HP Invent at Dubai Internet City.
Leading in style
HDI, which is planning to set up a local office in Doha, is living up to its commitment of providing tangible business benefits from effective design and fit outs.
01 March 2005
Hamilton Design International (HDI) – a design and fit-out firm with an established track record in commercial, corporate and retail interiors – says it believes in taking up impossible projects and making them happen.
“Each job is a challenge and we love to tackle the most challenging projects,” says Richard Hamilton, managing partner with HDI.
“Quality, creativity, flexibility and speed are the strengths of the practice. The HDI team comprises of qualified and experienced designers from all over the world, which helps us bring in fresh ideas and trends to the local market,” he adds.
“We are committed to providing our clients with tangible business benefits from effective design and fit-out,” he emphasises. “Our aim is to make a significant and pro-active contribution to clients’ businesses by combining an original and unique design concept with sound, strategic thinking and creative flair,”
Established in 1992, HDI has grown to include a team of 57 senior staff plus joinery and site personnel and has been involved with a variety of projects in the corporate, retail, hospitality, healthcare and educational sectors.
Some of the projects HDI has been involved with or is currently executing include the First Gulf Bank, Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), Mashreq Bank, Dubai Healthcare City and New Medical Centre, (all in Dubai). The practice has also designed and fitted out offices for multinationals like HP Invent, Wyeth and Total ABK.
HDI is currently in the process of setting up an office in Doha (Qatar), where it has already carried out projects at the Education City and the Four Seasons hotel.
He continues: “The market in the region, particularly in Dubai, is very dynamic and interesting and is becoming more and more demanding. We at HDI are always updating and modifying our systems and procedures to meet these demands.
“A very open approach to business ensures lines of communication are kept clear, so that we can concentrate on providing the optimum level of service and creativity.”
The services provided by HDI include:
• Design – development of brief, feasibility study, computer-aided design (CAD), 3D rendering, materials and finishes selection, detail design and specifications and artwork programming;
• Design and build – development of brief, project programming, CAD, data systems coordination, quality and cost control and project accounting;
• Construction and project management – civil works construction, interior fit-out projects, carpentry and joinery workshop, specialist finishes, project planning/programming, project supervision, quality and cost control, tendering and negotiations.
The company provides added value to the standard service. Its progressive interior design-and -build approach is a process of integration, which enhances the designer’s role and capacity to produce quality design with the support of an in-house construction team.
“We understand the supply chain and the construction process and apply a policy of continuous improvement,” says Hamilton. “This approach allows more effective project management, saving in interior design fees, a closer relationship between the client and construction team resulting in the brief being accurately translated, increased speed of construction as there are clear lines of communication with the client and the whole team – client, designer and contractor – have direct input and better understanding of the whole process,” he adds.
Commenting on the new trends in interior designing, Deekksha Thind, senior designer and project manager with HDI, says: “Dubai has undergone a lot of changes during the past few years and is now trying to establish an identity of its own. Earlier, the emphasis was on an opulent style but now people go for extremely modern and innovative designs, allowing many new styles to come in and giving designers total freedom to do what they do best – to be creative.”
With over two decades of experience in architectural, interior and landscape design for multi-dimensional projects and project management, Thind has been involved with several prestigious projects including 61 interior design (turnkey) and 18 architectural design schemes, some of which have secured her design awards.
Hamilton Design International design capabilities are further enhanced through its joint ventures with international design firms throughout the world and its association with a group of companies in the UAE with facilities to create corporate identities, marketing strategies and advertising.
A large percentage of its work is repeat business, which is in itself a testament to the quality of the services provided.
