BSBG’s Scott Orwin becomes Senior Partner

Words by BSBG Media Team, Monday 01 May 2023

Brewer Smith Brewer Group (BSBG) has announced the promotion of Scott Orwin to Senior Partner. Scott joined BSBG in 2012 as an Associate Director, becoming a Director in 2015, and later being made Partner in 2017.

During his 11-year career with BSBG, Scott has played a pivotal role in the growth of the business in Dubai, and has overseen the delivery of many of prestigious projects within the group’s portfolio – most notably as Partner in Charge on ICD Brookfield Place, Visa CEMEA Headquarters, The Opus, The Edge, and Aloft City Centre Deira, among others.

Commenting on Scott’s promotion, BSBG Managing Partner Alistair McMillan said: “Scott is an integral member of the senior management team. This promotion is fully deserved in recognition of his commitment to our vision as a business and the unique attributes he possesses, all of which have contributed so much to our growth as a business.”

We spoke to Scott to find out more about how his role has evolved over his 11-year tenure, to learn more about the plans for the business over the next 12 months, and his thoughts on his promotion.

BSBG Media Team: Congratulations on your promotion, Scott. How does it feel to now be a Senior Partner at BSBG?

Scott Orwin: “Thank you! It feels great! I’ve been with the business for 11 years now, which has gone by very quickly, but in that time we’ve grown a huge amount, and I’m pleased to have played a small part in that. It’s really nice to get that recognition from the business, but really now the focus is on the future.”

BMT: What does the next 12-18 months look like for BSBG in Dubai?

SO: “From a design perspective we’re really focused and excited about the volume of projects coming into the studio. We’re involved in some really exciting developments across multiple sectors - in some prominent districts throughout Dubai, and these will be key components of the next development cycle here.

“There is a huge influx of front-end design work for us, both in architecture and interiors, which is exciting for the business. Supported by our ever-strong executive architecture work, this has brought with it huge opportunities on the delivery side, which we expect to grow significantly over the course of the next 12 months, as many of our design projects move towards construction. It’s a very exciting time for the business.”

Upper House is one of the +studio projects set to begin construction in the next 12 months.

BMT: How would you assess the current mood of the market in Dubai right now?

SO: “The market is presenting numerous opportunities at the moment, with respect to residential, commercial, hospitality and mixed-use requirements locally. This is providing the fuel to push through designs quite quickly, and the appetite is certainly there amongst our clients to try and launch projects as early as possible.

“This demand feeds into the process of +studio (the BSBG design studio) and the efforts and the quality of work being produced under the guidance of Mike Lewis (Group Design Director) and Tom Skyring (Head of Interior Design). As a senior management team, we’re supporting that effort by formulating the strategies to try and activate sales of the assets we’re designing, and also the physical works on site, to make sure we meet the current demand.

“Our clients know that we can design very quickly and to a very high standard, and that’s then supported by the phenomenal back-end work we do - with respect to obtaining authority approvals and producing technical information - to give the client enough confidence that they can go forward and tender the works accurately. Our clients are all focused on catching the wave that is currently flowing through Dubai, and obviously we’re supporting them as best we can.”

BMT: How has your own role evolved over the course of your tenure?

SO: “It feels like it has evolved quite significantly. My role now is focused on trying to understand what we need to do as a business to support Mike and Tom with talent acquisition to continue to build and grow the +studio and Interior Design teams. Strategically, getting the right people for the kinds of projects we have from both the local and international markets to come in and play a role is crucial. That aspect has grown in terms of my remit within the business, and that’s really important for us because we’re taking more work on, and demands are also greater in the sense that clients are wanting more in less time. Also, along with the senior management team, I try to make sure the business is growing and moving in the right direction, which is a really interesting and exciting part of the work I am doing now.

“In terms of projects, I’m taking the same level of involvement as I always have, ensuring they are getting through the stages and are delivered to the high standards that we’re renowned for. The difference is that there are many more of them!”

BMT: How has BSBG changed in the 11 years you have been with company?

SO: “It’s not only about scale and volume of projects, it’s also been a huge transition in terms of the volume of design work we are now doing. In my early years the projects I worked on were more executive projects, particularly ones in which we were partnering with international design houses, such as Foster + Partners and Zaha Hadid. Working with them and understanding what they could do well and how we could support them with that was a really interesting process, and I think it helped us develop and strengthen our reputation. But now through the organic growth of +studio, the design side of the business has had to expand, and not only are we doing much more of our own design work, but we are also revered for it, and there is huge demand for it. This was always the vision, and it has become part of the process of our growth as an international practice.

“Originally there were more executive projects but now the guys are doing such outstanding front-end design work that the opportunities to work with our own designs are far more prevalent. It’s about supporting the growth and evolution with respect to the great work the guys are doing in the front-end now.”

The Opus was one of the first projects Scott worked on after joining BSBG.

BMT: Finally, at this stage in your own career, what has been the most rewarding moment of your time with BSBG so far?

SO: “In terms of the projects, The Opus and ICD Brookfield Place are obviously highlights. But also, some of the bespoke, smaller projects such as Visa CEMEA HQ and The Edge have been hugely rewarding because they were delivered at each phase so efficiently.

“However, I think the most rewarding thing is that we’ve kept such an amazing group of people in the business for such a long time. I have been fortunate to work alongside so many great people, and they’re all still working with me to this day. And furthermore, they have all gone on to become leaders themselves, and that’s the single most rewarding thing about working here at BSBG.

“Projects are great, but it’s really about the people you work with. If you’re working with people that you trust and admire, it makes every experience positive. I have never seen anything like it in my career in terms of people being committed and focused on projects in the same way they are at BSBG. It’s something that we as a senior management team are so appreciative of. We want our people to grow with us, and we want to develop them into the next generation of leaders, because they are BSBG, and they will take us even further beyond the levels we are at now.”

BSBG Media Team

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