Member Article

Architects encouraged to think overseas

North East architects will be urged to explore overseas markets by one regional firm that has already had success in Mongolia.

A UKTI and Royal Institure of British Architects event at Northumbria University this month will feature advice from Gradon Architecture’s Graham McDarby, on how the Gateshead firm have made international business 35% of its turnover.

The free event will also feature presentations from UKTI lead international trade adviser Bill Oliver and Roby Taylor, director of Learning Impact International Ltd.

Graham McDarby said: “As a practice, we’ve always had the ambition for expanding our services to new and developing countries. However, despite this passion we previously had no experience or knowledge for exporting to overseas markets.

“The guidance and expertise that we continue to receive from UKTI has been invaluable to our business. The team has helped us to build lasting relationships with influential connections, as well as providing us with the reassurance that we needed to really go for it.

“We are now delivering a variety of projects to improve people’s lives in places like Kazakhstan and Mongolia. These experiences have helped to make us stronger as a team and as a business for the future.”

Bill Oliver added: “The North East boasts a wide range of expertise and knowledge in this field that is in huge demand overseas and, working with RIBA, UKTI wants to ensure they have the support they need to make the most of those opportunities.

“Architects are increasingly finding that developing new work overseas offers them both a revenue stream and a stimulating source of new ideas and inspiration. By investing just a couple of hours to attend this seminar, they could open up a whole new world of potential.

“UKTI is committed to helping companies succeed in the global race and our Exporting is GREAT campaign aims to encourage them to contact us to find out more about how we can help. I hope architects across the region will take advantage of this special event and come along to find out more.”

The event takes place Thursday, March 20 at Northumbria University’s Ellison Building from 8am until 10.30am. Places are free but must be booked in advance. To do so contact Kate Sankey by email: kate.sankey@riba.org or telephone: 0191 261 7441.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .