Youth Hub Abu Dhabi

Delivering the fit out of the Youth Hub in Abu Dhabi for the Federal Youth Authority

Introduction

The Youth Hub is envisioned as a multi-purpose community space for the UAE’s youth to connect and create opportunities for collaboration and recreation. The Federal Youth Authority’s first Youth Hub in Dubai was established in 2017 and is designed for young entrepreneurs, researchers, programmers and media professionals.

The new hub in Abu Dhabi, which is housed in a three-storey building near Mina Zayed, features an open floor plan with movable enclosures and no walls. The design encourages collaboration and diverse use of space.

Customer	Federal Youth Authority
Architect	Bluehaus Group
Area	48,000 sq ft
Program Duration	20 weeks

Adding value every step of the way

In a unique approach to giving back, ISG Middle East launched its first site-based donation drive where over 90 workers working on the site had access to pre-owned outfits.

Engaging with different stakeholders across all areas of the business to ensure it brings the client’s vision to life at every stage of the fit out. The project’s relationship driven approach has seen ISG Middle East working directly with the client on every aspect of the design and build.

The project

In February 2019, ISG Middle East was appointed to undertake the fit out of the 2,400 sq. m multi-purpose space. The floor layout includes a theatre, a music room, various collaboration and functional areas which can accommodate conferences, meetings and events with a number of glass partitions to designate areas.

As the building was vacant for over 10 years, ISG Middle East had to demolish the base build, including elements which are not required in the new layout. Afterwards, ISG Middle East installed different types of space partitions, sourced and built custom-made joinery items of specific size and shape. The bespoke elements were inspired by the unique design of the building exterior. ISG also navigated the complex task of installing seamless custom terrazzo flooring to complement the open design concept, having the flooring pre-cast, polished, and ground without joints.

In close coordination with the client, bespoke design alternations were suggested and delivered, often onsite, while managing revisions to accommodate last-minute reviews to custom items and finishings.

“This is a unique project for ISG because this building is 10 years old and all bespoke design elements had to often be completed onsite. Nothing was pre-fabricated, so we needed to ensure that the best materials were sourced to build the joinery items.

This has also been a great experience for ISG, and me personally. We worked directly with the client representatives, who were very supportive and understanding of the design process and construction challenges. Being able to work seamlessly with the client is testament to the quality of service that we provide.”

Sameh Ramsis, Project Manager, ISG

ISG Middle East also coordinated with relevant authorities surveying and validating the effectiveness of the 10-year-old critical systems including fire alarms and managed all updates to comply with current authority requirements.