3 principles why Bayer employees embrace brand-new cutting-edge HQ in Dubai Science Park

Bayer Middle East FZE recently soft-opened its brand-new state-of-the-art facility as its regional headquarters located in Dubai Science Park. The new workplace not only reaffirms the company’s commitment to Dubai as a regional hub for cultivating innovation, but even more to its employees to mirror the collaborative and innovative culture encouraged at Bayer.

During the last months, I had the pleasure to lead a team of outstanding and dedicated professionals in the context of Bayer Middle East’s DXB Office Move Project.

State-of-the-art facility as regional HQ

Bayer Middle East’s brand-new state-of-the-art premises were recently soft-opened as its regional headquarters located in Dubai Science Park. The new workspace not only reaffirms the company’s commitment to Dubai as a regional hub for cultivating innovation, but even more so to its employees in order to mirror the collaborative and innovative culture encouraged at Bayer.

The new office design incorporates new ways of working founded on an Activity-Based-Work (ABW) or Collaborative-Work-Environment (CWE) set-up. This underlying conceptual approach aims to set new standards in regards to the workplace organization. The contemporary office design is based on a holistic approach, aiming to utilize space in a way to foster engagement, inspire innovation and drive productivity.

You can watch even more visual impressions in this video:

In the following, I would like to outline three key principles from an Ambient Branding perspective that are essential to meet the needs of our most important stakeholders: our employees.

1.) Ambient Branding – Interior Design

First impressions count!

Our company’s reception areas, foyers, waiting areas, and conference rooms need to convey a positive atmosphere in which people instantly feel at home and visitors and employees immediately know they are in a Bayer building.

Our foyer is the first opportunity to communicate to visitors and staff that we are an optimistic, energetic brand. It goes without saying that our main principle is that guests are always welcomed by optimistic, warm-hearted and helpful staff. Hence, we have designed the reception in our new premises not only as a waiting area, but integrated it as part of our collaborative. In this context, not only guests, but also employees are invited to use the space to work and engage with each other, while enjoying the view over Dubai’s cityscape. Of course, our Bayer logo is placed in such a way that it is visible from the entrance and is not covered by the receptionist.

Moreover, it is important that the interior design elements sensitively reflect the architectural heritage and style of the environment and regional circumstances. Although our ways of working will always be innovative, our designers must be conscious of and sympathetic to the existing structures and their details.

This is why the interior design incorporates Bayer’s brand and communications strategy, while building reference to the Middle East region at the same time.

The conceptual design and live communication experience outcome and physical space was a direct response to the data collected during the pre-design stage of the project, not based on personal aesthetic preference. After refreshing the existing traditional and conservative culture, I think we have finally achieved a highly-efficient and collaborative space complimented by the input of technology. This leads me to the next principle.

2.) Technology – IT & Digitalization   

Over the past few years, the way we work has evolved and our space requirements have changed. There is a desire to refresh the existing working environment, shifting from the current traditional, conservative culture to a more collaborative and creative working environment enabled by the growing input of technology.

Meeting rooms large, medium or small should be set up to best facilitate digital and face-to-face communication and collaboration. These rooms must be bright and colorful to energize meeting participants. We wanted to provide meeting rooms that encourage communication by putting users at ease from the moment they walk in, for example through colors via carpets, rugs, upholstery, and lighting features.

At the same time, we needed to make sure that our new premises are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual set-up. Therefore, each meeting room is supplied with latest easy-to-use video conference systems in order to ensure a convenient user experience, especially in times of COVID-19. In addition, each meeting room is designed and built with acoustic panels and noise-reducing elements.

The heart of our new premises is the Cafeteria, which is not only a space to have lunch or a coffee, but also to host fully pledged town hall events. Cameras with face recognition features, which follow the movement of the respective keynote speaker are complimented with ceiling microphones for Q&A sessions and two 85” screens.

Speaking of the Cafeteria – let’s look into the third principle.

3.) Socializing & Collaboration

First of all, coffee corners are important social hubs in Bayer offices. Whilst functional, they should be designed in such a way as to foster and strengthen bonds between colleagues. As such, they should be warm and welcoming. Nowadays, a classic working day is made of key moments with some specific activities: focus, individual work, phone calls, collaboration with colleagues, formal meeting, informal exchange, relaxing time, brainstorming, etc.

Our Cafeteria serves as a multi-functional collaborative space. We invite colleagues not only to grab their lunch here, but most importantly to engage with each other. The space accommodates not only a dining area, but also additional working booths, each equipped with acoustic panels.

A key component of the conceptual approach is to increase face-to-face interactions to encourage knowledge sharing and foster spontaneous meetings. Accordingly, we are providing additional spaces throughout the offices, which are supporting this idea. For example, we have created a library, where employees can have ad-hoc meetings. The room is also fitted with a 54" touch screen for brainstorming sessions and a high-end AV system.

Last but not least, the overall office organization anticipates a zoning approach, which is based on the underlying Activity-Based-Working (ABW) framework.

In this context, a handbook has been developed specifically for this approach, which provides employees with a framework for their day-to-day activities with respect to office etiquette.

What’s left to say?

What’s left to say as a closing remark?

The design outcome and physical space was a direct response to the data collected during the pre-design stage of the project, not based on personal aesthetic preference. After refreshing the existing traditional and conservative culture, I think we have finally achieved a highly-efficient and collaborative space complimented by the input of technology.

Although the design phase took place prior to COVID-19, the project did not face too many road bumps in that respect – the overall result was a positive and engaging journey for us. I am grateful to have had the support of a passionate project team without whom this success would not have been possible.

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Photos: Jonathan Walley - https://www.jonathanwalley.com/

Video: Content Garage - https://www.instagram.com/mycontentgarage/