Preparations are underway for the annual Cityscape Global Conference in Dubai, the largest of its kind. Ahead of the event, Baharash Bagherian speaks to Cityscape Global about the Dubai Real Estate Outlook in 2016.

 

Interview between Cityscape Global & Baharash Bagherian

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Please specify which conference you will be taking part in?

I will be taking part in the Cityscape Global Conference, panel discussion on “Trending Transformations in Design Practice and Implications for the MENA Region”. I will be sharing insights into our projects, providing predictions, discussing challenges and opportunities, as well as speaking about “designing for a sustainable future”.

 

Please explain the nature of your business?

Baharash Architecture is an award winning design studio based in London. There is a true sense of entrepreneurial spirit in our work and thus innovation is our core strength.

We believe that great architecture is more than buildings; it’s about creating resilient destinations that make people feel healthy to live in, inspired to work in and want to visit. We strive to develop innovative and creative solutions that make a positive contribution to our current and future generations. Our work is all about creating healthy places that inspire people to live a healthier lifestyle.

Each project in the studio is driven by a process of investigation, experimentation and always asking “what if?” The outcomes of these studies form the basis of the design. We are working holistically at all scales, deigning masterplans, landscapes, buildings and interiors.

 

How significant is speaking at Cityscape Global to you?

As one of the most prominent real estate exhibitions in the world, Cityscape Global provides a great platform to for us to share insights on the current opportunities within the real estate market.  It’s also a great platform to connect and meet with the industry’s leading experts.

 

 

Is it a good time to invest in real estate in Dubai?

Given the long term outlook with various mega projects and infrastructure developments planned including the Expo 2020, I think it’s a great time to invest for the long term.

 

In what could be a post-oil era for Dubai and the UAE, do you feel that the country is taking the right steps in diversifying revenue streams?

UAE needs to understand that the best way to diversity its revenue stream and transform it into a green economy, is by fostering a bottom-up entrepreneurship through Public Private Partnerships. If the country focused on investing in young companies that offered innovative products or services in various sectors such as health, water, agriculture, education or renewable energy as a few examples; they will be nurturing entrepreneurial spirit from the Bottom-Up. This inward investment will create more green jobs & will most likely result in a new way of thinking.

 

How do you see the local real estate market changing in the next five years?

We are already seeing a new generation of Emiratis who are focusing on more sustainable developments and Eco Resort Group is a good example of such company.

I believe that there will be a growing trend in the development of eco resort destinations in UAE. Some of these eco resort destinations can make a significant contribution in growing a green economy and growing UAE’s ecotourism sector.

By 2021, UAE is expecting to welcome 45 million people, of which 31 million will be international tourists. Transforming this rapidly growing sector into a green economy by creating eco resorts, will place UAE at the top of the growing ecotourism market whilst diversifying its economy. Ecotourism captures $77 billion of the global market and is experiencing double-digit gains that are likely to accelerate as concern about global warming rises.

I also believe that more developers in Dubai will look to build more in tune with nature, working with the unique qualities of their sites. Using local materials and vernacular techniques combined with modern technology, there are opportunities to create truly smart and sustainable projects.

 

About Baharash Bagherian:

Baharash Bagherian is a Designer working holistically at all scales, designing for a higher quality of life whilst also protecting the environment. He believes that great Architecture is more than buildings: “It’s about creating resilient destinations that make people feel healthy to live in, inspired to work in and want to visit.”

In his work, each project is driven by a process of investigation and experimentation. The outcomes of these studies form the basis of the design. He strives to develop innovative and creative solutions that make a positive contribution to our current and future generations.

His award-winning design studio, Baharash Architecture, have worked on projects in various scales, from urban scale; such as master plans, landscape design and buildings, to smaller scale; such as interiors, furniture and products.  Recent projects include the Oasis Eco Resort in Liwa and phase 2 of Dubai Sustainable City.

Meet the award-winning designer at this year’s Cityscape Global Conference in Dubai, on 5th September 2016, the region’s largest real estate exhibition. He will be sharing insights into some of his most innovative projects, as well as discussing the challenges and opportunities of designing for a sustainable future.