Horton Interiors
Douglas Drummond, Managing Director with Neelanchana Kumar, Design Director
“The dynamic between our Design Director, Neelanchana and me, at Horton Interiors is an energetic mix of creative sword-fitting and technical contemplation”, Douglas quips. “We have a great rapport, fuelled by our shared appreciation for merging imaginative design with flawless execution. As a fellow designer, I can’t resist diving into the exciting ideas cooked up in our studio and trying to add my two cents.”
Neelanchana adds, “Everyone who knows Douglas knows how easy it is to talk to him, we share a close working relationship, interact on a casual basis, and have open lines of communication. Since he has over 20 years of experience in this field, it is great to bounce ideas off each other.”
Why would you recommend Design & Build to clients over design-bid-build? Particularly, what do you think makes your establishment the go-to for projects?
Douglas: Design & Build is often recommended to clients over design-bid-build due to several key advantages. Firstly, it offers a streamlined and efficient project delivery process. With Design & Build, the same entity is responsible for both the design and construction aspects, eliminating potential communication gaps and conflicts between multiple parties.
Secondly, Design & Build provides greater cost and time certainty. By involving the construction team from the early stages, potential construction-related challenges and costs can be identified and addressed upfront during the design phase. This helps minimise costly design revisions and change orders during construction, resulting in more predictable project costs and timelines.
Additionally, Design & Build fosters innovation and creativity. The close collaboration between designers and builders encourages the exploration of innovative solutions and value engineering opportunities.
As for why Horton Interiors is the go-to for Design & Build projects, we strive to understand our clients’ vision, requirements, and budgetary constraints, ensuring that the final product aligns with their goals. Our commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and our ability to consistently meet project milestones sets us apart as a trusted partner for Design & Build projects.
Our mission is to match Creative Design with Quality Build, to create spaces that showcase brands and are designed to facilitate and enhance business operations while aiming to provide the maximum ROI for our clients.
In your opinion, how is the role of the Head of Design in a D&B firm different from the role of the Principal Designer in a Design firm? Are there added responsibilities or challenges?
Neelanchana: I believe I have additional responsibilities vis-a-vis a Principal Designer in a Design firm. One of my main tasks is ensuring seamless coordination and integration between the design team and in-house construction team. This means bridging the gap between creative design concepts and construction practicalities, so that projects are not only concurrent with the aesthetics but also functional and executed effectively.
Next, I maintain open channels of communication. Communicating the design intent and rationale to the construction team, ensuring they understand and implement design features accurately. We often go through several healthy discussions about why certain design features must be retained and cannot be modified for ease of construction or time constraints.
I have to maintain a strong understanding of construction techniques, building codes, and regulatory requirements. In a Design and Build firm, the HOD must possess the technical expertise to evaluate the feasibility of design concepts and provide solutions that meet both aesthetic and functional objectives.
What does the future of Design & Build in the Middle East look like? Are the firms ready to take on bigger and more ambitious projects?
Douglas: The future of Design & Build in the Middle East appears promising. The integrated approach of Design & Build aligns with the region’s emphasis on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and timely project completion. Governments and clients in the Middle East increasingly recognize the benefits of Design & Build in terms of streamlined processes, improved collaboration, and enhanced project outcomes. This recognition paves the way for larger and more ambitious projects to be executed using the Design & Build approach.
While challenges may arise in handling larger and more ambitious projects, such as managing increased project complexity and resource requirements, Design & Build firms in the Middle East are well-prepared to adapt and overcome these challenges. Their experience, expertise, and willingness to embrace innovation position them to seize the opportunities presented by the region’s evolving construction landscape.
The Middle East is often called a melting pot of cultures. Have you made use of your cultural background in projects for muses or in any other way or form?
Neelanchana: I have lived my entire life in the UAE, and always maintain that I am an Emirati by heart! Having had the opportunity to interact with a mélange of different nationalities I would say I have been extremely fortunate, as this has shaped me into who I am today. Being culturally aware and socially conscious filters through everything I do, whether it is designing, overlooking commercials, dealing with different clients, or understanding personalities.
Also, I believe the secret to good design is a good story. Design narratives that reflect the psychological and emotional preferences of the client by tying in local history, nature, local culture and pop culture, while staying innovative are paramount.
How does the firm make use of the latest technology in construction and management? What techniques and tools do you use to stay on top of your game?
Douglas: Horton Interiors strongly believes in integrating the latest technologies to streamline workflows and improve output. As part of our construction management approach, we utilise Procore, a comprehensive software platform.
Procore enables efficient collaboration, streamlined project management, and enhanced document and financial management. With Procore, we centralise communication, manage schedules, track progress, store and access project documents, track costs and budgets, and utilise mobile capabilities. This empowers us to optimise workflows, improve communication, and enhance project efficiency.
Have you tried your hands-on AI tools such as MidJourney to generate concepts or ChatGPT for presentations, research, or anything else?
Neelanchana: AR used with AI has begun to slowly change how we design in the industry. It is imperative that we move with the times and familiarise ourselves with the latest developments, so yes of course we have dabbled with these and other platforms like Discord. These applications create a render for your space within seconds, while they miss the attention to detail, applying these tools will influence how we look at, perceive, and rethink spaces.
MidJourney is a fantastic tool for generating mood boards and conceptual sketches, and is often used by the team in the initial stages of the design process. While our in-house abilities to sketch, model, and create are fantastic, we are open to the possibilities that Mid Journey and ChatGPT bring to the table, but these will remain just tools, not solutions.
In the future, what can we hope to see from your firm? What does your vision board for the future look like?
Douglas: In the future, our firm envisions continued growth and expansion. Over the past two years, our headcount has already doubled, and we anticipate this trend continuing. We have recently opened our first office in Abu Dhabi, and plan to expand and strengthen our presence there. Additionally, we are in the process of relocating our Dubai headquarters to a new showroom in Tecom later this year.
The allure of Saudi Arabia is increasing, and we have been receiving requests from clients to support them in that market. As a result, we are actively initiating plans to establish a presence there in the near future.
Overall, our goal is to leverage the growing demand for design and build services in the region and solidify our position as one of the top design and fit-out firms. We are dedicated to providing exceptional services and continuously improving to meet the evolving needs of our clients.
Quick facts about Horton Interiors:
Teams that make it possible: Design team (architects, interior designers, draughtsman, BIM modellers, visualizers, and MEP designers), Commercial team (estimators and quantity surveyors), Projects team (project managers, site engineers, supervisors, HSE officers, QAQC engineers, project coordinators, project planners, and approval engineers).
One project that perfectly sums Horton Interiors’ capability: Allsopp & Allsopp HQ located in Control Tower, Motor City, designed and delivered in-house by Horton Interiors.
