< PreviousDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 10 YDesign Interiors hopes to shine on Dubai debut Dubai designer Yasmin Farahmandy has launched her own boutique interiors fi rm, YDesign Interiors. Farahmandy studied furniture design at Emily Carr University of Art & Design, US, followed by a master’s degree in interior and living design at the Domus Academy in Milan. She went on to work for Gensler Dubai was while there was shortlisted for Young Interior Designer of the Year at the 2018 CID Awards. With a focus on hospitality and residential, Farahmandy, as lead designer, says the studio will "seek to create living experiences that tell their own story." "Interiors have been my obsession for close to 20 years now, and to be able to now lead single-handedly on delivering the spaces people have dreamt of opens another incredibly exciting chapter for me as a designer," she adds. To see design stories through from start to fi nish, YDesign has partnered with UAE fi t-out fi rm Noaf Interiors to offer a furniture and décor service that promises to meet the "exact vision" of clients by creating bespoke pieces for their projects. Hästens fl agship store with 'sleep spa' opens in Dubai Leading Swedish bed brand Hästens is coming back to the Middle East. The fl agship store opens in Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road, in partnership with The Mattress Store Group. Sweden’s oldest manufacturer of beds previously had a showtoom in Sunset Mall. Founded in 1852 and now in its sixth generation, the fi rm handcrafts beds using sustainable natural materials – horsetail hair; cotton and wool, fl ax and slow growing northern pine – to create lines for residential and commercial projects. There'll be a 'Sleep Spa,' along with a sleep coach delivering private consultations and inviting visitors to test bed collections, linens, duvets and pillows, which will be regularly sanitised. Ludovic Létrillart, regional director IMEA, says: "We are delighted to announce the offi cial opening of our fl agship store in Dubai, designed to offer a real live experience on the entire Hästens collection." Yasmin Farahmandy A Hästens craftsman at workAdvertorial commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 11 IN THE ZONE Dubai-headquartered interior fit-out company Al Shafar Interiors (ASI) PLZ is going beyond 'business as usual' to better service its clients Over the last couple of years, ASI has successfully stepped out of its comfort zone of 'business as usual' and ventured into peripheral fi elds linked to the interiors scope. Whilst fi t-out still remains the core business of the company it didn't hesitate to grab certain opportunities and develop them as additional revenue streams to supplement the company. Such examples are the projects undertaken at EXPO 2020, where ASI acted as a main contractor on six national pavilions for various countries, including the design and build of the structure, MEP, fi t out and exhibition. This gave a different depth of experience to the team that they can take further into other projects going forward. The team didn't stop there, however. As the main aspect of EXPO is the exhibition, ASI recognised the need to gain talent with the necessary background. It put together a team of individuals with similar experience from previous EXPOs, World Cup and Olympic ceremonies. This gave the company a USP by covering not only the construction element of the project but also the experience, content and exhibition. In other aspects of the business, the team looked for further opportunities to diversify and improve its operations further. ASI will be imminently launching a trading division that will represent unique materials from all over the world. Also, constant internal appraisal of how things are done and more importantly how they can be improved is core to the way ASI operates and thinks. Mistakes are unavoidable in any business, especially in construction, but not learning from your mistakes is certainly avoidable. Setting up a PMO offi ce therefore, which focuses on data collection and analysis from all aspects of the company's operation, has been under preparation for some months and has now been set up in ASI's HQ in Dubai Investment Park. This focuses on preparing dashboards for each project that monitor critical path activities, technical submittal status, QHSE data, cost, cash, productivity, and other parameters. This data can assist in making quicker and better decisions. ASI's teams have had the opportunity to display and extend their skills and experience on various projects around the UAE, from several hospitality projects: Address Hotel in Dubai Creek Harbour, the Dorchester Collection Dubai Hotel and Residences in Business Bay and 25 Hours in Dubai World Trade Centre. They're also currently involved in some exciting F&B concepts that will start in the next month, as well as unique residential projects currently in the design phase. The Dorchester Collection Dubai Hotel and Residences 25 hours One Central DWTCDesign news commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 12 Biophilic furniture collection is no old chestnut A US designer is claiming creation of the world's fi rst biophilic furniture collection. Designers have been predicting an upswing to green architecture post- lockdown, with drivers including people's newfound appreciation for the outdoors and clients seeking to associated their indoor spaces with wellness. The Isola Modular Seating system incorporates trees and plants into public seating, bringing greenery into areas like lobbies, airports and shopping centres. Arizona-based Italian designer Antonio Larosa germinated the idea for plant-powered seating and designed the range, which is manufactured in Italy for Benchmark Contract Furniture. Clients can choose to add their own foliage or include the 'Green Lamp,' a tree- esque installation that gives a soft glow and absorbs surrounding noise. Isola is available in vinyl, leather, fabric and COM and custom fi nishes and sizes can be ordered too. Any botanophobes can specify to have Isola's chairs and ottomans made-up with a closed centre. Charity art auction dishes up for '100 Million Meals' drive Art sold at a charity auction in Dubai helped feed the world. British artist Sacha Jafri, holder of the Guinness World Record for 'The Largest Art Canvas in the World,' contributed three artworks to '100 Million Meals,' which took place at the Mandarin Oriental Jumeira. A part of Jafri's 'The Journey of Humanity' painting sold for $4.2 million, the highest amount bid for any artwork in the auction With pieces by contemporary masters including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Salvador Dali also under the hammer, the auction topped AED 36.67 million to provide food parcels for low-income people and families across 30 countries. The one-night auction – organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives in collaboration with Maupy Auction – builds on the work of the '100 Million Meals' campaign, which raised AED 100 million in just 10 days from its launch for the 2021 Holy Month of Ramadan, thanks to its 185,000 donors. Sacha takes a break from creating his record-breaking paintingAdvertorial commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 13 OUT OF THE BLUE The GROHE Blue water system cuts plastic consumption and easily be installed in nearly any kitchen in the home or workplace Water is a vital resource. While it is a matter of taste in many regions of the world, there are also countries where water directly from the faucet cannot be used for every purpose due to its insuffi cient quality. Here, bottled water often replaces available tap water. But with plastic pollution impacting the health of our planet, the need to reduce the use of bottled water has never been more pressing. The good news is that the GROHE Blue water system can help. The Blue Home and Professional kit consist of a special faucet and a cooler with integrated fi lter and carbonator. The water system offers still, medium, or sparkling water directly from the kitchen tap – fi ltered and chilled to the optimum drinking temperature for a perfect taste. Thanks to its compact design, this drinking water system can easily be installed in nearly any kitchen in the home or workplace in just a few steps turning the space into a bottle- free zone, this way, a group of four can on average save up to an impressive 800 plastic bottles per year. Along with the Blue Home and Professional, the Blue Pure fi lter faucet transforms water into fi ltered drinking water that can be used in any kitchen. Grohe Ultrasafe fi lter improves the taste and removes natural contamination from the pipes, chlorine, microplastics and bacteria, allowing safe consumption. GROHE Blue Pure can also be used in the bathroom. Here the faucet turns into a natural source of pure, clean drinking water offering a signifi cant added value in terms of convenience and safety in the bathroom and, in regions with inadequate water quality, exciting opportunities for project planners, such as in the hotel industry. For added convenience and control, users can link their GROHE Blue Home to the GROHE Ondus app. Compatible with any up-to-date smartphone or tablet device, the app automatically tells them when their system's fi lter or CO2 bottle needs changing and lets them order a replacement at the touch of a button. The app can also be used to track water consumption, helping busy households stay on top of how much they're drinking – thus ensuring they're keeping up with a healthy lifestyle routine. The GROHE Blue water system is an integral part of the company's mission to design and manufacture products that let people responsibly use the planet's water and energy resources – without having to sacrifi ce on quality, enjoyment or taste. GROHE's goal of a circular economy is deeply rooted within the brand's 20-year- long commitment to sustainability, with waste recycling rates of 99 percent and a use of brass with recycling proportions of up to 80 percent. Fittings typically have a long-life cycle, but in addition to achieving certifi cations for further products, GROHE is already tackling the next challenge by working on take-back processes for discarded C2C faucets in the future. www.grohe-mena.comTrending commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 14 Katie McBride The rescheduled 30th edition of INDEX takes place this month. We catch up with fair director, Katie McBride, to fi nd out what's in store READY SHE'STrending 15 May 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com What a year it has been! Due the pandemic we unfortunately had to postpone the last edition of INDEX. We then made the decision to run this year, at the end of May. What has been really clear is that everyone is really missing the connection that live events bring, so what we're doing this year and what we really want to do is really embrace the opportunity of a live event, connect people and facilitate business – do what we do and what live events are supposed to do, obviously all in a very safe environment. What our focus is for this year is to make sure we're giving opportunities for networking with peers, networking with suppliers and having that connection that's been missing. This year we are doing quite a few new experiences that we hope will help that. We are working with Colab materials library in Dubai Design District and Richard [Wilson, Colab founder] is going to be doing an experience called 'Rethink Materials' so visitors can come and learn, see and touch innovative new materials from all over the world and discuss what's going on in the market. We're also working with Tanween, the professional development programme by Tashkeel, which will be showcasing some new limited edition pieces of furniture from locally-based emerging designers. Tashkeel are also going to be hosting an interactive feature, where visitors can design and print their own 3D products. We're embracing the chance to have a live event Our INDEX Design Talks are back again. These have been really popular over the years and this year especially we're really proud of the calibre of speakers. We have more than 50 of the top designers in the Middle East speaking and running sessions. Outside of that, we're also going to be running the Work Design Summit After the pandemic, working from home then going back to the offi ce, interiors in the offi ce and working environment have just so radically changed and so this Summit is going to have lots of sessions with top designers talking about projects they've done and case studies from their clients. Alongside this will be the Retail Forum, some exclusive sessions where the region's retailers are discussing challenges, trends and where they see the future of retail. There are also going to be lots of opportunities for informal networking, with a networking event running alongside the main exhibition, then lastly, although the INDEX Design Awards have been running for over 10 years in various ways and formats, this year we're ramping them up. We had a really good quality of entries and it just shows that everyone is ready for a reunion. Of course we've had to have really strict safety protocols and the health and safety of attendees is our top priority. No-one has to worry while you're there – you can just concentrate on enjoying the event. With the travel restrictions in place, there are certain countries that we aren't going to be seeing visitors from. It is traditionally a very international show and we are going to see a lot of international visitors there, but we do want to focus on giving that platform to local brands so they can meet their prospects and connect. Although there are really great opportunities in other GCC countries, Dubai is still the gateway for the Middle East. Dubai has been home to INDEX for 30 years and we're really lucky that we're based here. INDEX 2021, May 31 to June 2, Dubai World Trade Centre, www.indexexhibition.com Spotlight on products Visitors at the 2019 event in DWTCCover feature commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 16 MEET THE Cover feature j u d g e s j u d g e s 16Cover feature 17 May 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com Step into our Hall of Fame and meet the judging panel for the 15th annual Commercial Interior Design Awards, set to take place in Dubai on September 15, 2021 CID MPVS j u d g e s Cover feature j u d g e s St foCover feature commercialinteriordesign.com May 2021 18 ure j u d g e s ANNAMARIA LAMBRI Associate professor of interior design, American University in Dubai Born in Italy, architect Annamaria Lambri graduated in architecture at Politecnico di Milano (Laurea in Architettura: Architecture Bachelor Degree & Master of Science – Architecture), followed by a masters in interior design, specialising in Hospitality Design. Annamaria has vast and diversifi ed experience in the fi eld of architecture and design, working on numerous projects ranging from international exhibitions to commercial, residential and hospitality design both in Italy and internationally. She moved to the UAE in 2005 and has since she worked on a variety of prestigious commercial and residential design projects. Her involvement in very high-end projects allowed her to acquire major and specifi c experience and to explore a wide range of topics. She has been involved in several hospitality design projects, working with some of the major international hotel operators. Annamaria has developed projects in the Gulf Region, Asia and Europe, building a conspicuous professional experience in the design fi eld. In 2011, she joined American University in Dubai as assistant professor of interior design, later promoted to associate professor of interior design, specialising in hospitality design. She is an extremely active faculty member engaged in numerous initiatives and challenges. With more than ten years of undergraduate level teaching experience, Annamaria loves teaching and nurturing future generations of designers, as a result of the current global situation, in addition to face-to-face teaching, she gained extensive experience in remote and hybrid teaching. Annamaria Lambri " Recent times have been challenging and intense, changing how we interact and live. I am delighted to discover the brilliant designs and concepts from the region's amazing designers of the region in a rapidly changing world." Cover feature 19 May 2021 commercialinteriordesign.com j u d g e s CRISTIANO LUCHETTI Doctoral researcher at Universita' Politecnica delle Marche, Italy Cristiano Luchetti is currently a doctoral researcher in PhD civil, environmental and building engineering and architecture at Univpm – Universita' Politecnica delle Marche. He holds a Masters of Architecture from The Pennsylvania State University and a Laurea in Architettura (equivalent to Masters) from Universita' D'Annunzio, Chieti. He is also a registered architect with vast experience in leading the design of large-scale projects in residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors in Europe, China, India, the Middle East, and South East Asia. For more than 15 years, Cristiano has taught architectural/urban design, professional practice, and drawing courses in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. His students' work has been widely published and has won several international awards. As associate editor of the magazine Compasses Architecture & Design, Cristiano regularly writes about the architecture and urban development of the Middle East. He often serves a juror for reviews, international competitions, and architectural awards. Cristiano co- curated the Egyptian pavilion at the 2018 Architecture Venice Biennale. The pavilion was shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival 2018 Display Built Projects category and won the Honor Award at Cairo Design Award 2018. Cristiano Luchetti " As a teacher and an architecture critic, evaluating the CID awards projects is a great opportunity to both assess and learn from the regional state of the arts in interior design concepts and their construction methodologies."Next >