Page 30 - March 2020

“We are also continuing on a number of new key projects
DESIGN PROFILE | BREWER SMITH BREWER GROUP
Activating Spaces
“As a business, our
approach is permanently
evolutionary”
ShA EmIRATES
Abu Dhabi, UAE
in the region which include The Island, Dorchester Collection
Hotel and Private Residences, Banyan Tree Residences –
that retail will continue the evolutionary trend into destination-
Hillside Dubai and ICD Brookfield Place,” says Bereza.
Despite challenges in the market at the moment, Bereza feels
based entertainment and mixed-use functions to support
community services. He explains that space activation comes to
the forefront of the mix of uses that developers need to focus
on for existing assets, as well as new build mixed-use.
“As a business, our approach is permanently evolutionary.
Established in Dubai as a boutique architectural design practice in Projects are becoming far larger in scale and complexity,
and we understand the importance of multi-disciplinary
1976, the company was originally known as Brewer Smith Brewer collaboration, communication, the sharing of ideas and clarity
of information in delivering these developments,” says Bereza.
Gulf. Today, the company has expanded into a global design firm The team at BSBG believe that successful delivery can
with offices in three continents. Here, RLI speaks with Andrew only be accomplished through efficient teamwork and close
collaboration between all parties. An example of this is with
Bereza, Group Partner at Brewer Smith Brewer Group about what The Island – a highly complex project requiring new levels
of sophistication in terms of coordination. For the project,
the company is currently involved with and what the future holds. they created a project hub within their headquarters, where
all external parties involved in the project came to work
E ver since its inception, the mission for the business has been to be synonymous with years, Bereza commented that placemaking, while certainly not
alongside them every day, all working side-by-side.
When asked about the changes in the design sector in recent
high quality design and integrated delivery and its vision is to set the highest standard of
a new concept, is something that is playing an increasingly vital
design and delivery internationally
The company has grown from its Dubai base to operate offices in London, Dubai and
Ho Chi Minh City and they are an internationally renowned, award winning architectural group part in every project they are involved in and it is all about
developing areas to become vibrant, activated spaces that cater
working on projects around the globe. to a variety of needs, encouraging people to engage with them. NOBU hOTEL LONDON PORTmAN SQUARE
Recent projects that the group has worked on include the handover of Festival Plaza, an 81,000sqm
Technology of course plays a pivotal role in the modern design
London, UK
development in Dubai which the company designed and delivered for Al Futtaim Group. sector, and BSBG is committed to remaining at the forefront of
“This development is important for Dubai for a number of reasons; firstly, the retail experience the continually evolving landscape of technical design, and a big
is markedly different in the mall when compared to the majority of other retail offerings in the part of its dedication in this regard involves early stage testing
UAE,” explains Andrew Bereza, Group Partner at Brewer Smtih Brewer Group (BSBG). “Many of of beta software to understand and predict the impact it could
the units contain experiential installations and interactive concepts, as one of the targets of the mall have for its clients’ projects and on their working process.
is to become a community-based social destination which presents a series of ‘moments’ that can “From a design perspective, our work in 3D software
be shared with each other, or with people around the world through social media.” especially has had a great impact on being able to communicate
In addition, the jewel in the crown of this development is Dubai’s second IKEA store which our design vision to our clients and it is a field that we consider
presents a much more interactive and immersive journey for the end user in comparison with the integral to our market proposition.”
usual IKEA experience. “We are proud to have continued our relationship with the developer as Looking ahead, the company expects strong performances
the design architect and lead consultant on the project,” Bereza explains. in key locations throughout the Middle East and in Europe.
The company also announced its role as the design architect behind a new repurposing of key Their expertise in design and delivery of high value projects
areas in the Dubai Festival City Mall – one of Dubai’s original retail destinations. This project involves in the UAE positions them as key collaborators in achieving
the business repositioning the design and execution of the public realm, shifting the architectural the huge project ambitions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
experience of spaces to offer a new dynamic which fuses entertainment elements with retail. which currently has 80 mega projects under construction.
Stepping away from retail, BSBG has also unveiled its design of the new VISA Middle East Headquarters, “Developers and stakeholders can see the work we have ThE ISLAND
located in Dubai Internet City, and SHA Emirates, a five-star health and wellness resort located along the produced in Dubai, and we are looking forward to providing Dubai, UAE
coast between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. the same level of expertise to help Saudi reach its objectives
throughout 2020. In addition, the traction we have gained
DUBAI FESTIVAL CITY mALL REPOSITIONING and the growth of our reputation in London has been quite ThE DUBAI mALL ZABEEL EXPANSION
Dubai, UAE Dubai, UAE
remarkable. We’re currently working on three high profile
projects in the UK’s capital, and we expect to be in a position
to announce more as the year progresses,” Bereza concludes.
www.bsbgroup.com
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