Project overview
SAB required a future-ready innovation headquarters that could host bankers, partners, and visitors while enabling rapid ideation, testing, and collaboration. IDWORKS delivered a full-floor environment organized into distinct innovation zones—each with its own identity—while maintaining seamless circulation and a consistent, high-tech user experience.
Key requirements
Purpose-built zones: Reception, Usability Lab, Future Zone, Digital Zone, Sprint Zero Zone, Podcast Room, Mining/Insight zones
Varied meeting spaces and workstations to support different working styles
Smart-building technology, interactive tools (digital signage, smart boards) and high-tech experience
Sustainable approach: efficient systems, daylight access, and durable locally sourced materials
What IDWORKS delivered
Zoning strategy and experiential space planning across the full floor
Concept and interior design that translates SAB culture into a youthful, modern environment
Integration of branded moments, digital content, and interactive experience points
Acoustic treatments and lighting strategy for focus zones, social zones, and event areas
Coordination and delivery across fit-out packages, furniture, and specialist systems
Design solution
The plan is structured as a series of connected ‘destinations’—Fintech, Digital, Usability, Think Zones, Mining/Insight, and Future Space—each calibrated for different modes of work: collaboration, focused analysis, prototyping, or presentation. A refined grey foundation provides visual calm, while teal, purple, and mustard accents energize key touchpoints and reinforce brand identity. Materials balance performance and warmth, combining concrete-look and wood-look flooring with carpeted areas, sleek laminates, metal details, and biophilic planting.
Design story
The story behind the design is about engagement: making innovation visible, participatory, and memorable. The interior is shaped around ‘zones with intent’ so teams can shift quickly between workshop, lab testing, digital immersion, and social exchange. To amplify participation, gamified elements—such as interactive kiosks, points systems, and digital leaderboards—were integrated to encourage friendly competition and sustained involvement. The result is a branded, experiential setting that feels modern, motivating, and distinctly SAB.
Outcome
SAB’s Innovation Center now functions as a strategic innovation destination—supporting events, day-to-day product work, and curated visitor journeys. The multi-zone planning improves clarity and flexibility, while integrated technology and branding strengthen user engagement and reinforce a future-forward mindset.
