Dubai-based Archon Engineering Consultant specialises in urban planning and designing of residential, commercial, industrial developments and leisure facilities.

The company was established in 1992 by Mustafa Al Sheriani and Ashok Korgaonkar.

Korgaonkar, managing director, has over two decades of experience in the Gulf. Prior to setting up Archon, he worked briefly in Bahrain and then with a Dubai-based consulting firm for 10 years.

Archon's first major projects were for the Dubai Municipality such as the mosque in Deira Fish Market, the tourist information centre on Sheikh Zayed Road and four indoor sports halls in different parts of Dubai. Since then, Archon has designed hundreds of town houses in Mirdif and Jumeirah and multi-storey commercial buildings for various clients.

Archon, which started out with four employees, currently has 80 staff.

The company says its core strength lies in the clear vision of the management and well-trained and efficient staff. To maintain an effective and high standard of service to its clients, Archon says it makes every effort to recruit the best architects, engineers and then trains them in all aspects of the work, latest developments in the industry, CAD and other technical software.

"Archon recognises that today's building industry is a fast-paced cauldron of multidisciplinary activities, wherein all aspects of the work must fall into place to achieve success," says Korgaonkar. "Therefore, to maintain the quality and meet the time constraints of projects, all the design, structure, MEP works and feasibility studies are done in-house under close supervision.

"The senior staff of all the departments and team members are encouraged to interact at every stage of the project and are trained to approach every project in a holistic manner. This multi-faceted approach to all projects results in speed and efficiency, which clients value and appreciate.

"Our commitment and quality-oriented approach to work has resulted in several notable projects as the Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah for Emirates Airlines, and earned us the appreciation and loyalty of our clients."

Other projects which Archon has handled are:
* A 45-storey (plus three basements plus ground level) hotel and serviced apartment complex at Dubai Marina;
* Town houses at Emirates Hills and The Lakes residential developments for Emaar Properties;
* A 45-storey residential tower at Dubai Marina for Al Shafar;
* Indoor sports halls for Dubai Municipality;
* The Desert Palm development for Al Bwardy Investments;
* Spinneys shopping centre on the Trade Centre Road;
* Office building for Dubai Islamic Bank;
* CWT-Logistic Centre at Jebel Ali Free Zone;
* Dubai Scholars School at Ghusais; and
* 126 low-cost houses at Hatta for Dubai Municipality.

The company has also been involved in a number of residential/commercial buildings at various locations in Dubai.

Archon is currently working on an Operations Centre for Emirates Airlines.