viewpoint

Working Internationally

By Patrick Reardon, Executive Chairman, ReardonSmith Architects

Winning the first job in a new geographic market is always difficult. However, assuming that this first project is successful, a reputation is established, new friends are made and one hopes that another project will follow. But how might an architectural firm make that all-important first breakthrough? In our experience, it certainly is not through the “hard sell”.

At ReardonSmith, we are now fortunate that our reputation as specialist hotel architects brings clients to us, unsolicited, with projects in places we have not worked before — Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cape Verde, Russia and Montenegro to name but a few locations. However, it wasn’t always so. In the early years of the practice it was deeply frustrating to be told that we would not be considered for a project, either because we did not have anything similar in our portfolio or because we hadn’t worked with the particular operator before, regardless of the absolutely relevant prior experience of the company’s founders. It is a Catch-22 for which there is only one consistently proven solution — work hard and effectively on all current projects to build up a thorough body of knowledge, establish good relationships and begin to create a reputation. Let it be known, of course, that you are keen to work on resorts in the Indian Ocean or high-rise hotels in Berlin, but then be patient. One day, your hotel operator client will move to the Maldives or a local developer for whom you have consistently designed hotels in your indigenous city will land an opportunity in Berlin and, by then, you should be able to react swiftly and confidently to secure the opportunity. In other words, lay the groundwork, wait to be invited in and always have your pencil sharpened in readiness.

When we won our first project in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, it was the operator who effectively invited us in by including our name on a list of recommended architects. The client was an Azerbaijani developer with an existing design for a new hotel that he knew was flawed. We flew out to meet him, and in the course of a day, visited the site, analysed the design and offered the basis of a solution. No sales pitch; just a straightforward and practical response to his problem based on sound hotel knowledge. Since then, nearly a year ago, the client has awarded us three further projects in Baku, one of which is another large new-build hotel.

While the fundamentals of good hotel architecture and planning are the same the world over, the way in which spaces are used within the hotel vary and it is incumbent upon the architect to understand these differences quickly. This is a significant part of the pleasure of working abroad. The compensation for all those airport lounges and delayed flights is learning about and sampling the culture of a different place. It is extremely important that this happens early in the project to avoid costly design mistakes. In Baku, for example, we learnt that a separate ballroom entrance would not be considered a desirable feature since guests there, arriving in all their finery for a glittering occasion, expect to promenade through the lobby and be seen. This information had a substantial impact upon the planning of the hotel entrance, the porte-cochère, the lobby lounge and all the surrounding circulation areas.

The challenge of working in a country as an “outsider” often has to do with learning to understand how the bureaucracy works, especially in countries emerging onto the international stage. Planning and building permit processes can be confusing and it is essential to determine the identity of the individuals who hold the real decision-making power. Unfortunately, it is almost always essential to work with their subordinates at the beginning of a project, which is usually frustrating and often ineffective; they mean well but can only grant the comfort of cooperation without solid results, leading into a labyrinth of procedures and time wasting. Again though, good work and expertise will prevail, bringing the architect in from the outside to the table of the decision-maker in due course.

At ReardonSmith, we manage all our projects from our London office, regularly visiting sites and working collaboratively with local architects to handle technical development and regulatory matters as well as the construction phase. Typically, we hand the project over to the local architect once we have completed the detailed design phase but we continue to have a monitoring role, checking all the drawing packages and reviewing work on site to ensure that quality levels and design intent are realised. We have not yet had occasion to set up project offices overseas; these are usually expensive and unnecessary, given modern communications. However, it is particularly important with overseas projects to ensure that the scope of work is absolutely transparent and understood by the client at the outset. This can be difficult due to cultural and language differences but it is up to the architect, who has been invited onto the team as an expert, to achieve clarity in the “who does what and when” debate.

The challenges of working with local consultants, suppliers and contractors vary from project to project. There are the good and the not so good all over the world. A recurring issue in our experience is that of fire and life safety and, in this regard, the absolute need to insist upon the highest European or American standards. However sometimes, as Western architects and designers, we could make a more collaborative effort ourselves. For example, if the local architects barely speak English, an answer might be to employ an architect in your own office who speaks their language. As with any project, effective communication must be a priority but it is even more the case when the project is overseas, probably involving an international team working in different time zones and a client who, understandably, requires the reassurance of clear, reliable and regular progress reports.

Email preardon@reardonsmith.com to respond