BET architects plc was established in January 2003 by two architects Tesfamariam Teshome and Daniel Alemayehu. The name BET was derived from the acronym of the key phrase ‘Built Environment Technology’ which defines the company’s future holistic competence and vision. The word BET was also intended to give the Amharic meaning of ‘Building’ as most houses and buildings have the suffix ‘bet’ like ‘Mesria bet’ for office, ‘Temehert bet’ for School, ‘Menoriya bet’ for residential house .
Initially established as a Category IV firm, BET started to compete and successfully engage in a multitude of government and private projects, attracting well qualified professionals in the realm of Architecture, Engineering and Construction management.
Over the course of the past 10 years, BET has had the opportunity to be involved in the design of buildings of various categories such as residential, office, mixed use, commercial, hotels, resorts, medical facilities, multi- purpose halls, educational facilities, convention centres, and housing projects. BET has also handled various urban projects, real estate development projects, neighbourhood design, organizing and running workshops and forums related to planning projects, thereby enabling BET to get the required degree of experience to promote it to the ultimate Category I firm.
The firm has gained a rich experience in the design and construction management of cost efficient projects due to its extensive involvement in projects launched by the government which includes new universities in different regions, condominium housing in Addis Ababa, and housing for sugar development projects in various regions.
Its collaborations with well-established local and expatriate firms, sub-consultants and experienced teams for structural and other service engineering designs, have proved to be successful in providing quality professional services.
BET is one of the certified companies in the construction sector for ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System for its consultancy services in the area of Architectural, Structural, Sanitary and Electrical designs as well as Contract administration works related to building construction.
Building Core Values
The current situation indicates that the construction industry in Ethiopia is showing tremendous progress, the scale of which is unprecedented. However, there are a number of challenges being faced and need to be addressed. To mention some, lack of technical capacity and attitude problems in professionals, lack of management systems in firms, and unethical practices in the industry.
The team at BET believe one of the solutions for such challenges is to build a vision led set of core values that would help to reduce and eventually eliminate them. These core values are also the same values that as an organization they adhere to, forming the foundation on which they perform work and conduct themselves.
Vision Statement
Attaining EXCELLENCE in Built Environment Technology (B E T)
Mission Statement
BET architects will deliver excellent and context based consultancy service in Design and Construction Management to both its local and global clients through its competent staff, state of the art technologies and quality systems.
Strategic Goals/ Quality Objectives (Corporate)
To attain personal and corporate success by producing a cost effective, high quality and schedule responsive design and construction management service outputs through proper and sustained application and fulfilment of the quality management system requirements.
Core Values
Excellence
Becoming the BEST, Becoming Leaders, Pace Setters and Role models in our works and in life as a whole.
Systems Thinking
The capacity to see parts within a whole and the relationship among the parts.
Transformation
Transforming both in technical skill and attitude from the inside out as well as attaining personal and corporate success.
Holistic-ness
Managing the whole scope and process in an integrated manner (The Built Environment, Integrating Design and CM, etc.)
Balance
Managing work, personal and the social aspect of life in a balanced way. As well as balancing the social, environmental and economic dimensions of our design.
Integrity
Maintaining an ethical and consistent service at all times and places.
Sustainability
Ensuring continuity of our excellent service and continual improvement throughout our life time and the next generations.
Influence in the industry
The two founding members Tesfamariam and Daniel have been able to play a role in tackling challenges that arise in the field of Architecture due to the significant positions they hold in the industry. As senior lecturers at the Ethiopian institute of Architecture, Building Construction and City Development (EiABC) they have been able to debate and address issues concerning the state of Architecture and human settlement in general, in a developing country like Ethiopia.
Their involvement in the Association of Ethiopian Architects (AEA) also makes it possible for them to influence discussions on current topics in the profession like the registration and licensing of professionals, regulation of professional fee for architects, curbing unethical practices in the industry, standardizing and improving bye-laws and much more.
Areas of competence
BET has developed a variety of competencies during the last ten years. Its areas of proficiencies include:
Urban Design
It is about analysis and design of certain urban tissue and housing neighbourhoods in terms of land use, built forms, open spaces and circulation based on bigger plans to create coherent built environment responding to physical and social needs.
Pre Design
This service includes consulting clients or developers related to project inception by making feasibility study, environmental Impact assessment, design programming, and project planning in collaboration with relevant professionals.
Building and Landscape Design
This service includes design of buildings of various kinds, from conceptual level to final stage, interior and furniture design, various engineering studies, specialist designs like acoustics and air conditioning, and landscape design in collaboration with sub consultants. Renovation works are also part of this service.
Construction management
Construction Management (CM) service handles all processes related to project implementation: construction bid document preparation, Bid process handling, construction supervision and contract administration.
Other Competencies
BET has also established additional competencies in Training on various built environment related topics, project analysis and evaluation, and property valuation by using the key managing architects’ academic and practical experience.
Most of our projects are acquired through national design competitions held for design, supervision and contract administration services. Some of our current and notable projects both works in progress and completed include:
Ethiopian Airlines Headquarter – design in progress
Ethio Telecom Headquarter -design in progress
Hawassa University 4th phase expansion-completed 2011
Computer lab, Dormitory, Classrooms, Library, Administration and Staff Cafe, Student cafe & General store
Hawassa University Sports Complex and main campus landscaping-under construction
Hawassa University, Awada Campus (New Expansion)-under construction
Hosseana (Wachemo) University new development-under construction
Civil Service University
Dormitory and Classroom-completed 2011
Office Extension, Dormitories, main Gate, Road-under construction
Addis Ababa Condominium housing for AAHDPO
Summit 76 blocks completed in 2012
Summit I I and Bole Ayat 83 blocks-under construction
Sugar Factory Housing Development project
Prototype Building Design and Sample Neighbourhood design completed- 2011
Neighbourhood and infrastructure design, for 11 towns of Kessem sugar factory-under construction
Association with International Design Firms
GTZ-IS
Coordination and planning of Master plan of the thirteen new universities and design of the associated building typologies that was done in ECBP as sub consultant with MH Engineering Plc.
Green Dream Company (Netherlands)
Gulele Botanical Garden Design Competition (Awarded the 2nd Prize)
DP Architects (Singapore)
Design Competition of Head Quarters Building for Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (Awarded prize for Daring Proposal)
Orbit Design (Bangkok)
Interior design and construction supervision of Ethiopian Air Lines ticket offices in different African countries: Accra, Libreville, Khartoum, Addis Ababa
Shone & Partner Architects (Austria)
Design of Ethiopian Airlines Head Quarters Building, won 1st prize in the competition held in 2011(Under final design stage)
Tetra Tech (America)
Prototypical Health centre design and Site development for various regions in Ethiopia (currently under construction)
