Interior Design 2010 /04 by dam photographe

An ITP Business Publication | Licensed by Dubai Media City

Ship shape

Hi-tech creativity

ONBOARD THE NEW COSTA DELIZIOSA

HOW IS TECHNOLOGY IMPACTING DESIGN?

Apr Vol.6 Issue 4

denisbul AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND SUSTAINABLY SOUND

A new breed of

BATHROOMS

Arte Vivo is your partner in design excellence: a fusion of aesthetics and fuctionality, of cutting-edge design and solid manufacturing experience that enjoys global recognition

denisbul Ar te Vivo designs and manufactures customised furniture according to your specific needs and unique vision, guiding you through ever y step of the process. Backed by years of design and production experience, we provide invaluable assistance with: • • • •

Planning Design conceptualisation Design development Documentation

• • • •

Bidding Design implementation Project super vision Qualit y assurance

Arte Vivo FZ-LLC Loft B304 Design House Bld. Al Sufouh 1, P.O.Box. 502481 Dubai, United Arab Emirates T: +971 4 4456 899 F: +971 4 4456 898 E: info@artevivo-designs.com

www.artevivo-designs.com

CONTENTS

April 2010 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 4

DESIGN UPDATE

PROFILE Introducing Hesse Lignal.

INDUSTRY SPEAK How is technology impacting the design process?

DESIGNER Q&A Catching up with Lino Losanno and Lorenzo Perini, retail designers extraordinaire.

CASE STUDY

30 36

denisbul

Onboard the recentlyinaugurated Costa Deliziosa.

CASE STUDY

Checking out the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island.

FEATURE

Highlighting the latest trends in bathroom design.

DESTINATION FOCUS The low-down on Saudi Arabiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior design industry.

LIGHTING SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW A handful of lighting suppliers that you should know.

PRODUCTS A showcase of new products, including Domino, Circus, the Nora Turquoise series, Twilight Shower and Rusted.

CONTRACTS Your monthly guide to contract tenders in the region, provided by Ventures Middle East.

OPINION Exploring the science of feng shui with Shivani Adalja.

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

IlBagnoAlessi dOt (sanitary ware, bath tubs, shower cabin, furniture and accessories) is produced and distributed by Laufen Bathrooms under License of Alessi Spa Italy

denisbul

FORM FOLLOWS FLOW. dOt, design Wiel Arets

Bathroom Culture since 1892

www.laufen.com/middleeast

Bahrain: Al Abbas Gallery +973 17741919 alabbas@batelco.com.bh Iran: Farbar +98 21 88 03 6364 sales@farbar.ir Jordan: Izzat Musa Marji & Sons Co. +962 65 52 02 84 info@marji.jo Kuwait: Arte Casa Trading Co. +965 4848 000 info@artecasa.bz Lebanon: Georges Nassr +961 1 482 462 georgesnasr@zahleh.com Oman: Ahmed Mohsin Trading L.L.C. +968 248 17 019 sware@amtoman.com Qatar: M.S.K Building Material +97 44 440 051 info@mskqatar.com Saudi Arabia: Dar Alfun for Ceramics (Articasa) +96 6 2252 4402 info@articasa.biz Syria: Uni Group +96 31 15 32 67 00 unigroup@net.sy United Arab Emirates: German Home for Bathrooms & Kitchens +971 4 268 9993 info@germanhome.net Yemen: Abu Al-Rejal Trading Corp. +967 1 272 519 sanitary@abualrejal.com

COMMENT

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000 Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham VP Sales Wayne Lowery Publishing Director Jason Bowman EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Editor Selina Denman Tel: +971 4 210 8502 email: selina.denman@itp.com ADVERTISING Publishing Director Jason Bowman Tel: +971 4 210 8351 email: jason.bowman@itp.com Sales Manager Leigh Roche Tel: +971 4 210 8679 email: leigh.roche@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Daniel Prescott Art Editor Simon Cobon PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Chief Photographer Khatuna Khutsishvili Senior Photographers G-nie Arambulo, Efraim Evidor, Thanos Lazopoulos Staff Photographers Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Lyubov Galushko, Jovana Obradovic, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP DIGITAL

ne can’t help but worry about the future of the 2B pencil. A long-held, loyal companion of designers the world over, Mr. 2B is being unceremoniously swept aside in favour of that brash young upstart: technology. In its various guises, technology has democratised design, making ideas, information and inspiration easier to access, distribute, share, discuss and dissect. Technology acts as a vital communication tool, allowing design to be understood by all. It allows design – that most personal, subliminal, subjective of things – to be taken out of the mind of the designer and put it into a medium that others can tap into. It creates a common language. It is also a key driver in the creative process, enabling designers to explore new forms, colours and textures; it encourages people to push boundaries and challenge existing norms; and it offers speed, ease and efficiency, godsends in an age of frantic productivity and incessant pressure to perform and create. Moving forward, technology’s role in the design process is only set to increase. There is a new generation of designers coming into the business arena that are largely unfamiliar with the merits of the meagre pencil. They probably learnt to read on a computer – and they definitely learnt to design on one. On the one hand, this is cause for celebration. Virtual walk-throughs, where designs are presented in all their multi-dimensional glory, could become ubiquitous. The ‘experiential’ side of design will be enhanced and the practice of communicating ideas will only become easier. However, there are concerns. Just as people will always worry that computers will eventually displace genuine human interaction, one has to question whether technology will end up cannibalising creativity. Technology shouldn’t shape design, it should facilitate it. Unfortunately, it can all too easily create a disconnect between the designer and their design. As Zain Mustafa points out in this month’s Industry Speak (page 13), rubbing out your mistakes, throwing away your piece of tracing paper and starting all over again is a sure-fire way of getting you to think carefully about what you are doing. That level of focus and engagement is what creates truly great design. As with most things, the secret is balance. Ultimately, designers must be masters of the technologies they employ, rather than slaves to them.

denisbul

Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Deputy Production Manager Matthew Grant Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION

The death of 2B

Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan Internet Design Manager Hitesh Uchil Web Designer Meghna Rao ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 210 8000 Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions Audited by: BPA Worldwide Average Qualified Circulation 6,944 (July - December 2009) The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised 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, EDITOR selina.denman@itp.com

The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

www.constructionweekonline.com

Receive Commercial Interior Design every month. To subscribe, please visit: www.itp.com/subscriptions

Cover image: Monolith by Geberit.

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

denisbul

DESIGN UPDATE

Swedish walls ECO BOR Å STAPE T ER ESTABLISHES A PRESENCE IN T HE UAE UAE: Swedish wallpaper and wallcoverings company, ECO BoråsTapeter, has established its first presence in the UAE, with a ‘shop within a shop’ at Danube, Dubai Festival Centre. Here, customers can virtually simulate wallpaper designs, to create their ideal wallcovering solutions. “We understand that there is demand for a fresh design brand such as ECO BoråsTapeter in the Middle East, as the offerings here are extremely limited – in terms of accessibility and international design,” said Lars Narfeldt, agent and distributor, ECO BoråsTapeter. “We are very proud to be able to offer this luxury Swedish design brand to the UAE market.” The ‘ECO’ part of the brand offers young, trend-conscious designs, including exclusive

flock wallpaper and bold wall murals. The range includes the award-winning London, which is the recipient of an Elle Decoration Design Award. Being stocked in the UAE as part of the ECO range are Line, Velvet, Feeling, Design 2 and Design 3, as well as the Metallic collection. By contrast, BoråsTapeter offers classic, contemporary wallpaper and is Sweden’s oldest and most popular brand of wallcovering. Being stocked in the UAE from the BoråsTapeter range are Artwork, Garden, Passion, New Classic and Plain Stripes. “We are proud to be collaborating with ECO BoråsTapeter in bringing their renowned brand exclusively to the region, where customers can now purchase high-end wallpapers and other

home interior products from their range of industry-leading offerings at our Danube Buildmart stores,” said Rizwan Sajan, chairman, Danube Building Materials. “In line with our target to build a significant market for ECO BoråsTapeter in the UAE, we have dedicated an area within our Dubai Festival City outlet for the brand, wherein customers can consult with our design centre and virtually simulate wallpaper designs to find the perfect match for their requirements,” he added. “This partnership underlines our aims to offer pioneering products, and we are confident that this brand will gather up a significant following in the local market as well as in the region, as we aim to introduce the brand across the Middle East.”

WIN Win a feature wall for your office with designer wallpaper brand, ECO BoråsTapeter. ECO BoråsTapeter is celebrating its entry into the region by teaming up with CID magazine to offer one reader a feature wall for their office. ECO BoråsTapeter offers avant-garde designs that appeal to those with an eye for detail – ideal for a unique and inspiring finish. And they want to help you add a blast of life to your office, by injecting an element of inspiration and luxury into your workplace.

denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

To enter, simply answer this question: What country does ECO BoråsTapeter come from and where can it be purchased in the UAE? Answers to selina.denman@itp.com Terms and conditions apply.

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

DESIGN UPDATE

denisbul

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

DESIGN UPDATE

Design haus A STRIKING NE W HERZOG & DE MEURON-DESIGNED STRUCTURE SHOWC A SES VITR A’S HOME COLLECTION Germany: Germany’s Weil am Rhein, home of the Vitra Campus, has a striking new landmark, the VitraHaus. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the building is a showcase of the company’s Home Collection, where classics by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi, Jean Prouve and Verner Panton mingle with contemporary designs from Maarten van Severen, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Antonio Citterio, Hella Jongerius and Jasper Morisson. The space was created to act as a source of inspiration for visitors, where they can try out the furniture on display, and order and purchase products. There is also the opportunity to learn more about the company’s production methods, quality control and commitment to sustainability. Since 1981, when a major fire destroyed most of the production facilities on the Vitra premises in Weil am Rhein, the area has been transformed into the site of a heterogeneous ensemble of contemporary architecture. Zaha Hadid

realised her very first built structure there. The Vitra Design House was the first piece of architectural work by Frank Gehry outside of the US, and Tadao Ando constructed his first building outside of Japan on the campus. Since there was no dedicated space for Vitra’s Home Collection, which was launched in 2004, Vitra commissioned the Basel-based architects Herzog & de Meuron to create the Vitrahaus in 2006. Set on the northern side of the grounds, VitraHaus stands alongside Gehry’s Vitra Design Museum, which was created in 1989, and Ando’s Conference Pavilion, which came into existence in 1993. The structure promotes two classic Herzog & de Meuron themes: the archetypal house, and the idea of stacked volumes. In Weil am Rhein it was particularly appropriate to return to the idea of the ur-house, since the purpose of the structure is to promote objects for the home. The proportions and dimensions of the space are of a ‘domestic’ scale, meaning that the

showrooms are reminiscent of a familiar residential setting. Stacked to a total of five storeys high and cantilevered up to 15m in some places, the vertical collection of 12 houses, whose floor slabs intersect the underlying gables, create a three-dimensional structure – a pile of houses that, at first glance, has an almost chaotic appearance. The charcoal colour of the exterior stucco skin unifies the structure, ‘earths’ it and connects it to the surrounding landscape. The complexity of the interior is further enhanced by a second geometrical concept. All of the staircases within the structure are integrated into expansive, winding, organic volumes that ‘eat’ their way into the various levels of the building like a worm. Some 21m in height, 54m in width and 57m in length, VitraHaus extends above the other buildings on the Vitra campus. The aim was very much to create a vertically-orientated structure with a small footprint – in stark contrast to traditional production facilities.

denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

denisbul

PROFILE

Hesse Lignal

denisbul W H O?

Hesse is a Germany-headquartered specialist in the production of surface treatments, lacquers and stains. The familyowned, teamwork-orientated company was established in 1910 and produces 100 tonnes of lacquer per day. The company employs 500 people worldwide and has a product range consisting of 45,000 formulations. “We are known in Europe not just for selling products but for offering ideas and solutions,” noted Beate Hesse, CEO, Hesse.

US P S Product quality, product consistency and professional service are the cornerstones of the Hesse brand promise. “It starts with the people,” said Jens Hesse, CEO, Hesse. “People are important and training is important. The second thing is the quality of the raw materials. We control every batch that we get from our suppliers and we carry out stringent quality control. The third thing is having the right machines. A mixture of people, a philosophy of quality, and the right equipment helps us deliver what the market needs.”

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

PROFILE

WHERE? The company opened its new ‘hub’ for the Middle East on March 10. The new workshop and warehouse facility is located in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone South, and was inaugurated by Tareq bin Ghalaita, vice president of commercial sales for the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority. This followed the opening of a new facility in Bangalore, India, three days earlier. “We are bringing our know-how to the Middle East. Our aim is to deliver knowledge, not just products. We want to extend technical knowledge to our customer, and to educate them on the right procedures,” said Muneer Idrees, sales manager, Middle East, Hesse International.

denisbul WHY?

“We started working in this part of the world about six years ago,” explained Beate Hesse. “We discovered that this was a huge market for interiors, and not only for the interiors of buildings but also the interiors of boats. We realised that the wide range of products that we had could really suit this market. In the long history of the company we have developed more than 45,000 different products, so it was a question of finding the right products for the market.”

T R E N DS “The trend in Dubai is still high gloss, even though not everybody knows how to produce high-gloss lacquers,” Beate Hesse pointed out. “We started fi ve years ago with normal solvent-based products but now more and more companies, even here in Dubai, have switched to modern UV lines and UV products. If I use PUR lacquers (which can be distinguished as acrylic formulations and alkyd-combinations), they are easy to work with, but need two to three days of working process before delivery. UV lacquer can be packed the same day – but it requires a lot of experience to work with, so you have to find the right solution for the right customer.”

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

denisbul

A sanitary system with a concealed cistern.

Concealed systems from Geberit save space by integrating the cistern and pipes in the wall. This is not only more attractive, but also easier to clean. www.geberit.ae

Y&R GROUP

Discretion is the secret of good design.

denisbul

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

INDUSTRY SPEAK

regards to the application of alternative construction technology,” said David Rooney, design director, Luxe Interior. Whatever the technologies employed, it is essential to use a common platform that is shared by all of the various stakeholders involved in a design project, warned Zain Mustafa, founder of Zain Mustafa Interiors. “The technologies that we use in the office are 3D Max and AutoCad, primarily. We also end up using a lot of Photoshop to layer over the 3D Max. We will also use Illustrator and PowerPoint but these are mainly

PLS Design’s Losanno is already noticing a difference in the way that younger designers are approaching the design process. “We still use pencils. We make sketches. But I see that new architects and designers are different. After all, they completed all their studies using computers. And some of the current design is very much affected by the software they are using,” he said. As designers become more and more comfortable with the technology at their disposal, things like ‘virtual walk-throughs’ will become ever more

There is a danger that we as creatives become slaves to the technology, rather than masters of it. One can see evidence of this in many Dubai interiors

Dubai interiors where it is clear that computer technology has driven the design, rather than a real understanding of what the venue is intended for and who will use it,” said Rooney. “The design process has to be more than the production of a knock-out visual!” Technology can create distance, and it is critically important not to lose touch with the essence of a project. “Technology enables us to work remotely, or even to work from home, but in some cases I still believe that designers need to experience the product for themselves. I personally go to every site myself, to absorb the vibrancy of a particular place, in order to get the real essence of the location, and then convey my feelings and opinions to my team,” said During. The all-important human element can too easily be lost, Katodrytis warned. “Handcrafted techniques and original pieces have been lost. Interiors have become generic and mass-produced, as well as fabricated in workshops and only assembled on site. The ease of production has been fascinating – I only hope that basic human senses remain an integral part of this revolution: seeing, as in natural light; touch, as in rough materiality; smell – not of plastic, and sound, as in silence,” he said. For all its benefits, technology comes with a distinct set of dangers. Speed and efficiency should not replace considered, heartfelt design. “Consider the simple act of drawing a box with a pencil,” said Mustafa. “With technology it is so easy and quick to create a box that often you don’t have time to think about the intrinsic value of that box. Should it really be those proportions? You go so fast from one box to the next to the third to the fourth that somewhere in those layers, a lot of things do get lost. “We have gained speed and effi ciency but we don’t have time to think the design through as rigorously anymore. You are not necessarily thinking it through as much as you would because you are not going through the process of rubbing it out, throwing your piece of tracing paper away, and starting all over again.”

denisbul

communication tools, they are not about the design. The design is done in AutoCad – after we’re done with the 2B pencil, obviously! “The reason one uses AutoCad is it is technically sound. Any engineering company can also read it. So when you send it and it’s done on a PC format, it’s a platform that everybody can read and understand. Its unilateral quality allows it to be flexible, so we stick to that,” he continued. “A lot of people might ask why we don’t use a Mac since we are a cuttingedge design company, but we don’t live in an isolated environment. I need everybody else who makes our design happen to understand those drawings, regardless of where they come from, how old their machine is, and how big or small their company is,” he said. As a new generation of technologically-fluent designers make their way into the business arena, the impact of technology is only set to grow. At the University of Sharjah, students are being versed in digital modelling and rendering, digital fabrication laser cutter and 3D printers, parametric design methods and simulation of natural light and sun movement.

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

prevalent, Mustafa predicted. “I would like for the virtual walk-through to come back because it allows for the design to become more experiential. “I’d love to explore and develop that genre more but, unfortunately, right now, it would cut me away from all the people that have to build my stuff for me. I would like the virtual walkthrough to become easier to do, so we could use it more in-house, like you do 3D Max,” he said. Moving forward, technology will be the catalyst that allows designers of built environments to push more and more boundaries. “Ultimately, it will push engineers to build bigger, stronger and more creative concepts; the Burj Khalifa is a good example of how technology has evolved and enables us to build and create more daring concepts,” During pointed out. “Technology pushes designers and engineers to go that extra mile and to find better, more revolutionary construction methods and materials.” However, there is a balance to be struck. “There is a danger that we as creatives become slaves to the technology, rather than masters of it. One can see evidence of this in many

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul Old situation 35W / 50W halogens with Electronic gear

Philips Green Solution 4W & 12W Philips Spot LEDs

Area (Sq. feet)

1528

Amount of Luminaries

300

Total Installed Power (W)

11940

1968

Energy load per year (kWh)

41790

6888

Load per Sq. feet (W)

7.8

1.2

Energy Saving Up to 80%

PuraVida Phoenix Design

denisbul

PuraVida. A new sense of lightness in the bathroom.

Sanitaryware, bathroom furniture, bathtubs, shower trays, wellness products and accessories: Duravit has everything you need to make life in the bathroom a little more beautiful. More info at Duravit Middle East S.A.L., P.O. Box 13-6055, Chouran-Beirut, Lebanon, Phone +961 1 397329, Fax +961 1 397330, info@lb.duravit.com. Duravit Middle East (Branch), P.O. Box: 293622 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dubai, Dubai Airport Free Zone - United Arab Emirates, Phone +971 4 7017117, Fax +971 4 7017121, info@ae.duravit.com. Duravit Saudi Arabia LLC, Al Hamra district, Aarafat street, Shahwan commercial center, 3rd floor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Office number 4, P.O. Box 9135, 21413 Jeddah, Phone +966 2 66 580 54 / +966 2 66 176 94, Fax +966 2 66 410 38, info@sa.duravit.com. www.duravit.com

DESIGNER Q&A

High ITA LI A N A RCHIT EC T S, LINO LOSA NNO A ND LORENZO PERINI, SPE A K TO CID A BOUT T HE A RT OF EF F EC T I VE RE TA IL DE SIGN

ino Losanno and Lorenzo Perini met 14 years ago, and have worked together ever since, initially as associates at architecture and design firm, Nardi Associates, and then as partners in their own Firenze-based firm, PLS Design. At Nardi, they were responsible for the retail sector, and worked with the biggest names in Italian fashion: Dolce

& Gabbana, Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré, Malo and Iceberg, to name but a few. They travelled the globe opening up stores for fashion’s most fabulous, and even came to Dubai to open the emirate’s first ever Dolce & Gabbana store. Residential projects in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait followed, and the pair have kept in contact with the region ever since. Last month, they were back in Dubai to mark the opening of their latest project, the new Western Furniture showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road. CID caught up with them to find out more about the world of high fashion.

How have you seen retail design in Dubai evolve since you opened that first Dolce & Gabbana store here? Lino Losanno: We were walking through Fashion Avenue in Dubai Mall the other day and said, ‘Wow, you don’t need to go to Rome or Paris or Milano any more. You can just come here and you get everything – from new concepts to new designs’. That’s mesmerising.

denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

DESIGNER Q&A

1 Lorenzo Perini and Lino Losanno. 2,3&4 A PLS-designed boutique, located at Campomarzio 9, in Rome.

denisbul

It’s a different kind of feeling, of course, then walking on Sloane Street or Bond Street in London, or Avenue Montaigne in Paris, or Via della Spiga in Milano. But in Dubai, especially with spaces like the big malls and hotels, you have more of a chance to express yourself, because the spaces are totally empty. When you work in old cities, you have to deal with old buildings and sometimes the design is led by the nature of the building. But, in this case, you are totally free. It is a different kind of creativity when you deal with an existing structure. In Europe we are sometime overwhelmed by the power of existing buildings. It’s a different kind of thing here; you feel free to express yourself 100% and that’s very interesting as a designer. How did you become involved with the new Western Furniture showroom? Lino Losanno: One day we received a phone call from the contractor who was working on this project and he said that the client was asking for an Italian architect. We sent him our resume and two days later I was here. Two weeks later the design was on the table. What did you do with this design? Lino Losanno: We came here and we found a totally empty box with very high ceilings and big windows. The client told us they were going to sell home

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

furniture, but it is kind of difficult to put home furniture into a warehouse. So I thought we should build a house within this building. And that’s how we came up with the idea of a box inside a box. We then fragmented the space into several different kinds of atmospheres. We have the entrance area which is more ‘monumental’, with a big water feature and a big staircase, but the rest of the space is divided into what could essentially be a home. The ceilings are lower; the lights are lower; the colours are combined in a way that makes you feel like you are at home. You feel comfortable. That was the first idea. The other element was communication. We thought that the logo needed to be seen and recognised. You have a big ‘W’ on the outside, and we also had a set of columns on the inside of the building, so we wrapped corten ribbon around the column and created a big ‘W’ over the cashier’s desk. Corten is a naturally rusted steel. It changes with time because it becomes more rusted, so it will be even nicer in a few months. It is an evolving material, which was very interesting for me. And then you had the staircase, which is the second element. It had to attract people to go upstairs and see what was there. It is always difficult to get people to move to the second floor of a space. In this case, we have a big part of the

collection upstairs so it was important to attract people up. People will look at this steel, mirror and glass staircase and think: ‘I want to go up there’. Of course, there is also the fountain, where we are bringing natural elements inside, especially in the area where they display outdoor furniture, upstairs on the deck. They have outdoor furniture and tables, so I have tried to make people feel like they are outside. What kind of materials did you favour for this design? Lino Losanno: We tried to work with environmentally-friendly materials. The floor, for example, is made of a material called fibre cement. It looks like stones but is made of a compacted powder consisting of natural materials like concrete and wood, pressed together. It comes from Italy and is very durable. You do both architecture and interior design. Do you have a preference? Lino Losanno: We have a background in architecture, so we like to build buildings. But, of course, a building has its interiors and that’s all part of it. We don’t really have a preference. Of course, working with interiors in an existing situation means you have more limitations. Having totally free rein to build a complete building is nice. Lorenzo Perini: And even when we do interiors, they have an architectural feel.

www.constructionweekonline.com

1 4 7

2 5 8 0

3 6 9

denisbul DESIGN + SUSTAINABILITY = W + W

W+W has arisen from Roca’s ambition upon incorporating new, unique and innovative solutions into bathrooms. This solution combines design and sustainability as it brings the toilet together with the washbasin in a single piece. An eye-catching design makes it ideal for compact spaces, although its most innovative feature is technology that allows water from the washbasin to be reused to fill the toilet’s cistern. A unique product that Roca has made a reality.

Bahrain: SAYYAR TRADING AGENCIES W.L.L. Tel.: +973.17.290.111, E-mail: sayyartd@batelco.com.bh · Iran: BANA BUILDING IMPORTS, Tel.: +98.21.2613.1223, E-mail: Info@banabi.com · Jordan: A. KAYYALI & CO., Tel.: +962.656.90016, E-mail: info@kayyali-roca.com · Kuwait: ABDUL AZIZ IBRAHIM ALRUMAIH & CO., Tel.: +965.484.88.80, E-mail: rumaih@qualitynet.net · Lebanon: O-TEC CO. FOR SANITARY WARES & TILES S.A.L., Tel: +961.1.868.529, E-mail: otec-co@cyberia.net.lb · Oman: KHIMJI RAMDAS, Tel: +968.24.705.133, E-mail: krbmd@omantel.net.om · Pakistan: ABDULLA & CO., Tel: + 92.21.585.04.90, sabdulla@cyber.net.pk · Qatar: SAYYAR TRADING Co. W.L.L., Tel: +974.469.69.23, E-mail: sayyartd@qatar.net.qa · Saudi Arabia: MUHAMMAD SALEH BAHARETH CO. (MSB CO.), Tel: +96.2.66.33.462, E-mail: info@roca-saudi.com · Syria: TRANS MEDITERRANEAN TRADING CO., Tel: +963.11.661.70.48, E-mail: tm@transmedit.com · UAE (Abu Dhabi): SANITARY MATERIALS CO., Tel: +971.2.677.13.63, E-mail: sanitary@emirates.net.ae · UAE (Dubai): HAMAD RAHMA ABDULLA ALSHAMSI GENERAL TRADING, Tel: 971.4.266.64.29, E-mail: hrshamsi@eim.ae · Yemen: ABUALREJAL Trading Corporation, Tel: 967.1.272.519, E-mail: sanitary@abualrejal.com ROCA SANITARIO S.A. (Middle East Representation Office) Gold & Diamond Park, Building 5, Offi ce 111 · Sheikh Zayed Road, 4th interchange, next to Bur Dbai Trffi c Department · P.O. Box 282337, Al Quoz branch, Dubai, UAE · Tel. +971.4.347.64.00 · Fax +971.4.347.64.08 Mobile: +971.50.465.93.24 · Website: www.roca.com

denisbul

DESIGNER Q&A

Do you think it makes a difference? Will an architect approach a space differently to an interior designer? Lorenzo Perini: I think it’s a bit different. You can tell when an architect has created an interior, rather than an interior designer. It is a different approach. I think it’s because of a difference in background and attitude. Do you still do a lot of retail work? Is this what you specialise in? Lino Losanno: I wouldn’t say that we specialise in retail. But we do do a lot of retail work, especially with fashion. In Italy this is one of the best resources, so we work a lot with fashion. We do a lot of restaurants as well. When it comes to retail interiors, what are the key trends right now? Lino Losanno: In the 1990s we had this explosion of very minimalist spaces. This really went to the root of the space, so you had concrete floors, gypsum walls, no colour and everything was very plain, which I loved, and it led to some very beautiful spaces. But then, at a certain point, clients started to need something more. They wanted that ‘wow’ factor. So we started to introduce very strong elements – in a very modern space we would put a baroque chair or a Venetian chandelier. Of course, this was linked to the history of the brands. For example, Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana is from Sicily, so we used Sicilian baroque chairs and tables and mirrors in their spaces. It was a very interesting mix. In the 2000s, the focus shifted very much towards decoration. You had modern spaces with a lot of decoration. So we started to use wallpaper, colour, LED lights, screens, special materials like Perspex, and very technological materials, again. I think that at this point in time we are trying to reduce what happened in those two worlds. We are going back to minimalism, but I would call it a more ‘design’ minimalism, so minimalism with some design touches. That could mean architectural elements with a very strong design impact. But also, materials are very important now.

denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

6 7

5,6&7 Francesco Fino Atelier, The Plaza, New York.

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

DESIGNER Q&A

There has been a very important evolution in the use of materials. Lorenzo Perini: Every brand wants to identify itself in a different way, so they have to find something that sets them apart. It could be a material, or a special design element, sometimes a colour. For example, Prada is always green-ish. Lino Losanno: Another thing that is very important nowadays is attention to the environment, so it is very important to use environmentally-friendly materials.

8 The new Western Furniture showroom in Dubai. 9,10&11 Les Nuits Blanches, Paris.

Has the economic downturn impacted interior design, particularly when it comes to the big fashion names? Lino Losanno: A little bit. I think people are more attentive to cost now. They are trying to save money when they are building their new boutiques. Design-wise, for us, it is more challenging because you have to get the same results, or better results, and better impact, with fewer resources.

for an existing Italian fashion brand, and we are working on a very interesting new building in Italy. That is something that doesn’t happen very often – opening a new building in Italy. It’s a showroom for a distributor of fashion brands, located on the Adriatic coast. We have just started work on a residential resort, also on the Adriatic coast, and we are doing a boutique in London, and another one in Venice. We are also doing a beautiful restoration of a very important historical building in Florence that dates back from the 15th century. It’s a private palazzo on the river. We are also doing a restaurant on the west coast of Tuscany.

Apart from shrinking budgets, what are the other major challenges that designers are facing right now? Lino Losanno: Being recognisable is one of the main goals for our clients, especially in fashion. They like it when they are recognisable, when people see the space without any branding and know it’s theirs. But at the same time they want every store to be original. They don’t want it to look like anything else. That’s always a big challenge. Lorenzo Perini: Often, different designers can arrive at the same ideas. Because it makes sense. So the real challenge is creating truly original work.

denisbul

What are you working on right now? Lino Losanno: Our next opening will be a Japanese restaurant in Firenze in April. We just started a new corporate concept

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

CASE STUDY: COSTA DELIZIOSA

Ship shape ONBOARD COSTA CROCIERE’S NEWEST, MOST INNOVATIVE CRUISE LINER

n February 23, Costa Deliziosa became the first cruise ship in history to be inaugurated in an Arab city. The 294m-long, state-of-the-art, luxury cruise liner was named during a lavish ceremony at Dubai’s Port Rashid. Built in Italy, at Venice’s Fincantieri shipyard, Costa Deliziosa is the third ship to be delivered to owner Costa Crociere in just nine months, and represents part of a EUR2.4 billion fleet expansion programme for Italy’s largest tourism company. Along with sister vessel, Costa Luminosa, Costa Deliziosa is also the most innovative and exclusive member of the Costa fleet – essentially, a whole new breed of cruise liner. “Costa Deliziosa represents the upscale part of our offering,” explained chairman and CEO, Costa Crociere, Pier Luigi Foschi. However, in spite of its size and advanced features, it is a ship that was designed to make its guests feel comfortable, he continued. “Above all, it is a ship that transforms a normal, ordinary holiday into a dream come true.” Hence the name, derived from the Italian word delizia, meaning ‘reason or cause for great pleasure, joy and satisfaction; something cherished that uplifts the body and soul’. It fell to Miami-based designer and architect Joseph Farcus to create interiors to match these lofty principles.

explained. “He didn’t say, ‘Make this red, make this blue’ or anything, but he talked to me about who his guests were going to be, and what they would expect onboard in terms of their experience. Because that’s what I’m doing, I’m designing experiences.” The design process was very natural, said Farcus, who has produced ten cruise ships for Costa Crociere, and first entered this niche segment of the market working with Carnival Cruise Lines. “How I approach it is very personal. I sit down with a blank piece of paper and start drawing. I draw by hand. We have a very small office, just a couple of people and, basically, I design almost everything myself,” he added. “When I first started off in my career, I made more of an effort to come up with a central idea and then build a design around colours, or impressionist paintings, or Italian villas, or something like that. But, over the years, that has progressed and now, I just design the ship as a whole,” Farcus detailed. “What I did do was take the ideas that Pier Luigi Foschi has of appealing to higher-end travellers who have had more experience of going on cruises, and maybe made the design a little more refined in that respect.” As a result, premium materials were employed throughout the ship. Marble and granite were complemented by stucco, applied using a spatula in the traditional ‘spatolato veneziano’ technique. Other high-end finishes included parchment scroll lamé, refined Zebrano wood and wenge timber,

Murano glass, and polished and glazed steel. In support of the ship’s distinctly Italian roots, the design called upon high-end Italian brands, such as Rubelli for fabrics, Molteni for furniture, and Sicis, a specialist in art mosaics, which appear in some of the most exclusive parts of the ship. A total of 970 La Murrina chandeliers appear in Costa Deliziosa’s public areas, alongside chairs and couches designed by Italian designers Rossi D’Albizzate, Moroso and Baxter.

denisbul

1,2&3 It is important to apply ‘eclecticism’ with cruise ship interiors, according to the designer of the Costa Deliziosa, Joseph Farcus. 4 The Samsara Spa is one of the most luxurious wellness facilities ever built on a cruise liner.

DESIGNING EXPERIENCES “Pier Luigi Foschi gave me an idea of what the guest should be feeling, in a general, spiritual way,” Farcus

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

FLOATING GALLERY The ship is also home to an exclusive art collection, curated by Milanese architecture firm Casagrande & Recalcati. The permanent collection brings together a total of 340 original works and 4,756 reproductions, by old masters and emerging artists alike. For example, the ship’s central atrium is dominated by the Sphere, an arresting gilt bronze sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro. This space is also notable for its scale, and in the way it embraces natural light. “The atrium is topped by a skylight so that natural light comes all the way down into the main lobby. Having the light so that it is coming in from above also draws you to look up and that gives you an initial feeling for how big the ship is,” said Farcus. With a gross tonnage of 92,600, the ship can carry up to 2,826 guests. Facilities include 1,130 cabins, 772 of which have verandas, four restaurants, 11 bars, three pools and four jacuzzis. A 1,300m² theatre show lounge covers

www.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: COSTA DELIZIOSA

denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

denisbul

CASE STUDY: COSTA DELIZIOSA

denisbul

three levels and has a seating capacity of over 800. Its centrepiece is a giant 18m² screen flanked by giant, statuesque lampshades. Another highlight is the Samsara Spa, one of the largest and most luxurious wellness centres ever built on a cruise ship. The facility covers 3,500m², and is perched on the two highest decks of the ship, directly overlooking the sea. It is home to a thalassotherapy pool, an aromatic Turkish bath, a trepidarium and laconium, and a fitness centre kitted out with Technogym equipment. Dedicated cabins and suites, along with a special restaurant, can be found within the wellness area. Other innovative features onboard the Costa Deliziosa include a ‘4D’ cinema; a golf simulator, which offers 37 18-hole virtual courses along with a 100m² outdoor area with a putting green; a Grand Prix driving simulator; a roller skating track; and Playstation World, an area of the ship dedicated to PS3 gaming, which is a complete first for the cruise industry. But, while the ship is full of progressive features, it is still on the right side of ‘gimmicky’, Farcus noted. “Certain companies, and we are not one of them, believe in going in for more gimmicky things – rock climbing walls and ice skating rings and so on. My feeling is that we should concentrate on the things that people come on a

www.constructionweekonline.com

cruise for: sitting out in the sun, being entertained, having great food, being in an interesting environment. “Moving forward, you will see more and more gimmicks in the design of cruise ships, but I think the ships that I do will always be more orientated towards what cruising has always been all about,” said Farcus. After all, with a limited amount of space on offer, it is important that every available inch is used effectively, Farcus pointed out. “If you do something here, it means that you can’t do something else over there.”

This is one of many challenges that are totally specific to cruise ship design. Fire safety is another extremely important factor, and means that ships are highly compartmentalised, with stringent exit requirements. Every single material onboard has to be fireproof – and certifiably so. Sustainability is also playing an increasingly important role in the design of ships. Costa Deliziosa prides itself on being a leader in the sustainability stakes, and is one of the first cruise liners in the world to be equipped for ‘cold ironing’, a system whereby vessels can

5&6 The atrium is dominated by the Sphere, created by Arnaldo Pomodoro. 7 The ship is part of Costa’s upscale offering.

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

CASE STUDY: COSTA DELIZIOSA

8 The theatre show lounge covers 1,300m².

be plugged into shoreside electrical power, enabling generators to be shut down during stopovers in port. A series of other sustainable initiatives have been introduced onboard, including 100% waste separation, recycling of aluminium, glass and other waste, and the production of water from desalination plants. Meanwhile, low-power LED light bulbs are used, and the ship has been fitted with an automatic control system designed to adjust external lighting in accordance with sunlight intensity. “This is what’s going on in the world today. More precious and rare materials are no longer used,” Farcus said. “For example, the open decks of ships used to be all teak, and then the teak forests were in trouble so now we use a resin

floor that is made to look like teak. And I have to admit, although I’m not generally in favour of fake materials, it looks pretty good,” he said.

APPLYING ECLECTICISM Ultimately, a good interior will enhance the overall cruising experience, Farcus explained. The idea is to create a series of unique, highly individual spaces that are able to maintain the interest of the guest over an extended period of time. After all, uniformity leads to familiarity, which is not ideal when people are confined to a given space. So, rather than creating seamless interiors that promote a common theme, it is best to apply eclecticism, Farcus explained. Interesting, creative, non-repetitive design is the order of the day.

“Even though you look at the Costa Deliziosa and it is huge, it is still a confined space. When people come on one of these cruises, they should still be seeing something new until the very last day,” Farcus pointed out. “My feeling has always been that if you make one uniform design throughout, it can be beautiful, but if people get used to it within a day or two, that then makes everything else harder. The food has to be better and the service has to be better,” he continued. “The more stimuli that people take in, the better the whole thing is. Then it’s just the opposite – the food is immediately better, the service is better, the entertainment is better, because everything is linked to your frame of mind when you experience it.”

denisbul

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

A sanitary system with a concealed cistern.

Concealed systems from Geberit save space by integrating the cistern and pipes in the wall. This is not only more attractive, but also easier to clean. www.geberit.ae

Y&R GROUP

Discretion is the secret of good design.

CASE STUDY: RADISSON BLU YAS ISLAND

denisbul

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

CASE STUDY: RADISSON BLU YAS ISLAND

The big ‘Blu’ N AT U

R AL I NF LU

ENCE

S MA KE AN IMPR

E SSI O

N AT T H E R A D IS S O N B L U H OT E L A BU DH A BI Y A S IS L A N D

A denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

multi-layered, multidimensional lighting sculpture hovers over the lobby of the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. Composed of linear, copper-coloured components suspended at varying heights, it is a contemporary take on the traditional chandelier, explained Anne Kuzyk, head of interiors at Aukett Fitzroy Robinson, the company responsible for both the architecture and interior design of the Radisson Blu and its sister Park Inn property next door. The fixture was custom-made by Preciosa and, in the evening, takes on a life of its own, exuding an ever-changing spectrum of coloured light; shifting gently from purple to blue to pink and then yellow. “It is the heart of the hotel. It’s an amazing talking piece and it really comes alive at night with the colour-changing lights. I was inspired by Alexander Calder, the sculptor, from a very early age, and I felt this was the place to put this kind of installation. It’s almost like bringing the New Tate to Yas Island,” said Kuzyk. Guests lounging in the lobby, or making their way to and from the lifts, move beneath the structure, and are privy to one aspect of its multi-faceted form. Meanwhile, up on the mezzanine

level, guests move alongside it, and are treated to a whole new perspective, reiterating the impression of it being more of an art installation than a light fixture. The placement of the structure also serves to break up the horizontality of the lobby area. “The lobby is divided into three different areas,” Kuzyk noted. “There is your check-in zone, which is quite horizontal, there is your transition zone where people walk to the lifts, and then you’ve got your lounge and seating zone, so, because people would be using the space that way, I turned the sculpture around to get rid of the horizontality from the design.”

OUTSIDE IN A smaller version of this ‘contemporary chandelier’ hangs above the check-in counter, making a striking first impression as guests enter the hotel, and offering a tantalising glimpse of what’s to come. Like its more sizeable counterpart, the underside of the structure is mirrored. “The idea is to reflect the views of the island back into the space,” Kuzyk pointed out. This idea, of bringing the outside in, is a cornerstone of the overall design. Barriers between the indoors and outdoors have been systematically broken down, with an emphasis on inviting natural Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

CASE STUDY: RADISSON BLU YAS ISLAND

denisbul

light and panoramic views deep into the interior. “There are a lot of terraces, and a lot of opportunities for al fresco dining. And everywhere you go, we have capitalised on the view; the outside is very beautifully captured within our property. I think that’s one of the most important selling points for our hotel,” noted Rafat Kazi, PR and marketing communications manager, Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. With mangrove-covered sandbanks, the grassy expanse of the Links golf course, and the unending blue of the Arabian Gulf all to be found on the hotel’s doorstep, Kuzyk had a rich palette of natural influences to draw upon. 3

So, in Business Class rooms, a textured headboard made out of beige plaster mimics the motion of sand dunes. The room’s colour palette is inspired by the sunset, and by the continually-shifting colour of the sand. Abstract artwork plays with the idea of sunlight sifting through the leaves of a palm tree. “We’ve used all very natural influences, but in a very contemporary way,” Kuzyk explained. In the spa, the ethos is overwhelming organic. “It’s all very natural – that’s the whole idea. The tiles are like the sand, it’s like the dunes running through. There are tiles made out of pebbles, and echoes of palms and waves.”

An oversized jacuzzi nuzzles into one corner of the spa, set across from a large window offering uninterrupted views of the sea and golf course. And in the treatment rooms, an intricate, abstract version of the sun adorns the ceiling above treatment tables.

WAVES OF COLOUR In the yet-to-open Persian restaurant, Zeeba, the design carries overtones of the sea. “We’ve used the colour turquoise. That was inspired not only by Persian colours but also the Arabian Sea, because when we first came here, there was nothing. And all you saw, all through the day, was the sea, which

1 Assymetri restaurant. 2 A ‘contemporary chandelier’ hovers over the lobby area. 3 Filini restaurant. 4 The design is striking in the way it embraces colour.

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

CASE STUDY: RADISSON BLU YAS ISLAND

5 Zeeba is the hotel’s Persian restaurant. 6 The property capitalises on its stunning surroundings.

changed colour throughout the day. So, throughout the hotel we’ve tried to capture the various colours of the sea.” This is reiterated in the hotel’s main corridors, where carpets are imprinted with wave-shaped patterns. “Again, we are bringing the sea in. The executive floors have a red wave, and the standard floors have blue,” Kuzyk continued. This also serves to ‘shorten’ and liven up the corridors, she explained. “That’s always one challenge with hotels. They have these long long corridors, so if you can do something interesting on the floor, it detracts from that. And when you arrive for the first time, it is so much more special getting to your room.” Long characterless corridors are also a standard feature in many meeting areas, Kuzyk pointed out – something that she tried to counteract in the Radisson Blu Hotel Abu Dhabi Yas Island. “Business centres and meeting rooms usually have very long corridor spaces. “I took the original concept of the false Italian perspective, so what happens is your eye actually comes inwards in the design of this corridor. Then I took the idea of a man’s pinstripe suit and put bands of turquoise into the carpet.” This is another striking feature of the hotel’s interior – its refusal to shy from colour. From walls and floors to bed covers and accessories, spaces are infused with vibrant hues. “Every time we presented to Rezidor [the owning company of the Radisson brand], they said, ‘What’s great about working with

you and your team is that you have been brought up in Europe, which is so grey, but you’ve come here and you’ve reinvented colour’, which we have. People look better in colour and so do designs,” Kuzyk maintained.

presented a level of freedom that might not be available elsewhere, she added. “This is our first project in the Middle East. What we have found is that the opportunities to design here are far greater than in other parts of the world. It is not limiting at all here. You are given a brief that you can expand upon and that you can actually put your dreams into. Whereas we are more rigid in Europe and other parts of the world.” One thing that was restrictive, however, was the allocated time frame. “We had so little time. I think we had 24 months to design the interiors and architecture and build it in time for the Grand Prix,” Kuzyk revealed. “But you are driven because you don’t want to fail. And you inspire your own team by being that driven. You inspire people to go a little further and work a little harder,” she said. The process was aided by the fact that Aukett Fitzroy Robinson was responsible for both the architecture and interiors of the property. “You understand what the architect is trying to achieve. Then you can bring the design of the building into the space and let it reflect the architecture. The other thing is that everyone can sit around the table and debate about what the best solutions are. “In many hotels, you walk in and every area looks like it has been done by a different person. I think that’s disorientating,” said Kuzyk. “It’s like your home. It should look like it comes from one hand and one line. How else are you going to distinguish the Radisson Blu from other hotels?”

denisbul

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

THE ESSENCE OF BLU

The Yas Island property is significant because it is the first hotel in the region to open under the ‘Radisson Blu’ banner – as opposed to the now defunct Radisson SAS brand name. As a result, it was essential for the Abu Dhabi property to fully capture the essence of the new brand. “Kurt Ritter, [president and CEO of the Rezidor Hotel Group], really wanted us to bring this property into the next generation of the Radisson Blu portfolio. “We are designing a hotel that needs to last for the next 15 years, so we are designing for the next generation. There is so much competition, so you have to have high design standards, which Rezidor has definitely got,” said Kuzyk. The new brand ethos is perhaps best communicated in the lobby, which is “very sleek, very smart and very modern”. Signature furniture pieces like the Egg by Fritz Hansen define the highly contemporary space, which is warmed with quintessential ‘Radisson’ colours like chocolate brown and aubergine. “What was great about working with Rezidor is they didn’t give us a rigid brief. The have a specific set of operating guidelines but they allowed us to put a level of ‘dream’ into it,” said Kuzyk. Working in the Middle East also

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

FEATURE: BATHROOMS

DES

IGN

,T EC

Y D

ST AIN AB

ILIT SHAPING T HE B AT H Y ARE R

denisbul

M S OF TH E F

e r n b g i a s t e

HIGH

r h

s m o o

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

FEATURE: BATHROOMS

uilding on a trend that has transformed the bathroom into one of the hippest rooms in the house, Hansgrohe’s designer brand, Axor, will later this year unveil a new collection created with the Bouroullec Brothers. Fresh from a collaboration with Patricia Urquiola, the company has also extended its Axor Citterio collection, a collaboration with Milan-based architect and designer Antonio Citterio that was first unveiled in 2003. The collection now includes a new type of mixer that aims at further optimising the comfort of the wash basin area, as well as a new overhead showerhead with a fully pre-assembled surface-mount shower system. Citterio has also further developed his spatial concept for the modern bathroom. His 2003 concept focused on the segmentation of the bathroom into wellbeing and needs-oriented zones, by introducing transparent elements. “To me, time is the sublime expression of immaterial luxury,” said Citterio. “And the bathroom is where I take time out for myself: to me, it is a place for retreat and regeneration. It is therefore all the more important that I adorn this space with selected, valuable and beautiful things.” In the new, enhanced version of the Axor Citterio bathroom, an enclosed area in the centre of the room accommodates the toilet, with the wash basin, shower and bathtub placed along the outside wall. This ‘room within a room’ links areas dedicated to sleeping and bodily hygiene, resulting in a comfortable, spacious environment where bathroom and bedroom harmoniously blend into each other. “In this way, Antonio Citterio once again shows us how these two formerly separate rooms can increasingly grow into one functional, aesthetically pleasing unit that turns the bathroom into a fundamental part of modern living. “By featuring a large window front and direct access to the garden in his wellbeing bathroom, the result is an abundance of natural light – in addition to the deliberate placement of his accentuated sources of light giving the bathroom a very comfortable, inviting

denisbul

www.constructionweekonline.com

atmosphere,” commented Philip Grohe, head of the Axor brand.

DESIGN ORIENTATED Teaming up with leading architects, interior designers and fashion icons has enabled bathroom companies to transform the bathroom into a space that is now as much about style as it is about function. “There has definitely been an increased emphasis on contemporary design, which is cyclical. I think contemporary design is becoming more ubiquitous in most markets around the world,” noted David Kohler, president and COO of Kohler. Swiss bathroom manufacturer Laufen has identified two distinct, seemingly contradictory design trends making their way into the bathroom.

“We are seeing northern, puristic, rectangular design, as well as Italian, organic, rounded design,” revealed Ivan Zupanovic, international sales and marketing manager, Laufen. “Innovations in both sectors are very important for Laufen, because the demand is split between these two approaches. And, with its Swiss tradition of integrating influences from the north as well as the south, Laufen is in an excellent position to deliver both – and refine them with quality and finesse,” Zupanovic continued. Responding to the need to create increasingly design-orientated products, Spanish bathroom company Roca has introduced Khroma, a collection characterised by colour. “Roca has brought colour back into the bathroom,” said

1 Kohler’s multi-faceted Flipside shower. 2 Geberit has launched its Monolith collection.

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

FEATURE: BATHROOMS

3&4 The Axor Citterio bathroom.

Victor Schoone, country manager, Middle East, Roca. The collection is available in ‘passion’ red, ‘street’ and ‘silver’ grey, and oxygen blue. “We give people the opportunity to keep the sanitary ware in white but to bring colour in, in the form of colourful toilet seats and covers and furniture,” Schoone said. The need for sleek, innovative bathroom solutions has also been recognised by Geberit, which has responded with its Monolith collection. “The elegantly-designed Geberit Monolith is a perfect alternative to toilets with visible cisterns. “It is compact and flexible, opening up a nearly unlimited application range. Installation of the entire system is completed in a single operation, with the new installation ready for use within just a few hours,” said Guy Wilson, head of Gulf region, Geberit international sales. Promoting a brushed aluminium and glass finish, Monolith is characterised by clear, simple lines and high-quality materials. “With its slim profile, the Monolith can be fitted into almost any bathroom without impinging on space and is ideal for the retro-fit market as

it conceals marks from previous floorstanding pans and there is no need for any complex plumbing alterations,” explained Wilson.

HIGH-TECH Another important factor currently shaping bathroom design is the increased uptake of technology. “Along with this design-led transformation, we are seeing a move towards greater functionality as hi-tech conveniences which form part of daily life are now emulated in the design and function of sanitary fixtures and fittings,” Wilson noted. As such, Roca will soon launch a hi-tech version of its Khroma collection, Khroma Robot. With electronics incorporated into the vitreous china of the sanitaryware, users can control the shower and bidet function, they can open and close the toilet seat and cover, and even heat up the seat and cover at the press of a button. “Technology is really starting to permeate all products,” Kohler commented. “Not technology for the sake of technology, but technology that really enhances the experience and provides a different level of functionality.

denisbul

“So, we have products that make your whole showering experience digital, with a system that can control light, steam and music, as well as the showering experience,” he said. “We have a new experience in baths called VibrAcoustic technology. You’re really seeing technology in all the product segments, and the price points are coming down as well, so I think you’ll see it incorporated into the bathroom more and more moving forward,” Kohler predicted. However, while contemporary design and technology are playing their part, the single most influential factor currently impacting bathroom design is sustainability. The challenge facing bathroom manufacturers is finding an approach that makes business sense. “We look at sustainability because we believe it’s the right thing to do, not the right thing to say,” said Kohler. “But the right sustainability strategy is one that firmly integrates business principles with environmental principles. “It has to make sound business sense and if you work hard at it, you can find a win solution for the environment, a win solution for the business and a win solution for the consumer.

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

FEATURE: BATHROOMS

5 Roca’s Khroma collection. 6 The Monolith in green.

denisbul

That’s what we want to focus on as a business,” he pledged. Creating products that are sustainable but do not force consumers to sacrifice on comfort is critically important. “In the bathroom we handle our most important consumable – water – basically for cleaning the body. So, our responsibility is to optimise this process with water saving technologies, without corroding the cultural magic that is inherent in this act: taking a bath means cleaning the soul in many cultures,” Laufen’s Zupanovic pointed out. Geberit has placed sustainability at the very forefront of its agenda, and was recently named amongst the top 10 most sustainable companies in the world by Corporate Knights, a Toronto media company that has published its first-ever ranking of the world’s 100 most sustainable companies. “Corporate Knights research group worked with two different asset management firms to evaluate companies based on ten environmental, social and governance performance metrics, including energy productivity, waste productivity and CEO-to-averageworker pay ratio. An 11th indicator was added for ‘transparency’.” “The honour of being named among the top 10 most sustainable companies further supports and validates Geberit’s continuing commitment to being

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

environmentally responsible in everything we do. Focus on sustainability is part of our culture,” Wilson said. Intelligent companies are taking a multi-pronged approach to sustainability. This involves lowering their footprint as a business, with more intelligent manufacturing processes and facilities; creating new and innovative products that contribute in lowering energy and water consumption; and using their global positioning to educate consumers on the importance of sustainability. As Wilson pointed out: “Sustainability is an all-encompassing approach of which water conservation forms just one aspect”. Ultimately, sustainability for the sake of sustainability is not a realistic proposition. Companies are under incredible pressure to develop solutions that are accessible, affordable and, most importantly, palatable to the consumer. For example, the Roca Group is holding off from launching waterless urinals as it believes that the general population is still largely resistant to the concept. “Our commercial department has taken the decision not to launch any waterless urinals yet,” explained Schoone. “There is a small percentage of people that are very happy with waterless urinals, and a large number of people that do not like them. They do

not yet offer the comfort level that you need. We may be an innovative company but if people don’t like your innovations then you only harm yourself.” For Jim Westdorp, group president, kitchen and bath, Kohler, it is a question of re-educating the market. “In the past there has been a perception that water saving plumbing fi xtures didn’t perform as well as products that used more water. “And, admittedly, there were some issues with that with the very first generation of low-flow water closets. However, those days are long gone and Kohler has been working tirelessly to dispel this myth,” he said. Kohler is focusing on finding ways to constantly enhance the overall showering experience, without promoting increased water consumption. “We are looking for ways that you can still enjoy that type of experience but not consume as much water. “We spend a lot of our time inventing things that produce less water. You can also talk about introducing music or satellite radio, and other things that enhance the experience,” said Kohler. “Steam, for example, is a great addition to a shower. It consumes very little water and offers a great experience. A great shower experience does not have to be about how much water one consumes,” he concluded.

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES ONLY FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN THIS MONTH ONLY!

Black Walnut Flooring

The most beautiful wood in the world.“exclusively “exclusively by Alomi” Samples Now Available! A

O M

Alomi

REAL WOOD FLOORS LLC

www.alomirealwoodflooringllc.com

FREE QUOTATION, FREE SURVEY & FREE SAMPLE” Albert +971 50 854 5629, Simon +971 50 854 5327, Office + 971 4 885 8825 Email: albert@alomillc.ae “CALL TODAY FOR A

DESTINATION FOCUS: SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi successes SAUDI ST ILL OFFERS PLENT Y OF OPPORT UNIT Y FOR INT ERIOR DESIGNERS

t’s little secret that Saudi Arabia is brimming with opportunity – just ask Wilson Associates. The firm has been appointed to design the interiors for 19 of the 26 hotels that make up Jabal Omar Development Company’s (JODC) latest development in Makkah. Wilson Associates’ scope of work covers an area of two million m², including 25 towers, 17 grand lobbies and 40 food and beverage outlets. Hotel brands due to be present within the development include Conrad, Westin, Marriott, Hyatt and Sheraton. The project is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2011. “After 39 years in the business, we are thrilled to be selected as the designers of this prestigious and spiritual development,” said Trisha Wilson, founder and CEO, Wilson Associates. “As a firm we have designed and installed over a million guestrooms and we are honoured to be selected to design over 10,500 rooms simultaneously for one client.” Another Saudi success story is hospitality design firm, J/Brice Design International, which has joined forces with the Al Khobar-based Fahd Alireza Engineering Company (FAEC). “Soon after partnering with FAEC, we were retained by The Al Othman Group for a twin tower hotel office development, and then for a very large summer palace for a private client in Jeddah. We

are currently negotiating a final contract for work for the royal family for a hotel in the north,” said founder, J/Brice Design International, Jeffrey Ornstein. According to Saad Mehmod, director, contracts and development, Absal Group, a Saudi Arabian company involved in the design and build industry, a shortage of strong, locally-based interior design firms means there is still plenty of opportunity for international companies to make their mark. “Unfortunately, interior design in Saudi Arabia is not up to standard, in my opinion. Especially when it comes to hospitality. I haven’t come across any five-star projects where design support is local. Even in our work, when we get design and build jobs, we seek international support,” Mehmod said. However, in spite of its size and potential, stringent regulations and high levels of bureaucracy make Saudi Arabia a difficult market to break into, Mehmod warned. Foreign companies looking to work in the country need to be committed in order to succeed. “Although Saudi is a huge market, you have a certain level of bureaucracy, and there are certain difficulties which are influenced by certain regulations. There have been a lot of improvements with new foreign investment regulations, but there are still restrictions on certain trades,” Mehmod said.

“Working in Saudi is not easy, from a social point of view as well as a business point of view. So yes, there are challenges, and for any company to enter the Saudi market, they need to be committed. And, most importantly, to be present here,” he added. Companies also need to be at the top of their game in order to compete, warned Ornstein. “Saudi clients are well versed in high-quality design, and are fully cognoscente of the expertise that is required to execute a project timely, in budget and, all the while, distinctive to the market and respectful of the culture. It’s most definitely not a place for less experienced designers to solicit work.” Doing business in Saudi Arabia is also about forming strong relationships, noted Terry McGillicuddy, designer, Richmond International, the company behind the 1005-room Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel interiors. “Having a local relationship is extremely important for any designer attempting to break into the Saudi market. Without a strong link with the client, contractor and consultants, and without any local support, it would be very difficult to complete a successful project in the country.” Most importantly, warned Ornstein, don’t be hasty. “Be patient. Decisions are rarely made quickly.”

denisbul

1 Saudi Arabia.

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

denisbul

DESTINATION FOCUS: SAUDI ARABIA

denisbul Sacred sites DE SIGNING T HE M A KK A H CLOCK ROYA L TOWER – A FA IR MONT HOT EL , A 1005 - ROOM PROPERT Y SE T ON ONE OF T HE WORLD’S MOS T SACRED SIT E S, PRE SENT ED A N INT ERE S T ING SE T OF CH A LLENGE S FOR RICHMOND INT ERN AT ION A L

ith a 1,005-room hotel project, size and scale dominate the agenda. When Richmond International was commissioned to design the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, a Fairmont Hotel, the scale of the project was a key driver in the design process – the significance of its location was another.

www.constructionweekonline.com

The holiest city in the Islamic world, Makkah’s primary industry is to support the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which alone attracts up to three million people every year, as well as pilgrims who visit throughout the rest of the year. Now scheduled to open in August, the hotel forms part of the Abraj Al Bait complex, which incorporates seven towers

and is adjacent to the Masjid al Haram mosque and the Kaaba, which is the most sacred site in the Islamic faith and the heart of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The Makkah Clock Royal Tower complex includes over 500 shopping outlets and food courts, set over five floors in the lower ‘Podium’ section, luxury apartments on levels 30 to 52, five ‘Royal’ Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

DESTINATION FOCUS: SAUDI ARABIA

1 The reception area is characterised by its scale. 2 High-quality materials were used throughout. 3 The hotel has eight food and beverage outlets. 4&5 The design combines modern and traditional Arabian influences.

floors, and the 1,005-room Fairmont Hotel, which covers a further 28 floors. The hotel has extensive conference and banqueting facilities, eight food and beverage outlets and a number of dedicated prayer halls. A grand total of 76 elevators guarantee the seamless movement of guests, particularly during calls to prayer. Facilitating the movement of throngs of people was one of the most important elements of the design, explained Terry McGillicuddy, designer, Richmond International. “A major challenge was to understand, integrate and accommodate the circulation of a very large number of guests and visitors who need to access and, more importantly, exit the building, particularly during the calls to prayer,” he pointed out. At the peak periods of Hajj and Ramadan, the hotel will potentially have to accommodate up to 60,000 people, which meant that close attention had to be paid to fire, health and

safety regulations. This extended to all furnishings in both the hotel and apartments, which were subjected to stringent checks. Richmond International provided full interior design services for the hotel guest rooms and public areas, which included the reception, ballroom areas, business centre, health club, prayer areas and food and beverage outlets. The sheer size of the project presented inherent challenges. At 577m high, with 76 stories, the Makkah Clock Royal Tower will become one of the world’s tallest towers when it opens. The top of the building is adorned with a 40m diameter, four-sided clock that will announce daily prayers. Five times larger than Big Ben, the clock will be visible from 17km away. “Due to the scale of the areas involved, it was difficult to envisage how some of the spaces could work. For example, the reception area is 27m by 18m and approximately 12m high.

“Therefore, it was necessary for the design to incorporate additional interior architecture in some of these larger spaces, to help break them down into smaller, more manageable areas.” The design balances both traditional and modern Arabic design elements. “Throughout, there has been extensive use of quality materials, such as marble, decorative plasterwork and metal and timber screening. Speciallycommissioned chandeliers hang in the large public areas, which are furnished with original, bespoke pieces. “Due to the large number of areas, a variety of colours and themes have been used, with an underlying palette of calm and neutral colours that link the major public spaces,” said McGillicuddy. The spiritual significance of the site also fundamentally impacted the interior design. “The importance of this religious location was a key factor in the creative process; the balance and simplicity of the traditional and modern Arabic design of the interior reflects the spiritual nature of the location and the sense of humility surrounding the Haram,” said McGillicuddy. But the significance of the location also presented one of the project’s greatest challenges – Richmond couldn’t be involved on the ground. “The most demanding challenge of the whole project has been that due to the hotel’s location, Richmond’s designers have been unable to provide supervision at the site itself. Therefore, the relationship with the client and project team has needed to be very trusting and mutually respectful.”

denisbul

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATES ONLY FOR COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN THIS MONTH ONLY!

Black Walnut Flooring

The most beautiful wood in the world.“exclusively “exclusively by Alomi” Samples Now Available! A

O M

Alomi

REAL WOOD FLOORS LLC

www.alomirealwoodflooringllc.com

FREE QUOTATION, FREE SURVEY & FREE SAMPLE” Albert +971 50 854 5629, Simon +971 50 854 5327, Office + 971 4 885 8825 Email: albert@alomillc.ae “CALL TODAY FOR A

ADVERTISING IN

GROWS YOUR BUSINESS ACROSS THE REGION WE WILL CHECK YOUR AD COPY TO ENSURE YOUR RECEIVE DIRECT SALES LEADS ADVERTISING WILL RAISE YOUR PROFILE AMONGST YOUR COMPETITORS

denisbul

EDUCATE YOUR CUSTOMERS ON YOUR BUSINESS BY ADVERTISING GENERATE UP TO 60 SALES LEADS PER MONTH BY USING OUR EMAIL BLASTS

ADVERTISING WILL SELL YOUR PRODUCTS & SERVICES QUICKER – CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO CONTACT ME ON THE NUMBER BELOW?

JASON BOWMAN

LEIGH ROCHE

Publishing Director

Sales Manager

Direct: +971 4 210 8351

Direct: +971 4 210 8679

Mob: +971 50 656 1567

Mob: +971 50 8690916

Email: jason.bowman@itp.com

Email: leigh.roche@itp.com

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CO. LTD. Al Hilal Building PO Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 435 6000, Fax: +971 4 435 6080 Email: subscriptions@itp.com, www.itp.com/subscriptions

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

denisbul LIGHTING SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

he aesthetic importance of lighting is seldom questioned. Good lighting is often the difference between spaces that are warm, welcoming and full of depth, and ones that are cold, flat and uninviting. Good lighting will enhance the design, creating drama and interest – and it will draw attention to all the right interior elements, rather than itself. But the days of lighting for the sake of lighting have drawn to a close. It is widely acknowledged that artificial lighting currently accounts for some

www.constructionweekonline.com www.constructionweekonline.com

30% of electricity consumption in a commercial building – and that buildings collectively account for 40% of total world energy use. This leaves designers with a massive responsibility to create effective, intelligent lighting solutions that will significantly contribute in minimising energy wastage. “Interior designers, and design and build contractors, play an increasing role in delivering energy-efficient workplace lighting solutions for end clients,” noted Greg Scott, general manager, Siteco Lighting. The

company’s best-selling products are those that promote energy-efficiency. The pressure is on. Designers have no choice but to create lighting solutions that are innovative, aesthetically-impressive, technicallysound and, also, energy efficient. That means working with suppliers that are creative, supportive and forward-thinking. Over the next few pages, we have provided a handful of lighting suppliers with the opportunity to introduce themselves, in the hope that they can help with your future lighting challenges. Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Erco Lighting

The low-down from Hendrik Schwartz, managing director, Asia Pacific, Erco.

Tell us about your company. Erco is a global market leader in architectural lighting that was founded in Germany in 1934. A specialist in software and hardware for architectural lighting, it provides innovative strength, service and quality focused on the requirements of its global customers.

solutions. Vertical Illuminance, Erco’s best selling solution, is the most essential and important type of lighting, as it makes spatial proportions and spatial limits visible by highlighting vertical surfaces such as walls and facades, areas which the human eye naturally perceives first. Since the human eye perceives the vertical surfaces of an environment 80% of the time, Vertical Illuminance also contributes to savings in both operating and maintenance costs.

What sets you apart? What distinguishes Erco in the market is its unique energy-saving concept, called Efficient Visual Comfort. Efficient Visual Comfort means steadily improving both the energy efficiency and the light quality – through innovative technical and design-oriented approaches. One of the main contributing factors in making Efficient Visual Comfort achievable is Vertical Illuminance.

Erco prides itself on practicing its corporate concept of ‘light not luminaires’; therefore, instead of ‘selling products’, it focuses on providing qualitative lighting

Speaking to Greg Scott, general manager.

As a company that has more than 50 years of history, Siteco Lighting Systems (formally Siemens) has defined lighting technology. We combine technological ideas with a feeling for what is possible. Siteco’s development of architectural energy-efficient lighting systems, for all applications, is our key product motivation. Siteco Middle East’s growth with interior and exterior projects is based on providing best practice client solutions. Projects that we have been involved in include Du offices, Mubadala offices, Yas Island F1, Masdar PRT, and Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium.

What sets you apart? The ability to combine highest quality, energy-efficient, innovative products within a complete solution. We consider ourselves market leaders for sports, public transportation and workplace lighting. Specialised products – indirect mirror solutions, daylight systems integrated into glazing architecture, and a full range of LED products – ensure we

In January 2010, Erco Lighting launched its biggest product launch procedure, featuring over 1,200 new luminaires, spotlights and LEDs, and highlighting the new Quintessence range of wallwashers, which were especially created for Vertical Illuminance.

How do we contact you? More information is readily available on www.erco.com. For enquiries, please contact info.ae@erco.com. Our representative office for the region can be found at PO Box 62221, Dubai, tel: +971 (0)4 336 9798, fax: +971 (0)4 337 3746.

denisbul What are your best selling products?

Tell us about your company.

Any news?

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

meet the growing demands for energy conscious solutions in the Middle East.

What are your best selling products? Without a doubt, all products for energy efficient offices, utilising Eldacon, which are self-illuminating lamp shielding optics. The ability to provide design and sell a total solution from interior to exterior is our major success.

Siteco Lighting

What’s new? After the launch of the exciting DL10 LED at Light and Build in Frankfurt in 2008, 2010 brings a range of LED post top, bollard, and street lighting solutions that will deliver sustainable LED, cost-effective solutions. Our recent sponsorship and move has facilitated increased investment for design and direct sales, with Jaspal Bal in the UAE and Steve Faulkner in Qatar joining the Siteco Middle East team.

Where is your new office? Al Shoala Building, 2nd Floor, Office 204-205, Deira, Dubai. Contact us on tel: +971 (0)4 294 4472, or visit our website, www.siteco.com.

www.constructionweekonline.com

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Huda Lighting

denisbul

Catching up with Khaled B. Alami, managing director of Huda Lighting.

Tell us about your company.

Huda Lighting is a specialised project lighting company with the resources and expertise to support the complete lighting requirements of projects of any type and size. Since operations began nine years ago in Beirut, Huda Lighting has established branches in fi ve Middle Eastern cities (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Amman and Beirut), and is currently in the process of setting up its sixth in Jeddah. Huda Lighting currently has two retail lighting showrooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and its third will be in Jeddah. Huda Lighting is committed to supporting its clients by offering turnkey solutions for their requirements. This is achieved by having a team of highly-qualified lighting specialists able to come up with creative lighting concepts, propose the most suitable products needed to implement them, supply in time, and offer the after-sales service needed at later stages. By maintaining a strong relationship with many of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top lighting manufacturers, Huda Lighting guarantees that it is always up to date with the latest trends in the lighting industry. This also assures accessibility to a diverse range of products, so that no matter what the requirements of a

www.constructionweekonline.com

project are, the needed products are located and supplied. In addition to lighting, Huda Lighting has expanded its expertise to home automation, lighting control systems and wiring devices.

What sets you apart?

Our ability to cover the requirements of projects of any size, within any required budget, and our strong relationships with a long list of manufacturers. Our good service and after sales support is also something we have been complimented on by most of our clients, along with our reasonable pricing strategies.

What are your best selling products? Hard to answer! Our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; projects are very diverse, as are the solutions and services we provide. Our product range is extensive and includes many European brands reputed for both their functional and aesthetic qualities.

Any news? Some of the recent prestigious projects we supplied our products to include the W Hotel in Doha, the Four Seasons Hotel in Beirut, the Arabian Center in Dubai and the Aldar HQ building in Abu Dhabi. This list speaks for itself!

How do we contact you? By calling us on +971 (0)4 341 1301 or visiting www.hudalighting.com. Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Debbas Group

denisbul CID speaks to Emilio R. Khayat, VP for the GCC area, Debbas Group.

Tell us about your company.

In 2010, Debbas Group celebrates 100 years of exhilarating growth to become a multi-national technology and services conglomerate which operates from New York to New Delhi in the fields of lighting, systems, MEP contracting, manufacturing and trading. Our journey started in 1910, when Cesar Debbas established in the heart of Beirut Le Grand Magasin d’Electricité, a pioneering commercial space dedicated to innovative products in the electric and lighting fields. Today, through a network of 24 companies in 14 countries, four factories, six showrooms and a workforce of more than 1,000 people, Debbas Group is dedicated to providing innovative turnkey solutions.

What sets you apart? After 100 years of offering innovative solutions, the Debbas brand has become synonymous with quality, high performance, responsiveness, uncompromised service efficiency and excellence in execution. Yet, our prime identifier is the fact that we strive to be the leading technology provider to highend construction projects by delivering the finest turnkey solutions through our dynamic process: engineer, source, supply, install and maintain.

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

What are your best selling products? We are proud of our diverse brand portfolio. Debbas Group has the privilege of enjoying exclusive relationships with some of the most renowned lighting manufacturers in the world. In fact, many of those relationships have been consistent since the 1950s. Our six showrooms reflect that diversity as they propose a distinctive and extensive selection of premium lighting fi xtures, from design and iconic, to contemporary and classical, as well as decorative and technical luminaires. Furthermore, Debbas Group caters to construction projects by offering state-of-the-art lighting and systems solutions to meet and exceed modern technological expectations.

Any news? 2010 is a festive year for Debbas Group as we are currently enjoying our 100th year in lighting.

How do we contact you? Debbas Group has operations in 14 countries – find out more by logging on to www.debbas.com. Dubai office: Debbas Electric, PO Box 30571, Dubai, Zaabeel Road, Karama, tel: +971 (0)4 335 0006 and email: info@debbas.ae. Debbas HQ: Cesar Debbas & Fils, PO Box 11 0125, Beirut, Lebanon, Debbas Building, Corniche An Nahr, tel: +961 1 585000 and email: cdf@debbas.com.lb.

www.constructionweekonline.com

SUPPLIERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Artemide Group

denisbul

An update from Monique Calleja, brand manager, Artemide Group.

new product from concept to industrial production, in order to guarantee best results with regards to quality.

Tell us about your company.

The Artemide Group (certification ISO 9001 - WMT) is a global leader in the residential and high-end professional illumination sector. Situated at Pregnana Milanese, the Artemide Group has an ample international distribution presence, in which single brand showrooms sprout in the most important cities around the world, and ‘shop in shop’ concepts emerge in the most prestigious illumination and furniture shops. Founded in the 1960s, Artemide is one of the best-known illumination brands in the world. Known for its ‘The Human Light’ philosophy, Artemide is synonymous with design, innovation and the ‘made in Italy’ brand promise.

What sets you apart? Research has always been a key factor in the success of the company. When it comes to research, key priorities include innovative illumination sources; the use of eco-compatible materials; quality control systems; and the pursuit of happiness. At the heart of this activity is the Giacinto Gismondi centre of innovation in Pregnana Milanese. With its optics, electronics projects, materials and luminary sources divisions, the centre develops and sharpens every

www.constructionweekonline.com

What are your best selling products? The all time favourite is the Tolomeo, designed by Michele De Lucchi and Ginacarlo Fassina in 1987. After 22 years it is now evolving to embrace the latest lighting technologies of our time to become the EcoTolomeo. Using new generation light sources such as LED it is now possible to have the same amount of light with an energy consumption reduction of 90%.

Any news? In March, Artemide received numerous acknowledgements from one of the most prestigious international design award programmes, the Red Dot design award. Doride Terra, designed by Karim Rashid (2010), Cosmic Leaf Sospensione by Ross Lovegrove (2009), Cadmo Terra by Karim Rashid (2007) and Cover by the Format Design Studio (2009) all received Red Dot awards. This confirmed Artemide’s top performance in the quality and design of products.

How do we contact you? Visit the Purity Gallery on Umm Hurair Road in Dubai, tel: +971 (0)4 334 9943, visit our website: www.purity.ae, or contact Monique Calleja, brand manager for Artemide. Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

SEPTEMBER 2O1O DUBAI, UAE

WEBSITE NOW LIVE

denisbul

FOR A CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS RECOGNIZED AT THIS YEARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AWARDS OR TO BOOK YOUR PLACE AT THE GALA DINNER, PLEASE VISIT: www.constructionweekonline.com/meaa For sponsorship opportunities, please contact: Jason Bowman Publishing Director Tel: +971 4 210 8351 Email: jason.bowman@itp.com

Carolyn Lewis Sales Manager Tel: +971 4 210 8677 Email: carolyn.lewis@itp.com

For table bookings and further information, please contact: Annie Chinoy Deputy Marketing Manager Tel: +971 4 210 8353 Email: annie.chinoy@itp.com

PRODUCTS

denisbul New on the market CIRCUS Experimenting with new fabrics, textures and techniques, Lelievre has taken inspiration from the worlds of fashion and sport with its new Circus cushions, which are made of neoprene and satin. The dazzling, ultra-tactile cushions are scattered with sprays and garlands of screenprinted flowers in bold colours. LELIE VRE +971 (0)4 339 4645 www.lelievre.eu

www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

OCTOBER 2O1O Dubai, UAE

denisbul

For a chance to have your achievements recognized at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awards or to book your place at the gala dinner, please visit: www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/awards For sponsorship opportunities please contact: Diarmuid Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Malley Publishing Director Tel: +971 4 210 8568 Mob: +971 50 559 7339 Email: diarmuid.omalley@itp.com

Sarah Worth Commercial Director Tel: +971 4 210 8595 Mob: +971 50 558 5187 Email: sarah.worth@itp.com

For nomination enquiries please contact: Louise Oakley Tel: +971 4 210 8475 Email: louise.oakley@itp.com

For table bookings & further information please contact: Annie Chinoy Tel: +971 4 210 8353 Email: annie.chinoy@itp.com

PRODUCTS

THE ONE BoConcept’s The One chair is being launched in a selection of new colours: black, red and grey, and with a soft coating finish. The One is designed by Anders Nørgaard and is the winner of both a Red Dot design award and a Good Design award. THE ONE +971 (0)4 3955889 www.boconcept.com

denisbul

THE GRE AT L AKES COLLECTION Designed by Terry Hunziker, The Great Lakes Collection is sleek and sophisticated, with components made of EcoPlex and cast aluminum. EcoPlex is a composite material containing 97% post-consumer recycled plastics by weight. The product offers durability that is almost entirely maintenance

free, with exceptional resistance to moisture, fading, insects, splintering, warping and other hazards of environmental exposure. SUTHERL AND +1 800 717 8325 www.sutherlandfurniture.com

Top Interior Design Company seeks

GENERAL MANAGER cum INTERIOR DESIGNER A Riyadh based high proﬁle and versatile Interior Designing Company is looking for a Senior Interior Designer who will also be the General Manager of the organisation.

JOB DESCRIPTION

.............................................................................................

To manage and develop interior design solutions | Development of design concepts | Assist in marketing and business development | General representation of the company | Liaise with the CEO with regards to the General Management of the company.

www.constructionweekonline.com

REQUIREMENTS

...................................................................................................

Qualiﬁcation: Bachelor of Architecture or Interior Designing | Minimum 5 years hands on experience | Ability to use PC and CAD. Only Western Nationals need Apply

WE OFFER

................................................................................................................

A handsome tax-free salary | Housing or housing allowance | Yearly vacation with airfare to point of hiring for self and family. Interested candidates may send their CV to: almukmal@yahoo.com

Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

PRODUCTS

NOR A TURQUOISE Nora Lighting has launched a series of glass pendants in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest colour, Turquoise. The Nora Turquoise series features fi ve models in a wide range of sizes and finishes. Pond, Rain, Mega Cube and Open Pond pendants are styled with luminous art glass, while Empire is a hand-made beaded glass shade. NORA LIGHTING +1 800 686 6672 www.noralighting.com

denisbul

DOMINO A year after its launch, Italian wall and floor cladding brand, Q-BO will unveil its new Domino collection at the Milan Furniture Fair. The texture of the new tile is inspired by water drops flowing from a shower. The thickness of the texture gradually increases and decreases, creating a dynamic, complex pattern. Q-BO +39 536 853 028 www.q-bo-project.it

LOEMEN Designed by Dries Braeckman and Mireille Verroken of Belgium, handmade Loemen light sculptures are unique and personalised spheres made from plastic and glass. A successful fusion of functional light,

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

atmosphere and art, these pieces can be integrated into any environment. LOEMEN +32 473 80 80 12 www.loemen.com

www.constructionweekonline.com

T U E S D AY 9th NOV 2010

WEBSITE

Dubai, UAE

NOW LIVE

denisbul

For a chance to have your achievements recognized at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awards or to book your place at the gala dinner, please visit:

www.constructionweekonline.com/cidawards

For nomination enquiries please contact: Selina Denman

Tel: +971 4 210 8502 Email: selina.denman@itp.com

For sponsorship opportunities please contact: Leigh Roche

Tel: +971 4 210 8679 Email: leigh.roche@itp.com

For table bookings and further enquiries please contact: Annie Chinoy

Tel: +971 4 210 8353 Email: annie.chinoy@itp.com MEDIA PARTNER

PRODUCTS

BOTANIC Bolon’s revolutionary new Botanic collection consists of environmentally-friendly woven vinyl flooring. The product contains a new plasticiser, which is based on renewable raw materials from the vegetable kingdom. Botanic was designed to reflect nature’s organic architecture and wealth of detail. Nature photography and handicrafts have inspired reflections of

flowers, herbs and plants in woven vinyl. The colour range, also taken from the vegetable kingdom, features muted, rich earth tones combined with bright accents in yellow and green. BOLON +46 321 530 400 www.bolon.com

denisbul T WILIGHT SHOWER

Lighting designer Bruce Munro has created a new permanent installation for London Zoo. A magical, snaking shower of light, Munro’s latest creation will be installed in a stairwell in the Clore Rainforest Building. Suspended from above, the Twilight Shower consists of 12 interconnected ceiling plinths, spanning 6.25m. A total of 864 optic fibres hang from these panels, each ending in a clear tear-drop diffuser. BRUCE MUNRO +44 1985 845 228 www.brucemunro.co.uk

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul

The Hotel Show is the place to find the latest design insights The Hotel Show is a world class event where I can find new solutions and products for our new hotels. I am especially looking forward to the haute’l feature to find those unique design pieces. The seven star conference provides a great networking opportunity and is the perfect forum to debate where the industry goes from here.

(NEW)

denisbul Mike Scully

Managing Director, Seven Tides Hospitality

Free fast track entry www.thehotelshow.com/register OPERATING EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES Co-located with:

18 –20 MAY 2010 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE 11:00 –19:00 DAILY

| SECURITY & TECHNOLOGY | INTERIORS & DESIGN | THE RESORT EXPERIENCE Sponsors and Partners:

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 / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

Center for Research & Studies at Sharq

Ministry of Public Works

Gulf Consult

Al Jaraih Contracting

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

17 Storey Office Building in Hawally

Almad Real Estate

Option One

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Project under design

Commercial Buildings

Showroom in Shuwaikh

Mr. Zayed Al Khalid

Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Project under design

Commercial Buildings

Furniture Showroom in Shuwaikh

Mr. Zayed Al Khalid

Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Project under design

Commercial Buildings

Accommodation for Jumeirah Development in Ahmadi

Jumeirah Development

Al Aliyan Consulting

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Project under design

Residential Buildings

Medical Clinics Project

A’Ayan Real Estate Company

Soor Engineering Bureau

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Project under design

Hospital

Kuwait Control & Meteorological Center

Directorate General of Civil Aviation

The Associated Engineering Partnership

Sayed Hamid Behbehani & Sons

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Police Headquarters at Mubarak al-Kabeer

Ministry of Public Works

SSH

Not Appointed

Bidding underway for the main contract

Commercial Buildings

Ideal High School at Aqaila

Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Education

Petroleum Research Laboratory in Ahmadi - Phase 2

denisbul Bader Al Mulla & Brothers Company

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research Al Zamami Consultants

Bader Al Mulla & Bros Co.

2.5 - 15

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Al Hamra Tower

Ajial Real Estate Company

Al Jazeera Consultants

Ahmadiah Trading & Contracting

241

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Commercial Building in Shuwaikh

Mr. Zayed Al Khalid

Al Mousawi Engineering Consultant

Not Appointed

2.5 - 15

Bidding underway for the main contract

Commercial Buildings

19-Storey Residential Building in Jabriya

Wafra Real Estate Company

Option One

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Project under design

Residential Buildings

Kuwait National Museum Renovation Nat’l Council for Culture Arts & Letters/ Pan Arab Consulting Engineers Kuwait Dynamics - Pack 2 MPW

Project under construction

Others

Kuwait Institute of Justice

Ministry of Public Works/Ministry of Justice

Al Zamami Consultant

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Award awaited for the Educational main contract Facilities

Kuwait Business Town at Al Mirqab Area - Zone 1

Kuwait Business Town Holding Company

Projacs/KEO Int’l/Gensler Associates

First United General Trading & Contracting

108

Project under construction

Bibi Tower

Al-Recardo General Trading Company

Option One

Not Appointed

16 - 30

Award awaited for the Residential main contract Buildings

Avenue Shopping Mall Expansion Phase 3

Mabanee Company

PACE/Gensler

Al Ghanim International Trading 908 & Gen. Contg.

Project under construction

Shopping Centre

Salmiya Park in Kuwait

PAAFR/KCMCC

Projacs/Gulf Consult

Wara Construction Company

124

Project under construction

Recreational Facilities

Mangaf Neighbourhood Centre

Ministry of Public Works

KEO International

Burgan Contracting

31 - 100

Project under construction

Mixed Use

KCPC HQ in Shuwaikh

KCPC

Gulf Consult

KCPC

16 - 30

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Extension of Crowne Plaza

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)

Osama Bukhamseen Design

BIG Contractors

31 - 100

Project under construction

Hotel

Ideal High School at Al Farwaniya

MOE/MPW

Al Zamami Consultants

Bader Al Mulla & Bros Co. W.L.L 16 - 30

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Police College at Mubarikiya District

Ministry of Public Works

Gulf Consult/SOM

Kuwait Arab Contractors

157

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Financial Centre Building at Sharq

Al Shaab Real Estate Company

KEO International

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Project under design

Mixed Use

Passenger Terminal at Kuwait International Airport

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

Foster & Partners (UK)

Not Appointed

1,000

Project under design

Airport

Neighbourhood Centre at Khiran New City

Ministry of Public Works

KuwaitTechnical Consultant Bureau

Recafco

Project under construction

Mixed Use

New Office Building at Mina Al Ahmadi Refinery

Kuwait National Petroleum Company

Al Jazeera Consultants

Kuwait Dynamics

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Basic Education Campus at Ardiya Female Campus

Public Authority for Applied Education & Training

Pace/Morganti

United Gulf Construction Company

138

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Ruba Residential Project

The Commercial Real Estate Company

Al Jazeera Consultants/SSH

Wara Construction Company

Project under construction

Residential Development

APRIL 2010 | Commercial Interior Design

Al Zamami Consultant

Mixed Use

www.constructionweekonline.com

CONTRACTS

S A U D I A R A B I A P R O J EC T S DATA B A S E PROJECT TITLE

CLIENT

CONSULTANT

240 Public Housing Villas in Yanbu

Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu In House (RCJY)

MAIN CONTR ACTOR

VALUE / VALUE RANGE (US$. MN)

PROJECT STATUS PROJECT T YPE

Al Muhaidib Contracting Company

Project under construction

Residential Development

8000 Residential Units - North Jeddah Kinan/Savola Group/Eleba Company

Not Appointed

640

Project in concept stage

Residential Development

Al Barari - Luxury Villas in Jeddah

Al Barari

Not Appointed

Project in concept stage

Residential Development

100 Bed Hospital in Qatif

Ministry of Health

Beeah Planners

Saeed Radad Al Zahrany

Project under construction

Hospital

Thumamah Park in Riyadh - Phase 1

Arriyadh Development Authority

Omrania & Associates

Not Appointed

Project under design

Recreational Facilities

Jabal Al Kaba Development - Mega Hotel

Abdul Latif Jamil Real Estate

Dar Al Handasah

Saudi Constructioneers Est

101 - 250

Project under construction

Hotel

Dar Al-Qeblah Complex

Munshaat Real Estate Projects Company

Zuhair Fayez & Partners

Saudi Binladin Group

180

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Umm Al-Qura University Expansion Staff Accommodation - Phase 2

Umm Al Qura University

SaudConsult

Nesma & Partners Contracting Company

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Imam Islamic University in Riyadh Islamic Studies College

Imam Islamic University

Tibsa/In House

Saudi Art of Architecture Maintenance Ltd.

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Olaya Towers in Riyadh

General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI)

Zuhair Fayez & Partners

Nesma & Partners Contracting Company

250

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

King Fahd National Library

Arriyadh Development Authority/King Fahd National Library

SaudConsult/Gerber Architects Saudi Binladin Group

Project under construction

Recreational Facilities

Abdulrahman Al Noeim Engineering Consultants

Project under construction

Residential Development

Residential Town in Al Batha - Phase 4 Ministry of Finance Tabuk Domestic Airport Expansion

Al Eraini Contracting Company

denisbul General Authority for Civil Aviation

Saudi Consolidated Engineering Saudi Binladin Group Co;

Project under construction

Airport

The Public Pension Agency

Zuhair Fayez & Partners

Al Rajhi Projects/Al Yamamah / CCE

1,500

Project under construction

Mixed Use

King Abdulaziz University

Not Appointed

150

Project in concept stage

Others

Rayadah Investment Company

Not Appointed

150

Project in concept stage

Mixed Use

Ministry of Health

Al Naem Engineering/Arclane Engineering

Saudi Pan Company for Trading 70 & Contracting

Project under construction

Hospital

Ministry of Health

Al Mashriq Contracting

Project under construction

Hospital

Imam Islamic University in Riyadh Phases 1 & 2

Imam Islamic University

Tibsa

Al Fouzan Trading & General Construction

133

Project under construction

Educational Facilities

Souq Okaz in Taif

Supreme Commission For Tourism

Not Appointed

Project in concept stage

Shopping Centre

Laboratory for General Products in Jeddah

Authority for Management & Specification

Soleiman Abdullah El Kheraiji Consult.

Naif Abo Ryash Est.

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

Al Dossary Tower in Dammam

Mr. Yousef Al Dossary

Saudi Designers Engineering Consultants

Al Zahrani for Trading & Contracting

Project under construction

Residential Buildings

Zahran Business Centre

Zahran Real Estate Development & Investment

Saudi Diyar Consultants Architects

Al-Joudah Contracting Company 84

Project under construction

Commercial Buildings

300-Bed Hospital in Riyadh

Ministry of Health

Abdulrahman Al Noeim Engineering Consultants

Al Fouzan Trading & General Construction

Project under construction

Hospital

ITCC Park in Riyadh Phase 1 King Abdulaziz University - Nuclear Research Facility Rayadah - Mixed Use Development in Jeddah Three 100-Bed General Hospitals Pediatric & Maternity Hospital in Rafha

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

www 86 arabianbusiness C i l I tcom/construction i D i O t b 2007 www.constructionweekonline.com

Commercial Interior Design 2007 bi November b i / t 101 ti Commercial Interior Design | APRIL 2010

OPINION

The science of feng shui BY SHIVANI ADALJA

o much has been written about feng shui, and so much has been said, but is it really worth all the talk? If you ask me, absolutely! It changes your surroundings and by doing so it changes your life. So what exactly is it about feng shui that has the whole world talking about it? Simply put, it is an 8,000 year old Chinese science of energy management. It focuses on how to achieve balance in your external environment and find much-needed balance at home and work. Feng shui in Chinese means wind and water. Wind is always associated with good harvest and prosperity while water is the source of life and energy. By balancing these two energies one can reap the benefits of feng shui. Feng shui has fi ve main elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. All spaces around us feature these fi ve elements, and a good feng shui consultant will identify these with the help of a ‘lo pan’, a Chinese compass, and will help you balance them. Which, naturally, brings us on to the next question: how does one balance energies that one can’t even see? The answer is simple. Feng shui follows ancient formulas for property calculations and with the help of a ‘lo pan’, one can easily use these formulas and benefit from feng shui. Feng shui can be applied in both residential and commercial properties. When applied in commercial properties, one can immediately see the difference in businesses and employee satisfaction. In an office, one can implement principles of feng shui by

arranging the desks of all employees to suit their personalised feng shui. Furthermore, areas for wealth and prosperity can be enhanced by the placement of a water fountain or moving objects such as photocopy machines. Placing plants at the office reception brings in harmonious energy flow and this helps balance overall energies in the office. When one applies the principles of feng shui in a hotel or a restaurant, the focus is on turnover and bringing in more business. Identifying the cash flow area for the business and enhancing it appropriately can easily achieve this. Even the décor of the restaurant or hotel can reflect certain colours to attract more clients and gain popularity. Placement of certain objects in specific locations can boost the energy movement and help bring in more business. Many hotels across the globe are built on principles of feng shui and have seen growth and prosperity as a result. Feng shui can help with residential properties as well and plays a very important role in helping create appropriate interiors. When designing a house, one must take into consideration all the members residing in the house, and their age. Once a consultant has identified the roles of all family members, then feng shui property assessment can determine ideal room allocation and sleeping directions, based on the individual dates of birth of all members. The interior of a home needs to reflect feelings of togetherness and warmth, as it will help strengthen family ties. As more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of feng shui, everyone from Hollywood celebrities

to businessmen are implementing feng shui in their personal spaces. There has also been a definite rise in awareness of feng shui in the Middle East, as more and more people are waking up to its benefits. I myself have seen a 50% rise in consultation requests in the last one year alone. To give you an example, a wellknown spa in Dubai, Cleopatra’s, contacted me for a feng shui consultation. They had witnessed a drop in regular clientele and were not able to understand why it was happening. Upon my visit to the spa, I analysed the energies and came to the conclusion that the spa was lacking money energy as it had no movement in certain areas. Once the problem area was identified, I suggested that they place a water fountain in certain locations throughout the spa, and bamboo plants were placed at the entrance. Within a week I received feedback from the managing director and the spa manager that business had improved and regular members had started coming back to the spa. Many such success stories have given feng shui the reputation of blending science with magic, as it continues to change people lives.

denisbul

APRIL | Commercial Interior Design

Shivani Adalja is a wellbeing and feng shui consultant based in Abu Dhabi. After years of studying various occult sciences, Adalja established a holistic consultancy company called Pathwood, which deals in aura reading workshops, feng shui consultations and tarot card readings. Contact Adalja on +971 (0)50 68 11 728 or shivani@pathwood.com, or visit her website, www.pathwood.com.

www.constructionweekonline.com

denisbul t

a Visit us

ll 2 aeed Ha S h ik e Sh o. C250 Stand N

denisbul