From the rooftop lounge at the W Hotel to the interiors of Marriott and Mandarin Oriental hotels, Washington DC-based architecture and interior design firm, BBGM, is no stranger to tackling high profile hospitality projects. Constituting around 40% of the firm’s business, in fact, the hotel sector is proving a particularly diverse and exciting platform from which to exhibit this talented team’s vision and expertise.
The BBGM”team has undergone a period of transition in the past year, having seen its New York and Shanghai offices – formerly part of the BBG-BBGM group – join global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm, HOK.
Retaining its original name, clients and ethos, BBGM is more than happy to operate as a close-knit team of 30 however, and has no lack of exciting projects both under its belt and in the pipeline.
Indeed, since its inception in 1987, the firm has completed architectural and interior design services for projects in India, Egypt, South America, the Caribbean, Mexico and, of course, the US. Yet, whatever the location of the project, the team is consistent in respecting and reflecting the social, cultural and architectural traditions of the communities it works in.
Hospitality Interiors’ Gemma Ralph caught up with BBGM’s principals, Domenic Giordano, Bruno Grinwis and Bahram Kamali to find out more about this ethos, the firm’s history, and its aspirations …
How did BBGM come to exist? Has your vision or focus shifted since the firm’s inception in 1987?
BBGM started as a small office focused on corporate interiors and base buildings. That was a different era when the corporate office market was the market. However, unlike most designers back then, we migrated to the hospitality market.
We did that somewhat consciously since once you’ve done a couple of office buildings … well, what’s next. But mostly, I think we all had an emotional connection to hospitality; the people in the industry tend to be very warm and interesting, we all love travel, and there’s always something challenging about hotel design.
How has the hospitality industry changed, in your opinion, since the firm’s early years?
The hospitality industry used to be much smaller and the rules much simpler. All the players generally knew each other, or knew of each other, and everyone knew how to put a hotel together. Today the industry has grown so much; there is always a new name, a new trend, a new reason to be noticed. The great thing about the size and variety of today’s market is that some good ideas show up every now and then.
What are BBGM’s key philosophies/values?
Our key philosophy is to respect distinct social and cultural values that are often expressed in the local design and try to reflect that uniqueness in our design – whether in the use of pattern, colour, reinterpretation of particular details, etc.
Is there a project that particularly stands out for you?
We were designing a complex in Tbilisi, Georgia which included two office buildings, a conference centre, a luxury hotel and branded residences. This was just before the financial crisis and the construction started, but I doubt we’ll see it completed.
We were providing both architectural and interior design services, the program was very complex, the client was very progressive and the team was international. This was a project that had everything one gets into hospitality for.
How does the team go about instilling a sense of locality within the interior of a hospitality environment, and are there any standout examples from your portfolio that embody this philosophy?
When we visit a new project site we explore the area and take a lot of photos. We research unusual or repetitive features looking to identify what is contributing to the local character. We like to draw our design influence from that.
As an example I return to the Tbilisi project mentioned above. Walking around the neighbourhoods you see that fences are often made of woven sticks and small branches. That textural pattern became very dominant in our wallcovering and carpet designs for that project.
How do you react to industry trends? Do they tend to inform your work heavily, or are they peripheral?
We have such a depth of experience, we aren’t really concerned with trends or styles. We are more interested in providing designs that are rooted in the locale of the property and will last.
We try to pick up on cultural or generational shifts and look to keep current through that evolution. The last thing I want to hear from a client is “you know, I really liked that design you did a couple of years ago, but now it really looks dated.”
What do you envisage for the future of hotel design?
Like TV or the media, I think we are going to continue to see more segregation of the market into more segments appealing to ever finer slices of the community.
What are your key ambitions for BBGM in the future?
We have no grand plans to take over the universe. We want to keep travelling, making friends and designing great hotels that owners are proud of and guests enjoy.
BBGM principals’ profiles
Domenic Giordano, AIA
As a principal at BBGM, Nick’s experience is as wide-ranging as his designs. He has designed buildings, from distinguished office buildings to lavish hotels, to fit a diverse array of objectives.
Nick is involved in leading all aspects of design and production including the project administration of office buildings, hotels, and residential buildings. He believes creativity and excitement can be found in every phase of the design process.
Nick has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Virginia and a Masters Degree in architecture from Rice University. He is also a member of the American Institute of Architects and is registered in numerous states.
Bruno Grinwis, IIDA
In a dialogue of form versus function, Bruno Grinwis, principal for Commercial Interiors, develops design solutions that embody today’s corporate needs for evolving technologies and innovative solutions to enhance companies’ standings in the marketplace.
Having designed over three million square feet of raw space, including private and public conference centres, large corporation headquarters, and high-tech facilities, Bruno is no stranger to understanding companies’ physical and aesthetical requirements while closely adhering to budgetary and schedule constraints.
Bruno is a graduate of l’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Appliques et des Metiers d’Art in Paris, France.
Bahram Kamali, AIA, MRAIC
Client focus and enthusiasm for design are what drive Bahram’s success. As a principal at BBGM, he has been involved in many projects from the conceptual design phase through to completion and has over 25 years of experience in the industry.
Bahram’s interests include responsibilities for initial project planning, designers, and project managers and maintaining the project approach and direction on hospitality, residential, and office building projects.
He has a Master of Architecture from NUI and a Master of Urban Planning (Urban Design) degree from McGill University, Montreal, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects and The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He is also a Registered Architect in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
