Home - Architectural Building Design

Architectural Building Design

From concept to completion, we provide an inclusive service covering everything from foundations to finishing touches.

Planning

Your home should reflect how you live. We take the time to understand your lifestyle, needs, and how you interact with your space. Every individual is unique, and these insights guide us in creating spaces that truly work for you.

Procurement

Procurement services, contractor managed supply chains, client-supplied materials and management of trades, materials coordination for deliveries to site, from beginning to end of the project requirements.

Management

Construction management services, including complete contractor oversight, trade management and coordination, programming, budget control, contract management and advice for efficient project execution.

About Simon Sutton

Owner and proprietor of Unity Building Design discusses his achievements and motivations and his gold standard services.

A Life Built Around Design and Construction

If design and construction were a blood type, they’d flow through my veins. Building is in my DNA, deeply rooted in my upbringing. My dad, a builder, introduced me to the trade at just six years old. I still remember standing in a trench with a measuring rod, gauging drain levels, and hauling bricks and freshly bagged cement, so hot they polished the skin smooth — long before modern conveniences for deliveries existed. Those early days shaped the way ahead.

After school, I was fortunate to dive straight into work, starting as an Architectural Technician. By the late 1980s, I transitioned into design-and-build site management, gaining invaluable insight into how ideas on paper transform into reality.

The First Gulf War opened an unexpected door, allowing me to contribute to Kuwait’s rehabilitation. From there, I ventured to the Red Sea Coast, Cairo, and Dubai, where I took on one of the most iconic projects of my career: the interior fit-out of the Burj Al Arab. At the time, I had no idea how globally significant this project would become. Overcoming unprecedented technical design challenges instilled a deep sense of pride and taught me to embrace new perspectives.

Our design and planning services offer a comprehensive approach to transforming your ideas into reality, providing innovative and tailored solutions that bring your vision to life. From the initial concept stage to the completion of detailed designs, we prioritize creating spaces that are both functional and aesthetically captivating, perfectly aligned with your unique needs and aspirations.

Our team excels in tackling the intricacies of planning regulations and approvals, navigating these processes efficiently to ensure your project proceeds seamlessly.

With a strong emphasis on sustainability, modern design principles, and environmental stewardship, we aim to craft spaces that are not only visually stunning but also foster a sense of harmony with the surrounding environment. By integrating energy-efficient practices, eco-friendly materials, and innovative technologies, our designs enhance your quality of life while promoting long-term value.

At Unity Building Design, we believe in creating more than just buildings; we strive to design spaces that inspire, adapt to your lifestyle, and stand as a testament to thoughtful, forward-thinking architecture.

We offer a range of post-construction management services to suit varying project requirements, budgets, and levels of client involvement:

Package Management
Specific trades are procured directly for construction tasks, and materials are sourced by the client. This approach provides flexibility and potential savings by limiting contractor markups on labour and materials.

Two-Stage Construction Management
The project is divided into two stages: the main contractor builds the shell (foundations, walls, roof), while the client manages and contracts follow-on trades, offering more budget control as the project progresses.

Comprehensive Project Management
End-to-end management covering procurement, coordination, and scheduling of trades and materials. Clients contract trades directly and manage material purchases for transparency, offering flexible solutions for different levels of involvement, from full contractor management to hands-on support.

Main Contractor Management
A main contractor oversees all procurement, supply chains, sub-contractors, equipment, and site coordination. This option offers a hands-off approach, though it comes with a premium for contractor markups, overheads, and profit.

Here are a few specialist projects we carried out in the Middle East

A brief return to the UK brought a unique opportunity to work with the late HM Queen and HRH Prince Charles on a personal portfolio project in Norfolk.
With the Middle East calling again, I joined the wave of high-rise hotel developments in Dubai. Despite the economic downturn, a mixed-use hotel project drew me to Cairo, where I navigated construction through political turmoil, revolutions, and military curfews.
After decades of shaping skylines across continents, I returned to the UK, bringing with me a lifetime of experience, stories, and an unwavering enthusiasm in continuing to help clients with design and construction.

1 January 2005

Cairo and Dubai

Simon Sutton

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Top Left: Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Sheraton Abu Soma Egypt, Snow Dome Dubai, Middle: St Regis Hotel, Cairo, Tiara Residences, Palm Jumeriah, Dubai, Emirates Towers Dubai. Bottom: Tutankhamun's mask room refurbishment, Cairo, Shangri-La Hotel Dubai

13 July 1998

Dubai

Simon Sutton

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Burj Al Arab Structure and Interiors

16 November 1993

Kuwait

Simon Sutton

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Kuwait Bayan Palace - Refurbuished after damage during Gulf War.