EM Normandie - Dubai UAE

EM Normandie, a leading international business school with over 6,000 students across six campuses, continues its global growth with the opening of a new location in Dubai Knowledge Park. Strategically positioned in one of the region’s key educational hubs, the campus was set to welcome students for the 2022–2023 academic year.

The existing space consisted of outdated classrooms, offering little flexibility to support modern learning styles. The brief for the creative team was clear: completely refurbish and transform the site into a dynamic, future-ready environment that fosters learning, collaboration, and social connection.

The completed education facility features six classrooms, six private faculty offices, dedicated male and female prayer rooms, executive offices, and a spacious breakout area – all designed to support dynamic learning, collaboration, and wellbeing.

Flooring played a central role in reinforcing the school’s identity and creating a cohesive design language throughout. The interiors incorporate EM Normandie’s signature red, complemented by carefully placed blue accents that reflect the business school’s branding. This colour pairing brings consistency across different zones while visually distinguishing key areas.

In the social spaces, including the student lounge and communal areas, a grey carpet base is enhanced with subtle red and blue cobblestone style accents, creating an energetic yet welcoming environment. In classrooms and administrative areas, a patterned grey carpet adds texture and interest, maintaining a professional aesthetic throughout.

To bring the project’s vision, the team selected two Shaw Contract collections – Floor Architecture III and Living Systems – both of which embodied the key principles of flexibility, performance, and aesthetic harmony.

EM Normandie project integrates nature into the learning environment, the space that supports more than academic outcomes. Natural influences in design have been shown to spark curiosity, improve attention spans, and reduce stress – all crucial in an educational setting.

Floor Architecture III, inspired by the raw beauty of natural stone, pebbles, and refined concrete finishes, was used to define larger spaces through its subtle texture and pattern. Meanwhile, Living Systems contributed an organic, regenerative design sensibility – offering warmth and holistic appeal for environments where people learn, work, and connect.

Together, these collections not only elevated the aesthetic but also supported the functional and emotional goals of the space, fostering connection, focus, and a sense of place.

The design approach for EM Normandie’s Dubai campus delivers a cohesive visual language across the entire school, seamlessly connecting classrooms, administrative zones, social areas, and faculty spaces. By strategically using colour, texture, and pattern – inspired by both brand identity and natural elements each space contributes to a unified experience while retaining its own unique character. The result is an environment that feels both harmonious and purposefully distinct, supporting flexible learning, collaboration, and well-being.

Shaw Contract Collections/styles/colours specified:

Floor Architecture III – Stone Tile in Mica; Living Systems – Observe Colour in Fragile Coral, Transform in Fragile

Flooring Contractor: Metre Squared Tiles & Flooring
Project Designer: KPS
Total sqm: 900 m2
Date of completed project: April 2022
Photographer: Chris Goldstraw

EM Normandie - Dubai UAE

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