Dubai, UAE
Principal | Design Director | Board of Directors
As Principal and Designer Director at AE7, Erik spearheads not only marketing and business development but also the high-level design aspiration for mixed-use and masterplan developments. These rewarding, highly engaging projects that present challenges from both a logistics and architectural standpoint are where his skills are best exhibited. He has proven himself essential in the delivery of award-winning, high-profile projects. Erik is locally and internationally recognized for his commitment to sustainable design, exceptional competency and strong leadership skills which complement the fundamental principles of AE7.
With many of his projects located in Dubai and the Middle East, Erik has learned to navigate the challenges of transforming an otherwise barren landscape into a must-see destination, complete with a story and overarching theme that draws from the existing natural landscape. He leverages these flat, natural features as a baseline to initiate his intuitive design approach while considering the economics and business plan behind the site. This balance between design aspirations and budget/timeline restrictions is one that Erik has cultivated throughout his brilliant 20+ year career.
Erik’s inherent ability to listen to client aspirations and turn their vision into a realized master plan development is one he demonstrates constantly. He leads his design teams by example, instilling in his team the responsibility and reward that comes from designing spaces and places that people seek out to make memories and build community. Watching a project grow from sketches on paper to a developed space has motivated Erik throughout his career as he turns innovative vision into reality, keeping clients equally excited and impressed.
Education:
Bachelor of Architecture, Kansas State University, USA, 1992
Membership of Professional Associations:
Registered Architect, New York, USA, 1996
AIA Pittsburgh Chapter, Board of Directors, 2001 – 2004
AIA Pittsburgh Design Awards Committee Head, 1999 – 2001