Leading global architecture and design firm Woods Bagot has announced the promotion of Matthew Engele to the position of principal within the company’s Middle East studio.

Engele has been an integral part of the studio’s development in recent years designing innovative, large scale projects in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

In his new position, Engele will be managing future strategic growth with the regional executive management team and will continue to lead the Middle East studio’s high-performance design teams, said a statement from Woods Bagot.

Engele joined Woods Bagot as the regional design leader bringing with him over a decade of international experience in the Middle East, US and Europe.

He is an award-winning architect whose experience includes a wide range of projects including cultural and community developments, urban design and renewal, high-density residential, education, retail, hotels and large-scale complex mixed used developments, said the statement.

Engele had won the prestigious Middle East & North Africa Architect of The Year award in 2016 and has been listed on the Design Mena’s 40 most powerful architects. He is a regular critic and guest lecturer at various universities in the UK, US and UAE, it added.

On the promotion, Richard Fenne, the principal and studio chair at Woods Bagot, said: "We are proud to recognise the accomplishments of Engele who has made significant contributions through design excellence and creating important client relationships. He truly embodies Woods Bagot’s values and is a champion of our People Architecture Design Manifesto."

Before joining Woods Bagot, Engele was the regional design director at DWP and had also worked for the internationally renowned firms Zaha Hadid and OMA. He played football at the national youth level for Australia and professional football in Italy and the Scotland before pursuing a career in architecture.

He has a Masters of Architecture & Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture from the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, US.

On the promotion, Engele said: "Woods Bagot has a fantastic multi-disciplinary approach and proven track record of providing creative design solutions through a global studio model."

"I am excited to work with my fellow principals to build on our strong foundations as an innovative design practice, by continuing to provide bespoke services that meet the goals of our diverse client base," he added.-TradeArabia News Service