Aurecon, a global engineering and infrastructure advisory company, said it has strengthened its tall buildings and aviation expertise in the region with two key appointments - Rui Baptista and Paul Drayton.

Baptista will be the new aviation director for terminals at Aurecon, while Drayton has been named the tall buildings leader in the Middle East in bid to address the rapid growth of the region’s aviation and built environment sectors.

Baptista brings significant global experience to Aurecon’s terminals business across all project stages from concept through delivery. He is an expert in large-scale projects and has worked on significant developments across the globe, including airports in Cyprus, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, the UK, Africa, and Bahrain.

He had also led the site team for delivering the world’s largest airport terminal building in Istanbul. He is dedicated to ensuring seamless transition between the design and operational teams.

On the key appointments, Ermis Marques, the regional director for Aurecon in the Middle East, said: "The Middle East’s construction sector continues to lead the world in terms of design, scale, and pace of development. With Baptista and Drayton on our team, Aurecon can better help clients bring their bold dreams to life."

In his new role Baptista will help clients develop simple and efficient designs; improve key processes; apply digital solutions to minimise delays; and help clients maximise non-aviation revenue, while respecting the local environment, explained Marques.

He has 20 years of architecture experience, including 12 years, with a special focus on aviation architecture. A passionate architect, Rui specialises in planning, concept, coordination, and overall delivery or terminal buildings.
Baptista has the ability to combine clients’ requirements with building efficiency, to provide sensible and unique passenger experience within 21st century building concepts, he added.

On his new role, Baptista said: "What is happening in the Middle East is very exciting – the significant growth in passenger volume provides us with opportunities to explore future-ready options in terminal design."

“From ‘flying fields’ to 21st century aero-cities, the aim of providing infrastructure for modern airport terminals is to bring a ‘sense of place’ to the terminal, providing passengers with a unique experience,” he stated.

As Aurecon's new Tall Buildings Leader, Drayton will work closely with clients to create holistic design and engineering that incorporates new developments in material sciences and construction methods to produce optimal tall building solutions, said Marques.

He is a highly-experienced tall buildings expert who will bring new leadership to Aurecon’s established Tall Buildings practice.

He has three decades of experience, designing and constructing projects of all sizes and complexity both internationally and in the Middle East. His project experience ranges from tall towers to residential, commercial, mixed-use, and hotels, he added.

As the Tall Buildings Leader, Drayston said he will work closely with clients to create holistic design and engineering that incorporates new developments in material sciences and construction methods to produce optimal tall building solutions.

“There is growing appetite for super-tall structures in the Middle East and these developments are becoming synonymous with the new regional identity that is forming here,” he stated.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues at Aurecon and our clients to develop and design world-leading legacy structures in this region,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service