Roar’s self-designed HQ champions agile working and groundbreaking ideas

Photography: Yasser Ibrahim

Outgrowing its previous location, Roar has marked its tenth anniversary by relocating to a warehouse in Alserkal, Dubai. In this vibrant neighbourhood of fellow creatives, the studio set out to create a bespoke workplace made for architects and designers, by architects and designers. “This is a space that fosters collaboration, sparks inspiration, and empowers us to thrive creatively as a team,” explains Roar’s founder and creative director, Pallavi Dean. “We believe that a dynamic environment leads to groundbreaking designs, and our new home exemplifies this vision.”

Immediately conveying the sleek, modern aesthetic is a gold-clad, aluminium entranceway controlled by a biometric keypad. When conceiving the colour palette, the design team opted for an intentionally neutral selection of grey, white, black and oak, to establish a tranquil environment that doesn’t distract from the studio’s vibrant projects. Throughout the warehouse, staff can find a variety of spaces to suit their daily needs and individual work styles, from an informal standing meeting room to private offices and a shared pantry. The studio also incorporated more experimental spaces like a music room, with wooden cladding and a vintage-style record player, and even a nap room inspired by studies on the benefits of quick breaks at work.

Roar designed two levels within the warehouse, connecting them with a striking statement staircase on the ground floor. Striving towards flexibility and maximising the space available, the bottom of this staircase also doubles an amphitheatre, with a floor-to-ceiling LED screen and concealed storage. Here, the studio hopes to hold in-house ‘live labs’, presentations and panel discussions for staff, visitors and aspiring design and architecture students.

The ground floor is also home to three unique bathrooms: one is all-white, another all-black, while the third offers clients a quirky VIP bathroom with blue and white tiles, Petite Friture mirror and yellow taps. Upstairs, a twenty-seat open-plan working area awaits, adorned with a Shaw Contract carpet and custom desks. This floor also houses a plotter and printer area, discreetly enclosed to mask the noise, and three smaller rooms: an inviting lounge space, a standing workstation and a bookable, seated workspace for deep work or focused collaboration.

The studio has also installed ‘show-and-tell rooms’, with floor-to-ceiling doors that open into the sample kitchen. Here, a full fabric library, tile catalogue and carpet books are housed in floor-to-ceiling storage with a mobile ladder for easy access. A practical example of self-designed spaces at work, Dean believes that the layout of these rooms has transformed their approach to client presentations. “We begin in the show and tell room, where ideas come to life, and then continue with a coffee break enroute to the sample room, where we showcase the chosen materials for their projects. It creates a large interactive space, giving our clients a firsthand experience of how we work.”