Wanting varied and interesting office flooring is part of a post-Covid drive towards a friendlier and more comfortable working environment. We cover three projects that meet the brief.
Edited By Kay Hill
Roar
Dubai, UAE
The studio opted for diverse flooring options ‘to create a more functional and dynamic workspace’. Image Credit: Yasser Ibrahim
TO MARK ITS tenth anniversary last year, Dubai-based architecture and interior design studio Roar moved into a new office in the city’s vibrant Alserkal art district. Founder and creative director Pallavi Dean explains how varied flooring was an integral part of the office design: ‘Choosing diverse flooring options for our studio was a deliberate design choice in an effort to create a more functional and dynamic workspace, recognising that different areas within the office fulfil different needs. Each floor type was chosen with a purpose – from the durable yet boldly colourful Bolon flooring in the Pink Room, where the team gathers to brainstorm ideas and feel inspired, to the practical Shaw Contract carpet in our open-plan work areas, which has to withstand frequent foot traffic, and easily washable ceramic tiles in the bathrooms.
The studio opted for diverse flooring options ‘to create a more functional and dynamic workspace’
‘Acoustics are an important consideration when we select flooring – carpets in workspaces and deep work focus rooms create quiet zones to optimise productivity. We are also an animal-friendly office, so the micro-cement flooring and LVT on the ground floor are easy surfaces to clean and maintain. Each flooring choice contributes to a purpose-driven environment, ensuring that our space supports our team’s diverse tasks and enhances both productivity and creativity.’
The studio opted for diverse flooring options ‘to create a more functional and dynamic workspace’
The main working space has a textured carpet that acts as sound insulation. The grades of blue represents seawater sweeping up the beach. Meanwhile, the dining area and the adjacent kitchen feature ceramic tiles in a traditional Barcelonan geometric design. Image Credit: Adrià Goula
PROJECT INFO
Client/Design Roar
Flooring Shaw Contract, Bolon, Hatsu, Jaipur Rugs, Horizon 7 micro-cement
Effective Communication
Barcelona, Spain
The reception area, with pool table, at Effective Communication’s headquarters in Spain. Image Credit: Adrià Goula
STAFF WELL-BEING was a big driver for El Equipo Creativo’s design for Swedish company Effective Communication’s new HQ in Spain. The brief was to offer its young team a fun and fresh workspace in Barcelona where they could both work hard and party hard, with after-work social events and Friday barbecues being part of the offering.
The main working space has a textured carpet that acts as sound insulation. The grades of blue represents seawater sweeping up the beach. Meanwhile, the dining area and the adjacent kitchen feature ceramic tiles in a traditional Barcelonan geometric design. Image Credit: Adrià Goula
Natali Canas del Pozo, co-founder and creative director at the Barcelona-based architecture and design studio, took inspiration from the city’s beautiful beaches to create a sociable, fun and practical environment. The main working space has a textured carpet that acts as sound insulation alongside the lively acoustic ceiling in deckchair stripes. The carpeting here is in grades of blue, designed to represent seawater sweeping up the beach. The colouring links with the carpet in the reception area with its pool table, which Canas del Pozo describes as ‘a playful striped pattern influenced by beach colours and stripes’.
The main working space has a textured carpet that acts as sound insulation. The grades of blue represents seawater sweeping up the beach. Meanwhile, the dining area and the adjacent kitchen feature ceramic tiles in a traditional Barcelonan geometric design. Image Credit: Adrià Goula
The dining area, with its large sign proclaiming ‘work & play’, and the adjacent kitchen, feature ceramic tiles in a traditional Barcelonan geometric design that gives a vibrancy to this sociable area. ‘The design in both spaces reflects a playful and sporty beach aesthetic,’ says Canas del Pozo. ‘The project’s dynamic combination of colours and textures creates a lively environment fostering an energetic and positive mindset among the staff, aligning with the company’s corporate philosophy.’
PROJECT INFO
Client Effective Communication
Design El Equipo Creativo
Flooring Cotlin carpets, Vielaris Art Parquet, Jòdul ceramic tiles
General Contractor 4retail
Domestic & General
Wimbledon, UK
LURING A RELUCTANT workforce back to the office requires every skill in a designer’s arsenal, including ditching acres of drab carpet tiling for comfortable and aesthetically pleasing flooring that will create an appealing and interesting environment.
The updated entrance at Domestic & General’s HQ. Image Credit: Gary Britton
SpaceInvader has recently completed a full refurbishment of Domestic & General’s HQ in Wimbledon, with a key priority of the project being to create an attractive environment that would make staff want to return the office and would aid retention and well-being. Sarah Dabbs, associate director at SpaceInvader, explains how the cheerful, practical and varied flooring designs came about: ‘The client wanted to avoid the “grey, white and black with a bit of wood” flooring palette of its previous fit-out, which was a clear – and very welcome – part of the brief. Once we knew Domestic & General was going to have such an open attitude to the redesign, we opted not to use “corporate” colours and sought instead to create a timeless and highquality feel for the space, with a pronounced domestic sensibility. The thinking behind this was part of the accelerated move into more human-scale space zoning that arrived with the pandemic, with clients particularly aware that a hybrid working future would mean that offices needed to work harder to attract and lure staff back into using them. Given this, the importance of feeling good and of well-being generally were a big part of the agenda, and the interior needed to respond to that by being comfortable and inviting, as well as stimulating and aesthetically pleasing.’
Different colours, textures and flooring finishes are used throughout the project to help zone the space. ‘Breaking down large spaces by altering the floor finish allows occupants to feel located within a certain “room” or area – even when they’re actually within an open-plan environment,’ says Dabbs. ‘It’s a way of creating relatable scale for people and allows individuals to identify zones for different types of activity and behaviour, with lighting and furniture choices making this even more apparent and, hopefully, instinctive.
‘However, we are not only focused on aesthetics and emotional responses. We also need to pair visual and mood responses with considerations around practicality, suitability, durability and sustainability. This means taking into account performance based on acoustics, spillages, ease of cleaning and slip-resistance, as well as general wear-and-tear levels. When we are specifying, we know flooring has to meet high standards when it comes to longevity, including repair and replacement options and the provision of an end-of life disposal scenario.’
PROJECT INFO
Interior design SpaceInvader
Client Domestic & General
Flooring IVC Group Studio, Milliken, Solus Ceramics
