NetApp

THE CLIENT BRIEF

NetApp wanted a facelift in key areas of their office, primarily in the reception and meeting areas. Their main aim was to bring the corporate colours into their office design, to align the office with other branches around the world. At the same time, NetApp wanted to minimise any disruption to their staff and the day-to-day operation of the business.

In addition, NetApp had taken a new space on the 3rd floor of their building for use as a meeting & collaboration area, which also needed a complete turnkey design and fit out solution. The brief here was to incorporate a large collaboration and event area, with meeting rooms surrounding the space.

Being a data solutions company, NetApp also wanted to showcase their new 3rd-floor server room, whilst maintaining protection and security for their servers.

Budget was of key importance, so it was vital we worked to keep costs as low as possible.


PREPARATION

Many of the key stakeholders live or work outside the UAE, so our initial consultations were usually handled via Video Conferencing.

We met with the Senior Director of International Workplace Resources, alongside IT and Project Managers and conducted a series of detailed discussions about the requirements and proposed layouts of both units.

As the project developed, we continued communicating and used the meetings to finalize material selections and the detailed workshop drawings, prior to sign-off and commencement of the fit-out.


THE CONCEPT

Our time with the stakeholders at Net App meant we had a very clear understanding of their goals.

We were to modernize the spaces in the office, bringing their brand identity to the forefront through the effective use of the corporate colours - primarily with paint to keep costs down.

The idea was to breathe fresh life into the primary spaces of concern for Net App, and to overcome the challenges inherent in effectively connecting the two separate spaces, in terms of both the aesthetic and the Information Technology itself.


THE SECOND FLOOR

There were major issues with sound transfer in the second-floor meeting rooms, so we added baffle walls above the ceiling and below the floor to the existing meeting rooms, which drastically reduced the acoustic leakage from outside.

In the two new phone booths, we installed fabric acoustic panelling using their brand colours of blue, green and grey - tying them into the main space and providing more effective privacy for callers.

We also re-arranged the existing workstations and electrics to make a better use of the space and bring the whole office up to modern standards, in terms of space and usability for the workforce.

Part of the refit included a brand new reception desk and a special display area for the company awards, which now stand pride of place in the office.


THE THIRD FLOOR

The third floor required a complete re-design and rebuild, although we kept some of the existing partitions to help reduce cost.

As requested, the redesign included a big open collaboration and event space, along with meeting rooms and a demo server room to showcase their servers.

Being a data conscious organisation, internal security is paramount. For this reason, a new CCTV system was installed on both floors for the protection of the company and their clients.

As the two sets of offices were on different floors, substantial work was done to ensure full and secure interconnectivity between server racks in each of the units.

The demo server room was completed with specially toughened fire-rated glass - so that clients and prospects could see the demo racks without physically entering the server room.


THE FINAL RESULT

The biggest challenge for this project was undoubtedly the interconnectivity required between the second and third floor server rooms. Even so, the project ran smoothly and everything was completed to the client's exact specification.

Another key challenge was to manage all this without disrupting the day-to-day operation of the staff and the business. Through clever management of our tasks and the co-operation of all involved, we managed to complete the fit-out without any undue disruption.

We're proud to say that the project was a total success, completed on time and on budget, and left us with another very happy client whose staff are now enjoying their fresh, 'new' workspace.