Children’s Investment Fund Foundation Office, Nairobi

CIFF is the world’s largest philanthropy that focuses specifically on improving children’s lives. It is an independent philanthropic organization with offices in Addis Ababa, Beijing, London, Nairobi, and New Delhi.

When the organization decided the time was right to relocate its Nairobi offices, it appointed Image 360 Designs Ltd to design an exceptional workplace for its staff and clients. The design intent is centered around creating a vibrant workplace that meets the values and vision of CIFF while using African artwork, accessories, and fabrics to locate CIFF’s office and its users geographically and socially within the context of the African environment and East Africa in particular. The principles of ergonomics, natural light and biophilia put health and wellness at the core of the design.

The reception waiting area is fashioned into a colourful lounge. A shelf with a combination of African accessories and children’s books creates a backdrop to the furniture, boasting of the children the organization represents. The green wall creates a vibrant backdrop for the waiting area, enhancing the staff and client arrival experience. With staff sitting mostly in open areas, collaboration between teams is seamless. Biophilic principles have been applied through the installation of preserved hanging plants over the workstations to bring the outside in. Every workstation is sit-to-stand. A mural of Nairobi city painted by one of Nairobi’s leading graffiti artists with the assistance of school children forms the focal wall at the eastern side of the open plan space. The colours of the meeting rooms not only add life to the otherwise neutral palette of the office, but also represent the organization’s brand colours. There is a dedicated space for nursing mothers designed with the same playful African theme. A café-style outdoor terrace for informal gatherings and solo work is located at the Western corner of the office. It boasts a view of Nairobi’s capital and is the best location for staff TGIFs