The FINANCIAL — Irish architectural firm RKD Architects, which will celebrate its 100 year anniversary next year, is entering the Georgian market. The company is currently holding negotiations with potential local partners.
For the first stage RKD Architects plans to stay in the country for 2-3 years and work on commercial projects both in the capital and in the regions.
“RKD Architects traces its roots back to 1913, but since 2007 we have been abroad as well,” David Browne, Director of RKD Architects, told the FINANCIAL. “We were working quite a great deal outside Ireland including the UK, Poland, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Holland, Austria, Bahrain, South Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The farthest point we are working in is China. We hope to work in Georgia soon as well.”
RKD Architects is working across quite a range of sectors including masterplans, healthcare, education, residential-mixed use, commercial, offices. Our tourism and leisure project was very-well known.
“We are professionals in each direction as we have long experience of working,” Browne said. “The company has passed through several generations of my family. It started with my grandfather, then my father and now I’m running the business.”
Currently RKD Architects is having negotiations with some local building companies and is getting consultations from advisory companies.
“One of our local partners will be Block Georgia, which is a Czech-Georgian company. We hope and expect to become engaged with City Hall as well. But we haven’t done it yet,” said the Director of RKD Architects.
The company plans to build in Tbilisi as well as in the regions. They have already visited the western coast of Georgia and seen the situation there. The projects being planned in Tbilisi will be in the commercial and residential sector.
“We hope that we will have the chance to design some landmark buildings as well,” Browne added.
David Browne positively evaluates the modern constructions in Tbilisi. He likes the modern glass buildings of the Police in Georgia.
“They express the idea of transparency very well. On the other hand, glass buildings are a result of the green agenda trend, which is very popular all over the world. We also have some glass buildings in Ireland.”
RKD Architects plans to stay in Georgia for 2-3 years at the initial stage. Browne says that their working in the country may last longer. Their current focus is on Georgia but the company doesn’t exclude the possibility of entering other Caucasian countries as well.
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