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The Collaboration Fixation

‘Collaborative’ is now as ubiquitous a word to the furniture industry as ‘Organic’ is to the food industry. Collaborative areas have risen to a must-have item on all commercial interior design concepts and requirements, with most large firms making it a priority.   But why are these areas so vital to an organization? Here’s a great analogy from a popular manufacturer on the topic,  “What’s so important about collaborative school furniture? Well, if a swim team tried to practice on wrestling mats it wouldn’t get very far because the environment is wrong for the learning process. ”  Simple enough, right? Well, more often than not we find ourselves facing a client or designer entering our showroom with the familiar phrase “ I’m looking for collaborative products “, but wouldn’t be able to spot if even if it was right under their nose. And it’s not their fault either - the word ‘collaborative’ is thrown around so often it’s hard to tell whether they really mean it or just s
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Office Furniture Terminology - 7 Misused Words

Ask a bunch of people the first picture that comes to their mind when you say the words- Communication Barrier. Most of them will respond with having pictured people of different nationalities experiencing difficulty communicating, owing to them not able to speak in one common knowledge.   Hailing from different countries isn’t the only reason for people to speak in different languages. When two professionals are from different industries, trying to communicate in a simple common language may be harder than it sounds. It’s often the cause of confusion and delays.  So like with any industry, we often find ourselves trying to decipher what our client’s are trying to say, or vice versa. It’s best to make sure everyone’s on the same page. It allows for smooth communication and an easy buying process for everyone. Which is why we highly recommend you have a look at the below glossary of the most common terms that are misinterpreted, in particular order Cubicles The all-e
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Location: United Arab Emirates
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What is Estidama ?

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The Total Office is a project-based, workspace solutions provider specializing in office furniture , acoustic solutions, soft seating, and writable paint.  The UAE has never shied away from adopting the latest trends and practices. In the field of construction and architecture, a dominant trend in the region has been the adoption of sustainable and eco-friendly practices. A fact not known to many : The UAE ranked 9th in 2014 among the top 10 nations in the world in adopting green building practices. An even lesser known fact is that UAE has the 8th largest stock of LEED certified buildings outside of the US. An impressive feat, considering extreme temperatures in the region place emphasis on passive design strategies to keep buildings cool, without having to rely on air conditioning.  The most popular certification for the design and construction of green buildings would have to be the US based LEED - The Leadership in Environment and Sustainable Design. Not one to be left b
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Location: United Arab Emirates
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Difference between a LEED Building & LEED Product ?

Trick question !  There’s no such thing as a LEED certified product.The LEED certification, bestowed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) applies only to buildings and construction , interior design, operations & maintenance, developments & homes. LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient. They use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As an added bonus, they save money. It’s important to note that LEED isn’t the only certification in the industry. Estidama is another prevalent standard in the middle east, developed and maintained by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC). In spite of the options available, LEED remains dominant and preferred standard due to its globally accepted standards and flexibility in being applied to any type of project.  Why do you need to know this ? Because if you’re reading this, more often than not you’ll find yourself ( or already have) working on a project revolving around the sustainabilit
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Location: United Arab Emirates
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The Evolution of Meeting Spaces

When was the last time you had a meeting in an actual meeting room? Before you think of a date and time, let me throw in something else for you to consider: when was the last time you had a meeting that genuinely needed a meeting room? Traditional meeting spaces belong to an older generation of office spaces - an era that revolved around cubicles, large desking systems, corner offices, and when oversized suits and suspenders were still in fashion [ Ok, maybe not that old ;) ]. The point is, there’ve been several factors that have forced the hand of change in terms of office design. The most notable among these is technology , increasing ROI on real-estate cost, and the inclusion of millennials and younger generations into the workforce. These have forced creative ideas and designs to emerge on how offices should be configured.  Going back to the topic of meetings, if you were asked to really think about how you define a meeting, you’d no doubt come up with a few differen
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Location: United Arab Emirates
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Fabrics - More Than Meets The Eye

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Fabric properties go far beyond the obvious visual and surface-level attributes. The fabric selection process is usually towards the end of the design process, but should not be ignored. Depending on the type of usage and the environment the office furniture is going into, selecting the right upholstery is critical if you expect the material to last long. Below are a list of important features to consider when picking upholstery materials: Abrasion When looking through fabric specs you’re bound to come across either of these two terms  - Martindale or Wyzenbeek. They’re expressed in double rubs or cycles numbers( Eg : 10,000 double rubs or 20,000 cycles). They're simply testing methods used to test the durability of the fabrics. The Wyzenbeek is the standard in the US. While they both test durability, the manner in which the testing is carried out is different. Each of them is an indicator of fabric durability. Higher the number, better the durability. But one cannot infer Mar
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Location: Dubai - United Arab Emirates
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Writable Surfaces - A Simple Guide to Choosing What Works

If there was ever a must-have in the office, irrespective of role, title or industry - it’s a writable surface . We’ve been exposed to it right from the start - from staring at kindergarten teachers write down the alphabets on the big chalkboard, to college professors or project managers jotting down ideas and information on a whiteboard. It’s almost subliminal like.  You need a space to pour out all those thoughts and ideas onto. Designing a space for your brainstorming sessions isn’t hard, but there’s no one size fits all solution.  Before we move to products - there are three points you need to evaluate before picking them Flexibility  This refers to flexibility with space, as well as the option to be moved around. Some offices require writable surfaces to go across round columns, corners, and even furniture! And in some cases, you’ll even need to move them around the room.        2. Readability It’s important to consider the content and the audience when
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