Publishing Office

Concept

The inspiration behind the design choices made lies in a loose  interpretation of the human eyes.  The eyes are often described as being one of the most defining features of “Arabian beauty” as it is so commonly called. Many Arabic songs and poems often refer to the beauty of eyes and the mystery behind a person’s gaze. 

With the choice of color, shape, and level of contrast in the space, the design is meant to have a similar effect as a pair of eyes. The bold contrast from the eyelashes to the whites of the eye to the iris to the pupil serves as the core principle in the design choices made for this office. 

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Research

When designing the regional headquarters for MyFashion Publishing, many factors regarding function were taken into consideration for optimal use. The culture of the region also played a major role in determining not only the layout of the space, but the design as well.

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In terms of space planning, the space is laid out in a way that allows the flow of people to move around with ease. This was seen as a major factor due to the collaborative and interactive nature of a publishing company. Departments which interact closely with one another are placed in the same area, creating an interactive environment which encourages innovation and collaboration. Examples of this are the placement of the creative team in the same place as the marketing and sales team, which allows for collaboration throughout all stages of the process of creating a magazine. 

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The social nature of the culture in Abu Dhabi also played a role in defining how the space would be laid out. Informal meeting spaces are spread out throughout the office, allowing for a more productive environment where the start of a conversation can lead to creative solutions. Multiple different groups can meet at the same time in different meeting areas, and a large collaboration room allows for a larger group to come together to collaborate when needed. 

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The furniture systems offered by Knoll allowed for a variety of different solutions to be used to create the optimal office space. Different workstation configurations were used to create the most suitable arrangement of workstations for the company employees, and separate private “refuge” furniture arrangements were also included in consideration of the needs of employees to work alone in a quiet place at times. Temporary work stations were also included, as well as “electricity hubs” which provide informal work seating for those who would rather not spend all day seated at a desk. Knoll acoustical panels were used throughout the office as a way to cancel out noise which might otherwise become an issue in an open plan office. 

All of these design choices take into consideration the interactive and social nature of the people in Abu Dhabi, as well as the needs that they have. Factors such as long work hours, a relatively young working population, and an active social culture influenced all the decisions made in the design.