In focus: Kevin Harper - looking back on 20 years with BSBG

In his 20 years, Kevin has led numerous key projects in the BSBG portfolio, from Bluewaters Residences to BLVD Crescent. So which project is his favourite? “A tough question, there's a few. If you look at Dutco House, for example, that’s our head office and it’s been our home since 2007. I was involved in the project from its inception in 2004 and every day I’m reminded of the decisions made back then. Being able to see the team enjoying the space over the years has been fantastic, it continues to be a great place to work.

"I’m also very proud of the relationship we have built with IKEA, which is one that goes back several years to our first project at Dubai Festival City. We’ve since delivered projects together in Cairo, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Dammam, and Manama over an extended period - bringing this kind of global phenomenon retail concept to new markets for the first time.

“BLVD Crescent was the first residential tower in Downtown Dubai to be designed and built by a ‘local’ architect, and obviously Bluewaters is up there with the best in terms of prestige and quality, being one of the top communities in Dubai in such a stunning location. Shortly after, we went on to design and deliver JA Lake View Hotel, which is also a real highlight. Being able to take the kids there to enjoy the amazing rooms and facilities was a proud moment - they definitely enjoy visiting the hotel more than they do IKEA!”

Kevin also led The Island project for BSBG, which remains the largest project ever detailed by the +executive team in Dubai. “The effort the teams put into that project over the period of design was extraordinary,” Kevin explains. “Just as we were moving through the detailed design stage in early 2020, the pandemic hit in Dubai, meaning we had to manage the process of setting the teams up for remote work and still ensure we met the deadlines, which were challenging even without the upheaval we faced. Keeping to those deadlines and submissions required a tremendous physical and mental effort from the team. That is no doubt one of my proudest career accomplishments so far.”

The experience of successfully delivering megaprojects within tight timeframes has proved crucial in the current approach to multiple projects of a similar complexity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Kevin has recently led the Misk School project and is currently working on the design of Aman Hotel in Wadi Safar – the latter is set to become one of the top hospitality resorts in the Kingdom once complete.

“Misk School was hugely challenging as the aggressive programme required extremely fast-track design and we were effectively starting from scratch with an approved ‘design vision’. From the initial client briefing process, through concept, schematic and detailed design, the team completed the design of the entire project within 10 months, with advance tender and construction packages being released to allow construction to continue in parallel. Again, the efforts of the team to achieve this were remarkable.”

Upon reaching the milestone of 20 years at BSBG, Kevin could be forgiven for at least a momentary inclination for reflection, for taking some fleeting pleasure at a job well done, however, he explains that he has always been more about looking forward than back, and his excitement about the next project, the business, and the direction BSBG is taking, carries more weight for him than his previous accomplishments. “I’m still very passionate about being heavily involved in every aspect of the projects,” he says. “I tend to be across all the details, and the teams know this, which, I hope, encourages them to be certain about accuracy of the work they present.

“At BSBG, we have extremely high quality standards. This is something that stems from the senior management team, and it is a culture of quality that we aim to instil in all our people and projects from the outset.”

Kevin says that as a business, BSBG is in the strongest position it has ever been, with all the facets of the company set up well across the three international offices of Dubai, Riyadh and London. “Our concept, executive and supervision teams are full of talent and experience, and I believe we’re one of the few practices in the international market that can authentically claim to take a project from vision to completion, every step of the way,” he says. “In our first meeting, Alistair said to me that his aim for BSBG was to ‘build great buildings’. Coming from the UK, where the process of getting projects off the drawing board and onto site can often be a frustrating one, that simple message always resonated with me. I would never have believed that 20 years on we would be delivering some of the largest and most exciting projects in the world. These are the types of projects I will visit in years to come and take great pride in being a part of. As an architect, I couldn’t ask for more.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity given to me by Alistair all those years ago, and I’m hugely proud of the reputation for quality and delivery we have built together since, along with the rest of the senior management team. We have been extremely fortunate to have recruited some fantastic professionals over the years, many of whom have remained with us for 15-plus years themselves. Their continued loyalty and commitment is hugely appreciated and never taken for granted.”