Downtown Design speaks to the region’s top architects and interior designers to discover how their unique values form a successful business strategy

In the first of this 4-part series, Steven Charlton, Principal Managing Director of Perkins + Will Dubai reveals how investing and empowering the team fosters great client relationships.

Give us a little insight on the projects you are handling at the moment

We are a very diverse studio working on a variety of extremely prominent projects in the region which include 50+ storey residential towers in Dubai, hotels in and around the MENA region, corporate offices for global clients and 20km2 masterplans in Turkey.

With so many players in the market; what sets Perkins + Will apart?

We are an established A&D firm with a large global presence, however; we have been committed to creating a start-up in Dubai with firm roots in the region. Albeit sounding cliché we really are an international firm with a true local presence and have adapted international best practice to suit the region. In addition; we invest yearly in fresh talent from local universities as well as contribute to the education system in the UAE by bringing a professional perspective to the curricular.

 What are your core values that make you a successful design firm?

We believe that our people are our investment and as a continually growing firm we have maintained a sense of entrepreneurialism within the studio. We encourage our people to be brave, bold and take opportunities both literally and figuratively. We create opportunities for the best talent as we understand that good people are not always easy to find. We also truly believe that it is our responsibility to apply design on a socioeconomic level as we create the future built environment for the region.

Give us the top 3 reasons for a client to choose you

1. Our team are exceptionally talented and offer diverse and exciting solutions.
2. We bring international best practice and thought leadership from a local studio.
3. Just ask any of our clients.

Maintaining creative independence can be quite challenging when trying to meet client expectations; how do you manage that?

We believe design is a conversation between the creative team, client, engineers and stakeholders. As a team we present the best design for debate, discussion and argument to all parties, and with their contribution, a design with true creative merit emerges.

As competition in the industry grows; what do you as a business continually do to improve your relationships with clients?

Honesty, integrity and understanding the client’s needs will never be old-fashioned. Companies come and go often because they fail to understand these values; however, by staying true to these values meaningful relationships are created.

As a business; where do you see yourself in the next 10 years?

From the perspective of our Dubai studio, we will be seen as an Emirati business with studios globally rather than an international firm with a studio in Dubai.

About Steven Charlton: Steven became the Principal Managing Director of Perkins+Will's Dubai office in 2010, having previously worked in the Middle East for four years on numerous large-scale commercial and hospitality projects. Prior to this, Steven worked in central London, and had experience in both the London market and the Middle East. He is currently tasked with implementing Perkins+Will’s unrivalled international experience in this still-maturing market. Steven is particularly interested in creating synergies for our clients as they look to operate both contracts and design language on a global perspective.

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