When the history of architecture in Kenya is finally written, the name Symbion will be firmly engraved therein. For it is incomprehensible to discuss the architectural sector in Kenya without mentioning Symbion Architects and the role the renowned studio has played in shaping the built environment in this country and beyond.
Indeed, numerous major landmarks in Kenya and the larger East Africa region bear Symbion’s signature. From hospitality to high-rise commercial complexes, health to education, residential to mixed use developments, Symbion has featured constantly. The firm has undertaken projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Botswana, Mozambique and Seychelles and maintains a regional presence with offices in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kampala.
This year, the firm that has built itself a reputation for greatness is celebrating 40 years.
It was on 8th September 1980 that two architects, Peter Derek Thomas and Jon Antony Cavanagh, came together to establish an architectural practice that would later outgrow them to become the big name that it is today. From the humble design partnership, Symbion is now recognised as one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading architectural practices, providing core services thatinclude: Architecture, Interior Design, Project Co-ordination, Project Management, Design Management, Value Management, Information Management, Contract Management, Independent Technical Audits and Urban Planning. It has an enviable portfolio that puts it right in the league of the big players, having served more than 200 public and private clients.
Symbion and its team of skilled project managers, architects and interior designers together with specialist consultants are able to offer comprehensive design services from the initial feasibility study through to the completed contract on all types of work ranging from small one-off extensions to large commercial, health, hospitality and residential developments.
Says Managing Director Arch Mutua Mutuku: “We have a depth of knowledge and expertise afforded by a cumulatively widely skilled team where each team member brings a different perspective to the solution of a brief, which provides for high quality, professionally delivered multi-layered solutions to client requirements. This in turn ensures value to the client through the lifetime of the project.” According to Arch Mutuku, it is these synergies that create a competitive edge that sets the award-winning practice apart from others. The firm also leverages on cutting edge technology, acquiring latest software and hardware for its team to remain ahead. Symbion is a fully CAD-based operation, using ArchiCAD, AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Sketch-up and 3D Max. All the architects, interior designers and technicians are CAD efficient.
The Symbion team currently consists of 9 architects, 2 interior designers, 6 technicians, 2 project managers and 11 administrative staff. At the helm are Architects Mutuku (Managing Director), Oscar Ogunde (Executive Director) and Arthur Oyugi (Executive Director). Lorna Moraa is the Group Finance Director while Arch George Munene serves as Associate Director. Retired Arch M.A. Lord serves as a consultant.
A wealthy portfolio
The Villa Rosa Kempinski, a five-star hotel in Nairobi popular with visiting heads of state and international business executives, is one of the many jewels in the firm’s crown. Others include Kampala Serena, Nairobi Serena (renovation), Kigali Serena, Speke Resort & Convention Centre (Uganda), Ngorongoro Serena Crater Lodge (Tanzania), Hotel Polana (Mozambique) and many other high-end developments across the region. In office buildings, Symbion is behind such developments as 14 Riverside Drive (Nairobi), Lotis Towers (Kampala), National Drug Authority Towers (Kampala) among others. In the health and education sectors, Symbion has made its mark, being behind such projects as Aga Khan University Centre (Nairobi), GEMS Cambridge International School (Nairobi) and Bomu Hospital (Mombasa) to name just a few. In retail, Symbion carried out the extensive extensions to the upmarket Village Market in Nairobi and was also behind Lake Basin Mall. All this in addition to numerous interior design and renovations to major offices, banks and shops, not to mention an equally impressive portfolio of project management undertakings.
Arch Mutuku, who joined the firm in 2002 and has been instrumental in the firm’s recent accomplishments, is proud of all the projects that Symbion has successfully executed and finds it hard to single out individual projects as standing out.
“We put in our best in every project, and each project will particularly excel in certain features depending on the thrust of the solution to the brief,” says the seasoned architect. “As such it is not easy to pick a favourite, but if we did, we would go with the most recently completed, which is either the Village Market, or Nairobi Serena.”
He notes that the Village Market was a complex project which challenged the firm to improve on an already successful and unique project. “We had to reference the history of the mall whilst bringing in newer ideas in terms of materials and technology, creating continuity and freshness at the same time. We had to figure out how to scale up the organic forms of the existing mall to a much more dense extension whilst ensuring harmony between the two scales; and all this in the context of managing a complex building program involving a new hotel, retail and service areas. The outcome speaks for itself.”
“Villa Rosa Kempinski is one that still draws some strong reactions through it is a much older project now,” adds Arch Mutuku.
Awards of Excellence
Over the years, Symbion has been recognized for its innovative multi-sectorial projects, severally bagging peer-organized and other awards. The firm has prominently featured in The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) awards, taking away multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze accolades over the years. Some of its award-winning projects include Ngorongoro Serena Lodge, Kampala Serena, Crested Towers (Kampala), Nairobi Safari Walk and Kensington Housing Estate.
Ethos
The firm’s philosophy has been to grow talent in the region. It has therefore been working with young university graduates to ensure that the Symbion legacy lives on years to come.
Symbion also participates in various Corporate Social Responsibility activities as a way of giving back to the society. For instance, its employees have taken part in the Beyond Zero campaign in Kenya aimed at ensuring safe child delivery among mothers in Kenya.
The firm has also been involved in various projects in semi-arid areas to provide water to residents. Additionally, Symbion also supports the Mama Sarah Obama Foundation which supports orphans and poverty stricken children in Kenya.
Industry and Future of Symbion
Arch Mutuku points out some challenges affecting the construction industry particularly in Kenya, many of which he concedes have been captured in the draft National Construction Authority (NCA) construction industry policy.
“One challenge is low access to affordable project financing, which affects completion rate of projects,” he notes. “There are many proposals that come through, but a good number get delayed or shelved because of lack of financing. There is also the challenge of inadequate skilled and competent workforce, which results in poor execution of projects or otherwise the projects are executed expensively. There is also inadequate capacity for enforcement of standards and regulations which results in many projects being put up without involvement of professionals, putting the users at risk.”
He says many of the challenges can only be resolved at a higher policy level accompanied by adequate enforcement by the various regulatory bodies, adding that professional bodies can support this process through lobbying for and contributing to improvements in the policies.
On the future of his practice, Arch Mutuku is upbeat and sees the firm expanding into a multidisciplinary organization in the real estate industry becoming part of a leading global design conglomerate.
