45 Design and Build 2020 BUILD 9 Q1 2021 BUILD the hustle-bustle of daily life and the bath is a huge part of that,” explains Mr Alabdulkareem. “Quiet spaces can often be inserted into tricky corners as a way to “fill out” unoccupied space in a complex plan. They may include complex architectural elements like enormous skylights, internal courtyards and indoor gardens. “Tricked-out sheds, rec rooms and man caves are popular too. Many clients use these rooms to let their creativity run free, as they are often a space to be enjoyed by family and close friends. As spaces for clients to indulge in their chosen hobbies, man caves often include architectural challenges.” Sustainability has grown higher on the agenda over the past ten years and is one of the key requests in design. That is reflected in technology being installed in homes to create sustainable environments. With all these trends in play, Saudi Architects has a collaborative structure that inspires its many talented employees to feel both challenged and nurtured into coming up with new ideas. The company is organised with six design groups, which each work under a senior partner on specific projects. “To undertake consistently some of the biggest projects needs depth of resources,” adds Mr Alabdulkareem. “Creativity and personal service are best nurtured by the compact group where small is beautiful. “Each group has a rich cross-section of projects both large and small. This diversity is good for creativity, innovation and motivation. The tight-knit nature of the groups also ensures personal service and close contact between the design team and the client - from first meetings to the hand-over of the finished building. “As part of this process, key members of the design team will move with the project to the building site, wherever that is in the world, until the project is completed.” Reviewing all the details through each design phase is a special internal Design Board, that has been set up in the spirit of “challenging and being challenged” with the power to initiate design as well as review it. That helps Saudi Architects maintain its renowned reputation for highly skilled project design and excellence in engineering design. It’s a reputation that has been bolstered by numerous awards since it was founded in 1992 to cover everything from worldclass professional architecture and interior design to urban planning, construction management and progressive infrastructure engineering. Recent honours include from The Arabian Property Awards, Build 2020 Design and Build Awards and listed in the top 10 Best APAC Architect Companies in 2020 by SwiftnLift magazine. At the heart of this success is the employees, according to Mr Alabdulkareem, along with the ability to be flexible and quickly respond to changes: “Many unexpected events can occur that impact a project schedule - a construction permit comes in late, a client pushes back the approval process, and so on. “It’s imperative to remain flexible to account for the unexpected.” “Then there is employee involvement and participation,” adds the CEO, “which plays such a big role in our company. “Our training and development teams give employees, and in turn this company, a competitive edge through learning and skill-building. “Employee involvement is the direct participation of staff in activities that help the business fulfil its mission and attain its goals. More importantly, it is getting the employees involved in the management and decision-making processes of the business.” Company: Saudi Architects Name: Abdullah Alabdulkareem Website: www.saudiarc.com Q1 2021 BUILD 9
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