UK Enterprise 2017

30 WORLDWIDE BUSINESS REVIEW / UK Enterprise Awards 2017 , Atelier AVO is an RIBAmember architectural firmbased in London, founded by André van Oudheusden. The studio draws on his extensive experience of working for over 20 years with the world’s leading architectural firms on large projects with high-profile and award-winning concepts. We invited Founder Andre Van Oudheusden to tell us more. Most Innovative International Architecture Firm 2017 André van Oudheusden started his London- based international architectural practice, Atelier AVO llp in 2010. The work of the award-winning practice is based on a solid work ethos developed over the years to ensure a high level of design standards which can be maintained and to ensure that projects are delivered on time and budget. The practice has won the 2015 Architecture Award for Best High-Rise Building and has recently be nominated for 2017 Innovation and Excellence Awards for architecture by Corporate LiveWire and won the 2016 Architecture Award by BUILD and was selected Architect of the month in April 2016. It all began April 2010, after 20 years of successful architectural collaboration with world leading architectural firms such as HOK - Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum , KPF - Kohn Pedersen Fox and SOM - Skidmore Owing and Merril a new architectural practice was founded. Prior to the start of his architectural design studio André was lauded for the work on the World Trade Centre in the South of Amsterdam which won the 2003 RIBA award and was involved in various other award- WUK17011 winning projects such as the River City Prague in the Czech Republic and Arroyo del Santo TT3 in Madrid Spain, winning many MIPIN awards. During the 20 years André has been leading project teams, in London and abroad, from the initiation phase up to delivering projects into the construction phase, to the highest standard. The typology of projects ranges from office buildings, headquarters, mixed-use, transportation, medical, residential, master planning and interior/space planning. Andre discusses the firm’s projects in more detail. “Here at Atelier, we have a growing international portfolio, working on various projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Several completed projects have focused on Dubai, namely three high-rise residential/ hotel towers called “Mont Rose” in the Jumeirah Village Circle, one high-rise residential mixed- use tower in the Jumeirah Village Circle and a low-rise mixed-use development Avenue 005, in the Jumeirah Village Circle. “In Uganda, our previous experience with the Naguru and Nsambya master plan, both a mixed-use development has developed an understanding that drives our villa project in Entebbe. In the Netherlands Atelier AVO llp has renovated a railway station to improve its passengers flow and accessibility by integrating a 4 meter wide staircase and lift to both sides of the station. “Since inception the project size shrunk from large to small. It has taken us some time to increase the project size back to medium to large by developing a network of resources with other consultancies such as Architects, Structural Engineers and M & E Engineers. This structure has given us the flexibility to grow the project size and to bring in the specific requirements for each specific project. This has also given us a tool to keep our overheads under control and has helped us to build up relationships within the Middle East, Africa and India. It is this vast variety of projects that sets the firm apart from its competitors, as Andre is eager to highlight. “Most offices are working in just a few typologies and get specialised in this which prevents them to extend their knowhow into different building types. We at Atelier AVO have the privilege to have worked in many different typologies which gives us the ability to combine our knowledge from several types of buildings into one project. This brings solutions to the table which otherwise would not been possible. “Compared to many other Architectural offices, we have developed a design process which will support clients from the initial concept all the way to the handover of the key. This will bring consistency and project security to clients because there is no need to change the design leader on their project. Many offices today concentrate only on the upfront design and must divorce themselves from the project because of the lack of skills to take the project forward.” Communication is vital to the success of any project, therefore Andre and his team speak with the client regularly right from the start, as he outlines. “At the start of each project we listen to our client to establish and or confirm the brief of the project. From this discussion, we try to improve the brief by sharing our observation and propose changes, agreeable to the client. From this point on we want to make sure to appoint the right consultants to the team.