Case study
http://www.commercialdesignindia.com Commercial Design | September 2019 | 81
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get some amazing results – be that
design culture innoYation career
growth or Ànancial perIormance- iI \ou Iocus on making people
successIul he adds. ́,t·s not alwa\s
about metrics. You can make great
growth in a Yer\ short space oI
time iI \ou Iocus on making other
people successIulμ he adds.
Gillard has onl\ been with the
business a matter oI months and
it is too earl\ Ior his strateg\ to
be Iull\ implemented – or judged
on its eIIectiYeness – but dwp
Ànds itselI in a position oI strength.
́What·s great in terms oI the
Ànancial backlog oI the compan\
is the onsite or abouttogoto
site projects we haYe ongoingμ he
notes. 7 his includes the renoYation
oI Yas 9 icero\ Abu Dhabi which
is being rebranded as a W Hotel
in time Ior the )omula Grand
3 ri[ in 1 oYember. 7 he compan\
is also working on 2 ne =a·abeel
numerous projects in Deira
WaterIront and the corporate
headTuarters oI the 1 ational Bank
oI Bahrain. At design stage it is
working on the interior design oI
&rowne 3 laza at Business Ba. .illa
Design is the architecture Àrm.
Additional design projects include
the reIurbishment oI the 6 heraton
Bahrain Hotel and the Westin in
0\anmar in conjunction to a high
proÀle G&& project that cannot
be named due to commercial
sensitiYes.HaYing historicall\ been
Iocused on highend hospitalit\
and corporate oIÀces Gillard
wants to strengthen and diYersiI\
dwp·s capabilities in architecture
highrise buildings sport and
healthcare. 7 he business hopes
to use Dubai as a springboard
to e[pand into the 8. mainland
(urope and the 86 b\ .
And Gillard will continue to
break down barriers soIten the
hierarchical structure and Iocus on
empowering staII b\ championing
inclusiYit\ to create good design
that is proÀtable and Iun.
model which can be more eIIectiYe
than the hierarchical leaderIollower
Iramework. DaYid 0 arTuet·s book
about a US nuclear submarine
captain called ¶7urn the Ship
Around· summarises this model
he e[plains. 7 he captain has had
months to make the Yessel and
crew seaworth\ but is moYed to
another ship three weeks beIore
the mission is due to begin. During
a readiness test onboard the new
boat he orders a command which
is repeated back to him b\ his crew
but not Iollowed. He giYes the
order again. Nothing happens. 7 he
crew were too aIraid to tell the
captain that the order could not be
carried out. 7 he problem: no one
challenged him.
“ 7 his is the leaderIollower
model but what we need to
be successIul is the leader
leader model where checks and
balances come backμ he sa\s
adding: “No matter how junior
\ou are \ou should Ieel that \ou
can ask Tuestions. B\ holding
each other accountable \ou
moYe Iorward together because
the whole business is made up oI
leaders.μ
Gillard is not onl\ breaking
down hierarchical barriers to build
a team oI leaders but is setting
up inIormal seminars coYering
eYer\thing Irom networking to
perIecting the art oI Iollow ups and
proposals.
“ 7 he ke\ message Ior me IromTT
Part of my
mandate at dwp
is to flatten out
the structure
and drive a
culture of trust,
entrepreneurship
and
empowerment
because then
people feel valued
and incentivised.
That really helps
gets their best
work.
The client wanted a design using the latest luxury materials and technology.
The boutique sales centre in Citywalk is owned by a prominent Dubai-
based holding company.