Summertown Interiors announces completion of Takeda headquarters project
Project has been awarded LEED silver certification from the USGBC
Fit-out contractor Summertown Interiors has announced that it has delivered the new Middle East headquarters for pharmaceutical company Takeda. The 2,075sqm office was designed by interior design firm Roar, with project management handled by CBRE.
The project is located in the One Central Development in the Central Business District of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA). According to a statement from Summertown, the design and build project is a stunning contemporary office with a blend of traditional Japanese design philosophy with modern mathematical efficiency that is anchored in local culture.
Commenting on the challenges of keeping the project on track following the outbreak of the coronavirus and new government regulations, Nicola Trivett, project director at Summertown Interiors explained, “Construction was one of the few industries that was able to keep running during the Dubai government’s strict sterilisation program that required everyone to stay home. We were half-way through the Takeda office fit-out when the pandemic broke out – we had to act swiftly to make the necessary changes to our health and safety procedures on site to keep the project progressing in the safest way possible. Despite this challenge we managed to successfully deliver this project together with the support of the Roar design team.”
Biophilia and natural materials including wood and raw exposed concrete are key to the workspace design alongside the subtle inclusion of the corporate philosophy it calls “Takeda-ism” based on four values: integrity, fairness, honesty and perseverance, the statement said. Highlights of the workspace include the boardroom inspired by a Japanese tea house, and reception modelled on the ‘genkan’ entrance hallway concept of a traditional Japanese home, the firm said.
Pallavi Dean, founder and creative director of Roar added, “We designed a space around three themes: Japanese values, Emirati culture and data-driven design. At one end of the spectrum it is very artistic and intuitive, drawing on concepts and materials such as pared back minimalism with wood, raw concrete and paper – coupled with Emirati craftsmanship such as khous handweaving. At the other extreme, the space planning used sophisticated mathematical models to find the right mix of private, shared and public spaces.”
Summertown said it led the LEED certification process for the design and build project, which achieved a certification level of Silver. During the construction phase, the project team established environment friendly strategies for construction waste management, segregating the waste and sending it for recycling/reusing/composting to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.
