Founded in 2008 by architects Hasan Fikry and Ahmed Mansour, Design And Build Services (DABS) has been offering the Egyptian market a new level of excellence in architecture and design, as well as construction and management services. eniGma caught up with DABS’ creative founding duo to learn more about their path to success in an increasingly crowded field.
Having both graduated with degrees in architecture, Hasan Fikry and Ahmed Mansour teamed up to start DABS, an architecture and design company that perfectly encompasses their creative visions. Their journey began with designing smaller apartments, and as their expertise grew, so did their projects and their success. Today, DABS’ work mostly involves large villas and massive commercial projects.
Known for providing high quality, fabulous and glamorous spaces, DABS’ designs are also known to be fully practical and livable. Always placing a high priority on the comfort of their clients, Fikry and Mansour tailor each project not only to their clients’ tastes, but also to their budgets. They are famous for their ability to work within any given parameters to provide a wonderful end-product.
DABS is also known for its focus on incorporating technology, research, and interdisciplinary thinking in their projects, emphasising that there is more to a space than just design. “Our philosophy is to bring our client’s vision to life through a built environment, while balancing quality, time, scope and cost. Interior design is no longer an expensive proposition meant for rich people only. Today, an average household with average income can afford the luxury of transforming a house into a dream home,” says Fikry, who is passionate about delivering the best of the best to every single client.
“Of course, having a large budget to work with is great when it comes to home interior decorating. However, tasteful interior decoration on a modest family budget is also possible if you follow a well-planned strategy,” explains Fikry, who stresses that DABS doesn’t have a target clientele. They are determined to give every client who comes their way the home of their dreams.
While much of DABS’ work involves architectural concepts and interior design projects, their scope of work extends beyond delivering some of Cairo’s most gorgeous villas and houses. DABS has also worked on F&B fit-outs, as well as retail projects, which have included local branches of major brands like Starbucks, Timberland, The Body Shop, Ravin, Reebok, Tabali, Steakout and Levis.
Whether working on residential or commercial projects, DABS has a stellar reputation for closely listening to their clients and understanding well what they would like to see come to life. The DABS team internalises the client’s wishes, then adds its own Midas touch to the vision to breathe life into the concept. Fikry stresses that getting to know the clients is crucial to executing each project, because at the end of the day, no two people are the same, and with that comes the responsibility of always producing a unique and creative design. And by the looks of their fabulous designs, it’s apparent that DABS continues to achieve just that for every client.
