BDP’s international plans

BDP has acquired the Dutch masterplanning, urban design and landscape design practice Khandekar. A new company, BDP.Khandekar now operates from two design studios in Holland, and is working on major masterplanning projects in Holland, Belgium, and India. It will also add unique talent and experience to BDP’s urbanism offer in the UK and internationally, especially in the areas of urban regeneration, new settlement planning, sustainable development, and waterside development.

BDP.Khandekar will offer the best of British and Dutch expertise, for projects throughout Europe and India.

Former Khandekar directors, Shyam Khandekar and Liesl Vivier, become directors of BDP, with Shyam Khandekar joining the BDP Board.

BDP.Khandekar currently has a highly talented team of 30 urban designers and landscape architects based primarily in Benthuizen just outside Rotterdam, and Zwolle in the north of Holland.

A BDP architecture studio will be immediately developed in Holland, alongside the masterplanning teams, under the leadership of Shyam Khandekar and BDP’s Murray Kerr, who moves to Rotterdam from London.

Shyam Khandekar said “This strategic move will allow BDP to gain direct access to urbanism in mainland-europe, and to open an architectural studio there. Additionally,  BDP.Khandekar will form an irresistible pair on the exploding Indian market.”

BDP Chairman, Tony McGuirk said “A 30-strong team of masterplanners adds significantly to our urban planning offer and gives the company a different flavour Further more Khandekar’s experience of dealing with problems in the Netherlands, such as flooding, could very usefully be applied to the UK and elsewhere.”

BDP and Khandekar first collaborated in 1998 when the Dutch consultant was masterplanner for the urban regeneration of the Paleiskwartier area of the city of Den Bosch and BDP won the international competition to design a housing development there which subsequently became the award winning 'Armada'.

Khandekar’s key projects include The Monnikenhuizen Residential Area in Arnhem, winner of the Neprom prize, the regeneration of Osdorp centre, a suburb of Amsterdam and numerous projects in India including the regeneration of the former Nirlon Factory site in Mumbai, currently under construction.

BDP is currently working in 30 countries across the world on projects ranging from masterplanning, and urbanism to retail, education, health and offices.