< Previous20 December 2019 | Commercial Interior Design CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, SWISS BUREAU Co-founder and CEO of Swiss Bureau, Joakim de Rham, has been in the Middle East for 15 years and has completed more than 130 commercial, hospitality and residential projects during his time here. This year has been a significant one for the business – which has more than doubled in size in the last three years. As well completing a long-awaited rebranding, the design firm has sharpened its focus on hospitality and high-rise residential developments. To support this, de Rham is investing in a larger office and expanding his hospitality team, as well as boosting Swiss Bureau's presence in Saudi Arabia. As part of a wider international push, de Rham has helped the business pick up projects in France, Singapore, Switzerland, Egypt, Nigeria and Tanzania, as the Dubai firm starts to export design globally. This comes as the Swiss Bureau team has increased from 45 to 56 people in the last 12 months, with new design and project managers, as well as the first graphic design team, joining the large-scale practice. Some of the projects the company has completed this year include Mastercard’s head office in Saudi Arabia, Wild & the Moon café in Dubai International Financial Centre and an office for the Ministry of Culture in Dubai Design District. JOAKIM DE RHAM P WER 50 LIST 2019 www.commercialinteriordesign.comCommercial Interior Design | December 2019 21 FOUNDER, LULIE FISHER DESIGN STUDIO Lulie Fisher, design director and founder of eponymous practice Lulie Fisher Design Studio, established the boutique firm in 2016. Three years later, she has completed 10 projects in the Middle East, including the award- winning Studio Republik fitness centre on Sheikh Zayed Road and the acclaimed Vida Hotel, Emirates Hills, for Emaar. Her team has increased to 10 people in the last 12 months and Fisher expects revenue to rise by close to a quarter between 2018 and 2019. Under her leadership, the dynamic design firm is now targeting larger commercial projects with blue-chip developers and is looking seriously at expansion into Europe. Hospitality, cultural and residential projects will remain at the core of Lulie Fisher Design Studio’s repertoire moving forwards. And this can be seen in its mix of upcoming projects. These include Manzil Residences, developments for Meraas in City Walk and Emirates Towers District, Emaar’s Mina Rashid waterfront megaproject and a villa for Ellington Properties. The studio is also working on a luxury penthouse in Mumbai and a confidential branded hotel in Dubai. Lulie Fisher won Highly Commended Interior Designer of the Year at the Commercial Interior Design Awards 2019 — and narrowly missed out on winning the top prize. Peers have described her as one of the region’s most influential designers in Dubai. LULIE FISHER P WER 50 LIST 2019 www.commercialinteriordesign.com22 December 2019 | Commercial Interior Design FOUNDER AND CEO, BLUEHAUSE GROUP Founder and CEO of Dubai-based Bluehause Group, Ben Corrigan, is an industry veteran who has worked in the Middle East for two decades, completing more than 250 projects. In the last 12 months, the 47-person practice has finished an impressive collection of government projects, including The Founders Office, which is the official legacy office of the late Sheik Zayed. Additionally, Bluehause Group has completed foundation offices for Sheikha Salama bint Al Nahyan, an office for the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Government Media Office, as well as the Dubai Diamond Exchange, among others. Revenue is expected to remain steady for the foreseeable future with Corrigan having carried out a five-year diversification plan to push beyond corporate design into hotels, retail, food and beverage and architecture. Digital innovation has been a key focus during Corrigan’s tenure and between now and the end of 2020, Bluehause Group will migrate to a cloud-based system. This focus on tech investment will continue as the company targets growth in hospitality design and architecture. BEN CORRIGAN www.commercialinteriordesign.com P WER 50 LIST 2019Commercial Interior Design | December 2019 23 PRINCIPAL, RABIH GEHA ARCHITECTS What a year it has been for Rabi Geha. The Lebanese- Croatian founder and principal of Beirut-based Rabi Geha Architects was named Interior Designer of the Year at the Commercial Interior Design Awards 2019. Geha, who has worked in the Middle East for 14 years, also won trophies for BAU, a rooftop bar overlooking Beirut's waterfront, and the Images d'Orient showroom in the retail category. While the company cut three jobs this year after deciding to sub-contract roles to better manager its projects, Geha has led the studio into Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, the biggest economy in Africa. He has also diversified the portfolio by working across commercial, hospitality, residential and retail projects. And while Lebanon faces significant challenges that have dented its economy, Geha is planning to invest in larger offices as the firm expands across the Middle East and into Africa. A product design line is also in the works, which will compliment ongoing projects like the large-scale architectural renovation, expansion and interior redesign of a traditional Lebanese palace. RABIH GEHA www.commercialinteriordesign.com P WER 50 LIST 2019P WER 50 LIST 2019 24 December 2019 | Commercial Interior Design www.commercialinteriordesign.comwww.commercialinteriordesign.com The owner and founder of Broadway Interiors, Chris Barnes, is one of the region’s most prolifi c interior designers, having delivered more than 900 projects during the last two decades. While his contribution to design is well-documented, what Barnes, 54, does not receive enough praise for is his humility and generosity. It is commendable that, in challenging economic times, Broadway Interiors completed the full refurbishment of non-profi t fi rm British Business Group Dubai's offi ce for free. The 18-person studio also expanded to Saudi Arabia and Russia in 2019, opening an offi ce in the kingdom. Broadway Interiors also expects to see revenue rise by more than a third in 2019 and has an order book that includes projects for the likes of engineering giant WSP. FOUNDER, BROADWAY INTERIORS CHRIS BARNES Co-founder and creative director of Dubai-based boutique design agency Studio EM, Emma Stinson, rediscovered her mojo in 2019 and believes some of the company’s best work has been completed in the last 12 months. Studio EM’s portfolio of recently completed projects includes Marco Pierre White’s New York Italian in Abu Dhabi, Skydive Dubai, Namshi’s head offi ce, gentlemen’s barber concept Refi nery in Kenya, and outlets for Wagamama and Five Guys. With retail, food and beverage and fi tness projects on the horizon in Kenya, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the future looks promising for the Sharjah- born designer who has completed more than 200 projects with Studio EM. CO-FOUNDER, STUDIO EM EMMA STINSONP WER 50 LIST 2019 Commercial Interior Design | December 2019 25 www.commercialinteriordesign.com The 49-year-old founder and principal of Dubai-based boutique design studio Stickman Tribe, Marcos Cain, is accelerating plans to take the company global. He increased the size of his team by fi ve people during the last 12 months after expanding to a Shanghai and Singapore offi ce to cover Stickman’s growing body of work in Asia. And he is now looking at opening an offi ce in Miami to closely manage projects in Latin America. With more than twenty years’ creative experience spanning hotel, retail, residential and commercial projects, Cain is a passionate spokesperson for the industry on hospitality and food and beverage design. With revenue expected to rise by 50% this year, he is boosting the company’s international reach with high-profi le hospitality projects in Australia, Malaysia and the GCC. Projects completed by Stickman Tribe in the last 12 months include the renovation of Mina’s Kitchen in the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi, Waldorf Astoria Maldives and Shanghainese noble-inspired restaurant Li Long in China. As the co-founder and creative director of Binchy & Binchy Architecture, Jennie Binchy has increased the size of her boutique team and expanded the offi ce to accommodate a research and development department with four 3D printers. She is also looking to develop training software using virtual and augmented reality for a high-profi le law enforcement project. But with the company working on several large-scale developments likely to run for several years, Binchy is targeting smaller projects with shorter turnaround times in the interim to aid the development of her junior designers — a task she is deeply passionate about. Her passion for detail, material exploration and manipulation came to the fore at Downtown Design 2019, when she unveiled a collection of 10 tables using new materials, laser etching, CNC milling and 3D printing to repose old materials. This highly-praised collection cemented her position as one of the region’s most exciting designers. FOUNDER, STICKMAN TRIBE CO-FOUNDER, BINCHY & BINCHY ARCHITECTURE MARCOS CAIN JENNIE BINCHYP WER 50 LIST 2019 26 December 2019 | Commercial Interior Design www.commercialinteriordesign.comwww.commercialinteriordesign.com Founder and principal of minimalist studio Light Space Design, Omar Ghafour, is a well-known figure in the industry who has completed more than 200 projects across commercial, residential, retail and hospitality. The low-key architect and interior designer, who was born and raised in London, established his business in 2004, and has had a marked impact on the discourse of the industry, taking part in the Venice Biennale of Architect and Light as a keynote speaker. Training and development of junior staff is important as well: every Thursday he sits down with staff and interns to walk them through the company’s projects. In line with this, he has streamlined the company’s office protocols and updated software for 3D immersion capabilities to improve back-office functions. The company expanded into the Far East and picked up hotel projects and New York penthouses in 2019. And Ghafour continues to maintain Light Space Design’s steady growth and plans to expand to London in 2020 by opening a UK office to complement hubs in China and the UAE. Sebaa Orabi is the interior design director of SSH and has been with the multidisciplinary consultancy for close to a decade, working from the firm's Kuwait office. From here, she leads all of the interior design work for SSH across Algeria, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE and other GCC countries. Orabi is a mentor and gender diversity champion for the Kuwait- based Women Empowerment Forum, which aims to support the economy by increasing the number of woman leaders and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about elevating the leadership role of women across design in the Middle East and plays an active role in advocating for it. Development of young staff is similarly important to her, as Orabi acts as vice president of an in-house innovation and human capital investment committee. This works to spot, gather and sponsor talent across the GCC and nurture future leaders of SSH. FOUNDER, LIGHT SPACE DESIGN INTERIOR DESIGN DIRECTOR, SSH OMAR GHAFOUR SEBAA ORABI New pull handles from HOPPE: Compact design – modern colours The new pull handles from HOPPE are here! Three popular HOPPE series have now been extended to include the compact, short U-shape: Amsterdam, Toulon and Los Angeles. Premium brass surfaces – with Resista® surface guarantee – and various stainless steel finishes as well as the popular colours black matt or white matt make the short pull handles a perfect partner, not least for modern sliding doors. Assembly is as simple as ever: The tried-and-tested HOPPE fixing system ensures that the pull handles can be firmly fitted on glass doors as well as on wooden or profile doors. HOPPE AG • Representative Office Middle East • LOB 15, Office 302 • P.O. Box 261833 • Jebel Ali Free Zone • UAE-Dubai Tel. +9714 887 00 58 • Fax +9714 887 61 95 • info.gcc@hoppe.com • www.hoppe.com 2019-12-Commerical-Interior-Design-GCC-Anzeige-neue-Buegelgriffe-225x300+5.indd 104.11.2019 13:24:25P WER 50 LIST 2019 28 December 2019 | Commercial Interior Design www.commercialinteriordesign.comwww.commercialinteriordesign.com Sneha Divias, the 35-year-old founder of eponymous practice Sneha Divias Atelier, is one of the younger interior designers to feature on the Power 50 List 2019, but it is not without good reason. After making heads turn with interactive kids’ museum Oli Oli, Divas continued her fi ne form in the children-oriented space by completing White & The Bear, described as the world’s fi rst children’s restaurant, this year. She also completed a residential villa in Dubai Hills and a show apartment for Banyan Tree Residences in Dubai in 2019. Her team of four are currently working on a café, library and co- working space in Warehouse 421 in Abu Dhabi, a villa and penthouse in Ahmedabad, India, in collaboration with design studio Apical Reform. The practice is also working on residential projects in Saadiyat Island and Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, as well as a restaurant in Porto, Portugal. The Canadian-born founder and director of Brand Creative, Carla Conte, has championed multidisciplinary design since establishing her Dubai-based practice in 2011. Branding has been at the forefront of her philosophy and the woman often dubbed the region’s ‘beauty and wellness expert’ has seen her practice expand to India. She also plans to open an offi ce in Toronto, Canada, next year to transform Brand Creative into a bona fi de leader in international beauty, retail and wellness design. With 18 staff across the UAE and India, Brand Creative moved into a larger offi ce in Bay Square Dubai in February 2019 to accommodate the growing team. Amd the company has also invested in new hires and better software. Having completed more than 250 projects in the Middle East, Brand Creative is going from strength to strength under Conte’s watch, with the practice working on projects across Oman, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. FOUNDER, SNEHA DIVIAS ATELIER FOUNDER, BRAND CREATIVE SNEHA DIVIAS CARLA CONTEP WER 50 LIST 2019 Commercial Interior Design | December 2019 29 www.commercialinteriordesign.com As founding partner and managing director of MMAC Design Associates, Christian Merieau leads a Dubai-based hospitality design studio that is expanding into Africa and Asia, with revenue expected to rise by 50% between last year and 2019. His career started in hotel administration, but Merieau studied interior design in the late 1980s before obtaining an interior architecture qualifi cation in Geneva, Switzerland. Having spent 14 years in the Middle East working on a broad range of hospitality projects, he set up boutique practice MMAC Design Associations in 2014. The company has delivered projects in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and recently completed the fi ve-star Luxury Collection Aqaba in Jordan and the four-star Novotel Bur Dubai in Dubai Healthcare City. It has also expanded into Nepal and Bangladesh with fresh hotel projects, and Merieau is strengthening the company with investment in hardware and training for building information modelling software Revit. David Lessard, 36, is the partner and design director of hospitality and healthcare-focused architecture and design practice H+A, which he established in 2018 with business partner and former Perkins+Will colleague Stas Louca. While the start-up is yet to complete a project, it has three under construction and its fi rst major hospitality development broke ground in Ras Al Khaimah in 2019. H+A’s fi rst major healthcare project is scheduled to break ground in Abu Dhabi in 2020 and the studio is designing projects in Africa, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and the Seychelles among other countries. Lessard has also invested in virtual reality software, hardware and interactive visualisation software to continue to create research-based projects that balance context, culture and environmental awareness. FOUNDING PARTNER, MMAC DESIGN ASSOCIATES PARTNER, H+A CHRISTIAN MERIEAU DAVID LESSARDNext >