As 2018 comes to a close, Benoy looks back on the notable achievements from the past year.
2018’s Completed Projects
Benoy is proud to remember 11 global projects that were finished in the last 12 months:
Celebrating Our People
The retention and promotion of great people is critically important to Benoy. This year Benoy celebrated a number of new hires including:
- Dawn Bingham (Group Talent Director, global)
- Neil Morling (Group Finance Director, global)
- Andy Thorpe (Head of IT, London)
- Rosie Jones (Business Development Assistant, London – a graduate from the UK government supported apprenticeship programme)
In its commitment to retain great people, the company also made a number of promotions including:
- Amy Cartledge as Regional Operations Director, EMEA
- Jamie Webb as Head of EMEA, overseeing studios in London, Newark and Dubai
- Laura Barnes who was confirmed as Group Marketing Communications and Business Development Director
- Teri Tsang as Director in the Hong Kong studio
Anniversaries in Asia
Benoy’s Singapore studio most recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary. Over the last decade, Singapore has pioneered a number of ‘firsts’ for Benoy – from delivering the first high-rise residential tower Orchard Residences in 2009, to the first aviation terminal with Changi Airport T4 in 2017 and the first completed project in Sydney, Australia with the David Jones Elizabeth Street flagship store this year. The Shanghai studio also celebrated a decade in operation this year. From a small team of five, the Shanghai studio has undergone immense growth over the last decade. The current team of almost 80 is now busy designing its next generation of projects including an Arts Center in Hangzhou, and a Science and Innovation Park in Shanghai. We also helped Westfield celebrate their 10th Anniversary in London. In 10 years, the shopping destination has welcomes more than 270million visitors, generating over £9.2 billion in sales. Sales have also grown by 52% and the footfall has increased by 25%, demonstrating the enduring importance of retail in London and its value to the wider economy.
Giving Back
This year, Benoy proudly launched the global Giving Back initiative. Across all studios, Benoy’s giving back promise has seen countless people dedicate time and effort to important causes collectively working towards making the business more sustainable which in turn has inspired how we design. It has been an inspiring inaugural year with much more to come.
A Year of Awards
In 2018, Benoy took home 18 prestigious awards globally. Several projects around the world were recognized including; Changi Terminal 4 (Singapore), Suzhou Center Mall (China), Gala Avenue Westside (China), Parc Central (China), Ajdan Walk (Saudi Arabia), and Starfield Hanam (South Korea).
Benoy was also recognized at the World Architecture Festival Awards with three projects being shortlisted; Gala Avenue Westside (China), Suzhou Old Town Retail Street (China) and Central Quay (Wales).
Handley House
2018 has also been a positive year of transition. At the start of the year, Handley House was formed as the parent company overseeing Benoy and its sister businesses Holmes Wood (wayfinding, information graphic design and motion graphics) and Uncommon Land (narrative landscapes). Within Handley House, these sister businesses operate independently but when needed come together to provide technical knowledge, expertise and collaborative design solutions for clients.
Benoy’s ability to offer a unique breadth of design skills to deliver integrated design solutions has led to some interesting collaborations with a variety of leading businesses including Brompton, The Eden Project, Martha Stewart Partners, BuroHappold and Habitatum to name but a few.
As a group, Handley House will begin 2019 in a positive position with numerous opportunities ahead of it. For Benoy, which enters its 72nd year of designing, the last seven decades of success provide a robust platform from which the business will continue to grow.
