Business & Money | Thursday 20 July, 2017 4:51 am |

Summertown Interiors, the UAE’s leading fit-out contractor specialising in green interiors, recently completed a fit out of the Smart Dubai Office. Located in Dubai Design District (D3), the Smart Dubai Office is the technology arm of ‘Smart Dubai’, an initiative to transform the region into the world’s smartest and happiest city by 2021.

 

Working in partnership with Design Worldwide Partnership (DWP) design team, Summertown completed the fit out of the 1,850 sqm office ahead of schedule. The complex audio visual and IT requirements, coupled by an immovable opening date, meant the 14-week project timeline needed a fast track program.

 

DWP’s design took inspiration from Dubai’s shifting sand dunes and Creek to create organic structures while emphasising movement and fluidity throughout the office space. Summertown brought this design to life by installing curved wooden ceiling panels, wooden oak floors, landscaped gardens and roped partitions. All joinery items were custom-built by Summertown and would have not been possible without Summertown’s process driven approach, craftsmanship, and attention to detail during the fit-out.

 

Summertown Interiors was selected as the main contractor based on its consistent attention to detail, process-driven approach to project management and ability to deliver a high specification project on time.

 

Summertown’s green credentials were also a factor in its appointment. Adhering to international environmental standards was extremely important given the Dubai Government’s commitment to sustainable urbanisation. With sustainability lying at the heart of Summertown’s business model, it was tasked with managing the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification process for the project, and it is expected to reach Smart Dubai Office’s goal of Gold Certification.

 

To deliver the client’s fit out ambitions in accordance with sustainability best practise, Summertown adopted several key processes including green waste strategies to minimise the environmental impact during the build – as a result, approximately 50 per cent of waste was recycled and sold to scrap dealers.

 

An estimated 31 percent of project purchases met sustainable criteria, while the daily tracking and monitoring of energy and water consumption enabled Summertown to implement necessary measures for any unexpected issues during the fit out. It also provided complete transparency for the client.

 

The high level of technology installed in the office for a seamless work environment required careful installation and testing. To ensure functional technology integration that met with the client’s quality expectations, Summertown hosted regular onsite client workshops as part of its progress reporting.

 

Technology installed included a Virtual Receptionist – an unmanned reception area that allows guests to send an SMS and email to the person they are meeting, while also acting as a dashboard for the power and water consumption in the office. Another feature is the all-in-one meeting room control pad for presentation display, lights and blinds, which also connects wirelessly to different devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones. This smart solution allows for easy meeting room management and collaboration with colleagues inside and outside the organisation.

 

The office was also designed to encourage collaboration via cleverly integrated sharable ‘digital spaces’. Meeting rooms feature writable walls to help foster creativity and productivity within the workplace. Other elements include a café with a curved LED screen to broadcast live feeds of social media and events, an auditorium with flexible seating and quiet zones where Smart Dubai employees can choose to work thanks to 24/7 wireless connectivity.

 

Commenting on the project, H.E. Dr Aisha Bint Butti Bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office said: “We employed a team of experts from DWP and Summertown to ensure our office adheres to international environmental standards. DWP and Summertown did an outstanding job and built a space that reflects our identity as a progressive smart organisation, as well as our mission to make Dubai the happiest city on the planet – starting with our own offices. Our facilities overwhelmingly rely on organic material, including wood and rope. This reduces our carbon footprint and reflect our core principal of sustainable, environmentally friendly development.”

 

Marcos Bish, Managing Director of Summertown Interiors said: “It was a pleasure to work on such a prestigious project – at Summertown we pride ourselves on our commitment to delivering high-end projects, working alongside architects, designers and project managers to fulfil our clients’ requirements and support LEED projects. The Smart Dubai office is a prime example of the UAE leadership’s commitment to becoming one of the world’s best connected, smartest and happiest cities – we look forward to further supporting the government in achieving its UAE Vision 2021 goals and contributing to the UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030.”