What was frustrating them before?
The client seemed frustrated by not getting the exact visualizations of his concepts and ideas. It was challenging for him to visualize the design through mood boards fully and initial concepts. His detailed feedback often caused delays and indecision, and he felt like the space didn’t match his expectations at first.
What did they want their home/space to feel like?
The client desired a space that felt like a beach retreat despite being on the 26th floor in
an urban environment. He wanted the space to embody a “messy beach vibe” that was
both relaxed and functional, with elements like bamboo ceilings, sun loungers, and
greenery to invoke the feel of the beach while enjoying breath taking views of the Dubai
Canal.
Any specific concerns?
Time: The client took time to respond with detailed feedback, which caused
some stress for the design team.
Trust: The client appeared cautious about the design team meeting his needs, as
Trust: The client appeared cautious about the design team meeting his needs, as
evident by the detailed feedback and the challenge of keeping everything aligned
with his vision.
Project Scope
Type of Spaces Covered:
- Main Terrace
- Master Balcony
- Outdoor Lounge Area
- Dining Area
- Bar Area
- Relaxation Space (with a focus on storage for outdoor gear and sunbathing)
Timeline Promised vs Delivered:
Timeline: The Initial proposal and design submission occurred by April 9th.
Feedback was received 15 days later, April 24th.
Challenges We Faced as a Design Team
Layout Issues: The design team faced difficulties with the layout, particularly
when achieving the ideal flow of spaces. The client had specific preferences
regarding how different areas of the terrace and balcony should feel and
function, leading to challenges in ensuring everything was organized properly.
Building Management Approval Delays: There was a delay of over a month in
getting approval from building management for certain design changes due to
safety and building facade guidelines. This caused significant delays in the
project timeline, as the design team had to wait for clearance on what could and
couldn’t be done to the exterior of the space.
Communication Gap Between Design and Client Expectations: Initially, the client
had trouble visualizing the design from a 2D layout. As a result, he provided
extensive feedback (5 pages), indicating that he felt the design didn’t align with
his vision. This led to miscommunication between what the client expected and
what the design team presented.
Client’s Need for a Visual Representation: The client was not keen on imagining
a 2D layout, hence the design team needed to change their strategy and work in a
3D imagining design. This transition led to delays, yet in the end, it made the
client have a better comprehension of the design.
Client’s Extensive Feedback: The feedback of client was very specific (5 pages),
emphasizing that communication and understanding gaps existed. It required the
design team to re-evaluate and put in more effort to match what the client
wanted. This increased the complexity in the process and resulted in scope creep
because the design was considered on several occasions.
Client’s Desire for Multiple Features: The client ordered several luxurious
elements, including a jacuzzi, sauna, and outdoor cinema, that complicated the
work scope. Though these requests were taken note of, the team needs to
balance between these and practicality and space limitations.
Why Our Design Worked
Specific Design Decisions That Made a Big Difference
- Bamboo Ceiling: The bamboo ceiling was included to cool the doubt and to provide a breezy atmosphere that perfectly matched the behaviour of the client
who wanted a beach-like ambience. This aspect was particularly helpful in thehot and humid weather of Dubai.
- Micro-Cement Flooring: This served a dual purpose of creating the texture of
sand on the beach as well as being functional and simple to clean, thus theywere ideal in terms of what the client had in mind in the form of a beach setting.
- Flexible Outdoor Spaces: The design enabled the terrace and the master balcony
to be used differently. The terrace is an entertainment place, where there was abar and sun lounges, and the master balcony was a more intimate, relaxingenvironment.
Most Unexpected or Weird Thing That Happened
One of the funniest moments came when our team was discussing the height of the
railing in the terrace design. Initially, the height was set at 70 cm, and one of our team
members, Amanda, insisted that it would be fine to proceed with a deck. However, the
designer had a hilarious moment of panic, worrying that the height was too low, and
jokingly feared someone might accidentally fall from the terrace, calling it a “suicide
point.”
This moment became especially funny when the designer realized that the actual height
of the railing was 125 cm, much higher than originally thought, and the fear turned into
relief. It was an internal “goof-up” that everyone on our team laughed about later.
The initial layout proposal for the terrace included a completely enclosed office area,
which felt claustrophobic to both the client and the design team. The idea was quickly
revised to create a more open, flexible working area instead.
Another goof-up occurred with the sofa placement in the design, where the designer
mistakenly thought the sofa had to be positioned in a particular spot, only to realize
hours later that it needed to be shifted to the opposite side for better flow. This caused
a slight delay, but it was a learning moment for our team.
Client’s Reaction
The client was skeptical at first after inspecting the final 3D images created by the
design team, since he had encountered numerous feedback stages. However, once the
client saw the finished design and the seamless merging of the terrace and its awe-
inspiring views of the Dubai Canal, he was quite amazed. His functional luxurious setup,
consisting of a jacuzzi and covered space, good storage with a bar, and a relaxation
zone, took him by surprise.
He said that the design was what he had always wanted and could not picture in his
mind before. The 3D images helped him relate emotionally to the design, and he was
happy, saying that he was pleased how the design would resonate with his personality
and style. There was a sense of satisfaction and relief once the handover moment was
achieved because the team had fulfilled the expectations of the client.
