The enormity of Dubai’s urban growth over the past three decades belies this short description. Once a tiny fishing village on the edge of the desert, today, the cosmopolitan metropolis is home to a kaleidoscopic assemblage of dizzyingly tall towers. Built on a foundation of mercantile activity and later fueled by oil revenue and tourism, the city exploded over the past 30 years. Nothing better symbolizes this than the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Since it topped out at 2,717 feet (828 meters) and 160 floors in 2010, the building has announced the city’s global importance and architectural daring.
As the city continues to climb the ranks of the world’s most visited urban areas, architecture firms are cropping up to meet the supply and demand. The bar has already been set, and architectural offices in Dubai continue to rise to the occasion.
With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Dubai based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.
How are these architecture firms ranked?
The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:
- The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2022)
- The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2022)
- The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2022)
- The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2022)
- The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2022)
Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Dubai architecture firms throughout the year.
Without further ado, here are the 4 best architecture firms in Dubai:
4. ibda design
© ibda design
ibda design is a design-driven architecture studio with a focus towards a project’s specific context, and a close attention to detail.
The two partners, Wael Al Awar (Lebanon) and Kenichi Teramoto (Japan), each own unique biographical stories that first led them away from their home countries, then later to collaborate in Dubai. Thus, they share a mutual ability to observe a city up-close and intimately, yet also from afar, with the attentive eye of an “outsider”.
With no first-language shared between them, the two are required to communicate through architecture, using design as a language. Upon merging their individual sensibilities of form and natural landscape, they reach an architectural consensus amongst themselves, and the context.
Some of ibda design’s most prominent projects include:
- Al Warqa’a Mosque, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Hai d3, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Office Tower Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Beirut Museum of Art (BeMA), Concept
- Hayy: Creative Hub, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The following statistics helped ibda design achieve 4th place in the 4 Best Architecture Firms in Dubai:
| Featured Projects | 1 |
| Total Projects | 5 |
3. desert INK
© desert INK
“Creating exciting places which enhance lives”
desert INK is pioneering new forms of landscape architecture for the Middle East and aims to define a sustainable and context-driven blueprint for landscapes in the region.
Some of desert INK’s most prominent projects include:
- desert INK Office Interior, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- The Block, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The following statistics helped desert INK achieve 3rd place in the 4 Best Architecture Firms in Dubai:
| A+Awards Winner | 1 |
| Total Projects | 2 |
2. Gianni Ranaulo Design
© Gianni Ranaulo Design
We are Gianni Ranaulo Design.
We are passionate and dedicated to the pursuit of exciting and engaging architectural design solutions.
Some of Gianni Ranaulo Design’s most prominent projects include:
- The Village, Villefontaine, France
- Waves Actisud, Metz, France
- ENOX, Gennevilliers, France
- Compagnie De Phalsbourg Headquarters, Place Vendôme, Paris, France
The following statistics helped Gianni Ranaulo Design achieve 2nd place in the 4 Best Architecture Firms in Dubai:
| A+Awards Winner | 1 |
| Featured Projects | 1 |
| Total Projects | 4 |
1. Killa Design
As a firm, Killa Design is dedicated to creating innovative buildings that are timeless, environmentally sustainable, and contextually inspired.
We specialise in mixed-use, high rise, hospitality, office, and residential projects. We also have significant experience in retail, theatre, museum, urban design, and master planning projects.
With value led building solutions, cutting edge and creative thinking, we strive to build strong relationships with our clients by going beyond the brief to help transform their project vision into viable, liveable spaces.
Our people are passionate about responsible design and the impact it has on the lives we touch every day.
In the six years since we…
Some of Killa Design’s most prominent projects include:
- Science Museum, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Marsa Al Arab , Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Marsa Al Arab – Quay Wall Villas , Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Sheybarah Resort, Red Sea
- Vida Dubai Marina & Yacht Club , Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The following statistics helped Killa Design achieve 1st place in the 4 Best Architecture Firms in Dubai:
| A+Awards Winner | 1 |
| A+Awards Finalist | 2 |
| Featured Projects | 4 |
| Total Projects | 12 |
Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?
With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.
Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.
An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted
A Guide to Project Awards
The blue “”+”” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.
The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:
- Project completed within the last 3 years
- A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
- Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
- High quality, in focus photographs
- At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
- Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
- Inclusion of construction photographs
There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.
We’re constantly look for the world’s best architects to join our community. If you would like to understand more about this ranking list and learn how your firm can achieve a presence on it, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at editorial@architizer.com.