Ontario architects build Middle East business on reputation and relationships

B+H Architects have offices in Sharjah and Dubai; another slated for Jeddah

The relationship began, as so many business arrangements do, over lunch. But this was no ordinary meal. It was a sumptuous spread served by a Middle Eastern sheikh at his English country manor.

The 2,603,040 ft² ( 241,830 m²) Al Rayyan Complex in the UAE will be another jewel in B+H's shiny crown.

Dining on goat, shrimp and grouper, His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan III bin Muhammad Al Qasimi was so impressed with his initial meeting with his luncheon companion - who had flown in from Toronto just for the occasion - that he gave the architect a major commission. He wanted B+H Architects of Toronto to design a 2,000-unit assisted housing development for the Emirate of Sharjah, one of seven that comprise the United Arab Emirates.

At the time, some six years ago, B+H had no track record in the Middle East although it was active abroad in Asia, especially China. Today, thanks to that first contract from the Emir of Sharjah, B+H has a significant and growing Middle Eastern presence that includes Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Abu Dhabi and Tunisia. It hopes to further enhance its stature in the region later this month during an eight-day, Ontario government-sponsored trade mission to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

"Doing business, especially in the Middle East, is largely about personal connections," says Tonu Altosaar, the sheikh’s luncheon guest and a B+H senior principal. "Once you are established in the region, one thing leads to another."

This is Altosaar's first Ontario trade mission, and he is looking forward to the journey. "It's a chance to show our work to senior people we otherwise might not meet. The mission will open doors that are hard to unlock on our own. And future work comes from these introductions and opportunities."

In fact, anticipating two major commissions, B+H is opening another Middle Eastern office this year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, joining already established regional offices in Sharjah and Dubai. "You can't manage these things from afar," Altosaar says.

The six-decade old firm has experience in a wide variety of fields. Its expertise includes commercial and residential projects, hospitals and universities, industrial and institutional. Not content to rest on its laurels, B+H last year made two significant acquisitions of smaller architectural firms with global reputations.

One, Bunting Coady, is a world leader in sustainability, developing buildings that use half the energy of traditional buildings at the same construction cost. Among other things, it designed Canada's first LEED Gold building, the head office for Vancouver's Port Authority.

The other acquisition was CHIL Design which has more than four decades' experience creating hotels and resorts around the world, especially in the Middle East and Asia. Both acquisitions were in Vancouver.

Mergers and acquisitions are part of a strategy to propel B+H to become a major global competitor. "We expect to grow from about 350 people now to more than 800 within five years," says Altosaar.

B+H's expansion plans also rely on the firm's reputation for reliability. "We are known for design excellence while bringing our projects in on time and on budget - or under," Altosaar says. The proof of that statement is that nearly three-quarters of its business comes from repeat customers.

Its global strategy is managed through three main offices, called Centres of Excellence, in Shanghai, Vancouver and Toronto. In addition to its regional offices in the Middle East, there are satellite operations in Delhi, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. "Thanks to the Internet, we can shift work among our offices," says Altosaar. "We've become a 24/7 operation."

In the end, the Sharjah sheikh decided to postpone his housing development. But he liked B+H's designs so much that he commissioned them for other projects. As a result, the emirate now has one of the world's largest and most advanced recycling facilities.

More glamorous is a major three-tower, mixed-use development under construction in the heart of the emirate. Two 35-storey towers house luxury residences; the third tower, also 35 stories, is for offices. Another part of the complex is a nine-storey parking and shopping structure.

When the project is finished, it will be another jewel in B+H's shiny crown.