Silver lining

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Pringle Brandon celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has opened an office in Dubai thanks to the post recession recovery and a slew of cheap empty buildings.

UAE partners Jack Pringle and Chris Brandon, of UK based Pringle Brandon, came to the UAE two and half years ago to explore the possibility of opening up an office. The time was not right as the recession was tightening its grip.

With recovery underway, it has now launched an office with seven staff based in the Gold and Diamond Exchange, Dubai. It focuses on corporate, hospitality and residential projects, which include the office fit-out of Hogan Lovell in Abu Dhabi and a refurbishment of the Radisson Blu hotel in Sharjah.

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“The more we think about it, Dubai in 2011 looks like London in 1992. The market is recovering, the town is full of empty buildings, grade A space is now affordable and successful businesses need to ‘move on’,” said Pringle.

“We think the time is right to enter the market. We’ve found good local talent to head up the office (Steven Charlton, MD, and Diane Thorsen, design director) and we believe we can hit the top spot quite quickly in the UAE to match our London rating.”

According to Pringle, surviving companies from a recession are ambitious and want to move to the next phase of their commercial life.

“The market is slowly coming back and we expect it to be characterised by a ‘flight to quality’. In other words, successful companies currently working in substandard space in the UAE will want to take advantage of grade A space coming on the market, at a reasonable rate, and trade up,” he said.

“After ‘the flight’, we expect a round of refurbishment, maybe even redevelopment of the old stock, most of which looks pretty tired. Dubai is past the tipping point of its development, it’s too big to fail, but this time in a good way. It has a critical mass of offices, hotels, apartments, houses and restaurants. In the near future Abu Dhabi will catch up and it will be a very different scene.”

Pringle plans to open an office in Abu Dhabi and sees the UAE as a powerful base from which to do projects in the wider region.

As managing director of the UAE office, Charlton’s role is to build upon Pringle Brandon’s UK success. The company celebrates 25 years in 2011 and is no stranger to the Middle East, having previously been involved in projects such as the master planning of TwentyFour 54 in Abu Dhabi.

“Having worked in the region for four years, I have seen the market change dramatically due to the financial difficulties,” he said.

“Many companies have adapted with the market and the needs of the client, however, some have failed to grasp the change and are no longer as relevant in terms of competition. This understanding of the client’s needs is where Pringle Brandon will focus its energy.

“We believe there is a clear niche in the market for a design consultant who is a specialist; we have no intention of trying to do what our industry partners do. We feel this is something clients want in the region rather than companies who do a bit of everything but do not specialise in anything.”

Thorsen moved to the UAE in 2008 to look for opportunities to expand and work with an internationally acclaimed company. She previously had her own practice and worked on a number of projects in the Middle East in 2000.
As design director she is responsible for delivering designs that fit the brief, budget and timeline.

“When I came to the UAE in 2000, I was struck by the lack of professionalism, knowledge and sensitivity to creating a unique design language that reflects the ethos of the region,” she said.

“We are approaching this venture with our eyes wide open and believe that our passion for design and tenacity will ensure our success. I have not been scared off by the financial crisis or the challenges we face. I am personally looking forward to professional design companies working in a spirit of healthy competition.”