Street furniture with a cultural resonance

Harry Dobbs Design Group (HDDG), a collaboration between Harry Dobbs Design and Stedingk Industrial Design, won the international design competition for custom street furniture for the Downtown Doha development in the heart of the Qatari capital.

Sixteen different types of street elements were designed for this 31 hectare, $5.5 billion mixed-use city centre redevelopment by Msheireb Properties (a subsidiary of the Qatar Foundation, see mdd.msheireb.com) on a prime location adjacent to the Emir’s Palace and the Souk. This includes  a parade of 22m high ceremonial lighting masts along the palace’s southern boundary, road lighting and pedestrian lighting across the development, as well as benches, tram shelters, kiosks, cycle racks, drinking fountains, litter bins and bollards.

At the initiative of Her Highness Sheikha Mohza, the Downtown Doha development shows a new path for urbanisation in the Gulf, integrating contemporary solutions with traditional modes of public life and urban texture. HDDG are working alongside other international architects including Allies and Morrison, David Adjaye, AECOM, HOK, Eric Parry, Michel Mossessian, to realise this culturally sensitive brief. In response the HDDG team built on their in-depth research into Qatari materials, forms and traditional geometries, to provide unique designs with a clean contemporary design language that remains rooted in the local cultural context.

The first phase of the development is due for completion in September 2013 and will showcase some of the furnishing elements. A complete roll-out across all six phases of the site will be completed in the following years.

‘Placing Acton’ High Street regeneration project installed

Area identity and High Street regeneration project is completed in time for Christmas 2012. Harry Dobbs Design coordinated an integrated approach, bringing together Urban Design, Landscaping, Lighting and Public Art. (In conjunction with London Borough of Ealing, Eq2 Lighting & Modus Operandi/Artist John Aldus)

Hackney Design Awards 2012.

The Hackney House ‘Pop Up’ Destination to promote Hackney and Tech City during the Olympics shortlisted for Hackney Design Award 2012.

‘Weather – its raining or not…’

The ‘Weather – its raining or not’ installation in Hoxton Square hosts the 2012 Architecture Week and events during the Olympic period. Commissioned by RIBA and GLA for the 2012 Olympics the installation offers a playful layer of interactions with  a light hearted nod to the vagueries of the British weather.

‘Pop up’ Destination

Hackney House installed on Shoreditch High Street, provides a destination for events and promotion of London Borough of Hackney and Tech City during the 2012 Olympic period. The a crafted design lifts the qualities of basic materials such as chain-link fence, and provides for easy disassembly. Event spaces and Exhibition designs were provided by Arcola Theatre and Pearson Lloyd respectively.

Parasols win Olympic funding!

Playful Parasols for Hoxton Square win funding for Olympics public spaces. Prompting a set of playful interactions within the square, and offering shelter, the canopies have been commissioned by the GLA and RIBA to support the Architecture Week, Shoreditch  Design Festival and the Olympic events during summer 2012.

Y-Stand in Parliamentary Awards 2012

Meg Hillier MP supports the Y-Stand cycle rack’s inclusion in the ‘Made by Britain’ Parliamentary Award 2012. An exhibition of Parliamentary Award products is proposed for the Houses of Parliament shortly.

Shoreditch High Street Olympic Destination.

Design for Hackney House achieves planning. Developed as a ‘Pop Up’ event space and promotion venue for the London Borough of Hackney, the designs playfully convert this derelict site into a vibrant destination for the 2012 Olympics.