Gibca’s Bespoke Glass Toilet Cubicles Envisioned by Jotun | Case Study
Gibca Furniture
Your preferred Space Management Solutions Provider across the MENA region!
Industry Type: Paint Manufacturing
Project Location: Dubai, UAE
Product Installed: Glass Cubicles
Design/build Partners: Arcadis / STYLED HABITAT / Jotun ID and project team
Date of completion: 2022
Introduction
Bringing the new client on board takes a particular set of approaches which only comes when the client is assured of the service being provided as intended, in this case by Jotun, a renowned paint brand in the world that appointed us to provide design and build a unique glass toilet cubicle for their new Middle East Headquarters in Dubai.
This Project had specific challenges like keeping the passable sizes as per site dimensions, maneuvering of material to designated locations, and at the same time bringing well-thought and meticulous planning to manage this successful execution of non-standard cubicles by re-defining our options and experimenting with the latest techniques creating one-of-a-kind glass enclosure with close collaboration of Jotun’s vision to life.
Key Challenges
When Jotun shared their vision for custom glass toilet cubicles in the Middle East Headquarters, we knew it would be no easy feat. At 2.65m high up to the ceiling, the cubicles were far from the standard sizes and the 12mm glass added extra weight, making them fragile and difficult to handle in transporting and installing without breakage. This required meticulous planning and execution with the right hinges for the door, and the glass weight needed reinforcements to support the glass were fiddly.
Moreover, the client wanted a sleek and minimalistic design, but the cubicle size and venue layout posed space restrictions. The post width could not be wider than 250mm, limiting options for securely joining the glass panels and we had to get creative with the hardware installation process to overcome their limitations.
With a height of 2.65m and door weights far exceeding the norm, the glass cubicles posed a huge challenge. Apart from maintaining the glass weight and installing such heavy custom-made specifications, any addition of hinges or knobs would create cracks or break the glass due to its fragile nature.
Solution
After collaborating with the client and consultant walking through the space, we did mockups to determine the optimal post width and door size that would be structurally sound and suit the client’s needs and devised a custom solution. The solution primarily focused on 4 aspects –
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· Design
· Post Width
· Ceiling Height
· Installation
Design
We designed a 12mm thick toughened glass cubicle with a height of 2.65m to match the specification and sourced industry-grade hinges and had multiple trials to test the capacity as we needed a sturdier hinge to support the heavy glass doors.
Post Width
The post width was difficult as we had to strike a balance between strength and space. We finalized a post width of 200mm which provided adequate support for 2.65m glass panels allowing us to build more spacious cubicles.
Quality Trials
We conducted multiple checks during the production and installation to ensure the high quality of the glass cubicles as we put them through a toughening and laminating process to further strengthen the panels. To finish it off we applied silicone beads evenly around the edge for an aesthetic finish.
We were glad to be able to bring Jotun’s unique vision to life along with Styled Habitat and Jotun’s project team! It took persistence and creative problem-solving to meet their specific height and design requirements with the space constraints, however, with numerous mockups and a careful selection of materials overcoming various challenges, and delivered cubicles that embodied Jotun’s desired aesthetic.
The result was a stunning bespoke glass cubicle solution in sync with the client’s vision and seeing such a unique project being executed so successfully feels incredibly rewarding!
Gibca Furniture Industry Co. LTD. (LLC), part of the Gibca group, is a premier Space Management Solutions Provider across the MENA Region. Since our establishment in the 1990s, we have provided innovative and quality workspace solutions for over 75,000 installations throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa. By fostering a culture of innovation and creativity, Gibca has diversified its portfolio from having Cubicles, Acoustics, Ceilings, Partitions, Glass Panels, etc under our umbrella!
To learn more about our full range of products, click here. For any queries or any projects that you have in mind, feel free to drop us an email at marketing@gfiuae.com!