Aedas try to replicate firm’s Asian success in London

Architecture practice Aedas is to set up an interiors business as part of its London office in an attempt to replicate the firm’s success in Asia.

David Roberts, chief executive of the Asian arm of the business, said that the move is partly a response to a slowdown in the new build market in the capital.

“It’s a recognition that there will be a lot of reuse of buildings in London. The interiors team will initially focus on hospitality, office and retail work,” Roberts said.

Aedas has interiors businesses in Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong, where it has 130 interiors staff.

“Those offices were saying [about interiors]: ’why aren’t you in London?’,” Roberts said.

Aedas plans to have 20-30 interiors staff in London by the end of 2011, Roberts said, and they could account for up to a third of all work done by the office in the medium term.

“It could be up to a third ,depending on how much London architecture grows,” he said.

Roberts said that Aedas also planned to move towards becoming a “single organisation” over the next decade, with the same global culture, ending the traditionally federal structure based around hubs in New York, London and Hong Kong.