are recognising the potential
energy – and cost – savings offered by
careful, centralised control of lighting
and other interior elements.
“When a hotel installs in-room
control technology, managing the
lighting scenario is of course a main
consideration,” noted Warren Edwards
of VDA UK, which has developed the
Micromaster System, a management
system for in-room lighting and tem-
perature controls.
The system uses Radio Frequency
Identijcation (RFID) technology to
interface between a PMS (Property
Management System) programme
and Building Management Services. It
can also be remotely controlled by an
iPhone or iPad. Micromaster’s smart
switches are also low-voltage, mean-
ing they can be positioned anywhere
– even in a bath environment.
One application of the Micromaster
System is the capacity to programme
lights to operate at specijc dimmable
settings throughout the course of
a 24-hour period. “For example,
between the hours of 10pm and 6am,
lights can switch to 30% illumination
to promote greater guest relaxation
and comfort. Clever programming
enables lower light levels that allow
for safety but are also less likely to be
disturbing at night when, for example,
a guest gets out of bed to use the
bathroom,” Edwards explained.
But interior automation extends
far beyond mere lighting control. AV,
home entertainment, air-conditioning,
curtains, blinds and security systems
can all be integrated and easily
controlled. Furthermore, methods of
controlling these elements are becom-
ing increasingly sophisticated.
BLIND SPOT
Somfy offers motorisation and
automation solutions for all kinds of
interior window coverings: from tradi-
tional curtains and screens to a range
of blinds. “The automation of curtains
and blinds is moving from being
optional to becoming standard,” said
Malek Skaff, Somfy Gulf BU manager.
Somfy has launched a rack of new
products in recent months, including
Glydea, a new range of motorised cur-
tain tracks; Oximo Wirefree, a range
of autonomous rolling shutters with a
motor that uses solar power; and Telis
16 RTS, a hand-held remote control
that has 16 channels and can control
www.constructionweekonline.com

all motorised applications, including
interior window coverings, exterior
screens, patio awnings and rolling
shutters. The product features an on-
screen display that makes it easy to
navigate and programme.
Also new to the Somfy stable is
Smoove, a range of wireless switches.
Featuring touch sensitive technology,
this fully customisable concept is
available in j ve jnishes and eight
frames to suit all tastes and environ-
ments. Smoove is rekective of a move
within the automation industry to
www.constructionweekonline.com
create increasingly visually appealing
solutions that become a design fea-
ture in themselves.
The Micromaster System, for ex-
ample, takes aesthetics very seriously
indeed, and has “a stylish, luxury
appearance”, according to Edwards.
“Using touch-control technology, its
Vitrum Smart Switch ‘Glass Collec-
tion’, designed by Marco Piva, features
an elegantly sculpted screen that
allows guests to personally adapt
lighting and temperature levels within
limits dejned by the hotel,” he said.
FEATURE: INTERIOR AUTOMATION
Al Mazroui ICAS is also focusing on 3&4
the aesthetic qualities of its product VDA’s Micromaster
ranges. It’s digital, wall mounted and System can be
wireless room control units come in used anywhere.
a variety of colours and designs that
complement the company’s decorative
switches and sockets.
Al Mazroui, which specialises in
top-quality German brands, also has
a number of new products on offer.
These include Scope, a new IP Inter-
com product by Siedle which includes
an indoor video station and a landline
telephone within one device; and a
4
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 45
FEATURE: INTERIOR AUTOMATION

5,6&7 line of AV-equipped furniture from Part of the challenge is ensuring “Vitrum’s touch-screen panels are
Al Mazroui ICAS has Spectral. Al Mazroui is also offering that interior automation technology also easy to use by those with limited
launched a host of home automation systems that can be continues to evolve and progress, but mobility – an important consideration
new products. controlled via an LCD television. at the same time, remains accessible, as older people increasingly travel.
“You can control everything at home intuitive and user-centric. This is par- Micromaster is designed for the couple
via the television, which is easy to ticularly important in a commercial or that has checked into a hotel to cel-
use, as well as touch screens, which hospitality setting. ebrate their 25th wedding anniversary,
have very simplijed software that “The integration of technology having not stayed in a hotel since their
even small kids or ageing people can into [hotel] guestrooms is becoming wedding day,” he continued.
easily use to control the AC, lighting, the norm rather than the exception; The need to ‘humanise’ this technol-
curtains, security system and sound however, guests don’t have the time, ogy will become ever more important.
system,” said Fakih. or the desire, to study complex opera- After all, said Fakih, “the future of
tions for switching it on and off. home automation will very much ride
NE W LE A SE ON LIFE “They are only at the hotel for a the digital age and develop along with
Home automation suppliers are short stay, so VDA has created tech- the computer and networking systems
conscious of the fact that they provide nology that is simple and intuitive for in the years to come”. Making sure it
more than just technology – they are the entire spectrum of guest projles,” remains accessible, even as its rides
selling a way of life. commented Edwards. that wave, is imperative.
“At Archimedia, we are not selling
a system. Rather, we are selling a life- 6 7
style and, as such, it is important to 10
us
that this lifestyle enhances the ways
in which our customers interact with
their homes,” said Omar Hikal, CEO of
Archimedia, a supplier of automation
and entertainment solutions ranging
from compact audio solutions and
fully-customised home cinemas to
complete home automation systems.
“We dedicate ourselves unwavering-
ly to understanding what an enhanced
lifestyle means to each individual
client. This means that we get to know
him or her and their respective fami-
lies at a personal level. We invest the
time in learning about their likes and
dislikes, their preferred environment
and their daily habits.”

46 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

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KITCHEN SUPPLIERS
YOU SHOULD KNOW
O
ne of the most important
trends in kitchen design is
the transformation of the
kitchen into the hearth of
the home. No longer a separate space
set away from the main living area, the
kitchen has become a hub of social
activity. “The concept of the kitchen
as a room totally separate to the living
spaces within the home, a room created
solely to prepare meals, has become
increasingly obsolete. The status of the
kitchen has risen in our minds and in our
actions,” said Arturo Manso, managing
director, TEKA Küchentechnik.
This evolution is rekected in the
design of high-end kitchens, noted
Kathryn Pratley, business development
manager of KITCHENS & beyond and
Poggenpohl UAE. “Our latest concept,
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SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
+ARTESIO, will be available worldwide
in 2011. It was developed jointly by
architect Hadi Teherani and Poggenpohl.
Architectural design elements
demonstrate the fusion between the
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The kitchen’s increasingly multi-
faceted role is being conveyed in the
emergence of separate work zones and
integrated appliances. “There is a trend
towards integrating built-in appliances
as a functional element of the kitchen
design. The built-in appliance also
offers a combination of performance
and convenience, providing more space
to cook and move around,” said Vinoth
Krishna, sales director, Gaggenau.
Mirroring the sustainability drive in
all other areas of the design industry,
kitchen design is also becoming
increasingly eco-conscious. This, in
turn, is leading to the use of more
natural materials, said Patricia
Boettcher, founder of B5 The Art of
Living, a supplier of Eggersmann
kitchens. “We are noticing a trend
towards the use of natural raw materials
such as stone, wood and glass, in the
design of customised kitchens. Rustic
stone is giving a vintage, ‘used’ look,
and being mixed with natural oak in a
very contemporary way.
“Raw oak alone may have a traditional
feel about it but when mixed with
stone and even appearing in high-gloss
black and white, it can look incredibly
futuristic. This juxtaposition of two
different looks – the stone, oak and
glossy jnishes, is a strong future trend
in kitchens,” she predicted.
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 49
SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
Gaggenau
CID catches up with Vinoth Krishna, sales
director, Gaggenau.
Tell us about your company.
Gaggenau, one of the top luxury Ger-
man brands, is focused on innovation
and creating cutting-edge appliances.
Gaggenau’s product range will appeal to
discerning individuals who do not com-
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but the best for their homes. Gaggenau
is the leader in innovative, aesthetically-
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home appliances.
What sets you apart?
Gaggenau has a rich history that traces
back to 1683 in the small town of Gag-
genau in the south of Germany. In the
1880s, during the industrial revolution,
Gaggenau was known as a place where
new products came to life. Gaggenau
became an internationally-known luxury
brand in 1961 when we started to devel-
op top-quality kitchen appliances. Since
then, Gaggenau kitchen appliances have
been characterised by practical benejts
and top quality. Gaggenau is proud of its
history and its appliances incorporate
the knowledge, skill and decades-long
experience of specialists.
Have there been any recent
developments at your company?
Having opened the dedicated Gaggenau
Galleria in Dubai, Gaggenau is associ-
ated with several high-projle residential
50 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
projects in the UAE and the wider
region. When it comes to kitchen ap-
pliances, Gaggenau is regarded as the
specialist in in-built home appliances –
one that has earned the trust of profes-
sional chefs and industry connoisseurs
around the world.
Key trends in kitchens?
There is a trend towards integrating
built-in appliances as a functional
element of the kitchen design. Built-in
appliances offer a combination of per-
formance and convenience, giving more
space to cook and move around. Gag-
genau offers a complete range of built-
in kitchen appliances, including ovens,
Combi-steam ovens, warming drawers,
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washing machines.
How do we contact you?
Located in Dubai on the Jumeirah
Beach Road, close to the Miraj Islamic
Art Centre, the Gaggenau Galleria is
a multi-functional showroom holding
a prestigious collection of Gaggenau
appliances. Exclusive appointments for
personal guidance to experience the
world of Gaggenau, its appliances and
the spirit of the brand can be reserved
on tel: +971 (0)4 394 4049 and
+971 (0)50 145 7424.
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 SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Patricia Boettcher, founder of B5 may have a traditional feel about it but

The Art of Living.
What sets you apart?
All Eggersmann kitchens are cust-
omised and bespoke, so the possibili-
ties are endless. With Eggersmann,
there are no limitations. As the only
kitchen specialist with such a broad
design philosophy, Eggersmann gives
interior designers and consumers the
scope to be as creative as they want to
be. Working with materials, colours,
sizes and layouts, Eggersmann designs
are innovative and creative without be-
ing limited by production constraints.
The company enjoys a reputation for its
kexibility in custom cabinetry sizing,
and its award-winning, state-of-the-art
interior accessories.
Key trends in kitchens?
We are noticing a trend towards the
use of natural raw materials such as
stone, wood and glass, in the design
of customised kitchens. Rustic stone
when mixed with stone and even ap-
pearing in high-gloss black and white,
it can look incredibly futuristic.
The move towards all things natural
also satisjes society’s craving for eco-
conscious materials.
Recent developments?
Eggersmann is always looking for ways
to incorporate trends and design inno-
vations into its kitchens. It has recently
taken modern design to the next level
with its ‘UNIQUE’ collection, which
features furniture designs with granite,
marble, quartz and steel jnishes.
Recently gaining FSC certijcation, Eg-
gersmann is proud of its eco-conscious
designs and has developed the largest
collection of engineered wood veneers,
lacquer jnishes in high-gloss, and
textured and matt jnishes.
How do we contact you?
Eggersmann is available from B5 The
Art of Living, Sidra Tower, Sheikh Zayed

Eggersmann is giving a vintage, ‘used’ look, and

is being mixed with natural oak in a
very contemporary way. Raw oak alone
Road, Dubai; Web: www.b5living.com;
Email: info@b5living.com; Tel: +971
(0)4 447 3973 or +971 (0)55 205 5540.

By Calum Stewart, group sales and kitchens that can be attractive and
marketing director, Sanipex Group.

Tell us about your company.

Bagno Design, a member of Sanipex
Group, is the premier retailer of luxury
bathroom sanitaryware and tiles across
the Middle East and central and south
Asia. At Bagno Design we recognise
that everyone has different needs, and
our showroom staff are committed to
working with each client, irrespective
of design requirements or budget, to
create a solution that is unique to them
and exceeds expectations.
What sets you apart?
Sanipex Group represents some of
the world’s leading manufacturers as
well as its own very successful brand,
Bagno Design. The company carries an
exceptional product portfolio which
gives the ability to bring value to all
customer needs.
Key trends in kitchens?
Kitchens today have taken on a more
multi-functional role, with separate
work zones. Homeowners want to have
also efjcient and easy to maintain. The
kitchen sink is the busiest work area in
the kitchen and the sink unit needs to
Bagno Design
complement your kitchen perfectly.
Recent developments?
Sanipex Group now offers an extremely
durable option, having become a
partner with the German sink leader
Schock. Around 80% of the material
used in Schock sinks is quartz, the
hardest constituent of granite. The
granite used is combined with high-
grade acrylic to produce a hardened
composite material that is resistant to
cracks and dirt and also responsible
for the long life of the sinks. Sanipex
Group also launched www.bagnohotel
online.com, offering a new level of
service and efjciency. Bagno Hotel is a
one stop shop for complete and imme-
diate online bathroom solutions.
How do we contact you?
The Bagno Design showroom, Sheikh
Zayed Road, Dubai; Tel: +971 (0)4 330
7775; Web: www.bagnodesign.org;
Email: info@bagnodesign.org.

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 51

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

By Kathryn Pratley, business and certijed by countries throughout

development manager.
Tell us about your company.
The benchmark for design,
professionalism and functionality,
KITCHENS & beyond has been installing
Poggenpohl luxury branded kitchens in
the UAE for more than 30 years. We are
part of the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari
group (IMG) of companies and the sole
distributers of Poggenpohl in the UAE.
What sets you apart?
Our architecture and interior design
led team, depth of experience, after
sales service, commitment to design
and in-house labour force guarantee
quality. The Poggenpohl brand is
distinguished by quality, exclusivity
the world. Lifestyle: Integration of the
kitchen into the family living spaces.
Timeless design: Where practicality
and aesthetics combine.
Recent developments?
Our Dubai showroom was reopened in
March 2010, displaying innovative and
state-of-the-art design. Our second UAE
showroom is due to open in February.
Our latest concept, +ARTESIO, will be
available worldwide in 2011. It was
developed jointly by architect Hadi
Teherani and Poggenpohl. Architectural
design elements demonstrate the
fusion between the kitchen and living
environment, whilst embracing new
technology. We have an entirely new
innovative interior jttings system with

KITCHENS and innovative developments.

Poggenpohl ranks sixth among the top
30 German premium brands, making
aluminium drawers, available for all
kitchens in 2011. K+B will be amongst
the jrst worldwide to display this

& beyond/ it the highest-ranking furniture and

kitchen brand in the country.
innovative product.

Poggenpohl
Key trends in kitchens?
Sustainability: Poggenpohl materials
are sourced from sustainable resources
How do we contact you?
Tel: +971 (0)4 283 1331; E-mail: info@
knb.ae; Website: www.knb.ae and
www.poggenpohl.com.

By Arturo Manso, managing director.
Tell us about your company.
TEKA Küchentechnik is a German
manufacturer of a full range of
domestic built-in kitchen appliances,
kitchen sinks and mixers, with over 90
years of expertise in this sector. Teka
always works to the highest European
quality standards.
What sets you apart?
We offer a wide range of products, from
high end to basic. We are the direct
representatives of Teka, so there is
no third party involved, and we have
a team of qualijed and fully trained
engineers and technicians to provide
installation and maintenance.
Key trends in kitchens?
As in every aspect of life, the kitchen
are played out with our friends and
families. The concept of the kitchen
as a room totally separate to the living
spaces within the home has become
increasingly obsolete.
Recent developments?
We have developed a new and unique
range of IPM (Intelligent Power
Management) products that have
been created specijcally for upcoming
residential projects in the UAE. The
GCC is the jrst region in the world
where we are introducing IPM products.
Power supplies in some localities limit
the usage capacity of many cooking
appliances, and expend more energy
while they’re running. IPM solutions not
only ensure customers are getting the
best use of the power they have in their
apartments, but conserving energy and
helping the environment too. The IPM

has its own unique personality. Apart
from the obvious functional aspects,
the kitchen is becoming, in this restless
and fast-moving world, an increasingly
tranquil space focused on comfort and
personal development. It is a place
where the varied scenes of daily life
52 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
Teka
solutions incorporate monitoring and
regulation of power, current limiting as
well as load distribution.
How do we contact you?
Tel: 800 TEKA; Email:
marketdevelopmentmgr@tekauae.ae.
Küchentechnik
www.constructionweekonline.com

Dada
By Ahmed A. Sultan, business develop-
ment manager, Finasi .
Tell us about your company?
Dada S.p.a has since 1980 been
part of the Molteni Group, a major
force in the Italian furnishings indus-
try. With its design series, Dada is now
at the forefront of the kitchen market
with various models, all unique to
their type but with one vital charac-
teristic in common: specijc elements
from different series can be combined
to create specijc, new, individual
solutions. In other words, Dada offers
the possibility of personalising the
kitchen and aims at satisfying the
needs of an experienced clientèle
demanding a high-quality product
which is also functional.
What sets you apart?
Design and innovation have always
been Dada’s signature features.
Dada designs and proposes original
solutions that are both attractive
and functional. Dada’s designs are
innovative on a formal, technical and
typological level, and are developed
through intense research and experi-
mentation carried out in partnership
with internationally famous architects
and designers.
Key trends?
There are two main concepts: kexibil-
ity and value for money, and attention
to detail! For the second point, the
www.constructionweekonline.com
SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW
details make the difference; they de-
jne uniqueness and create exclusive
solutions with added value.
For the jrst point, the complexity of
contemporary domestic spaces is
getting bigger and bigger, with multi-
purpose rooms designed to converge
multiple uses now the norm.
Have there been any recent
developments at your company?
The INDada project develops a new
breed of kitchen that adopts simple
construction solutions to interpret the
articulated complexity of contempo-
rary domestic spaces. Designed and
constructed in compliance with inno-
vative production principles, INDada
kitchens are a product of industrial
design that is marketed at an advanta-
geous quality/price ratio.
The Armani Group and the Molteni
Group have recently announced the
formation of a joint partnership for
the production and distribution of
kitchen systems under the brand name
Armani/Dada. The projects handled by
Contract Armani/Dada include the de-
velopment of kitchen systems for 144
exclusive Armani Residences within
the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building
in the world.
How do we contact you?
PO Box 118508, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971
(0)4 297 1777; Fax +971 (0)4 297
1717; Email: jnasi@jnasi.ae; Web:
www.jnasi.ae and www.molteni.it.
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 53
 PRODUCTS

New on the market

MACEDONIA
Freedom of Creation’s Macedonia
pattern, developed by Janne
Kyttanen as an innovative tray or
centrepiece, is now available as
a modular space divider. A snap-
lock system allows for quick and
easy mounting of Macedonia’s
hexagonal panels, which can be
composed to cover any surface
size. The modules, boasting an
irregular, dynamic mesh pattern,
can be koor-standing within a
predejned frame, or have an
open conjguration in order to be
hung from the ceiling, j xed to the
wall, or mounted between two
layers of glass.
FREEDOM OF CREATION
+31 206 758 415
www.freedomofcreation.com

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 55

PRODUCTS

BELLE
Designed by Bruna Rapisarda,
Belle was inspired by a study of
the rotation of several elliptical
shapes. The collection consists
of a hanger, towel bar and paper
holder made of a special alloy
of aluminium and zinc, with a
glossy chrome jnish.
Meanwhile, toilet brushes,
soap dishes, soap dispensers
and brush holders are made
of ‘velvet’ synthetic resin, a
non-porous material made of
aluminium trihidrate.

COSMIC
+34 938 654 277
www.icosmic.com

56 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com


DOUBLE
Sand & Birch Design Studio
has unveiled its latest
creation, Double. A chaise
longue in the shape of a bone,
with leather stitching along
www.constructionweekonline.com
its edges, Double is suitable
for both interior and exterior
applications. Covered in alcan-
tara or soft leather, Double is
also roomy enough for two.
PRODUCTS
KUDLIK
Ice-white and bell-shaped,
Kudlik, the new hanging light
collection from Axo Light, is
inspired by the Inuit and their
igloos. Designed by Manuel Vivi-
an, the Kudlik collection is made
of etched white blown glass with
a white-painted metal frame. It
is available in two sizes: 35cm
and 50cm in diameter.
AXO LIGHT
+39 41 584 5193
www.axolight.it
LG
LG Electronics (LG) has
launched its latest multi-door
refrigerator, which forms part of
SAND & BIRCH DESIGN the Multi Door Five Star range,
+39 77 3176 2584 and comes in two models.
www.sandbirch.com
LG ELECTRONICS
+971 (0)4 334 4930
www.lg.com
Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 57
PRODUCTS
TATOO
Ceramica Cielo is promoting
a number of new products
that highlight the brand’s
highly experimental attitude.
Amongst these are Tatoo by
Karim Rashid, a new collection
58 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
of shower trays with a unique
kaleidoscopic design.
CERAMICA CIELO
+39 76 156 701
www.ceramicacielo.it
TECKELL
The Teckell Collection is B Lab
Italia’s high-end reinterpreta-
tion of table football. B Lab
worked with Adriano Design
to give new life to the popular
game. Most recently, the com-
pany unveiled Gold Teckell,
table football embellished
ZIG ZAG
Kettal’s Zig Zag collection
is inspired by the strength,
richness and energy of jre.
Designed by Emiliana Design
Studio, the collection features
braided outdoor kowerpot
holders, comfortable poufs,
porcelain oil lamps and tables
with exclusive gold
plated accessories. The
collection is available in 99
limited edition pieces.
B LAB ITALIA
+39 331 774 445
www.teckell.com
that double up as jres, along
with an aluminium and ceramic
coffee table that can easily be
turned into a jre or barbecue.
KETTAL
+34 934 879 090
www.kettal.com
www.constructionweekonline.com
 PRODUCTS

BLENDZ SCULPTURES
Móz Designs has launched
Blendz Sculptures, wall art made
from laser-cut metal. Each Blendz
Sculpture is composed of a
series of panels that interface in
geometric or curvi-linear patterns
to create a singular work of art.
Standard Blendz Sculptures
measure a minimum 4ft by 6ft
and are fabricated from solid core
aluminum. Like all Móz Designs
metals, Blendz panels are com-
posed of 80% post-industrial
recycled aluminum and contrib-
ute to LEED 2.0 MR Credit 4 –
Recycled Content.
MÓZ DESIGNS
+1 510 632 0853
www.MozDesigns.com

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 59

PRODUCTS

ABSOLUTE CL ASSIC
Scavolini is offering its Absolute
Classic kitchen in three different
stylistic identities: Baccarat,)
for an international ‘jet set’
kitchen, Grand Relais for the
elegant atmosphere of a country
estate, and Long Island, which
recalls the elegant kitchens of
seaside villas. Baccarat features
sophisticated pillar fronts,
gloss-lacquered finishes on the
doors, and exquisite details like
bevelled glass, figured glazing,
metal and brass inserts, metal
and methacrylate handles and
striking boiserie panels. Other
striking features include neo-
classical mouldings, 15cm-wide
strip units, narrow plinths and
brass and steel trims which
give added personality to the
cornices and work-tops.

SCAVOLINI
+971 (0)4 269 1003
www.scavolini.com

60 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

 Extending over countries

The GCC’s leading construction industry portfolio

GEMENT IN THE GCC?
ANALYSIS IS THERE
ENOUGH RISK MANA

NEWS • ANALYSIS
• INTELLIGEN
CE • PROJECTS •
CONTRACTS •
TENDERS
SEP 11-17, 2010 •
ISSUE 335

42,000 READERS/WEEK
AN ITP BUSINESS PUBLICATION
LICENSED BY DUBAI MEDIA
CITY
CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.CO
M

103% INCREASE IN KSA (July 09 – June 10)

Wates Al Fara’a

spur partne
projects
New build school rship on
Page 26

Heavy metal
69% INCREASE IN BAHRAIN (July 09 – June 10)
s show
Machinery maker corner
signs of turning a Page 46
52% INCREASE IN KUWAIT (July 09 – June 10)
42% INCREASE IN QATAR (July 09 – June 10)
10,095 AUDITED AVERAGE CIRCULATION
DUBAI METRO JAN – JUNE 2010
ONE YEAR ON Passengers, profi
ts and progress

ALARABIA REACHING INFLUENTIAL ARABIC SPEAKING

INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN THE REGION

INDUSTRY PORTAL – 110,000

UNIQUE VISITORS/MONTH

Advertising contacts
Yazan Rahman Andrew Parkes
Sales Director Advertising Director
Tel: +971 4 444 3351 Tel: +971 4 444 3570
Email: yazan.rahman@itp.com Email: andrew.parkes@itp.com

* ITP Business readership Survey Dec 2009

Read by contractors, developers, architects, consultants, quantity surveyors and government officials all across the GCC.
CONTRACTS

Project Focus
COMMERCIAL INT ERIOR DESIGN IS COMMIT T ED TO HELPING ITS RE ADERS GROW T HEIR BUSINESSES, SO WE HAVE T E A MED
UP WIT H VENT URES MIDDLE E A ST TO BRING YOU T HE L AT EST T ENDERS FROM AROUND T HE REGION ON A MONT HLY BA SIS.

K U WA I T P R O J EC T S D ATA B A S E
PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTR ACTOR VALUE / PROJECT STATUS PROJECT
VALUE RANGE T YPE
(US$. MN)
First Kuwaiti HQ in Shuwaikh First Kuwaiti General Trading and Saleh Al Qallaf Consultant First Kuwaiti General Trading 2.5 - 15 Project under Commercial
Contracting Co. & Contracting construction Buildings
17 Storey Ofkce Building in Hawalli Almad Real Estate Option One Not Appointed 2.5 - 15 Project under design Commercial
Buildings
Kuwait Capital Tower Al Dar National Real Estate Company Al Jazeera Consultants Mohamed Abdulmohsin 250 Project under Mixed Use
Kharak & Sons construction
February 25 & February 26 Tijara & Real Estate Investment Soor Engineering Bureau First United Gen. Trading & 101 - 250 Project under Commercial
Company Contg. Co. construction Buildings
Educational Building in Hawalli Ministry of Public Works The Contractor Company for The Contractor Company for 2.5 - 15 Project under Educational
Gen. Trading & Contracting Gen. Trading construction Facilities
Hospice for Children at Sulaibikhat Kuwait Association for the Care of Gulf Consult Ahmadiah Contracting & 24 Project under Hospital
Children Hospital (KACCH) Trading Co. construction
Kuwait Control & Meteorological Directorate General of Civil Aviation The Associated Engineering Sayed Hamid Behbehani & 38 Project under Commercial
Center Partnership Sons construction Buildings
New Headquarters for the Olympics UREC/Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Projacs/Dar Nizar Al Anjari/ Sitco Gen. Tradg./ 135 Project under Mixed Use
Council of Asia ECADI Metallurgical Construction construction
Ideal High School at Aqaila Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Al Zamami Consultant Bader Al Mulla & Brothers 17 Project under Educational
Education Company construction Facilities
Petroleum Research Laboratory in Kuwait Institute for Scientikc Al Zamami Consultants Bader Al Mulla & Brothers 13 Project under Commercial
Ahmadi - Phase 2 Research Company construction Buildings
Al Hamra Tower Ajial Real Estate Company Al Jazeera Consultants Ahmadiah Trading & 241 Project under Commercial
Contracting construction Buildings
Central Bank of Kuwait Headquarters Central Bank of Kuwait Projacs/PACE/HOK CSCEC/M.A. Al Kharak & Sons 375 Project under Commercial
construction Buildings
19-Storey Residential Building in Wafra Real Estate Company Option One Not Appointed 16 - 30 Project under design Residential
Jabriya Buildings
Refurbishment of the Holy Quran Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs In House Sai General Trading & 7 Project under Commercial
Affairs & Islamic Studies Building Contracting construction Buildings
Care Complex House in Sulaibiya Ministry of Public Works Soor Engineering Bureau The Contractor Company 16 - 30 Project under Others
construction
Al Ahli Bank Hawalli Branch Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait Dar Nizar Al Anjari Consulting Sadeem Al Kuwait General 2.5 - 15 Project under Commercial
Bureau Trading & Cont. construction Buildings
Mubarak Al Abdulla Neighbourhood Ministry of Public Works Industrial & Engineering United Victory For General 16 - 30 Project under Mixed Use
Consulting Ofkce (INCO) Trading Company construction
Warehouse at Shuwaikh Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs Bonyan Design Abdulrahman Al Bahar 2.5 - 15 Project under Commercial
& Fish Resources Contracting construction Buildings
Salmiya Park in Kuwait PAAFR/KCMCC Projacs/Gulf Consult Wara Construction Company 124 Project under Recreational
construction Facilities
Al Sadeeq Neighbourhood Centre Ministry of Public Works Pan Arab Consulting Engineers Real Estate Construction & 45 Project under Commercial
Fabrication Co. construction Buildings
Headquarters for Kuwait Investment Kuwait Investment Authority KEO International Not Appointed 200 Project under design Commercial
Authority Buildings
Extension of Crowne Plaza Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) Osama Bukhamseen Design BIG Contractors 31 - 100 Project under Hotel
construction
Ideal High School at Al Farwaniya MOE/MPW Al Zamami Consultants Bader Al Mulla & Bros Co. 16 Project under Educational
W.L.L construction Facilities
Police College at Mubarikiya District Ministry of Public Works Gulf Consult/SOM Kuwait Arab Contractors 157 Project under Educational
construction Facilities
Kuwait Institute of Justice Ministry of Public Works /Ministry Al Zamami Consultants Khalid Ali Al Kharak & 47 Project under Educational
of Justice Brothers Company construction Facilities
Passenger Terminal at Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation Foster & Partners (UK) Not Appointed 1,000 Project under design Airport
International Airport (DGCA)
Avenue Shopping Mall Expansion Mabanee Company PACE/Gensler Associates Alghanim International 908 Project under Shopping
- Phase 3 General Contracting construction Centre
Kuwait Building Al Saud Real Estate Masafa Designers Alghanim International 31 - 100 Project under Commercial
General Contracting construction Buildings
Basic Education Campus at Ardiya - Public Authority for Applied Education Pace/Morganti United Gulf Construction 138 Project under Educational
Female Campus & Training Company construction Facilities

62 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design www.constructionweekonline.com

 CONTRACTS

S A U D I A R A B I A P R O J EC T S D ATA B A S E
PROJECT TITLE CLIENT CONSULTANT MAIN CONTR ACTOR VALUE / PROJECT STATUS PROJECT
VALUE RANGE T YPE
(US$. MN)
Taibah University in Madina - College Taibah University Zuhair Fayez & Partners Ahmed Al Hurak Company 31 - 100 Project under Educational
of Science For Men construction Facilities
8000 Residential Units - North Kinan/Savola Group/Eleba Company Not Appointed Not Appointed 640 Project in concept Residential
Jeddah stage Development
Al Barari - Luxury Villas in Jeddah Al Barari Not Appointed Not Appointed 27 Project in concept Residential
stage Development
100 Bed Hospital in Qatif Ministry of Health Beeah Planners Saeed Radad Al Zahrany 17 Project under Hospital
construction
Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz General Authority for Civil Aviation Zuhair Fayez & Partners Not Appointed 2,400 Project under design Airport
Airport Expansion in Madina - Phase1 (GACA)
Jabal Al Kaba Development - Mega Abdul Latif Jamil Real Estate Dar Al Handasah Saudi Constructioneers Est 101 - 250 Project under Hotel
Hotel - Phase 1 construction
Dar Al-Qeblah Complex Munshaat Real Estate Projects Zuhair Fayez & Partners Saudi Binladin Group 180 Project under Commercial
Company construction Buildings
Umm Al-Qura University Expansion - Umm Al Qura University SaudConsult Rabya Trading & Agriculture 16 Project under Mixed Use
Staff Accommodation - Phase 2 Company construction
Imam Islamic University in Riyadh - Imam Islamic University Tibsa/In House Saudi Art of Architecture 27 Project under Educational
Islamic Studies College Maintenance Ltd. construction Facilities
Olaya Towers in Riyadh General Organization for Social Zuhair Fayez & Partners Nesma & Partners Contracting 250 Project under Commercial
Insurance (GOSI) Company construction Buildings
King Fahd National Library Arriyadh Development Authority/King SaudConsult/Gerber Saudi Binladin Group 78 Project under Recreational
Fahd National Library Architects construction Facilities
King Faisal University in Al Ihsa - King Faisal University Zuhair Fayez & Partners Al Arrab Contracting Company 31 - 100 Project under Hospital
University Hospital construction
Tabuk Domestic Airport Expansion General Authority for Civil Aviation Saudi Consolidated Saudi Binladin Group 59 Project under Airport
Engineering Co; construction
ITCC Park in Riyadh Phase 1 The Public Pension Agency Zuhair Fayez & Partners Al Rajhi Projects/Al Yamamah 1,500 Project under Mixed Use
/ CCE construction
King Abdulaziz University - Nuclear King Abdulaziz University Not Appointed Not Appointed 150 Project in concept Others
Research Facility stage
Rayadah - Mixed Use Development Rayadah Investment Company Not Appointed Not Appointed 150 Project in concept Mixed Use
in Jeddah stage
Three 100-Bed General Hospitals Ministry of Health Al Naem Engineering/Arclane Saudi Pan Company for 70 Project under Hospital
Engineering Trading & Contracting construction
Pediatric & Maternity Hospital in Ministry of Health Al Mashriq Contracting Al Mashriq Contracting 53 Project under Hospital
Rafha construction
Imam Islamic University in Riyadh - Imam Islamic University Tibsa Al Fouzan Trading & General 133 Project under Educational
Phases 1 & 2 Construction construction Facilities
Souq Okaz in Taif Supreme Commission For Tourism Not Appointed Not Appointed 50 Project in concept Shopping
stage Centre
Laboratory for General Products in Authority for Management & Soleiman Abdullah El Kheraiji Naif Abo Ryash Est. 3 Project under Commercial
Jeddah Specikcation Consult. construction Buildings
Al Dossary Tower in Dammam Mr. Yousef Al Dossary Saudi Designers Engineering Al Zahrani for Trading & 20 Project under Residential
Consultants Contracting construction Buildings
Zahran Business Centre Zahran Real Estate Development & Saudi Diyar Consultants Al-Joudah Contracting 84 Project under Commercial
Investment Architects Company construction Buildings
Sheikh Saleh Al Rajhi Center Ministry of Health Al Majaz Engineering Ofkce Al Areel Contracting & 10 Project under Hospital
Industrial Co. Ltd. construction

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

86 arabianbusiness
www C i l I tcom/construction
i D i O t b 2007 Commercial Interior Design
bi November
b i / t 101
2007 ti

www.constructionweekonline.com Commercial Interior Design | JANUARY 2011 63

 OPINION
I
recently read an article entitled
Design Perspectives (Vol.6, Issue
9), where Commercial Interior De-
sign interviewed four members of
the design industry and highlighted key
marketplace concerns. I would like to
respond to some of the issues that were
raised in that article.
So much has happened in the last
couple of years that the marketplace is
currently being redejned and rejned.
So much can be said about the present
state of the industry but as a practicing
designer, but I would like to highlight
the following key issues:
QUALIFICATIONS
Every other profession – medicine
and law being obvious examples – is
governed by a professional organisation.
Professionals become members of
these organisations and are allowed
to practice only if they are certijed by
them. This adds value and credibility
to their qualijcations.
Why is it that practicing interior de-
signers, or even architects, do not have
a representative body that insists on
such standard practices? Why can every-
body claim to be a designer? I have met
every kind of person who claims to be a
designer. Shouldn’t there be a warning
against such ‘quarks’?
CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS
In the aforementioned article, it was
mentioned that payments have become
64 JANUARY 2011 | Commercial Interior Design
A letter
to the editor
BY INDU VAR ANA SI
a big issue today. How is it that we never
get advice from any other professional
without paying upfront? We never say
to the doctor: ‘Treat me jrst and then
I will pay you’. At every stage, design
deliverables need to be given in before
the payments are made. Why?
Yes, budgets are tighter, so clients
look for alternatives and the materials
chosen are cheaper. As designers, we
can only comment and suggest, and the
probable chances of failure of the prod-
uct are many. If the product fails, how is
it our fault; it was the client’s decision,
after all. So then why is my payment
being withheld?
How many times have clients said:
“I did not read that clause in your con-
tract”. Unfortunately, the client knows
all too well that legal proceedings are a
no go for most designers.
If the contractor doesn’t comply with
regulations or doesn’t comply with
specijcations, to what extent can a
designer control those procedures? The
easy answer would be: don’t work with
such contractors. But what do you do
when clients choose the contractors?
Not work with such clients?!
FREE DESIGN
This is perhaps the biggest bugbear
for most of us. Every furniture supplier
comes up with this concept of free
design, or you have clients who want
to test the competence of the designer
before commissioning the work. But
how can a free design be a good design?
How can anybody put their heart and
soul into such a project? How can a
good design be produced without doing
adequate research, without understand-
ing the client’s requirements, and
without dejning the nuances of the site?
As designers, we go through a lot of
processes, procedures and compliance
of trades; what I have stated above is
probably not new at all. We see many a
book and many a magazine come out
with beautiful images of works done
here and around the world. It is not only
the responsibility of industry magazines
to highlight these works. They also need
to bring forth intellectual discussion,
and professional practice is something
we need to foster.
Let there be an open discussion on
how to safeguard the interests of this
community. Let us not hide behind the
issues of these times. It is one thing to
have a lot of business, but quite another
thing to qualify that business.
The intent of the mentioned article
was to highlight ongoing business prac-
tices and to safeguard the industry, not
just the designer. After all, good design
cannot be done of it is not executed
properly through a series of suppliers
and contractors.
After all, we want our design to look
beautiful, and work beautifully.
Indu Varanasi is the founder of IR Design.
www.constructionweekonline.com