10 Design cashes in on Eastern promise with three projects in China

THE Scottish office of 10 Design, an architectural practice set up last year by a team of RMJM defectors, has won its first major contracts for projects collectively worth $500 million (£325m).

10 Design was founded at the end of last year by several senior RMJM designers who decided to leave the Scottish-headquartered company during the height of its problems when it was accused of not paying some staff salaries on time and it suffered a mass of resignations.

A UK branch of 10 Design was set up by former RMJM director Adrian Boot in Edinburgh to provide the firm with a presence in the West.

Boot said the two contracts have “really kicked off” the UK operation and while both projects are in China, the majority of the work will be carried out by staff based at its offices in the Scottish capital.

10 Design’s Scottish office has been awarded the work for a $350m 300,000 square metre business and science park in Shanghai and a $150m, 450,000 sqm mixed-use residential and business scheme in Beijing.

“Any one of these things is ten times the size of the Scottish Parliament building,” said Boot. “We are in quite an unusual position at this point because we are a bit on the back foot with the amount of work coming in.

“We were not sure how it [the European operation] would unfold but we want to be in Europe and do feel it’s important for a whole range of reasons.”

Boot said although he could easily take on another 22 staff in Edinburgh, the company is cautious about over expansion. It would rather work in partnership or form joint ventures than over-stretch itself, he said.

Overall, 10 Design is likely to reach 110 employees by the end of this year, with the majority in Hong Kong but it also has a Shanghai office.

Gordon Affleck, a 10 Design partner working out of Hong Kong, said many of the company’s Eastern clients are now looking to carry out work in Europe. “One of our clients is acquiring what they see as cheap property in central London so it is working back this way,” he said.