Urbahn Architects, a full-service planning and design firm based in New York City, has launched Urbahn International, a new affiliate to focus on hospitality, commercial, public and institutional work globally. Urbahn International will operate in both New York City and Jakarta, Indonesia. The Minister of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, Zulkifli Hasan, announced the formation of Urbahn International at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York during a business forum focused on real estate development opportunities in Nusantara, Indonesia’s planned new capital city.
“We welcome Urbahn International to the family of major global companies joining the government of Indonesia in developing the new capital city of Nusantara. The initial public investment of $35 billion, devoted to building Nusantara’s infrastructure, has resulted in numerous real estate organizations from the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia committing to developing commercial office buildings, housing, hotels, retail, R&D and other projects within this 633,000-acre (2,561 square kilometer) sustainable urban project,” said Hasan.
“Following its design work in the U.S., Africa and India, Urbahn International will take advantage of the growing commercial real estate and public construction markets throughout the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. In particular, our Asian team will focus on projects in Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital city,” said Urbahn’s Managing Principal Donald E. Henry Jr., AIA, LEED, CPHC.
Urbahn International’s regional office will be located at l. Bangka Raya No. 5H, RT.13/RW.11Bangka, Kec. Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta City, 12720, Indonesia.
Pratt Institute-educated architect Rafi Haikal will serve as Urbahn’s Director of ASEAN Region Business Development. According to Haikal, “Urbahn International has already won two projects in the region, both at Sanur KEK in Bali, a 106-acre beachfront health and wellness tourism complex. These include accessibility consulting for the restoration and upgrade of the Grand Inna Bali Beach Hotel, originally designed by Indonesia’s first president and architect Sukarno, and the design of 70 villas for convalescing patients and their families.”
According to Haikal, “Urbahn’s expertise in the planning and design of sophisticated public facilities, healthcare projects, transportation infrastructure and hospitality developments align very well with the rapid, government-driven urban development taking place in the region. This expertise is further reinforced by our firm’s experience in sustainable and accessible design practices.”
In addition to its vast U.S. project portfolio, Urbahn has worked as a planner and architect delivering hospitality, healthcare, education and public service facilities around the globe. These include the Four Points by Sheraton Piarco International Airport Hotel in Trinidad; Georgetown Marriott Resort Hotel and Gaming Center in Georgetown and 140-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Timehri, both in Guyana; and Paradise Crossing Lifestyle Community and Recreation Center in Jamaica.
In Africa, Urbahn led planning and design work for Somalia’s Lower and Middle Juba Regions’ Healthcare Delivery Planning Studies; Uganda Healthcare Delivery Planning Study; Nigeria Post Office Management Systems Study; and Nigeria Primary Healthcare Delivery Study. The firm also served on the architectural team that developed Indonesia’s exhibit at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in Queens, NY.
