Few architectural firms in Kenya have managed to build a strong brand like the Symbion Consulting Group (SCG). Boasting a rich history spanning four decades, Symbion’s footprint is evident in some of the most iconic projects not only in Kenya but across eastern, central, and southern Africa.
For Titus Kipsang, who recently took over as Symbion Group Chairman, the success of the firm is largely enshrined in the principles of its founders. To the founders, among them renowned architect Jon Cavanagh, the practice was always bigger than individuals. In fact, when many firms rotate around a few partners, Symbion shuns the personality-driven models and espouses the ability to deliver outstanding projects and services. “For us, the practice is bigger than any of us,” says Kipsang, adding that a clear philosophy to grow talent and award hard work has catapulted Symbion to among the top architectural firms in Kenya.
Operating under the SCG, the practice has different units that operate autonomously from a management perspective but consolidated under SCG board. Each of the units has its own management although overall leadership is provided by the Directors. “We have a group board where I am the chairman. We congregate as a group of directors and shareholders under SCG to do the overall review of the business.” explains Kipsang.
Until this year, Kipsang was the founding managing director of Symbion Mombasa, the unit that he was responsible for establishing in 2005 before it grew to be an independent company in 2010. For Symbion, the desire to have a presence in Mombasa had always been overwhelming owing to the nature of the coastal clients and the fact that addressing the needs of the Mombasa market from Nairobi was somehow difficult. For this reason, the firm wanted to replicate its success in offering services cutting across architecture, project management, interior design and master planning and urban planning in the coastal region.
“Before we set up in 2005, coastal clients perceived Symbion as remotely removed as a partner,” explains Kipsang. He adds that in Mombasa the market is structured in a manner that close relations, like being friends, largely dictate the aspect of trust which in effect translates to getting jobs. “This emanates from the Arab way of doing business that is largely driven by personal relations,” he notes.
Symbion’s entry in Mombasa, which was through the acquisition of an existing practice, was a game changer. At the time, the firm’s turnover was nothing to write home about and the ambition was to grow the practice and conquer the entire coastal strip comprising Mombasa, Malindi, Lamu and even parts of Tanzania. For this to happen, the practice needed to reflect the coastal ambience even internally, with the current Managing Director Abdulnassir Mohamed, hailing from the Coast.
Effectively, the Mombasa practice became an autonomous limited company in 2010 with the mandate to service the region. Though Symbion ventured into a region with established practices, some of which were owned by people from the region, it went there with a penetrative strategy. This was anchored on bringing a new, nay international, mindset to the architectural space away from what the region was not getting. The second component of the strategy was offering an international service at local pricing to make it affordable. The third component, which was critical, was the opportunity to enrich the architecture. Clients in Mombasa were not getting real value because most of the firms were a one-man practice and lacked a team of professionals to input ideas into a project in order to make it world class.
“Symbion established a studio design approach to project designs. A team of experienced professionals were always available to thoroughly review projects in order to make them stand out,” says Kipsang. He adds that the resource base, with experience spanning 50 years of practice, offers clients the advantage of technical interrogation of projects thus ensuring that each product developed at Symbion Mombasa has been thoroughly reviewed, interrogated and developed.
By all accounts, the decision to establish an independent practice in Mombasa was a masterstroke. Here was a region with vast opportunities in sectors like hospitality, port-related business and trade, which was also closely linked to the port. “We saw the opportunities and our intentions were to service the market at a very close angle,” avers Kipsang.
The hospitality industry, in particular, presented vast opportunities. Congregating under the auspices of ‘sun and sand’, the industry was witnessing significant growth owing to the fact that Kenya was grappling with a substantial deficit of bed nights, a challenge that had ripple effects on the tourism sector. Current estimates show Kenya has a deficit of 2,000 bed nights which translates to about 20 hotels. With the coastal region being the heartbeat of tourism, it thus meant that investors would want to put up the majority of the hotels in the region.
With a presence in Mombasa, coupled with years of experience and having built the necessary connections, it meant that Symbion was strategically placed to service clients in the region. Indeed, the firm boasts many projects with some of the recently completed including Sarova Whitesands refurbishments, Pride Inn Hotel refurbishments, Likoni Mall project that was completed in December 2020 during the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, New Gen Plaza in Voi and Baobab Plaza in Kilifi completed in June 2021.
Notably, Symbion Mombasa’s footprints are not only in the hospitality industry. The firm has also undertaken several office blocks projects, residential apartments, was involved in the expansion of Bandari College that is owned by the Kenya Ports Authority and has also undertaken many other port-related projects.
Although Kipsang reckons that the projects that Symbion Mombasa has been involved in are all remarkable in their own rights, the refurbishing of Whitesands and Pride Inn hotels were quite outstanding for the firm. “We are proud of all these projects. Each of them celebrates different strengths that we have within the Symbion brand,” he notes. He adds the firm has undertaken modest jobs to huge projects worth as much as KSh4 billion.
For Symbion Mombasa, the underlying factor in a majority of the projects has been the need to blend modern and tradition exquisitely. This emanated from the fact that the East African coast has always had distinct architecture. “It is true that the East African coast has a very rich architectural heritage. This is because of the great mix of cultures and the unique climate,” avers Kipsang. He adds that Symbion has been very keen in the preservation of the coastal heritage. This it does by consistently and intentionally utilizing all the elements on projects. “We borrow heavily from this rich heritage to create architecture that is environmentally sound,” he explains, adding that even where modern architecture is desirable, the firm ensures that it borrows from motifs and design elements that help set these modern buildings in context with the locality.
Apart from preserving the rich coastal heritage, Symbion has also been deliberate in conserving the ecosystem. While environmentalists and conservationists have raised concerned that new projects are destroying the region’s ecosystem, Symbion has taken the middle ground in ensuring that while environmental conservation is critical, solutions can be found to ensure that projects are not stopped.
The fact that Symbion is well established in the coastal region means the firm is always the first call for clients. In effect, Symbion is well placed to take advantage of upcoming opportunities in the region. Some of these opportunities include the opening up of Lamu as a second port city, something that allows for acceleration of growth and demand of building infrastructure in the entire strip between Lamu and Mombasa. The firm also sees opportunities in Kilifi and specifically Vipingo which is an industrial and tourism destination. Moreover, the blue economy promises the greatest and most untapped opportunities for growth of both the country’s economy and the building sector.
“The standard gauge railway, which some are currently viewing as a reason for the deterioration of the economy of Mombasa, sits with a great opportunity if the country can manage to generate return cargo that will replenish the clearing and forwarding as well as port related industry”, reckons Titus. He adds that the special economic zones of Dongo Kundu and the others already earmarked in the 2030 economic blueprint have the potential to uplift the coastal economy.
Despite achieving phenomenal success, Symbion’s operations in Mombasa have not been without challenges. Top on this has been sourcing and obtaining adequate skill sets to operate successfully and on a long-term basis. “Most of the talented, skilled staff are from up-country and who may not have a long-term intention of being at the coast,” says Kipsang. The other challenges are related to the economy which continues to remain vulnerable to external factors like security, Covid-19 related instabilities and tourism related vagaries.
Challenges notwithstanding, Symbion is determined to continue cementing its leadership in the architectural sector at the coast. According to Titus, the firm is determined to become an unquestionable authority in design innovations and creative thinking making significant contributions to the economy of the region.
