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Iffco Egypt Head Office Office by Mona Hussein

Iffco Egypt Head Office Office by Mona Hussein is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 Bronze A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design Competition Category.


BronzeInterior· 2021

Iffco Egypt Head Office Office

by Mona Hussein

Client: Iffco

Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Interior Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #77680

Colors

The Design

About Iffco Egypt Head Office Office

Iffco Egypt Head Office is an office interior located in Cairo, Egypt. The design combines a modern and vibrant look with references to Egyptian heritage. Sleek lines and bold colors are drawn from the company brand identity. Egyptian coins are arranged vertically and horizontally on walls to form motifs recalling ancient Egyptian art. The open plan layout provides sixty-four workstations, eleven manager rooms and seven meeting rooms. Acoustic wool above the ceiling, textile carpets and gypsum fiber boards absorb sound. High ceilings keep the interior bright and comfortable.

The Recognition

About the Bronze A' Design Award

Iffco Egypt Head Office Office is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Iffco Egypt Head Office Office is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Iffco Egypt Head Office Office splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.

Interviews

Grand Interview

Your innovative fusion of Egyptian cultural elements with modern office design in the Iffco Egypt Head Office Office, particularly the vertical coin installations, presents a unique interpretation of heritage - could you elaborate on how you developed this distinctive design language?

A: The main inspiration behind the IFFCO Egypt Head Office was to portray the soul and spirit of Egypt while respecting the project's context and creating a workplace that reflects IFFCO's modern and dynamic identity. Our design objective was to seamlessly integrate authentic Egyptian cultural elements into a contemporary office environment, maintaining a vibrant aesthetic with sleek lines and bold colors derived from IFFCO's branding and corporate identity.To develop this distinctive design language, we carefully selected familiar symbols from Egyptian culture and reinterpreted them through a modern design approach. One of the most unique features is the use of Egyptian coins, arranged both vertically and horizontally to create custom wall compositions inspired by ancient Egyptian motifs. These installations transform everyday objects into contemporary artworks that celebrate Egypt's rich heritage while reinforcing a strong sense of place.We also explored materials connected to IFFCO's business by incorporating bottle caps into artistic installations. These were designed to depict iconic ancient Egyptian symbols such as the winged scarab beetle and the serpent goddess, reimagined with simple forms and IFFCO's fresh, vibrant brand colors. Rather than recreating historical artifacts, our intention was to modernize these cultural references, creating a harmonious balance between heritage, innovation, and corporate identity. The result is a workplace that is unmistakably Egyptian while expressing IFFCO's progressive vision and contemporary brand values.

The Iffco Egypt Head Office Office showcases remarkable acoustic solutions through multiple materials - what guided your comprehensive approach to sound management while maintaining the desired aesthetic impact?

A: As the office was designed as a large open-plan workspace, achieving acoustic comfort was a key priority from the earliest stages of the design process. Our goal was to create a productive and comfortable working environment by minimizing noise distractions while preserving the clean, modern aesthetic and openness of the space.To achieve this balance, we adopted a comprehensive acoustic strategy by integrating sound-insulating and sound-absorbing materials throughout the project. Acoustic wool was installed above the suspended ceilings to absorb airborne noise and improve the overall acoustic performance. In the open work areas, we selected Forbo Flotex carpets, which provide excellent sound absorption while offering durability and ease of maintenance. The meeting rooms were finished with Forbo carpets to further enhance speech privacy and reduce sound transmission between spaces.Additionally, we specified Knauf VIDI wall gypsum fiber boards for the partition walls. These high-performance boards offer multiple advantages, including excellent sound insulation, high structural strength, and non-combustibility, allowing us to meet both acoustic and safety requirements without compromising the design vision.By integrating these technical solutions seamlessly into the architectural language, we were able to maintain the project's sleek, contemporary appearance while delivering a comfortable and efficient workplace that supports collaboration, concentration, and employee well-being.

How did the brand identity and management spirit of Iffco influence your material selections and color choices in the Iffco Egypt Head Office Office, particularly in creating spaces that reflect both corporate values and functional needs?

IFFCO's brand identity was one of the key drivers behind the design development, influencing every decision related to materials, colors, and the overall workplace experience. Our objective was to create an office that reflects the company's dynamic, innovative, and people-oriented culture while establishing a strong connection to its Egyptian context.The color palette was derived directly from IFFCO's corporate branding. We combined the company's bold and vibrant brand colors with neutral backgrounds to create a modern, energetic, and welcoming environment. These colors were carefully distributed throughout the office to reinforce the corporate identity while maintaining visual balance and supporting different workplace functions.Material selection was guided by both performance and aesthetics. We specified durable, low-maintenance materials that provide excellent acoustic performance, fire safety, and long-term functionality, ensuring the office supports the demands of a modern corporate environment. High-performance flooring, acoustic ceiling treatments, and gypsum fiber board partitions were seamlessly integrated into the design to enhance employee comfort without compromising the clean architectural language.To further express IFFCO's identity, we incorporated artistic installations inspired by both the company's industry and Egypt's rich cultural heritage. Bottle caps, representing one of IFFCO's manufacturing products, were transformed into contemporary artworks depicting the winged scarab beetle and the serpent goddess, while Egyptian coins were arranged into bespoke wall installations inspired by ancient Egyptian motifs. These features created a unique dialogue between the company's global vision and its local presence.By balancing corporate branding, technical performance, and cultural storytelling, we created a workplace that not only meets functional requirements but also embodies IFFCO's values of innovation, quality, collaboration, and respect for local identity. The result is an environment that strengthens brand recognition while providing an inspiring and efficient space for employees and visitors alike.

Read the Full Interview

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
The main inspiration and target in this project were to portray elements of the Egyptian soul and spirit in the design respecting the project context yet maintain a modern vibrant look with sleek lines and bold colors derived from iffco branding theme and colors. one of the unique elements for example is playing along with the Egyptian coins placing them vertically and horizontally to create Egyptianized motifs on walls as ancient Egyptian art installations and artworks.
Dimensions & Packaging
The most significant elements which have best fulfilled the client's requirements:

Modern, simple and bright look and feel.

Since the floorplan is an open space vast design, Sound insulating materials were used to absorb the maximum amount of sound and maintain an adequate working environment:
Acoustic wool above the ceiling.
Forbo flotex carpets in the work space.
Forbo carpets in the meeting rooms.
Knauf VIDI walls gypsum fiber boards with the advantages of:
Non-combustible
High strength
Sound absorption

Fire Resistant Gypsum Board was specified in the false ceiling design of the project.

The ceiling height was maintained as much as possible for a better look, bright and comfortable feel as per the client request.
Tags
Modern, simple, functional, professional, innovative, comfortable, balanced, authentic.
Production Technology
Mona hussein design house design process starts with a concept phase and creative ideas including furniture layout options fulfilling the client requirements, then we move to the schematic phase to develop these ideas into 3D rendered shots using materials, furniture and fixtures selections. After receiving the client approval, we move to the design development phase to provide the detailed package including full specifications, dimensions and installation details, and at last a full BOQ is submitted for finishing materials and furniture selections for tendering and site works commencement.
Design Challenge
Fulfilling the client requirements of a constrained budget and unique design yet maintaining the desired look and feel in a strict confined project timeline.
Research
1, Online research for creative ideas and inspiration.
2, Accomplishing a modern bright look with a very authentic Egyptian heritage spirit.
3, Maintaining office design standards for a functional and comfortable work environment.
4, MHDH office library and designers manual as well as online research.
5, Participants were Mona Hussein team and a collaboration with MEP and automation consultants.
Inspiration
The project inspiration was derived from the company brand identity and its management spirit, creating open work spaces, and using bright vibrant colors. Elements in the design were inspired from the work nature of iffco group working in mass-market food products, related derivatives and services and using this to come up with a modernized authentic design.
Project Duration
The project design phase started in November 2018 and finished in May 2019 and the construction phase started in July 2019 and finished in January 2020 in Cairo, EGYPT.
Operation Flow
The required number of the employees were fulfilled.
Workspace: 64 instead of 55
Managers: 11 instead of 10
Meeting rooms: 7 instead of 6
Team Members
Mona hussein design house
Image Credits
Yasser Photography

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