Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers Mark 20 Years

[pull_quote_center]How leap of faith by two architects paid off[/pull_quote_center]

Success comes to the patient, the focused and the resilient. As Construction Review found out, this statement rings true for Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers who are this year marking their 20th anniversary.

In the 1990s, Kenya was literally on the brink. Unemployment was widespread, corruption was rampant, inflation was in double digits and relations with multilateral development partners were icy. Few people had disposable income and financing was hard to come by. The last thought on anybody’s mind was going into new ventures. Even more daring was to quit formal employment and starting own business; it was considered potentially suicidal. But that is exactly what two young architects decided to do in 1994.

Armed with only a vision and a determination to make it on their own, Mr Lee Karuri and Mr Chema Katua left the comfort of their steady, secure jobs at two of the oldest and best known architectural firms in Kenya and plunged into the unknown by founding Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers.

The two were previously classmates at the University of Nairobi before landing jobs at Symbion International, where the idea of going it on their own was nurtured. Karuri later moved on to Triad Architects before resigning almost at the same time as Katua did from Symbion to establish their own practice. And the Dimensions journey began in earnest.

Six years later, Karuri and Katua decided to strengthen and fully establish the Interior Design Division of Dimensions. They teamed up with Charity Stromsmo, who has a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design from American College for the Applied Arts. Charity incidentally joined Symbion International in 1993 as a junior designer at the time when Dimension was being founded. Katua and Charity’s friendship as colleagues at Symbion International was later to form a strong business partnership with the two founding Directors six years later.

In twenty years, Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers has grown in leaps and bounds, employing nearly 30 personnel (in Kenya) and firmly putting its mark on the East African construction landscape through a regional presence. The firm has a large presence in Uganda and has also worked in Rwanda and Tanzania. Structurally, there are two departments: Architecture and Interior Design. The founding directors have since brought on board several others in both departments.

In Uganda, Stephen Inyangala is the Senior Director while Benjamin Nkundiye is Director. Other key personnel at the head office in Nairobi are Allan Otieno (Senior Director), George Akali and Denis Isoe who are Associate Directors. The three are in the Architectural Department. In the Interior Design Department, Charity Stromsmo has now been joined by Noni Wanyee Muhire as Director. The rest of the staff consists of a great team of technicians, administrative and support personnel.

Tough Beginnings

“The beginnings were tough”, concedes Chema Katua, who is now Chairman of the firm. “We started off with a team of four – Lee and I, one drafts person and one administration staff, in a very small office not far from where we are now. In those days, some of us were being maintained by our spouses.” The firm would get the usual small jobs here and there to keep going. Mostly of these were single residential dwellings.

But it wasn’t very long before their resilient spirit paid off. Harban Singh, also a practicing architect in Nairobi, happened to own a property in the Amboseli National Park. Because he wanted someone with a flair for hospitality-type projects, he got in touch with Katua. And Ol Tukai Lodge, one of the famous tourist lodges in the country (which was recently named the best safari lodge in Kenya), became the first big break for Dimensions.

With the future looking bright, opportunities began to come knocking. The firm’s venture into Uganda came through proxy. “In those days, I used to create many artist’s impressions for architectural firms”, says Katua”. “An architect in Uganda invited me to look at a site for a small commission.

One thing led to another and eventually I got introduced to other people who showed interest in what we could do for them.” For quite some time, they worked from Nairobi and would commute to Kampala by bus. “And that is why we managed to keep the office running in those difficult days”, says Katua. Having established themselves in Uganda in the late 90s, the firm began to make contacts in Kigali, Rwanda, where they established an office to take advantage of opportunities there.

However, the Rwanda operation did not take off robustly because the director there was unable to effectively open the new market. “We continued doing projects for Rwandese clients from our Kampala base for some time”, says Katua, adding that when the economic situation back home began to improve, there was gradually enough local work to keep the firm busy.

Dimensions Today

The atmosphere at Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers today is much more relaxed and the days of anxiety over clinching of jobs are long behind the team.

“Our work out there now speaks for itself”, says Katua, adding that the practice achieves a competitive edge through creativity and projects that stand out. “We create pleasant buildings to live and work in and ensure a personal touch in all projects that we handle.”

Katua says that while the firm still does make competitive bids for projects and has won quite a number of them, they do so only when they feel they have got a realistic chance of winning. “Many of our jobs come through referrals, repeat clients and even walk-ins”, he says.

He cites one of the firm’s projects – extensions to All Saints Cathedral – as a good example that resulted in a walk-in engagement. “It so happened that the director of Brookhouse Schools was in traffic along Kenyatta Avenue when he glanced at the structure that was coming up within the church compound.

He felt he needed to get in touch with the architects behind the project and his enquiries led him to Dimensions. The firm subsequently secured the job to do Brookhouse Junior School, an exclusive institution in the Karen suburb of Nairobi.”

Katua says the firm goes beyond merely accepting and executing projects. “Our clients sort of become part and parcel of us. The relationships blossoms into personal associations and from these the firm ultimately benefits through referrals.”

Projects

Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers have accomplished numerous projects over the last two decades and have several underway at any one time.

In the residential category, the firm boasts such developments as Bahati Ridge, Simba Villas (for KCB Sacco), Springville, Tamarind Valley, Mageta Villas and Royal Palms (a Uganda project consisting of over 2,000 units).Others include Kihingo Village, a top end signature project for the firm, Longonot Gate, KPLC Runda, Green Park cottages and many others.

Cape Gardens and Riverview Apartments are also in the firm’s huge portfolio. Office and Commercial projects include the W.H.O. headquarters and WFP in Kampala, IKM Place, Real Insurance, Bank of Rwanda and Norwich Union Towers, Interior works to Ogilvy and Mather, and Oracle offices, among others in the region.

The firm has undertaken many projects in the hospitality segment at either architectural or interior design stage. A few of these are: Award winning Ol Tukai Lodge, Keekorok Lodge, Lions Bluff, The Red Court Hotel and Summerdale Inn. Others are Kilima Kiu Manor and Interior Design works to the 2013 award winner Enashipai Resort and Spa in Naivasha, as well as architectural work on Satao Olerai in Amboseli. Institutional and social projects include Brookhouse Junior School, St. Christopher’s Preparatory and Kindergarten School and All Saints Cathedral. Dimensions have also been involved in many private residential homes.

Industry Challenges

According to Katua, the industry in Kenya faces a myriad of problems. He cites the ever escalating cost of construction as a major impediment to growth, mentioning the recent decision by the government to slap a 25% duty increase on imported steel.

“High interest rates, high cost of land and lack of serviced land are also major challenges for the industry,” says Katua adding that energy costs must also be brought down in order for the industry to be vibrant. He suggests tax incentives for investors in the industry as one way of attracting more investment and cites Machakos County Government as one that is leading by example in that respect.

20th Anniversary and the Future

Dimensions Architects & Interior Designers have been marking the anniversary through charity events. Already, they have held a golf tournament where the proceeds went to children’s homes. “We have involved our employees and the whole team is very enthusiastic about giving back to society”, says Katua.

He looks to the future with confidence. “We want to expand further in the region”, he reveals. “We also intend to keep up with the latest trends in the industry and make Dimensions the firm of choice when it comes to architecture and interior design”, he concludes.