Winner of USM’s ‘Live-Work’ design competition announced
MEAN* triumphs with ‘co-cross: machine for living + working’ concept.
Organised in collaboration with identity magazine, the USM ‘Live-Work’ design competition was won by MEAN* – Middle East Architecture Network, with the ‘co-cross: machine for living + working’ concept. The two runners-up in the conceptual design competition were NIU and Killa Design.
Leading UAE-based architects and designers took part in the design competition that involved conceptualising a USM configuration that responds to the needs of a hybrid environment, whether for the home, office or both. The entrants were encouraged to look to the future, as USM has for over 50 years, and present a design that delivers functionality and design that can complement today and the years ahead.
The jury included Catherine Belbin, identity Group Editor, and Eric Berchtold, USM’s Sales Director Middle East & Africa.
“MEAN’s design responds perfectly as a unit of four distinct spaces. Their attention to detail and usage of all the USM components makes it practical and it could be built immediately,” says Berchtold.
The Dubai-based designers from MEAN* studio won a three-day trip to Switzerland, including a visit to the USM Future Office.
From mid-March, the winning designs will be showcased at USM’s regional distributor showroom, One52.
‘co-cross: machine for living + working’
More images and details of the competitors’ entries will be in the April issue of identity.
The Latest
A Dose of Culture Without Losing Comfort
BLINK Design Group has drawn deeply from the well of ancient Lingnan culture to craft a design narrative that’s rooted in tradition yet thoroughly modern at Banyan Tree Dongguan Songshan Lake in China
id most wanted: MORPHO chair by Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland, the world-renowned music festival, has collaborated with designer Dieter Vander Velpen and Ethnicraft through its architecture and design studio, Great Library Studio, to create a contemporary Art Nouveau furniture collection
First Armani Beach Villas Launched in Ras Al Khaimah
Giorgio Armani and RAK Properties launch the first Armani-branded villas in the world
6 design-led museums in the UAE
Here are the current and upcoming design-led museums in the UAE that you should know about
What are the bathroom trends in 2025?
Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard unveil a fresh perspective on bathroom design for 2025
identity Design Awards 2025 is now open for submissions
Access our submissions link, criteria, deadlines, and checklist here.
A Sensory Escape
Soft pastels, natural materials and artistic craftmanship take centre stage at Villa Miraé
Things to Covet – Summer 2025
Here are the bold and statement pieces that caught our eye this month
A Ruin Turned Intimate Retreat
Tucked away in the Andalusian countryside near Gaucín, a small town located between Marbella and Gibraltar, Cortijo Genesis in Spain has recently been renovated by Victoria-Maria Geyer
A Parisian Touch
Interior designer Juliette Spencer of Atelier RO revives a storied pre-war apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with an elegant fusion of New York structure and French soul.
A Local Connection with a ‘70s Twist
Designed by Barcelona-based studio El Equipo Creativo, the newly renovated Kimpton Los Monteros hotel in Marbella, Spain is deeply inspired by Marbella’s rich landscape and cultural heritage.
A bold exploration of culture, nature, and the future of work by Roar
Roar has recently designed a new office for a global consulting firm that boldly reimagines the UAE's landscapes and cultural heritage into a workplace