Muhammad Hassein

With more than 23 years of international involvement in planning, architecture and interior design, I have garnered a wealth of experiences in business development, client-interface matters, management of projects and construction administration.

I am successful in delivering my clients’ initial vision, concept ideation of master plans and individual buildings right to the completion of projects, while coordinating with local authorities, collaborating with specialist consultants, contractors, suppliers and vendors. One of the key components that have contributed to my successes in my design strategy is by identifying project risks early on and proactively advise clients on mitigation plans, when projects get ‘complicated’.

I possess extensive real-world experience, which began in the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain and Cambodia. While I was based in Bahrain, I was posted to various countries in the region and Eastern Europe to manage projects there. The countries include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Qatar, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I have been involved in projects in Seychelles, Ghana, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and my home country, Singapore in hospitality and master planning. 

Over 23 years, I am fortunate to have worked on a variety of project types, such as hospitality, residential, educational, commercial, mixed-use developments and government institutions as well as on ‘special’ projects such as a Safari and Animal Sanctuary.

One of the highlights of my career was my role in the construction of The Dubai Mall - the biggest mall in the world the and the cutting-edge project for Dubai, UAE. During my tenure here between 2005 and 2008 , my team and I developed innovative design solutions within new parameters and strict conditions while maintaining the design intent. 

My tenure in Bahrain began in 2011 with the Meinhardt Group Pte. Ltd. Here I took on the role as the Head of Architecture for the firm’s MENA operations. I carried out the design for their flagship project in the Kingdom, an educational complex of 11 buildings for The University of Bahrain College of Engineering.

My next role in Bahrain was as the Branch Manager from 2015 to 2020 for an award-winning firm Ecoid Architects Pte. Ltd. Here, I worked on masterplan proposals, notably the New Marina Club Masterplan in Bahrain, the Pula airport re-generation masterplan in Croatia, the Mpakadan Rail City masterplan in Ghana, Africa and the Cheval Blanc Branded Resort in Long Island, Seychelles. Apart from this, I also worked on multiple concept proposals including Nobu Hotel in Bahrain Bay, GCC General Secretarial Complex Building, the Busaiteen Mall, the Adliya ‘Downtown 338’ Retail District and The District mixed-used development in Seef Bahrain (all phases).  A large number of these these proposals included full ID packages.

In August 2018, the island of Lombok, Indonesia was struck with a massive earthquake. The destruction and devastation that ensued displaced thousands of locals from their homes. I offered my design services pro-bono as an answer to the call of the Indonesian government for expert builders to participate in the rebuilding process of the island. My initial initiative in Lombok, which started as a personal humanitarian project, has led me to many projects within Indonesia such as a luxury villa development, a shopping complex near the harbor, a re-development of a disuse resort in the neighboring island of Bali and a hotel for Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, 2500km west of Lombok (in the island of Batam) while I based in Bahrain.

And here in Bahrain, the highlight of my tenure was to oversee The District Office Tower project until almost completion.

In 2022, I moved to the kingdom of Cambodia after being headhunted to assume the role of the Assistant Executive Manager in CMED Co. Ltd., overseeing the design and architectural aspects of this leading Design& Build firm in Cambodia. Reporting directly to the Managing Director, led a team of 35 designers, including senior architects and BIM technicians, collaborating with the construction team to build a USD120 million-governmental and commercial hub for Cambodia's Tax Department. I ensured that each design element, material and equipment are coordinated and accounted for through rigorous documentation from technical drawings to specifications as well as shop drawings and cutsheets. The work process, staff manning and material/equipment logistics were monitored and managed by a dedicated team that reports to me daily throughout the project. Significant media focus and public attention to this project add an extra level of challenge, which was managed successfully.

In mid-2023, I accepted an offer from DP Architects Pte. Ltd. to move back to the Middle East as they had 2 irresistible projects for me to lead. The first, The Burj Khalifa Residences is an ultra-luxury residential project to re-purpose an annex office building of the highest tower in the world, The Burj Khalifa. The second, a housing project located on the site previously occupied by the Dubai Expo pavilions in 2020. 

During my tenure in the company, I also headed the team that handled the masterplan for The Dubai Islands Mall District project and the Detailed Concept stage for the Dubai Square project, 

Since Dec. 2024, I have been pursuing personal architectural projects full time for my clients in United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

I graduated from the National University of Singapore in July, 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts(Architecture).