RMJM, a global architecture and design firm, has launched an interior design department in its Dubai office led by Sharon Julta. The goal is to expand RMJM's capabilities and grow its presence in the region. Julta aims to build a strong team and win major projects across various sectors, including residential, commercial, and hospitality projects in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Media City. RMJM is also focusing on projects in Africa and Qatar. Julta believes the diverse team and collaborative studio approach will allow RMJM's interior design work to soon be recognized in the industry.

2. DESIGN UPDATE
www.designmena.com12 APRIL 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
RMJM EXPANDS ITS ID SECTION WITH A NUMBER OF
REGIONAL PROJECTS ALREADY IN THE BAG
RMJM launches interior
design department
UAE: Global architecture and design
jRM 2-*- HAS ANNOUNCED THE
launch of an interior design depart-
MENT WITHIN ITS $UBAI OFjCE

3. WHICH
kick-started last March.
Associate and head of interior de-
SIGN AT 2-*-

4. 3HARON *UTLA EXPLAINS
HOW PRINCIPAL

5. *OHN #LEMOW INVITED
HER TO DEVELOP AND BUILD A TEAM OF
DESIGNERS WITHIN THE jRM
4HE PLAN TO GROW A SIGNIjCANT
ID department correlates with the
jRM S PLANS TO WIDEN ITS CAPABILI-
ties and enhance its growth in the
REGION

6. SHE SAYS
7ITH YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL
DESIGN EXPERIENCE FROM AROUND THE
WORLD INCLUDING THE -IDDLE %AST

7. Julta has worked on numerous high
PROjLE PROJECTS SPANNING OVER A
number of sectors including com-
MERCIAL

8. HOSPITALITY

9. RESIDENTIAL AND
RETAIL

10. AMONGST OTHERS
f7HEN ) JOINED 2-*-

11. MY AIM
WAS TO SHARE MY WEALTH OF EXPERI-
ence and knowledge in the practice.
)T WAS AN EXCITING CHALLENGE TO CRE-
ATE A STRONG TEAM THAT IS YOUNG AND
DYNAMIC AND READY TO ACCEPT DESIGN
CHALLENGES AND TO IDENTIFY OPPORTU-
NITIES IN THE jELD

12. t SHE SAYS
3HE ADDS f-Y AIM WAS TO
INITIATE THE SUCCESS STORY FOR 2-*-
)$ REGIONALLY

13. WORKING ON VARIOUS
LEAD PROJECTS ACROSS THE WORLD )
CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT THIS VISION
HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AS 2-*- )$ IS
CURRENTLY WORKING ON SOME LARGE
PROJECTS IN DIFFERENT SECTORSt
3OME OF THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE A
STOREY RESIDENTIAL TOWER IN $UBAI
-ARINA

14. A LARGE MIXED
USE SCHEME
INCLUDING RETAIL

15. LUXURY RESIDENTIAL
AND HOTELS IN !BU $HABI

16. A SERIES
of multiple commercial buildings
IN -EDIA #ITY AS WELL AS PROJECTS IN
Africa and Qatar.
4EAM WORK IS OF KEY IMPORTANCE
to broadening the new department
WITHIN THE jRM

17. *UTLA EXPLAINS
f7E BELIEVE THAT STUDIO MENTALITY
IS AN OPEN COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
THAT DEMANDS INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
and that makes our work fresh. In
SUCH AN ENVIRONMENT CREATIVE IDEAS
blend and form a strong basis for
DESIGN INCEPTION AND DEVELOPMENT
Each member of the team gets
TO INPUT THEIR TALENTS

18. EXPERTISE

19. EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVE INTO THE
DESIGN PROCESSt
“As an international brand we
ARE CONTINUOUSLY ON THE LOOKOUT
FOR CREATIVE MINDS AND TALENTS FROM
across the region and the world. We
BELIEVE THAT THE DIVERSITY WITHIN OUR
COMPANY ENHANCES THE WORK ENVI-
RONMENT AND DESIGN PROCESSt
3HE ADDS THAT 2-*- ADDITIONALLY
PROVIDE INTERNSHIPS FOR YOUNG MINDS
IN THE REGION

20. fPRESENTING THEM
A CHANCE TO APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE
GAINED AT UNIVERSITY ON REAL PROJECTS
IN THE INDUSTRYt
HAS ALREADY STARTED OFF AS A
BUSY YEAR

21. *ULTA EXPLAINS INCLUDING
a strong team of designers and a
SERIES OF NEW LARGE SCALE PROJECTS
which will grow the RMJM brand.
#ONCLUDING

22. *UTLA SAYS f)N THE
COMING MONTHS

23. AS PROJECTS ARE
PUBLICALLY ANNOUNCED

24. YOU WILL BE
seeing more of RMJM. As our team
grows and we win and complete
MORE PROJECTS

25. ) AM CONjDENT THAT
SOON

26. 2-*- S )$ WORKS WILL HAVE A
place within the dialogue of con-
TEMPORARY INTERIOR DESIGNt
2ENOWNED ARCHITECTURE jRM LAUNCHED )$ DEPARTMENT
2-*- IS WORKING ON ACROSS VARIOUS )$ SECTORS
RMJM is also focusing its efforts on Africa and Qatar
2-*- WILL SOON ANNOUNCE THE MANY PROJECTS ITS WON THIS YEAR

27. H
aving worked in the UAE and
elsewhere for 16 years, I have
found that there is a frequent
CONkICT BETWEEN INTERIOR DESIGNERS
and architects. Despite the importance of
COLLABORATION WITH ARCHITECTS ON A PROJECT

28. IT IS
always a challenge to create a united vision.
I am quite sure other interior designers also
HAVE FACED THIS PROBLEM ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS
Often architects don’t understand the role
and scope of the interior designer, viewing
THEM AS A GLORIjED INTERIOR DECORATOR

29. OR AN
intruder with strange ideas of Byzantine
frivolity to their serious design aims – sadly
TRUE IN SOME CASES

30. PARTICULARLY SO IN $UBAI
While architects and interior designers share
many skills, such as space planning and an
INTEREST IN MATERIALS

31. ARCHITECTS NEED TO BE
more concerned with a wider picture, such
AS MASSING WITH URBAN FORM AND EXTERNAL
appearance, while interior designers are
CONCERNED WITH THE EXPERIENCE AT THE
individual’s level. The interior designer’s
CONCERNS MAY BE UNWELCOME IN THE EARLY
STAGES OF A PROJECT WHEN THE ARCHITECT IS
GRAPPING WITH THE CLIENT S BRIEF

32. THE CONSTRAINTS
of the Affection Plan, structural and MEP
COMPLEXITIES

33. TRAFjC AND jRE REQUIREMENTS
among others.
!NOTHER AREA OF CONkICT ARISES WHEN CLIENTS
require a very tight delivery schedule for
BOTH ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN 4HE
interior designer can consider the design
THEMATICALLY

34. BUT NEEDS THE ARCHITECTURAL
LAYOUTS BEFORE CREATING THEIR DELIVERABLES
DRAWINGS

35. VISUALISATIONS

36. AND SAMPLE BOARDS
WHICH NEED TIME TO BE WELL THOUGHT THROUGH
TO BE CONVINCING ! FOUR WEEK PROGRAMME FOR
CONCEPT DESIGN MAY JUST ALLOW THE ARCHITECT
TO jNISH THEIR LAYOUTS AT MIDNIGHT BEFORE THE
DEADLINE DATE

37. BUT THE INTERIOR DESIGNER IS LEFT
WITH SAND RUNNING THROUGH THEIR jNGERS
#LIENTS AND PROJECT MANAGERS NEED TO
recognise the reality of the ID work in the
PROJECT DESIGN WORKkOW l )$ RUNS HALF A WORK
STAGE BEHIND ARCHITECTURE BUT WILL CATCH UP
BY THE DETAILED DESIGN AND TENDER DOCUMENT
STAGE WHEN THEY UNITE 4HIS GIVES BOTH
DISCIPLINES ROOM TO BREATHE 4HE DETAILS AND
material interfaces will have more thought
and care if the interior designer has time to
develop their work at an earlier stage.
2-*- S BOOK Inside Out/Outside In
EXPOUNDS THE IDEA THAT A BUILDING DESIGN
BY SHARON JUTLA, ASSOCIATE AND HEAD OF
INTERIOR DESIGN, RMJM
Interior design
vs architecture
should, more or less, reveal its internal
PURPOSE

38. AND REkECT THE EXTERNAL CONTEXT
WITHIN 4HE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE EXTERIOR
and the interior, the sense of movement in
and out, forms and the palette of materials,
SHOULD FORM A COHESIVE WHOLE IF A PROJECT IS
TO BE TRULY SUCCESSFUL 4HIS MEANS INTERIOR
designers and architects working together to
create a seamless interface, recognising and
respecting the differences in levels of concern.
RMJM promotes the development of
rigorous and insightful interior concepts
during the architect’s schematic design work
STAGE 7E THEN ALIGN OUR jNAL DELIVERABLES FOR
PROCUREMENT ACTIVITIES 7E BELIEVE THIS SHOULD
BE A MODEL FOR THE INDUSTRY
www.designmena.com98 APRIL 2015 | Commercial Interior Design
OPINION