Shopping Center Business is the leading monthly business magazine for the retail real estate industry.
Issue link: http://shoppingcenterbusiness.epubxp.com/i/817746
240 • SHOPPING CENTER BUSINESS • May 2017 NEW LEADERSHIP, VISION AT DDG F or a company that has played an active role in defining and redefining the boundaries of commercial and mixed- use architectural design for over three decades, DDG, orig- inally known as a Development Design Group, today finds itself presented with a unique opportunity: to redefine its own boundaries. The Baltimore-based firm, which has delivered a long list of iconic destinations including Easton Town Center in Colum- bus, Ohio; Istinye Park in Istanbul, Turkey; and Xi Cheng in Shenzhen, China, was recently acquired by fellow Baltimore architectural firm BCT Architects (BCT). The transaction, for- malized in November 2016, is the first step in a strategic union that has its top decision-makers excited about the future. For BCT's Bryce Turner, FAIA, now chairman of the new DDG BCT entity, the move represents an opportunity to com- plement BCT's award-winning U.S. portfolio and full-service architecture capabilities with DDG's "proven ability to deliver dynamic, large scale master plans and place-making solutions that resonate with millennials and baby boomers alike." For DDG CEO Tony van Vliet, the newest chapter in the DDG story will unlock new opportunities to continue DDG's international work while expanding its portfolio to include more of the urban mixed-use developments that have been a BCT strength. "We see new opportunities both in the U.S. and around the world to pursue these types of projects," he explains. "BCT's emphasis on authenticity, and its established expertise in de- signing and delivering community-driven infill projects that can reshape and revitalize urban neighborhoods, is an ideal complement to DDG's international design work." That kind of "cross-pollination" is exactly the kind of syner- gy that DDG hopes to leverage going forward. Having recently been awarded two major international design competitions out of the gate, the new BCT/DDG firm is well underway towards success. "Our passion for designing sustainable, evocative and iconic energized environments remains undiminished," says Turner. "Together with BCT, DDG plans to continue to deliver the kind of inspired architectural planning and design solutions that transcend convention, invite and explore new possibili- ties, and celebrate the power and pageantry of public space." Van Vilet adds that BCT and DDG have a shared appreciation for the power of experience: "We never forget that it isn't site plans or sight lines, but human activity that defines a space". Turner and van Vliet also pointed to the renewed collab- oration with DDG Founder, Principal and former CEO Roy Higgs (affectionately known as DDG's "Vi- sion Keeper") as an exciting development. "We knew that Roy would bring tremen- dous value to this integrated team," says Turner. "He is excited to be involved and we could not be more thrilled to have him here to provide his creative input on some of our most innovative projects." Higgs' return is a reminder of DDG's leg- acy as an innovator and established status as an industry leader. The firm's reputation for ingenuity, inventive creativity and visionary design is no accident. DDG's diverse portfo- lio of national and international works has been recognized with over 100 prestigious international design and real estate awards. "Our work truly runs the gamut," says van Vliet, "encompassing a vast spectrum of genres and design styles: from dynamic mixed-use destinations and extraordinary master-planned communities, to ground- breaking extreme sports and leisure con- cepts, and spectacular retail and entertain- ment environments." — Randall Shearin 8 5 5 - 6 4 5 - S I G N S I G N S & S I G N P R O G R A M S F O R R E TA I L B R A N D I N G, M I X E D - U S E & U R B A N D E V E L O P M E N T National Retail Reimage/Remodel Design/Build Experiential Design Corporate Manuals