Architect launches global design school in Dubai

The international architecture firm RMJM last week launched its ‘Global Education Studio’ in Dubai, in response to what the firm describes as “growing demand for high quality education facilities across the Middle East and North Africa”.

The studio’s focus will be on designing educational buildings, such as universities, vocational colleges and schools; a move that reflects regional governments investing heavily in education to better compete in the international marketplace. The UAE, for example, devotes 25% of total federal government spending to education and, in Libya, the government is currently funding 27 new universities.

“The design of education facilities has been at the heart of RMJM's activities since the firm's creation in 1956. Unlike many international firms that fly expertise in for brief meetings and then promptly disappear again until the next meeting, RMJM believes in forming collaborative relationships with our clients and this requires face time, rolling up our sleeves together and living through the project process alongside our clients,” explained RMJM associate principal and regional director global education MENA, Luis Vildostegui.

“RMJM has been delivering great architecture in the Middle East and North African region for nearly 40 years and this allows us to expand our role to deliver inspirational learning environments as well.”

The firm’s experience in education buildings dates back to the 1970s, with projects completed in Turkey, Nigeria, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Doha and Dubai, and RMJM is currently working on two universities in Libya.

"Basing our team of top education design experts here has afforded us greater exposure to the wisdom, subtleties and extraordinary richness of regional cultures, and I believe that this is evident in the quality of the studio’s work,” continued Vildostegui.

“Creating the next generation of great academic institutions, Middle East nations must draw inspiration from the local culture, tradition, climate, and landscape, and not rely on the typology or iconography of the world’s renowned universities.”

The Dubai studio is headed up by Vildostegui, formerly based in the company’s Princeton office in New Jersey, USA, and Nick Cordingley, from Cambridge in the UK. Collectively the team has worked on some of the most prestigious educational establishments in the world amongst these Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell and Duke Universities.