March 9, 2024 Publications

Construction Week: The Female Force

In an exclusive interview with Construction Week Middle East, women at Studio International Engineering Consultants (“SIEC”) shared their insights into the design industry. Founded in November 2014 with six members, SIEC has grown into a premier multidisciplinary architecture and engineering consultancy firm in the Middle East, operating across the UAE, KSA, Egypt, and Bosnia. As Lead Consultant on most of their projects, SIEC serves as a One Stop Shop for its clients, having a global vision and significant impact on the outcome and delivery of the projects.

Throughout their journey, SIEC has secured contracts with prestigious clients like Nakheel, Emaar, Dubai Properties, DGDA, RSG, and Maersk to name a few, expanding their portfolio and capabilities. Within a team of 400 professionals from more than 30 countries, women hold a strong position, comprising one quarter of the workforce across all disciplines. They play a crucial role in decision-making processes, reflecting their impact and influence in the final project delivery.

What is SIEC design approach when you start a new project? We focus our attention on providing customized solutions for each of our clients. Our design process departs from carefully listening and understanding our client’s vision. Based on this, we create guidelines to lead the concept design and upcoming stages. We believe in collaboration, which is why we engage all the stakeholders in the overall design process, leveraging collective thinking to boost creativity. Furthermore, our in-house multidisciplinary teams are involved from the early stages to ensure that the technical and authority requirements are met intrinsically within the design, guaranteeing holistic and resilient solutions. CHANTAL MARFA (DESIGN MANAGER)

Decision making and conflict resolution are crucial for success. As a PM, how do you foster interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve holistic design solutions? Projects don’t deliver themselves; people deliver projects. One of my biggest learnings at SIEC is that project management begins with project leadership, and leadership starts with empathy. Working in an international environment you work with diverse teams and different mindsets. Understanding where each person is coming from, fosters ownership from the teams and reduces conflicts. Being open and honest, setting stretched but achievable deadlines and focusing on decisions to move forward, improves collaboration and coordination.  A holistic design solution is more than scope, time, cost and quality but a symphony where the PM is the conductor ensuring deliveries to satisfy the final client. SINDYA SUNDAR (ASSOCIATE PROJECT MANAGER)

How do you prioritize functionality and user experience, while still maintaining aesthetic appeal? Balancing functionality, user experience, and aesthetic appeal is paramount in design. Prioritizing functionality ensures the product serves its purpose effectively, meeting user needs. Simultaneously, focusing on user experience ensures seamless interaction, enhancing satisfaction and usability. Aesthetic appeal complements functionality and user experience by engaging users visually and emotionally. Striking the right balance involves iterative design processes, user feedback integration, and collaboration between designers, developers, and stakeholders. Harmonizing these elements yields a product that not only works well but also delights the final user. MAGDA STRAG (HEAD OF INTERIOR DESIGN)

 

Landscape often serves as a bridge between buildings and the natural environment. How do you ensure harmony and balance between these elements in your designs? Landscape architecture harmonizes the home with the environment; it connects the inside and outside, linking man to nature. By respectful collaboration with other disciplines in the firm and valuing the importance of both perspectives and expertise, we create unified designs that transition spaces into one seamless environment, one that blends the existing environment into the built structures, where people can enjoy the benefits of nature at the same time help them to have a more in-depth understanding and relationship with biodiversity. We connect people through our spaces while inspiring them to foster a profound connection with nature. FAYE BARCELON (ASSOCIATE LANDSCAPE DESIGNER)

How do you approach team dynamics and communication to foster collaboration, motivation, and productivity among the team? I would like to describe my leadership style as a blend of empathy and strategic vision. I truly believe that assertive communication is at the heart of successful teamwork. Always prioritizing open and transparent communication channels throughout the project lifecycle. Inevitably, challenges will arise during the course of a project but as a leader, you should approach problem-solving with creativity and resilience. Training and development are essential for building a skilled and motivated team. Empowering them to pursue new opportunities and take on leadership roles is investing in their success. It is investing in SIEC’s future. INDIRA HAJDAREVIC (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA GENERAL MANAGER)

Looking ahead, what do you see as the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the field of design engineering, and how are you prepared to address them? When conceptualizing large scale projects like master plans, high rise or hospitality, a substantial portion of time is allocated to quantity-related tasks due to the project’s magnitude. When design comes to completion phase, there is a special focus on managing the complete volume of work.  In SIEC we embrace new technologies like Building Information Modeling (BIM) implementing them daily across all disciplines. We transform a challenge into an opportunity positioning ourselves to enhance efficiency, productivity, and cooperation to meet client’s expectations and demands of today’s industry. HANAN KHALED (ELECTRICAL ENGINEER)

 

https://www.constructionweekonline.com/business/shebuilders-siecs-female-force