Dewan Architects + Engineers: Global Experience, Local Understanding

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- For more than 40 years, Dewan Architects + Engineers has been shaping cities and destinations across the Middle East, Europe and beyond. From large-scale mixed-use developments to hospitality, residential, leisure and lifestyle projects, the firm has built a reputation for delivering ambitious, design-led projects in fast-moving markets while adhering to the visions and market needs of their clients.

Today, as Dewan continues to grow across Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam, yet with a deep regard for the local culture and a sense of place. The goal is simple: to bring the experience, confidence, structure, and resources of a global design practice, with input from our local team and partners to ensure every project fits its context, culture, and market needs.

Over the past eight years, Dewan's Vietnam studio has become a key part of this approach. Working side by side with Dewan's global offices, but deeply rooted in local knowledge, culture, codes, and ways of working.

One Team, Two Perspectives

"Vietnam and Southeast Asia are exciting markets, but they also move fast," says Freek Jansen, Branch Manager of Dewan Vietnam. "Developers here need strong ideas, but they also need clarity, coordination, and partners who understand how things really work on the ground."

Dewan's strength lies in combining these two worlds. Concept design and strategic thinking are developed from the firm's headquarters in Dubai, drawing on decades of experience in large, complex projects, while the Vietnam studio plays an important role in supporting these ideas into designs that respond to local regulations, construction methods, climate, and cultural expectations, as well having a constant local point of contact to serve our clients.

Rather than a one-directional workflow, Dewan operates as one connected team. Designers, technical specialists, and local architects collaborate from the early stages, ensuring projects are unique yet buildable, efficient, and commercially viable.

Design That Feels Right for Its Location

There is no "standard Dewan style." Each project is shaped by its context, market positioning, and end users. What remains consistent is the firm's design mindset: clarity, strong spatial thinking, and a focus on human experience.

In Vietnam, this has meant learning quickly and adapting continuously. Over time, Dewan's teams have refined how global design standards are blended with local materials, traditions, and lifestyles, resulting in projects that feel international in quality, but familiar and relevant to local users.

Experience You Can See on the Ground

Dewan's growing portfolio in Southeast Asia reflects this balance between ambition and context.

In Hanoi, SolForest at Ecopark introduced the idea of a "vertical forest" to high-rise living—long before green residential towers became a mainstream discussion. As one of Dewan Vietnam's first completed projects, it demonstrated how sustainability, lifestyle, and high-density housing could come together in a meaningful way.

In Thailand, Layan Verde in Phuket takes a different approach, responding to steep terrain and coastal views. Terraced residences, integrated landscape, and passive design strategies turn the site's challenges into its strongest features—creating a resort-style environment that feels connected to nature rather than imposed on it, creating an almost non architectural statement where nature overtakes the building.

Meanwhile, in southern Vietnam, Maia Ho Tram represents Dewan's ability to deliver at scale. As Lead Architect and Interior Designer, Dewan is shaping a coastal destination that combines hospitality, residences, wellness, and leisure into one cohesive vision. Despite its size and short design timeline, the project remains focused on human experience—open terraces, generous outdoor spaces, and interiors inspired by nature and local identity.

Why Developers Choose Dewan

For developers, working with Dewan means more than accessing an international name. It means:

• Global experience from the Middle East, Europe, Africa and other fast-growth markets
• Strong design leadership backed by technical depth
• Local teams who understand approvals, coordination, and construction realities
• Cultural sensitivity, not global imported solutions
• One integrated process, from concept to delivery

"Our international background taught us how to work fast, manage complexity, and deliver under pressure," Jansen explains. "But our success in Asia comes from listening, adapting, and building trust with local partners."

Looking Forward

As Dewan continues to expand across Vietnam and Southeast Asia, the firm remains focused on long-term partnerships rather than one-off projects. Each new development is seen as a collaboration, where global knowledge and local insight come together to create places that work commercially, culturally, and socially. "Our journey in Asia has changed how we design," Mr. Mohammed Adib, Chief Design Officer - Dewan Architects reflects. "It's made us more flexible, more grounded, and more connected to how people actually live. That combination is what we bring to every developer we work with and eventually for the final users."

Looking ahead, with a strong regional presence and a fully integrated global network, Dewan Architects remains committed to creating places that add real value: projects that are globally informed, locally delivered, and designed to support how people live, work, and connect.

For high-resolution photos, please download the media kit here.

SOURCE Dewan Architects + Engineers