< PreviousCase study 30 |June 2021 | Commercial Designwww.commercialdesignindia.com Priceline.com, one of the largest online travel agency in USA, is a company that facilitates the provision of travel services from its suppliers to its clients and enables discount rates for travel- related purchases such as airline tickets and hotel stays. The company recently opened up their engineering, development and operations center in Mumbai for its North American travel market and was seeking to create a workspace that is functional, flexible, and hospitable for their employees. Being a technology office for a company based in USA, this office opens up to receiving candidates for interviews and video conference meetings with its HQ very frequently; hence meeting rooms in design planning was an important criterion. Case study Commercial Design | June 2021 | 31www.commercialdesignindia.com The reception is the EVP (employee value proposition) area occupied mostly by candidates who come for interview. Given this, the reception design was conceived in such a way that it stuns one with its visual grandeur; the architects design play is astounding. The use of seemingly perfect combination of stone, wood, plants, bright rug and earthly shades of upholstery leads the onlooker to a trance of visual delight. The reception has three LED’s playing EVP related PRODUSTS INFORMATION: Client: Priceline.com Location: Mumbai Architects/Designers: Beyond Design Architects & Consultants Principal architects: Alhad Gore Typology: Office designCase study 32 |June 2021 | Commercial Designwww.commercialdesignindia.com information – one plays the CEO message, another the CTO/ CHRO message and the third a slide show. The collaboration space with the telephone booths inside the entry lobby provides a visual expanse to the visitor. A 4-pax meeting room adjoins the reception for entry level interview needs, the graphics inside emphasises role of women in the industry. As we move in, a 6-pax meeting room towards the right is adjoining the HR bay from the backside for seamless entry of HR personnel from their bay. Every meeting room is equipped with room schedulers and VC capability. The meeting room scheduler outside is at the height based on wheelchair accessibility. All room name signs are in English and Braille for the visually impaired. Each room has a back painted glass as writing board www.commercialdesignindia.comCase study Commercial Design | June 2021 | 33www.commercialdesignindia.com detailing, use of plants and elements that revere Indian art and craft. The wall graphics lead the onlooker through beautiful journey across the world and Mumbai city. The space is enriched with a multi-purpose hall which can be used as a library, yoga/meditation centre and also convertible to a training room with flexible seating options. The design of this area is invigorating where all the elements of “resimercial design” comes alive and seems to perfectly encapsulate the wellness of domestic life. One is never out of home here. The idea of a visible open café adjoining the work bay is a bold one; its proximity to free standing and regular meeting rooms makes this area completely unfettered. The main café is open to fun with foosball, casual seating and extends itself to an enthralling experience to a double ceiling room adorned with Mumbai city iconic elements giving it a typical rustic look. Not to miss the actual street lamp and cycle having an attached digital screen for work out. With its eclectic and curated office design, it is sure to instil a comfortable working space and hence contribute to an increase in productivity, creativity and motivation for the employees. and on each side is installed a metal plate to place the magnetic duster with markers. The choice of quirky, dual shade chairs with wooden armrest in meeting rooms is definitely inviting. Priceline India promotes women and specially challenged in technology, the industry has a 20% ratio for women and aim to achieve 50% in the next 2-3 years. The mother’s room, too, is designed with this sentience. The office design predominantly engages in tones of blue and earthly shades that complements the logo and theme of the office. One can’t miss the exquisite The design of the multi- purpose hall is invigorating, wherein all the elements of “resimercial design” comes alive and seems to perfectly encapsulate the wellness of domestic life. Case Study 34 |June 2021 | Commercial Designwww.commercialdesignindia.com Afuture-proof new campus for Heriot-Watt University Dubai recently opened doors. Operating in Dubai since 2005, the university moved from Dubai Academic City to a 20,252 sq m shell and core seven- storey commercial building in Dubai Knowledge Park that was designed as a series of large open floor plates. UK-based BDP was commissioned in May 2019 by the university as lead design consultants for all design stages from the initial concept to UK-based BDP was commissioned as the lead design consultants for all design stages, drawing on the multi-disciplinary studio’s long history of designing user-focused educational facilities A future-proof campus construction supervision, drawing on the multi-disciplinary studio’s long history of designing user- focused educational facilities. Having teams in Scotland and in the UAE also enabled the design to include elements of the university’s roots in Edinburgh with a strong design influence from the Middle East. Education specialists at the Glasgow office developed the design from concept to schematic stage, working with key figures in Heriot Watt’s Edinburgh campus, with BDP MENA providing support. The role of the BDP studio was also to develop the detailed design from construction supervision through to completion. Principles of biophilic design were applied to include elements of the natural environment as a way to build the occupants’ connectivity to nature. Green elements were introduced throughout the campus to avoid a disconnect with the outdoors. The design also comprises two halves – a rational orthogonal half inspired by Edinburgh’s elegant ‘New Town,’ and an organic half referencing the complexity and vibrancy of the ‘Old Town.’ Within the two halves is a learning landscape called ‘The Park’, which functions as the circulation spine and has nature-Case Study Commercial Design | June 2021 | 35www.commercialdesignindia.com focused break-out spaces. For the layout, contrasting materials and colours were used to define different zones. Vibrant colours and patterns are used in the break-out spaces, natural colours and materials in the circulation spine and more simple and calm choices in the office and study spaces. Walls were textured to reflect elements of nature using timber and natural slate. Glazed partitions divide the spaces while letting natural daylight in, which creates a bright and airy feel across the campus. BDP also incorporated an open ceiling concept with exposed services providing an industrial loft aesthetic to the premises whilst maximising the height of the spaces. The entrance and reception areas all have illuminated lighting fixtures to focus on the Heriot-Watt University branding. The main entrance also has mashrabiya screens that reference local architecture, filtering light through a lattice formed from a symbol abstracted from the University’s coat of arms. Heriot-Watt University Dubai opened to students and staff in April 2021 and, at the time of writing, is operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19 guidelines. The main project contractor was Khansaheb, one of UAE’s leading construction organisations. Ross Trivet, general manager at Khansaheb Interiors, said: “Khansaheb are delighted to have had the opportunity to work in collaboration with Heriot Watt and the entire project team in the successful delivery of their new world-class Dubai campus. The project allowed us to demonstrate the value and capabilities of our unrivalled in-house resources. Not only did interiors, joinery, MEP and metals seamlessly come together to deliver the project, Khansaheb Industries also supplied and installed all the ductwork throughout the campus utilising Spiralite energy saving ductwork.” International case study 36 |June 2021 | Commercial Designwww.commercialdesignindia.com A NEW CHAPTERInternational case study Commercial Design | June 2021 | 37www.commercialdesignindia.com Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Foster + Partners, on how one of the world’s earliest scholarly institutions informed the design process of House of Wisdom. Our initial design brief was very simply, to create a library for the future, one that would allow people to gather, learn and exchange ideas. The project was initially referred to as the Digital Library but through our research we found many parallels with the original House of Wisdom, which was set up in Baghdad, as a place for scholars to exchange ideas. We had some great conversations with the client, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi and her team, about how the aims of the building had many parallels with one of the world’s earliest scholarly institutions, which informed the design process. Long considered primarily as repositories for books and periodicals, the role of libraries in the life of contemporary communities has changed dramatically. The team visited libraries around the world to understand best practice. We found that the most successful spaces allowed for people to use the building through an extended period – a 24/7 community space that belonged to them. Alongside the libraries, there were spaces for talks and lectures, larger social areas, cafes for food and drink, child- friendly spaces – all functions that encourage people to come together. The House of Wisdom is meant for everyone. The building is designed to be open and inviting. It has a very simple square plan based around a densely planted and shaded open central courtyard that can be enjoyed at almost all times of the year and allows natural light and ventilation deep into the heart of the building. We planned this by plotting many ‘day in the life’ scenarios of different target audiences, which include students, children, parents, senior citizens, entrepreneurs, authors, artists and so much International case study 38 |June 2021 | Commercial Designwww.commercialdesignindia.com SUPPLIERS AT A GLANCE Glazed Façade: Alico Steel: Unger Steel Aluminium Screens: Alba Tower Internal Ceiling: Obaid Al Abd Bamboo shutters: Poltrona Frau FF&E: Poltrona Frau Landscape: Green Concepts External Concrete: Paving Lamar more. By evaluating the needs of each target group, we had much deeper insights and clarifications about our approach at every step. We wanted to make the House of Wisdom a flexible place of learning, encouraging people to come together and share ideas. We had several conversations with the client early on about how we could promote community engagement. The cultural and library aspects are integrated to promote communication and cross fertilisation of ideas. In our experience, overlapping uses creates a richer programme that promotes learning. The also creates a certain flexibility that will allow the building to meet future needs and changing patterns of learning. This is increasingly important from the point of view of sustainability. The shading strategy is a key part in the sustainability story. One of the first questions we asked ourselves was, how do we maintain good natural light and environment without allowing too much sun and heat into the building? We wanted to do this by passive means where possible, which inspired the idea of the large overhanging roof that shelters the building during the hottest parts of the day. Fixed external screens are used to prevent the sun from entering the building in the mornings and evenings with a final layer of internal BMS controlled blinds to prevent any glare. At ground level, manually operated bamboo screens allow the occupiers to personally manage light levels to their comfort. The façade and structure were designed to have a very International case study Commercial Design | June 2021 | 39www.commercialdesignindia.com low thermal mass to allow the building to respond quickly to temperature changes. We also wanted to extend time when we could keep the building cool using natural ventilation. We visited the historic centre of Sharjah and saw how some spaces around the small, shaded courtyards there remained open even as the temperatures rose. Shade and ventilation were crucial to our strategy at the House of Wisdom, where the central courtyard is open to sky and the perimeter doors open, drawing air through the courtyard to cool the entire building. The flat roof is designed to incorporate the potential for photovoltaic panels to be installed in the future. Another key element of the design is light. Through our previous experience in the region, we have developed several approaches to mitigate the harsh sun and reduce solar gain. We studied the local Barasti architecture, which inspired the design of the screens that allow dappled light into the interior spaces. This light changes throughout the day, giving the spaces a dynamic quality. Although elements of the design are very traditional, we made good use of the latest technology to create the building’s interiors. Rapid prototyping is a burgeoning industry that is beginning to have a positive impact on construction industry. Using cutting edge CNC technology, we designed the timber and aluminium screens that provide shade throughout the building. This approach allowed us to use mass production technology to create screens with no waste, which is pivotal in terms of sustainability. We think this is an approach that has great promise for the future. The House of Wisdom also has a ‘lab space’ that integrates prototyping facilities as well as an ‘espresso book machine’ that prints and binds books in minutes. Next >