< PreviousCover feature commercialinteriordesign.com April 2021 30 NEED TO KNOW: Swiss Bureau is a powerhouse of creatives led by Joakim de Rham. Designers are completed with a full in-house team capable of quality execution, they aim to design and deliver excellence while ensuring each client's vision is built to perfection. NEW FOR 2021: As Swiss Bureau celebrates 18 years of Design and Build it also marks delivering about 400 projects regionally and internationally, with over 2 million sqft of successfully delivered visions in commercial corporate, F&B, and residential spaces. Despite the blanket of uncertainly felt across industries last year, Swiss Bureau completed the most number of design and build projects in the company's history. WWW.SB-ID.COM Swiss Bureau Design & Build TGP International NEED TO KNOW: TGP International was formed in London in 2002 as an F&B advisory agency offering straightforward management solutions to the hospitality industry. The company spent its fi rst fi ve years doing everything from opening fi ve-star hotels to operating 1,000-plus capacity nightclubs, developing UK market-entry strategies for global brands to developing F&B concepts for investors and just about everything in between. In 2008 TGP made its fi rst move into the Middle East when it was hired to develop and implement the F&B strategy and renovation for the historic Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut. Through its industry network, the fi rm was then able to take on many projects in the UAE and opened a Dubai offi ce in 2012. NOTABLE PROJECTS: Depachika at Nakheel Mall is a new gourmet destination at the heart of the world-famous Palm Jumeirah. Bringing together brands that are local artisanal, entrepreneurs, world leaders in their fi eld or break-through talent, the food hall houses the "best in class," in a fl exible and ever-evolving space. TGP's unique role in the project was as concept developer and designer. Not only were the team creative realisers for the space, they were also appointed to source and fi nd new, exciting brands to make the space a one-off. They created a platform that can be changed and new experiences added to, driving customer footfall, but also constant concepts such as coffee roasters and a bakery that underscore a sense of 'place.' After the huge success of Depachika The Palm, a "bigger and better" second site at Al Khail is coming, with the promise of luxury design and an outdoor foodhall. WWW.TGPINTERNATIONAL.CO.UKThe Aliaxis Advantage The standards expected in sanitary environments only continue to rise. Maintaining hygiene and safeguarding health are always priorities, together with aesthetics and sound, when selecting the best solution. Aliaxis Gulf | T: +971 (0) 4 3629423 | F: +971 (0) 4 4587599 Contact us gulf@aliaxis.com Manufactured in Germany Over 75 years of expertise in producing technically advanced, easy to install concealed and exposed cisterns, cable-operated A complete sanitary solution com- brands and an extensive range of Manufactured in Spain Over 50 years of experience in plumbing solutions that are easy to Manufactured in the UK A pioneer in “install & forget” for its quick and easy quality A complete plumbing solution from connecting basins, sinks, baths, A day in the life of… commercialinteriordesign.com April 2021 32 Abu Dhabi design practice Unit thirty6 Reem Abou Khalil and Ornella Khattar launched the fi rm in 2018 when they were both 26. Here's how they spend their days... Looking back at the ups and downs of this year, we are proud of how Unit thirty6 has taken new direction, adapted and evolved. To protect our clients and our employees, we began taking stronger precautions before restrictions became offi cial last year. Early on, we instituted a remote-work policy and restricted in- person interactions to a bare minimum given our offi ce is located in the busiest tower in Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi. Unit thirty6, like many businesses and interior design studios saw delays in some aspects of our work, and almost immediate uptick in others. Within the interior design unit, projects we were working on pre- COVID were delayed due to the restrictions as well as fear of the unknown, as a few of our clients were opening up shops at new locations. On the other hand, we noticed an almost immediate increase in demand for impactful branding. With people now working from home and having more free time, we experienced an increase in demand from new clients planning new businesses with the majority of them approaching us with initial thoughts of online retail business modules and delivery-only modules for F&B. Ornella Khattar (left) and Reem Abou Khalil (right) With borders between Emirates shutting down and with talks of stronger restrictions once the borders reopen between Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates, we saw an immediate increase in demand for more restaurants and cafés opening in the capital. As dine-in restrictions eased, and restricted movement across borders remained , there became an increased demand for brick-and-mortar locations. We gradually saw a bounce back in interior design requirements for our main niche (F&B and retail startups). The past year has forced us to refl ect, grow & adjust... New clients started approaching us as well as all of our initial branding clients adapting their modules to allow for physical locations. In our opinion, the stricter regulations Abu Dhabi set in place identifi ed market gaps in the F&B and retail start-up space in the emirate, spurring local ingenuity and opportunities for a whole slew of upcoming attractions. Despite the major changes in the way we operate, this past year has forced us to refl ect, grow and adjust, and Unit thirty6 is all the stronger for it. A day in the life of… 33 April 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com 8am: Morning rituals I start my day with a double espresso and a play session with my dog Biggie, who has become a favourite on Unit thirty6's social media page. We've nicknamed him Lil' Designer, as he used to join the team on brainstorming sessions. Now he still makes appearances, barking noisily in the background of Zoom calls. I also have two cats and an iguana that I need to feed. With some R&B and hip-hop music on full blast it's time to hit the shower. 9am: Weekly call with design team We start every Sunday with an hour catch up with the interior design team. We normally spend the fi rst 20 minutes catching up on the weekend and sharing updates with each other. After that, we spend the remainder of the call updating each other on all the different projects, their statuses and set the week's priorities. Pre-COVID we'd do this at the offi ce, we'd have coffee and hang around at the garden area. 10am: Second weekly catch up call The second hour of the week is blocked out for an internal call with the branding team, as with the interior design team, fi rst 20 minutes or so are always dedicated to non-work related talk. With this bunch, food always takes over the conversation – we're all major foodies and enjoy trying out new restaurants and giving our reviews. After all the food talk, we move on to updates on all projects, statuses, and the weeks priorities. I truly miss the in-person aspect of working in the creative industry. Zoom just feels different, I guess it's one of the downsides of remote working. 11am: Call with the partner/best friend After the team calls, Ornella and I normally have an hour blocked out for our catch up, this week it's virtual and we need to keep it short as Ornella is outside the capital for the fi rst two days of the week on projects in Dubai and some meetings. Today's call is a bit rushed as we have a pretty packed day on both ends. We quickly go over site visits and meetings and spend the next part of the call catching up on non-work related topics. The perks of partnering with your best friend. Reem Abou Khalil, co-founder and design principal at Unit thirty6 12:30pm: Site visit one I'm checking on the progress of a new bakery/fl ower store we're working on. The project was a fun collaboration between the branding team and the interior design team. We initially started working with this client in the beginning of the pandemic and it was supposed to be a delivery/pick up-only concept but once the uncertainty began to fade, the client decided to get a bigger physical location and open a full-blown retail and dine-in concept. Site progress is great and we're almost there, will have to re-visit in a couple of days. Can't wait to see this baby up and running. 1:30pm: Meeting Next up, meeting with the developer management team for an açai concept we are working on. Another fun collaboration between both branding and interiors teams at Unit thirty6. We started working with this client on a re-brand. They were based in Al Ain but, similar to our other clients, they decided to open a new dine- in location in Abu Dhabi. This is our fi rst physical meeting with them as they had been working from home. Good news is this project's site work should kick off by the end of the week. We'd never met any of the partners of the açai concept face-to- face until now. It's been months. 3pm: Zoom and burger on the go The previous meeting run late so I'm on a Zoom call in my car. It's not ideal, but we've come to realise the whole process has become a little more casual as people work from home. It's with Ornella and the partners of a new F&B concept we just signed. The clients are based in Dubai and Al Ain but are opening a new F&B concept in Abu Dhabi. This was the fi rst call with all partners. We'll be working on the interiors of the brand. Quick burger grab and I head to the offi ce for another meeting. 4:30pm: Meeting number two Third coffee of the day to go with a client meeting about our preliminary design for the interiors of her beauty bar, café and concept store. Some of our clients prefer to meet in person, more so those based in Abu Dhabi. However, we try to keep it to a maximum of two team members at any given time. By pure coincidence, this will be opening in the same development as the acai concept. Quick text on the group chat to let team know the meeting went well. 6:15pm: Short call and site visit two Quick catch up with Ornella and we agree to set some time aside later this evening for a brainstorming session, one of my favourite parts of the job. Then it's a short elevator ride down to the eighth fl oor in the same building as our offi ce to a commercial offi ce project for an insurance brokerage. We've had delays on this project but it's now back on and site work just began a couple of days ago, fi nally. 7:15pm: Home sweet home Time with my family and pets. I prepare and bubble bath and order a poke bowl. 10:30pm: Brainstorm madness Zoom with Ornella. There's an idea I've been itching to share all day. We get a little carried away. Then I start watching The Walking Dead again. I love zombies. Reem on site Catching up over ZoomA day in the life of… commercialinteriordesign.com April 2021 34 8:20am: Morning wake-up call As usual I slept past my alarm; I guess deep sleep is a blessing and a problem. Coffee and a quick jump out of bed to shower. I'm starting this week with two days between Dubai and Sharjah. We have some potential projects coming up and a site nearing completion in Dubai. 9am: Call with interior design team Everyone seems to have had a good weekend and are excited for the upcoming projects. As reliant as we've become on Zoom I miss the gang. 10am: Call with the branding team This unit of our business really thrived in the pandemic as we saw a lot of existing businesses trying to re-brand their image and adapt to a quickly changing market and its new demands. 11am: Call with Reem I feel truly blessed to have a best friend and a partner in Reem. We've had a lot of ups and downs at Unit thirty6 with all the uncertainty this pandemic brought about in this past year, but managed to come out of it with a lot of positives and exciting projects. Today it's cut short; need to get going for the fi rst visit of the day. 11:30pm: Sample review First visit of the day is dedicated to an açai concept we are working on. The project is based in Abu Dhabi but the main contractor's offi ce is in Dubai and as site work hasn't begun yet we aimed to fi nish all material sampling approvals today. It's been quite diffi cult for Dubai-based contractors to take on projects in Abu Dhabi this past year, however, this project seems to be running smoothly so far. The samples look great, a couple more to confi rm but, overall, good progress. 1pm: Business lunch meeting To Sharjah for a meeting over lunch at the House of Wisdom (what a beauty). This is the fi rst business lunch I've had with a client in almost a year, but this client is a food connoisseur and based out of Sharjah, so it only seems fi tting. Given that all previous meetings have been on Zoom, we briefl y discuss the F&B concept we're working on for the interiors of his fi rst brand and quickly dive into the F&B market in general. It's interesting how fast it's developed in the past year, with a lot of people spending the majority of the past few months at home and trying out cooking and becoming more aware of ingredients and culinary skills. There's been a greater demand for new experimental F&B concepts and we're excited to see how this one unfolds. 3pm: Zoom, coffee and kick off meeting Stop for coffee at a café/beauty concept close to House of Wisdom that we've been wanting to check. I get on a Zoom call with Reem and the partners of a new F&B concept we just signed. Time to head back to Dubai for a quick stop at a joinery workshop. Side note: I got hungry again, I am always hungry. 5:30pm: Workshop visit Short stop at a joinery factory we're working with in Al Quoz to check on the progress of some furniture pieces that we've designed for an old client's private residence. There's just something about being in the midst of a wood workshop that gets me every time, I feel like I am at Disneyland, I love the aspect of making something by hand. 6:15pm: Short call Quick hello and update with Reem from the car on the way to the fi nal visit of the day. We'll speak again later. 7pm: Site visit The last visit of the day is for a private residential project that we designed. This specifi c project started off as small renovations when the client purchased the property and slowly turned into a full- blown project once we got to designing. Pre-COVID, we didn't take on a lot of residential projects as it's not our main niche, however, with the events of the past year, we've seen an increase in demand for professionally-designed homes in the category of small to medium sized properties. It's late, the contractors have already left the site. This one is slowly but surely getting there. 8:30pm: Back home, Dubai Back home, dinner with the family who are based in Dubai. After that I play around with a puzzle that I have been working on a habit I have got back into since COVID started. Most important is having my super-loud music on and more coffee. 10:30pm: Brainstorm session My favourite part of the whole process. I get comfortable and get on a Zoom call with Reem, we quickly go over the main events of the day and discuss our main takeaways and next-steps. Now onto the brainstorming, with some ice cream and background music. We come up with a cool idea to explore further for the new beauty concept we're working on. Tomorrow we'll have more time to sit down and develop the design concept further but for now it's a hot shower and a good night's sleep. Ornella Khattar, co-founder & design manager at Unit thirty6 Sketching with snacks Meet Lil' DesignerLuxury Italian Furniture and Bespoke Fitout firm in the UAE. Premium interiors, Joinery, Landscape & Pools turnkey solution. Finasi.ae Imagine the shape of the Future. Discover Finasi.First look commercialinteriordesign.com April 2021 36 GLUCARE INTEGRATED DIABETES CENTER First look 37 April 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com The fi rst clinic of its kind in the world, GluCare is a home-grown UAE concept reinventing diabetes care. Founders Dr Ihsan Almarzooqi and Ali Hashemi wanted 'unique' to be represented in the designFirst look commercialinteriordesign.com April 2021 38 Ali Hashemi, co-founder and chairman, talk us through the design brief…. The initial design thesis was to create a facility that physically mirrored our innovative approach to diabetes care – an ideology of practicing medicine focusing on health care, rather than 'sick care'. We have created a unique healing environment unlike any other healthcare facility. In fact, we didn't really benchmark ourselves against other healthcare facilities as a baseline for the design, but rather we took design cues from other inspiring environments. How would an art gallery look if it was a healthcare facility? How about a yoga studio? We even drew inspiration from the clean lines of tech company retail stores. What we think we've achieved is a calming and quiet, yet bright and inspiring environment. At the heart of GluCare is an enormous glass roof/atrium, enveloping our space in natural light, a bright and airy space where patients can peacefully wait for results or consultations. Waiting in clinics can be stressful to patients, especially during the pandemic, and our second-fl oor café also offers a comfortable place for people to sit and replenish with friends or families. In short, we understand how important good design is to ensure our patients feel welcomed, calm, and that their well-being is cared for. A typical diabetes patient visit has many touchpoints – each of which is both a human interaction as well as a physical interaction. Following the journey of the patient from the initial nurse's assessment, to the doctors consultation, to then meeting with our nutritionist, health coaches, and fi nally the pharmacy, the arrangement is one of continual progression, seamlessly fl owing through the journey as effortlessly as possible. Symmetry and clean geometric lines create a balanced fl ow with signage, furniture, displays, counters, nurse stations all designed to be visible from different viewpoints. Knowing where they are in the healthcare journey is important for clients to know and so we have designed a connected audio/visual system to enhance the experience. Every step of the patient journey is considered and thoughtfully presented to the patient. Who designed and delivered the project? The GluCare co-founders both have experience in designing and building healthcare assets. One of the founders has a passion for architecture and design, having designed and built both healthcare facilities, as well as his own house. He's also passionate about the use of technology in the design process and included Virtual Reality in the ideation and design journey. In addition to their own professional experience building and managing other healthcare facilities within the region, the founders drew on their personal experience as patients and as the family members of patients. The fi t-out started in October 2019 and was fi nalised in July 2020. Our expert team of healthcare providers were also consulted at every step to ensure that the project suited both the needs of our patients as well as our own team. Construction was completed by Hennessey LLC, a local contracting fi rm that had worked with one of our founders on a previous healthcare facility. How was this achieved? As a homegrown UAE healthcare concept with global ambitions, it was important for us to design a facility that mirrored our approach, that met the specifi c needs of our patients, and also paid tribute to the UAE's innovative leadership, both past and present. We incorporated several minimalist design elements. The original concept was evident throughout the fi t-out process; the design is uniquely different from traditional clinics. All Design creates a calm environment Welcome to GluCareFirst look 39 April 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com spaces within GluCare have elements of natural light. Artwork by Dubai-based artist Julian Castaldi featuring the UAE's founding fathers and unique aspects of Emirati culture are important to complete the aesthetic, while at the same time reminding us all of the importance of our mission to help our patients live longer, healthier and more fulfi lling lives. Tell us more about the design highlights... Consultation rooms at GluCare are not designed in the traditional manner. We have no tables or desk for the physician – the interaction with the patient is in a 'living room' context with comfortable chairs and coffee tables – to allow the physician and patient to interact on a more personal level. Screens present full patient information to allow the doctor to discuss the patient's care openly and with full knowledge of what is happening. GluCare's wait areas have extremely Suppliers at a glance Most of the joinery HENNESSY LLC Interiors of the facility CO-FOUNDERS Steel matte black tables CUSTOM NO. 9 Loose furniture JYSK Wayfi nding and signage SADAF INTERIORS high ceilings with a glass atrium to ensure that the space feels light, airy, calm and relaxed and we avoid that clinical look that, for many people, can stir up feelings of anxiety and stress. We primarily use four colours throughout: turquoise, black, grey and oak. Who is the target audience? Adults and children, and those suffering from endocrine disorders are our primary audience, alongside their family members and care givers. Diabetes is a chronic illness, meaning they will continuously visit the clinic every quarter as part of their management protocols. There also tends to be a high 'no-show' rate in within UAE healthcare providers, so creating a warm, calming and welcoming environment is particularly important. The more compliant the patients are to routine visits, the better their clinical outcomes. How much was invested in it, in time and/ or money? We spent about four months on design and approvals and spent about nine months fi tting-out the core-and-shell. Within the timeframe we were required to obtain exceptional approval from the Dubai Municipality and Dubai Health Authority for hosting an on-site lab and pharmacy within an outpatient centre, which are both unique. Art by Julian CastaldiNext >