Roar Taps Into Childlike Sensibilities for the Office of the Early Childhood Authority in Abu Dhabi

2021 Best of Year winner for Small Corporate Office

A big mission for little kids operates in this tidy 1,800-square-foot workplace: It’s the headquarters of a government agency focused on the future of learning for preschoolers. “The goal was to create a space that was child-focused, but not childish,” Roar founder and creative director Pallavi Dean explains. So she and her team set out to devise an environment that inspires adults to view the world through the lens of a youngster. The overall concept is based on the synapses of a young brain—a series of hubs connected by organic walkways—with a color psychologist–developed palette. The orange tones in one meeting room generate energy, while the blues in another are meant to soothe and relax. It’s in the latter that a custom felt wall map of the UAE is rendered in simple, tactile, pastel shapes. There and everywhere furnishings and lighting have been carefully selected—virtually no two are the same, many having pleasant, rounded profiles. And since several ECA employees have children themselves, a zone for them to socialize and play was a must-have, as was a maternity room featuring soft textures and reclining furniture.

Roar: PALLAVI DEAN; FATMA ELFEKI; ZANNAH ANDERSON; NADEEM ASHARAF.