Meet the studio, understand our process and discover how we move from first conversation to finished space.
Design the Workday Before the Floor Plan
An office can look polished and still make work harder. Teams lose time when meeting rooms are always full, confidential calls spill into open areas, screens sit in glare, departments are separated from the people they depend on, and new partitions create cooling or power problems. Bella plans the workplace around how your people actually work, then resolves layout, acoustics, lighting, furniture, brand, MEP interfaces and finishes into one coordinated interior.
We design offices for companies moving into a new space, expanding, consolidating, refurbishing or rethinking an existing workplace. Depending on the brief, the scope can cover workplace strategy, test fits, reception, workstations, executive offices, meeting rooms, focus rooms, collaboration zones, pantry, prayer / wellness areas, storage, lighting, acoustics, FF&E, technical coordination and fit-out support.
Start With the Work Patterns
Before choosing finishes or desk systems, we identify the operational problems that the floor plan has to solve. Headcount matters, but so do work modes, meeting behaviour, client confidentiality, technology, storage, department adjacencies, acoustic privacy and the way attendance changes across the week.
We review how meetings actually happen—one-to-ones, four-person calls, project workshops, board meetings and hybrid sessions—then distribute room sizes accordingly. Gensler’s 2026 workplace research identifies meeting-space availability as a recurring workplace pain point, so simply adding one large boardroom rarely solves the problem.
Open planning needs a privacy strategy. We separate collaboration from concentration, add phone / focus rooms where justified, use acoustic ceilings or wall treatments where useful, and position workstations so people are not constantly facing circulation or overhearing confidential conversations.
A workstation is only one work setting. Depending on the organisation, we may need project tables, quiet rooms, touchdown positions, enclosed meeting rooms, lounge collaboration, training space or an executive / client zone. The mix should come from actual work patterns, not a generic desk-per-person ratio.
We map adjacencies before drawing partitions. Teams that exchange information frequently should not be separated by reception, storage or enclosed rooms, while departments handling confidential work may need stronger acoustic and visual separation.
Office interiors are tied to building systems. A meeting room added under an existing open-plan AC layout may need new air distribution, controls, power, data, lighting and fire-life-safety coordination. We review those interfaces while the plan can still change.
Brand is translated through arrival sequence, material tone, signage, display, hospitality and the behaviour of the space—not by applying the logo everywhere. A client-facing law, investment or government office should communicate differently from a creative studio or technical operations team.
Seven Decisions That Shape a Better Workplace
Current workplace research is moving away from one-size-fits-all offices. The useful question is not whether open plan or private offices are universally better; it is which mix supports the work your organisation actually performs.
We distinguish total employees from realistic peak attendance. Hybrid or shift patterns can change how many desks, lockers, meeting seats and shared settings are genuinely required.
Individual focus, confidential calls, small-team work, project collaboration, learning and social connection need different levels of enclosure, furniture and technology.
We place departments, shared equipment, reception, meeting rooms, pantry, storage and support areas according to how people and information move through the business.
Privacy can be enclosed, screened or zoned. We consider speech privacy, visual distraction, confidential content and the noise relationship between workstations, meeting rooms and social zones.
Task chairs, monitor position, work-surface depth, glare control and accessible power are planned as a system. Adjustable equipment matters more than a single ideal dimension because teams are not all the same size.
Power, data, AV, lighting, AC distribution, controls, fire systems and ceilings are coordinated with the final room layout so the office does not look resolved while performing badly.
Demountable partitions, modular furniture, spare power capacity and furniture that can move between settings can reduce the cost of future team changes when the business grows or reorganises.
Choose the Workplace Model
These four planning models can be combined within one office. We use them as decision tools, not rigid style labels.
Instead of expecting one desk to support every task, the office provides different settings for focus, calls, collaboration, learning and social work. This can suit hybrid teams when the organisation is ready to manage shared space well.
Workstations share a larger floorplate with limited solid partitions. It can improve daylight distribution and visual connection, but it needs proper acoustic zoning, call space and circulation so openness does not become constant distraction.
Private rooms or enclosed team zones prioritise confidentiality, controlled acoustics and concentrated work. Glass can maintain visual openness, but partition ratings, door seals and room services need to be coordinated properly.
A central shared workplace is combined with executive offices, focus rooms, meeting rooms, project rooms and social settings. This is often the most practical route when different departments have very different privacy and collaboration needs.
What the Service Can Include
The scope can stop at concept and space planning or continue through technical design, FF&E, procurement support and fit-out coordination. We define deliverables early so there is no confusion between interior design, engineering, authority submissions, contractor shop drawings and IT / AV specialist work.
Structural engineering, detailed MEP engineering, specialist fire-life-safety design, IT/network engineering, authority submissions and contractor execution are separate professional responsibilities unless they are expressly included in Bella’s appointment.
From Business Brief to Move-In
Office programmes become expensive when headcount, room mix or technical requirements change after partitions, MEP and furniture orders have already been committed.
We review headcount, organisation structure, peak attendance, confidentiality, visitor profile, meeting behaviour, storage, technology, growth assumptions, brand expectations, budget and target move-in date.
We document usable dimensions and review the starting condition—shell and core, Category A / landlord fitted, or an existing tenant fit-out—along with ceilings, AC, power, data, fire services, glazing and constraints.
We compare layout options around departments, workstation numbers, meeting-room demand, circulation, reception, support spaces and daylight before a preferred plan is approved.
The approved planning logic becomes a spatial and material concept covering arrival, key rooms, furniture language, lighting, acoustics, colour and brand expression.
Partitions, ceilings, lighting, power, data, AV, AC distribution, joinery and finishes are coordinated with the appointed consultants and specialists so room changes are resolved before site installation.
Workstations, task chairs, meeting furniture, lounge settings, storage and other FF&E are scheduled around quantity, ergonomics, lead time, replacement needs and budget.
Where included, Bella reviews the design during fit-out, responds to design queries, checks key finishes and furniture placement, participates in snagging and helps carry the approved concept through to move-in.
Technical Planning That Changes the Layout
These are practical office-planning references, not substitutes for the project’s applicable building, fire, accessibility or landlord requirements.
OSHA’s workstation guidance recommends placing the monitor directly in front of the user and generally around 50–100 cm from the eyes, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. Desk depth and monitor arms should make that possible without forcing people to lean forward.
Workstations should be arranged to reduce direct window and lighting glare on screens. OSHA recommends orienting displays at right angles to windows where practical and using blinds, diffused light and task lighting to control contrast. We use daylight as an asset without turning perimeter desks into glare zones.
Do not size the meeting suite only from total headcount. Review meeting frequency and group sizes. Current Gensler 2026 research identifies meeting-room availability and noise as unresolved workplace issues, while employees also seek better focus and privacy.
Glass walls alone do not create acoustic privacy. Door seals, partition construction, ceiling interfaces, transfer paths and mechanical noise all affect performance. Confidential rooms need an acoustic brief before materials are finalised.
A base-building system designed for an open floorplate may not serve multiple enclosed offices and meeting rooms correctly after the layout changes. Air distribution, controls and fresh-air requirements should be checked with the project’s MEP team before partitions are fixed.
Desk density must be coordinated with floor boxes, perimeter power, ceiling drops or raised-floor systems. Conference-room displays, cameras, table connectivity, wireless coverage and equipment racks should be planned before joinery and glass are ordered.
New partitions can affect sprinkler coverage, detectors, alarm devices, emergency lighting and egress. Those items require review by the appropriately qualified project team and the relevant authority / landlord route before execution.
When floor area is tight, reduce duplicated rooms rather than legal or safety clearances. A reconfigurable meeting / training room, shared storage wall, compact phone room or furniture-based divider can often solve more than squeezing additional desks into circulation.
Abu Dhabi Fit-Out & Building Coordination
Commercial offices in Abu Dhabi can sit under different landlord, municipality, free-zone and building-management processes. A project in ADGM or another controlled development may follow requirements that differ from a mainland office or an industrial building. Before design is frozen, confirm the landlord NOC process, permitted contractors, submission drawings, insurance / deposits, working hours and any separate authority reviews.
DMT maintains a current register of classified engineering consultancy and contracting firms in Abu Dhabi, including fit-out contractors. Where the project scope requires classified or licensed parties, those appointments should be confirmed before submissions and site mobilisation. Fire alarm, sprinkler, HVAC, electrical load or structural changes can introduce additional specialist and approval requirements.
Colour & Material Direction
A professional office palette should support brand recognition, visual comfort and maintenance. We avoid claims that one colour automatically makes people productive; colour response is contextual and the bigger workplace issues are often glare, noise, temperature, privacy and whether the space supports the work.
The HEX codes below are concept starting points rather than branded paint specifications. Physical samples should be reviewed in the actual office with its floor, glazing and artificial lighting.
Budget & Programme
Current published 2026 benchmarks vary substantially because they do not all include the same things. Turner & Townsend’s 2026 global office fit-out guide reports an average medium-specification fit-out cost of AED 11,077 per m² across Dubai and Abu Dhabi and cites approximately AED 13,946 per m² for high-specification fit-outs. A current Abu Dhabi contractor guide publishes much lower base-build bands of roughly AED 75–130/sq ft basic, AED 140–230/sq ft mid-range and AED 250–420+/sq ft premium, while noting that furniture, IT and authority items may be separate. These are market references, not Bella rates. The difference is exactly why a quote must state what is included.
Use these figures only for early feasibility. Bella should price or coordinate pricing after the office area, starting condition, room schedule, MEP scope, FF&E standard, approval route and exclusions are known.
Office References for Different Work Modes
These are temporary third-party Unsplash references selected specifically for office planning: reception, private offices, meeting rooms, phone privacy, collaborative lounge and staff social space. Replace them with Bella-owned / licensed project photography before final production publication.
Questions Office Clients Usually Ask
These answers focus on decisions that materially change an office: layout, executive rooms, hybrid work, ergonomics, acoustics, fit-out cost, approvals, timeline, colours and AI-assisted planning.
Start with the business rather than the furniture catalogue. Define headcount, peak attendance, teams, meeting behaviour, confidentiality, visitor flow, storage, technology and future growth. Test the layout against the base-building services, then develop reception, work settings, meeting rooms, acoustics, lighting, materials, FF&E and technical coordination around the approved plan.
There is no universal best layout. Open plan can work for connected teams but needs acoustic and focus support. Cellular offices suit confidentiality-heavy work. Activity-based layouts give people more choice but require good change management. Many organisations perform best with a combination of open and enclosed settings.
Start with the work the room must support: individual focus, confidential conversations, small meetings, video calls, document storage and client hospitality. Position the desk for comfortable screen use and privacy, provide a separate meeting setting where space allows, conceal cable clutter and use materials consistent with the organisation rather than simply making the room darker or more ornate.
Useful ideas include a mix of small and large meeting rooms, phone / focus spaces near open workstations, modular project settings, glare-controlled daylight, acoustic treatment where noise is generated, shared storage walls, accessible power and data, and social spaces placed where conversation will not disrupt focused work.
AI can help generate planning options, adjacency ideas, mood directions and early visualisations. It does not know the verified site dimensions, structural limits, fire strategy, actual AC capacity, electrical distribution, landlord rules or authority requirements unless those are supplied and professionally checked. Use AI as an option-generation tool, not as the final technical sign-off.
For practical workplace planning, four useful categories are activity-based / zoned, open-plan, cellular / private-office and hybrid combination layouts. An actual office can use all four across different departments.
The more useful 2026 direction is not a particular colour or sofa shape. Gensler’s 2026 global research points to unresolved needs around noise, meeting-space availability, ergonomics, temperature and privacy, while workers also value natural light, nature, focus space, learning and connection. That supports more varied work settings, better privacy and flexible environments rather than a uniform desk grid.
OSHA’s computer-workstation guidance generally recommends a monitor viewing distance of about 50–100 cm, with the screen directly in front of the user and the top of the display at or slightly below eye level. The exact position still depends on monitor size, eyesight and the task.
Treat the source and the layout first. Separate social / collaborative areas from focus work, provide call rooms, use suitable acoustic ceilings or baffles, add absorptive wall or furniture elements where useful and specify enclosed rooms properly when speech privacy matters. Decorative acoustic panels alone will not fix a poor zoning plan.
Choose a durable neutral or brand-compatible base, then use stronger colours selectively for identity, wayfinding or social zones. Avoid claiming that a particular paint colour automatically increases productivity. Glare, lighting quality, acoustics, temperature, furniture and control over the environment usually matter more to workplace performance.
The number depends heavily on what the rate includes. Turner & Townsend’s 2026 guide reports an average medium-specification all-in fit-out benchmark of AED 11,077 per m² across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with high-specification around AED 13,946 per m². Local contractor publications can show much lower base-fit-out rates where furniture, IT, professional services or authority costs are excluded. Bella should quote after scope and starting condition are defined.
Current Abu Dhabi contractor data commonly places smaller straightforward offices around 5–8 weeks including approvals, medium offices around 8–14 weeks and larger or MEP-heavy offices around 14–24 weeks or more. These are planning references only; landlord NOCs, authority submissions, custom joinery, imported items and phased working can change the programme significantly.
Many commercial fit-outs require some combination of landlord / facilities-management approval and relevant authority or free-zone review, particularly when layouts, MEP, fire systems, electrical loads or structural elements change. The exact route depends on the building and jurisdiction, so it should be confirmed before demolition or installation.
Shell & core is a largely unfinished interior requiring substantial building-services and finishes work. Category A usually provides a landlord base standard such as core services, ceiling / lighting or raised floor depending on the building. Category B is the tenant-specific workplace: partitions, meeting rooms, reception, furniture, AV, branding, finishes and the final operational setup.
Avoid giving every function a dedicated room. Use a reconfigurable meeting / training space, shared storage walls, compact focus rooms, glass where privacy permits, furniture-based dividers, monitor arms and vertical storage. Keep required circulation and technical access clear rather than squeezing extra desks into every leftover gap.
Your Office, Properly Briefed
Share the location, approximate office area, current condition, total headcount, expected peak attendance, departments, meeting-room needs, number of executive / private offices, target move-in date and approximate budget.
If you already have landlord guidelines, a base-build drawing, reflected ceiling plan, MEP drawing or existing office floor plan, send them. Those documents quickly reveal whether the project is mainly planning and furnishing or a deeper technical fit-out.
