To run a successful business these days, it is how the business is organised and that is the difference between success and failure.
MAG with business spread over three countries, Syria, Spain and the United Arab Emirates, had set and organised its business into distinct groups under the control of the Management system that is in place.
The management of the business is controlled by the Chief Executive Muhsen Maksoud with the aid of his senior staff, Aref Maksoud, the joint head of design, Geoffrey Lippitt, the senior project manager, and project managers; Hisham Darwish and Loay Rabbat. This team controls the various groups that deal with each project.
The business is organized into four groups each with specific function. All of the members of the groups have been chosen for their proven track record over many years in the practice, combining creativity and attention to detail with delivery and management skills.
The business also has an information centre with a comprehensive materials computation and research laboratory that assists the architects to select products and initiate the use of new materials ensuring that we have the knowledge base to create inspirational as well as sustainable buildings.
Each group within the business is involved with a variety of projects. These range from traditional Syrian architecture to modern universal architecture, from small villas to large compounds, and we find that diversity of this sort aids creativity and innovation. The groups are constructed in such a way that they are self efficient and this ensures the personal service that the client requires. Once a project is under construction, key members of the design team then will supervise the project to completion wherever it is located. The design of each new project is reviewed regularly, both formally and informally. This process takes place under the direction of the design board.
The business is divided into groups as follows:
a) Group one contains the senior architects responsible for the initial concept and design and supervises the detailed design and concentrates on the management of the provisional design submitted to the client.
b) Group two contains the more junior architects whose job it is to develop the design and illustrate them with graphic illustrations of the projects. There is of course some mobility between the groups as individual members gain more experience.
c) Group three contains the specialist Project Management team. This team is capable of carrying out all aspects of the contractual and construction requirements of any project and is experienced in every aspect of these activities.
d) Group four contains the administration staff. There function is to provide all the necessary back up to groups one to three.
With the advent of digital technologies it is now feasible to design structures with complex geometric form that would not have been considered as little twenty years ago. The business contains a specialist modelling department that specialises in 3D computer modelling techniques. These techniques allow fast track investigation of design and structural solutions and such data is easily and rapidly transferable to both consultants and contractors. Although these new technologies are available, traditional modelling still plays an essential role in the design process.
We also have available and on call, a range of specialist personnel who provide research on materials, environmental research, interior design and many other services.
All in all we feel that we can provide the complete service from conception to occupation.