Integrating all of its agencies under one roof, publicity network Publinet recently moved into a new office in Dubai’s Business Bay area. The group’s new space is largely bathed in white, the predominant color of the furniture and walls. White walls, an open plan layout and glass panels create a breathable, airy atmosphere around the office.
“The white represents purity, the open space reflects our coming together as a team and the glass signifies our most important value, transparency,” explains Ahmad Itani, chief operating officer at Publinet.
Throughout the office, the walls feature freehand illustrations and infographics of the company’s case studies – designed by the creative team at Publinet’s full-service communications agency Spark* – to show off its work.
The reception area sets a welcoming tone for Publinet’s visitors and clients, breaking away from the traditional desk and seating area structure to cozy couches, feel-good books and, even, an Espresso bar. It leads to either the working or library areas. Besides its obvious purpose, the latter, which has been designed to feel like a family room, doubles up as a meeting room.
Working areas are designed differently for different teams. For instance, account handlers function by “a plug-and-play setup, as they are often on the move,” says Itani. Meanwhile, the creative team has its own room with a projector screening videos all day long – whatever it takes for the creative guys to catch a break.
There’s no one brainstorming room. Instead, the office is punctuated by several spaces that function as rooms for brainstorming. One of the rooms is done up in the recurring theme of all white, while another has the line, “In diversity, we find inspiration”, scrawled across the wall.
