The Easa Saleh Al Gurg Commercial & Industrial Group (ECIG)’s new headquarters house two flagship entities of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG), namely Scientechnic, a turnkey engineering solutions provider, and Technical & Trading (TTE), an established MEP design & build contractor and Energy Services (ESCO) company. Located on the busy Al Ittihad Road, with a view of Dubai International Airport’s runways, the ECIG HQ prioritises employee health and wellbeing in its design, construction, and operations. Taking advantage of the ESAG Group’s strength, 11 sister entities collaborated on the project, with over 250 brands installed on the premises.

FACE Architecture & Design, an inter-disciplinary firm was the project’s lead consultant for architecture, interiors, MEP, Structure and Project Management. Committed to generating thoughtful, sustainable and efficient building environments, FACE A+D prioritised embedding the ESAG corporate standard of vibrancy, productivity and human-centricity into the design. 5 concepts of building performance: air, light, comfort, mind & fitness and sustainability have been integrated seamlessly to create a productive and comfortable indoor environment for all employees.

AIR:

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) solutions and air filtration systems provided by TTE in collaboration with recognised HVAC brands, ensure increased fresh air and reduced pollutants to workstations. Tried and tested IAQ solutions help with air purification and are proven against outbreaks like SARS-COV-2, H1N1, Tuberculosis, and Swine Flu. They successfully eliminate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) as well as bacterial and fungal growth in the environment. In an independent live laboratory test conducted by TTE at another ESAG location, the IAQ solution showed a 65.92% reduction in total bacteria count, 96.98% reduction in total fungal count and 96.53% reduction in VOC.

LIGHT:

The lighting design of the entire building has been done to ensure the right combination of aesthetics and comfort. With ample sunlight present in each and every office space and workstation, energy saving motion sensor lights in corridors and LED lights from Scientechnic’s exclusive partner Ledvance in the back of house and parking areas, the ECIG HQ is the perfect example of a green building that makes efficient use of natural resources.

COMFORT:

The office facilitates both connection and solitude, bearing in mind that employees need to have access to clearly designated public and private spaces to execute the unique demands of their work. All meeting rooms ensure that employees have distraction-free and comfortable areas to work at, in addition to their workstations. Several breakout zones offer collaborative social spaces for brainstorming and informal meetings.

With the aim of inspiring communication between the workforce, the ECIG HQ has an open workspace concept. Team members across various business units sit alongside one another. The same goes for the business unit heads, granting easy access to colleagues and decision makers from other business verticals.

Upon entering the Experience Center and Reception of the ECIG HQ, one gets to know the history of ESAG, Scientechnic and TTE, depicted in the form of a visual timeline with an infinity wave concept. Encapsulated by large glazed facades on three sides and a glass roof, the space is the perfect blend of rich legacy and contemporary design, giving it a minimalistic, sleek and aesthetic look. The façade is made of high-performance insulated glass, while the roof panels are transparent Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BiPV) glass panels from Spain. Together they create a comfortable environment, allowing an abundance of light while maintaining thermal comfort and blocking UV radiation.

MIND & FITNESS

The Experience Centre includes a library with an impressive selection of books on business, leadership, self-improvement, and history. Distraction-free training rooms encourage learning and growth for the workforce. Workspaces are aesthetically minimal and decluttered, incorporating the use of neutral palettes. Ergonomically crafted work areas, fitted with furniture from OFIS (ESAG’s Office Furniture Solutions Company), ensure the use of suitable posture, which can lessen muscle fatigue, increase productivity, and reduce the severity of musculoskeletal disorders.

Employee wellbeing is prioritised by integrating mental health and physical fitness, with dedicated areas for each. A meditation room allows employees to relax, stay centered and maintain inner peace. A modern and well-equipped fitness facility is accessible to employees who wish to boost energy and alertness.

SUSTAINABILITY:

In line with the UAE’s commitments towards addressing the challenge of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, clean energy solutions have been implemented in the building operations. A state-of-the-art solar system has been installed with an estimated annual carbon reduction of 340,000 kgs of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the long term.

The basement parking area is fitted with two turnkey Siemens e-mobility solutions for fast charging of EVs. Furthermore, discreet energy saving systems have been integrated as part of the electro-mechanical (MEP) design with water saving systems and heat recovery units as part of HVAC systems, and energy saving motion sensor lights as part of its lighting design.

ESAG Group CEO Easa Al Gurg says: “Dubai’s Vision 2040 aims to transform the emirate into the best city to live in the world. ESAG considers the workplace to be an integral part of making this vision possible. Following the futuristic values of our late Founder, Easa Saleh Al Gurg, the Group strongly believes in investing, not only in its real estate portfolio in terms of quality and design, but also in each of our entities starting with the people. The ECIG headquarters, which is the corporate office of ESAG’s flagship entities Scientechnic and TTE, has been built to foster an environment that empowers people with a space to work, think and collaborate seamlessly.

“Beginning with the ECIG HQ, the process of workspace transformation is a focus within ESAG, and work has commenced on the offices of several other entities within the Group. The culture of the Group aims to define and give shape to a thoughtful human-centric work environment that encourages inclusivity, privacy, promotes work-life balance and motivates efficiency.”