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BISR REDEFINES EDUCATIONAL SPACE DESIGN THROUGH STRATEGIC VISION WITH KIDZINK

Published

4 months ago

March 17, 2026

Exclusive interview with Wayne Orr, Interim COO & Project Director Al Waha, BISR & Riccardo Borghesi, Market Manager KSA, Kidzink

Interview with Wayne Orr:

As Interim COO and Project Director, how do you define your role in shaping design outcomes across complex environments like educational campuses?

I joined BISR as Project Director for the Al Waha campus, later became Interim COO, and now serve as Interim Group CEO. That sequence matters because it changes your perspective.

As Project Director, the design was largely set. My job was to ensure it was delivered properly, adapted where evolving needs required it, and tightened where safety or operational risks emerged. That meant challenging contractors, questioning details that did not work in practice, and making sure what we opened was safe, compliant and ready for daily use.

As Interim COO, the focus shifted to opening the school smoothly. Even with a brand new campus, the real test is whether it works. Traffic flow. Student movement. Staff circulation. Supervision. Safeguarding. Peak time pressure. If those fail, the architecture is irrelevant.

Now, at Group level, I look across Al Waha, Al Hamra and DQ and ensure decisions make sense strategically as well as operationally.

If something looks good but creates friction or cost pressure later, it was the wrong call. On a project of this scale, you also learn. The key is recognising issues early and applying those lessons across the estate.

What are the core principles that guide design decisions at BISR projects, especially in terms of spatial flow, flexibility, and future adaptability?

Four principles guide us.

First, flow. A school must feel calm and logical. Students need to move safely. Staff need clear sightlines. Emergency routes must work without confusion. In a through school serving ages 4 to 16, zoning is critical. Younger children need protection and scale. Older students need independence. You cannot design for one group and ignore the other.

Second, flexibility. Educational priorities shift. Numbers change. Teaching models evolve. At Al Waha we built adaptable classrooms and shared spaces. At Al Hamra, which is over 40 years old, flexibility is often about reworking layouts or improving furniture rather than rebuilding.

Flexibility is not free. Every adaptable feature costs money. We invest where it protects long term value and avoid over engineering for theoretical scenarios.

Third, climate reality. In Riyadh, heat and dust shape how a campus functions. If classrooms overheat or glare is uncontrolled, learning suffers. Shading, cooling performance and durable materials are practical decisions, not aesthetic ones.

Fourth, financial discipline. Funds are finite. Whether improving a legacy campus or delivering a new one, we prioritise changes that improve experience and longevity rather than cosmetic upgrades.

The British International School Riyadh (BISR) Al Waha campus is noted for design that nurtures curiosity and creativity. What design elements were crucial in achieving that user experience?

At Al Waha, we focused on three things.

First, visibility. You can see learning happening. Glass between spaces, open commons areas and clear sightlines encourage collaboration and make supervision easier.

Second, variety. We did not just build rows of classrooms. There are breakout spaces, specialist labs, performance areas and shaded outdoor zones. Different students learn in different ways, particularly across a 4 to 16 age range. The building needed to support that range.

Third, making sure it works in this climate. If a space is uncomfortable, students disengage. We focused on effective shading, cooling and lighting. Even sports lighting was designed to meet recognised Class B standards so it performs properly without glare.

Curiosity is far more likely in an environment that is safe, comfortable and well run.

In your experience, how does a place like Al Waha campus balance aesthetic aspirations with functional requirements unique to educational settings?

You balance it through discipline.

Schools are hard working buildings. Finishes must last. Circulation must allow supervision. Specialist facilities must meet regulatory standards. Safeguarding cannot be compromised by design ambition.

At Al Waha, aesthetic decisions were tested against maintenance, operational reality and climate conditions. A building can look impressive, but if it creates long term cost or operational headaches, it is not a success.

In educational design, how do you address flexibility, so spaces can evolve with pedagogical innovation?

Change is constant. That is the starting point.

Teaching methods evolve. Technology advances. Student numbers fluctuate. Buildings need to absorb that change without repeated major capital spend.

At Al Waha, flexibility was built into layout and services capacity. At DQ, which is mid life, we focus on reconfiguration rather than rebuild. At Al Hamra, improvements are targeted and proportionate.

Designing for ages 4 to 16 adds complexity. Early Years spaces must feel secure and appropriately scaled. Secondary students need independence and facilities that feel credible. Zoning and transition areas matter.

Flexibility is about sensible investment, not endlessly transformable space. Good design in a school is ultimately about creating spaces that are safe, workable, financially sustainable and capable of adapting over time.

Interview with Riccardo Borghesi:

As Market Manager for Saudi Arabia, how do you define your role within the design ecosystem, are you a strategist, a cultural translator, or a curator of design experience?

We built Kidzink and Koda around a shared mission: to make schools better. Creativity, collaboration and innovation underpin everything we do. Saudi Arabia’s clear national vision and deep investment in education provide a powerful platform for a mission-driven company like ours to create lasting impact, not only for clients, but for children and communities for generations to come.

Within that context, my role as Market Manager for KSA spans strategist, cultural translator and curator of design experience.

Strategically, I bridge commercial realities with long-term educational ambition — ensuring that vision is grounded in structured, deliverable frameworks that create sustainable value. Education in the Kingdom is evolving rapidly, and aligning design strategy with pedagogical outcomes and operational performance is critical.

Culturally, we work to ensure that as the Kingdom modernises, schools retain a strong sense of identity, place and shared values. Every project must thoughtfully balance global best practice with local context.

From a design experience perspective, we translate educational vision into tangible spatial environments, embedding values physically into the learning experience rather than leaving them as abstract statements.

Pedagogy remains central to this work. Last year, Kidzink unveiled The Enriched Environment Model™, a science-backed framework developed through years of research in pedagogy, neuroarchitecture and environmental psychology. The Model provides a structured approach to designing environments aligned with how students learn, feel and thrive.

Ultimately, my role is about integration, aligning vision, strategy and experience so that each educational environment is pedagogically meaningful, commercially sound and built for long-term impact.

In leading Kidzink’s footprint in Saudi Arabia, how do you maintain a design-first mindset while adapting to fast-evolving regional expectations?

Design strategy is our anchor. At Kidzink, designing for longevity means designing for change.

A design-first mindset is not about rigidity, it is about adaptability. In Saudi Arabia’s fast-evolving market, design is less about fixed solutions and more about creating frameworks that anticipate shifting expectations and evolving educational models.

Each school is a unique ecosystem shaped by stakeholders, operational realities and long-term ambitions. Our role is to develop structured yet flexible strategies that align educational vision with spatial performance and commercial viability.

Whether delivering purpose-built campuses such as BISR Al Waha or elevating legacy environments through thoughtful interventions, the objective remains consistent. We create learning environments that are responsive, future-ready and grounded in pedagogical outcomes..

True sustainability extends beyond materials or efficiency. It means designing spaces that remain relevant and capable of serving generations of learners.

What role does local culture and context play in translating Kidzink’s global vision into meaningful spaces across Saudi Arabia?

At Kidzink, we design schools for children, young people and their communities. Culture is central to that process. Every project begins with fundamental questions. Who are we designing for? What values define the community? What is its history and future ambition?

Saudi Arabia presents a uniquely dynamic context. While Vision 2030 is accelerating modernization and positioning the Kingdom as a global hub, cultural identity remains deeply valued. Education becomes one of the most meaningful platforms where progress and heritage coexist.

Culture shapes how comfort, privacy, hierarchy and social interaction are understood. These behavioural nuances influence how students gather, communicate and experience space. Designing meaningful environments requires sensitivity to those patterns.

Our role is to ensure that global best practice is thoughtfully adapted to local context so each learning environment feels authentic, relevant and grounded in its community. Global vision provides structure. Local culture gives it meaning.

One of the standout projects you’ve been associated with is the Aldenham Prep Riyadh transformation, what design philosophy guided your involvement from briefing to execution?

The philosophy centred on repositioning rather than rebuilding. The structural fabric remained intact, so the transformation focused on reshaping experience, identity and perception within the existing shell.

Interior environments became the primary design tool. Spatial planning, materiality, light, flow and FF&E were carefully orchestrated to elevate quality and clarity without altering the footprint. The objective was premiumisation through atmosphere, improving how the school feels, functions and communicates its values.

Constraints were treated as creative drivers. Existing grids, proportions and circulation patterns informed precise interventions that unlocked the building’s potential. Functionality was central, particularly daily operations, movement, supervision and flexibility.

Cultural calibration was equally important. A British school identity was expressed through detailing and material language, thoughtfully balanced with Saudi expectations around privacy and community.

The project demonstrates that meaningful transformation does not always require new construction. It requires strategic reframing of space and experience.

Can you walk us through how design thinking impacts the way children, educators, and parents interact in a space? What design decisions make that difference?

Design thinking shapes how people feel, behave and connect within a space. In schools, that influence is significant because children, educators and parents experience the same environment differently.

For children, space influences confidence, curiosity and behaviour. Natural light, spatial clarity, movement and sensory comfort support focus, engagement and social interaction. When environments offer flexibility and choice, students develop independence and ownership of learning.

For educators, design affects performance and wellbeing. Clear sightlines, adaptable classrooms, considered acoustics and intuitive circulation reduce friction and cognitive load, allowing teachers to focus on teaching rather than navigating constraints.

For parents, the physical environment becomes the first expression of a school’s ethos. Arrival experience and shared spaces communicate care, safety and educational intent.

Projects such as BISR Al Waha exemplify this approach, where design strategy aligns with educational vision, student experience and community identity from the outset.

Well-designed spaces don’t just accommodate learning, they quietly shape behaviour, relationships and belonging.

In your opinion, what is the biggest misconception about interior design for institutional or educational environments?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that interior design in schools is primarily aesthetic.

In reality, educational environments demand a level of rigour comparable to sectors such as healthcare. Schools are high-performance human spaces where spatial decisions directly influence wellbeing, stress, cognitive function and behaviour. Yet they are often approached with less technical scrutiny, despite being environments centred on human development.

Educational interiors shape attention, emotional regulation and social interaction in ways that are frequently underestimated. For many children, school is the first environment outside the home where identity, independence and confidence are formed.

Another misconception is viewing schools as static. Pedagogy evolves constantly, requiring spaces that are adaptable and capable of remaining relevant over time.

When designed well, learning environments act as behavioural frameworks. They guide movement, collaboration and focus, often invisibly. The impact of educational design is far more profound than it first appears.

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EUROPHON ACOUSTICS SETS A NEW ACOUSTIC BENCHMARK AT DEWA’S AL SHERA’A HQ

Published

22 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Integrator Web-Admin

Government and public-sector developments across the GCC are increasingly setting new benchmarks for sustainable, people-centric workplaces. Employee wellness is now a business priority, and acoustic comfort is increasingly being recognised alongside air quality, daylight, and thermal performance. In the UAE, the wellness economy is valued at approximately $40.8 billion, while 90% of residents say they prioritise healthy living and working environments. For sustainability-led government buildings in particular, sound is a headline requirement.

Answering that brief at one of the region’s flagship developments, Europhon Acoustics® has completed a large-scale acoustic installation at the Al Shera’a Headquarters for Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), widely recognized as one of the world’s most advanced sustainable government buildings. Europhon Acoustics supplied and installed approximately 5,000 sqm of MELO® Acoustic Plaster across the building’s lobbies, gym and office spaces, achieving a stringent NRC 0.90 sound absorption target across a series of architecturally complex, curved spaces without a single visible joint or panel line.

Amna Khazi, Senior Executive Manager at Europhon Acoustics®, commented: “The DEWA Al Shera’a project was an important milestone for Europhon Acoustics®, It showcased our ability to deliver large-scale, high-performance acoustic solutions on one of the UAE’ s most prestigious and sustainable developments. The project involved complex acoustic and architectural requirements, demanding close coordination, technical expertise and a genuine commitment to quality. Successfully contributing to such a landmark project reinforces our reputation as a trusted specialist in acoustic systems, and our capability to support iconic projects from concept through to completion.”

Engineering Silence into Complex Architecture

Large workplace environments require carefully engineered acoustic design to maintain speech clarity and create comfortable environments for employees. At Al Shera’a, this challenge was heightened by the building’s sweeping curves and non-standard geometries, which ruled out conventional modular acoustic panels.

MELO® was selected specifically for its seamless, monolithic finish, which leaves no visible joints – a critical requirement for the clean architectural lines of the Al Sheraa HQ. Beyond aesthetics, it also delivers high acoustic performance, making it possible to meet the NRC 0.90 target without relying on modular panels or visible treatments. MELO’s standard finish was applied throughout without requiring any custom formulations, absorbing reflected sound across the lobbies and office areas to control reverberation and preserve speech clarity.

Given the complex geometries involved, installation required custom-cut profiles to accommodate curved surfaces, careful on-site coordination around non-standard wall contours, and precise on-site finishing to maintain MELO’s signature seamless look throughout. Europhon Acoustics managed the project end-to-end, handling both supply and installation, over a 12-month programme.

Acoustics as a Sustainability Metric

MELO® also contributes to the project’s LEED certification objectives, formulated with low VOC emissions to support healthier indoor air quality in line with sustainable building standards. It is an increasingly expected distinction of premium developments in the region: as WELL and LEED certifications converge around human health as much as physical sustainability, acoustic performance is emerging as a measurable ESG credential in its own right.

As government and public-sector developments increasingly prioritise employee wellness and productivity, acoustic comfort has become a key design consideration. At the same time, rising standards for sustainable and smart buildings across the region mean acoustic performance is now viewed as a core element of building quality.

A Region Tuning Into Acoustic Design

Demand for acoustic solutions is accelerating across the GCC, driven by a growing emphasis on occupant comfort, wellness, and sustainable building standards.

Beyond government projects, Europhon expects hospitality, retail, healthcare, and education to drive the next phase of adoption as acoustic comfort becomes a standard consideration in building design across the region.

Building on its contribution to landmark projects such as DEWA Al Shera’a Headquarters Europhon Acoustics continues to support the region’s vision for world-class, sustainable developments. As demand grows across government, hospitality, healthcare, education and commercial sectors, the company aims to further expand its footprint across the GCC while continuing to innovate in high-performance acoustic solutions.

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DUBIZZLE GROUP ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AND INVESTMENT IN TAKEEM, UAE-BASED RENTAL PROTECTION PLATFORM

Published

22 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Integrator Web-Admin

Dubizzle Group, the leading online classifieds platform in the Middle East, today announced a strategic partnership and investment in Takeem, the UAE-based rent guarantee platform.

As part of the partnership, Bayut and dubizzle will be the exclusive portal for Takeem’s Rental Guarantee solution, complementing the Group’s growing suite of rental services with a more dependable way for landlords to protect rental income and reduce uncertainty throughout the leasing process.

Takeem’s Rental Guarantee is the first of its kind in the GCC. It protects landlords against tenant non-payment and includes emergency maintenance cover for urgent property repairs, helping create a more secure, structured and predictable rental experience for landlords, tenants, agents and property managers, while enabling monthly digital direct debit payments.

Founded by Rakesh Mavath and Pooja Vithlani, Takeem has scaled quickly to onboard over 100,000 units. The platform draws on a vast, dynamic proprietary database of rental data to underpin its models, with the goal of enhancing the rental experience for the market. The company has seen strong commercial momentum, with client onboarding increasing by 900% over the past two months.

“Takeem is solving one of the most important gaps in the rental journey, and what stood out to us was not only the strength of the product, but the clarity of the founding team’s vision” said Haider Ali Khan, CEO of Dubizzle Group UAE. “Their ambition mirrors our own: to make property transactions more trusted, more transparent and more dependable for everyone involved. With Takeem, we are giving landlords and agents a credible way to take default risk off the table, while Tern gives tenants a much-needed payment solution. Together, these partnerships allow us to support the full rental ecosystem, from search and discovery to payments, protection and trust.”

Rakesh Mavath, Co-Founder of Takeem, added: “Our vision has always been to make renting more secure and predictable for everyone involved. Partnering with Dubizzle Group allows us to bring Rental Guarantee to a much wider audience through Bayut and dubizzle, embedding protection into the rental journey where it matters most. Together, we look forward to helping landlords and agents reduce risk, while contributing to a more trusted and resilient property ecosystem in the UAE.”

The move follows Dubizzle Group’s recent strategic partnership and investment in Tern, the UAE-based rental payments platform. While Tern gives tenants a more flexible and rewarding way to pay rent, Takeem strengthens the other side of the transaction by giving landlords and agents greater confidence around rental income.

The investment in Takeem was made through Dubizzle Group Ventures, the Group’s early-stage arm, which backs technology founders building around its marketplaces in the GCC.

The partnership marks another step in Dubizzle Group’s ambition to build a more trusted, dependable and connected rental experience across Bayut and dubizzle, supporting landlords, agents, tenants and property managers at every stage of the journey.

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THE RISE OF AI-NATIVE RENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Published

1 week ago

July 2, 2026

Integrator Web-Admin

Exclusive interview with Rashed Hareb, Co-Founder and CEO of Rentify

Across your entrepreneurial journey, you’ve built businesses around consumer convenience and operational efficiency. How has that experience influenced your vision for the future of housing?

At its core, housing is one of the most important services people interact with, yet many rental experiences still rely on outdated systems, fragmented workflows and manual processes. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve consistently focused on removing friction from everyday experiences and housing is no exception.

I believe that the future of housing will be defined by intelligent infrastructure rather than isolated products. Residents shouldn’t have to navigate multiple platforms for payments, agreements, maintenance, communication and rewards. Instead, these experiences should work seamlessly together. The next generation of housing will be digital, proactive and resident-centric, creating more transparency and convenience while improving operational efficiency for landlords and property managers.

Rentify has described its latest platform as an AI-native rental infrastructure. How do you see AI transforming the residential experience over the next few years?

We are moving beyond a world where AI simply provides insights. The next phase is AI taking action.

Over the next few years, residents will increasingly experience housing that feels responsive and predictive. Rent payments, renewals, maintenance coordination, document management and communication will happen with far less manual effort. Instead of reacting to issues, systems will anticipate needs and resolve them before they become problems.

For property managers and landlords, AI will automate many of the repetitive operational tasks that consume time today. For residents, that means faster service, clearer communication and a more seamless rental experience. We see AI becoming the invisible layer that continuously optimises the rental journey while allowing people to focus on what matters most, which is enjoying their homes.

How do renting behaviours and tenant expectations in the GCC differ from those in more mature rental markets globally?

The GCC rental market is unique because it combines rapid urban growth, a highly mobile population and a strong demand for convenience. Many residents are expatriates who value flexibility, speed and digital-first experiences.

In more mature rental markets, consumers have already become accustomed to monthly rent payments, digital agreements and online management tools. In parts of the GCC, there is still

significant reliance on traditional processes such as post-dated cheques and fragmented communication channels.

At the same time, tenant expectations in the region are evolving rapidly. Today’s renters expect the same level of convenience they receive from banking, e-commerce, and mobility platforms. They want transparency, flexibility, instant access to information and mobile-first experiences. This creates a significant opportunity to modernise rental infrastructure and bring the residential experience in line with other digitally transformed industries.

Beyond simplifying payments, what does an intelligent rental ecosystem actually look like in practice for residents?

An intelligent rental ecosystem goes far beyond processing transactions.

For residents, it means having a single platform that understands their rental journey and actively supports it. Payments happen automatically, reminders arrive at the right time, receipts are generated instantly, and agreements are managed digitally. Residents can access support, track important milestones, earn rewards on everyday rental activity and receive personalised recommendations that improve their experience.

The goal is to eliminate administrative burden. Renting should not feel like managing paperwork. It should feel as seamless as using a modern financial platform. The intelligence sits in the background, simplifying complexity while giving residents greater control and visibility.

You recently described Earn AI as more than a property tool and closer to an operating system for rental real estate. What does that distinction mean, and how does it reflect the future of housing?

Most technology solutions in real estate solve individual problems. Earn AI was designed differently.

An operating system becomes the foundation through which multiple functions work together. Earn AI combines rental revenue management, payment intelligence, tenant behaviour analysis, renewal forecasting, occupancy insights and operational automation into a unified platform.

The distinction is important because the future of housing will not be powered by disconnected software products. It will be powered by integrated intelligence. By continuously learning from rental performance, tenant interactions and portfolio-level trends, Earn AI helps property managers and landlords make better decisions while automating execution.

Ultimately, we believe housing is evolving into a data-rich, continuously optimised ecosystem. Earn AI is designed to become the intelligence layer that powers that evolution.

Do you envision a future where property managers spend less time on administration and more time focusing on resident satisfaction, community engagement and experience design?

Absolutely.

Property managers entered the industry to create value, not to spend their days chasing payments, managing spreadsheets or handling repetitive administrative tasks. As AI takes over routine workflows such as collections, reminders, reconciliation, renewals and reporting, property teams will be able to focus on higher-value activities.

The most successful residential communities of the future will differentiate themselves through resident experience. Community building, engagement initiatives, personalised services and proactive support will become increasingly important.

Technology should not replace human relationships. It should strengthen them by removing operational burdens. Our vision is a future where AI handles the administration, while people focus on creating better places to live. That is where the next chapter of housing is headed.