The growth in both the retail and distribution sector in Northern Ireland in the wake of Brexit has prompted a global architecture firm to open a new office in Belfast.
Hyphen, which has offices across Europe, the US, in Chile and India, said the move follows the opening of its Dublin office last year which has uncovered a “wealth of opportunities north of the border.
“Belfast occupies a unique position at the moment, in that it is part of the UK but also part of the European Single Market,” it said in a release on its website. “This has led to opportunities following Brexit, including the rapid growth of the region’s logistics sector, with clients seeking to enhance their access to the EU.”
In addition, the company said the Belfast base gives it easy access to northern England and Scotland.
Eddie Miles, CEO at Hyphen, said the local team will offer regional expertise across Northern Ireland.
“Belfast is a city that I have known for many years and it is exciting to be opening an office there,” he said. “Over the years we have worked with several Northern Ireland-based consultants and contractors and I’ve always been impressed with the quality and professionalism which typifies their work.
“I look forward to building and expanding these relationships in the future.”
The Belfast office will be led by associate Georgina Mullen, who will work closely with the company’s team in the Republic.
“There are two very large and very good universities in Belfast, producing a stream of talented and experienced architects and architectural technologists,” she said. “This makes Belfast a good location for building and retaining a team of good quality staff.
“The team we have gels very well together and is 100% female, which I am very proud of. We didn’t set out to do this but hired based on who had the right skills and experience, and would work well together.”
Georgina joined the company in 2021 and has over 20 years’ experience in delivering architectural projects for a variety of international, public sector and commercial clients. She studied architecture at Queens University, Belfast and the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow.
