Jump to content

Arup Group

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the multinational professional services firm. For other uses, seeArup (disambiguation).

Arup Group Limited
Company typePrivate
IndustryDesign, Engineering, Architecture and Business consultation
Founded1 April 1946;78 years ago(1946-04-01)
Headquarters
London
,
England
Number of locations
94 offices in 34 countries (2023)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jerome Frost(Chair)
ServicesConsultancy services
RevenueIncrease£1.9 billion (2022)[1]
Decrease£50.9 million (2022)[1]
Decrease£18.3 million (2022)[1]
Total assetsIncrease£1558.9 million (2022)[1]
Number of employees
Increase17,208 (2022)[1]
SubsidiariesOve Arup & Partners International Ltd, Arup Associates Ltd, and others.
Websitewww.arup.com

Arup(officiallyArup Group Limited) is a Britishmultinationalprofessional servicesfirm headquartered inLondonthat providesdesign,engineering,architecture,planning,and advisory services across every aspect of thebuilt environment.It employs about 17,000 people in over 90 offices across 35 countries,[2]and has participated in projects in over 160 countries.[3][4]

Arup was established in 1946 bySir Ove Arupas Ove N. Arup Consulting Engineers. Through its involvement in high-profile projects such as theSydney Opera House,it became well known for undertaking complex and challenging projects.[5]In 1970, Arup stepped down from actively leading the company, setting out the principles which have continued to guide its operation.[5]

Arup's ownership is structured as atrust[6]whose beneficiaries are its employees, past and present, who receive a share of itsoperating profiteach year.[7][8]

History

[edit]

Founding the firm

[edit]

The company was founded in London in 1946 asOve N. Arup Consulting EngineersbySir Ove Arup.Arup had established himself in the 1930s as an expert inreinforced concrete,known for projects such as the Penguin Pool atLondon Zoo.[9]According to the architectural author Ian Volner, Arup's vision when establishing the company came out of a combination of his wartime experiences and a progressive-minded philosophy broadly aligning with early modernism, was for the organisation to be a force for peace and social betterment in thepostwarworld.[5]To this end, it would employ professionals of diverse disciplines that could work together to produce projects of greater quality than was achievable by them working in isolation, a concept known as 'Total Design'.[5][10][11]

Early years

[edit]

As the company grew, Arup spurned the common practice amongst its rivals of acquiring other companies; instead, it pursued natural growth, opening up new offices at locations where the potential for work had been identified.[5]

During 1963, together with the architectPhilip Dowson,a new division of the company, Arup Associates, was formed.[12]

Within 25 years of its establishment, the firm had become well known for its design work for thebuilt environment,[13][14]acquiring a reputation for its competence at undertaking projects that were structurally and/or logistically complex.[5]Arup himself worked on multiple projects during the firm's early years, including theSydney Opera House,where he was lead engineer, and which author Peter Jones credited with launching Arup into the premier league of engineering consultancies.[15][16]The Opera House was the first application of computer calculations to an engineering project, using theFerranti Pegasuscomputer to generate models.[17]

During Arup's lifetime, the company would also work on high-profile projects such as the 'inside-out'Centre Pompidouwith Rogers & Piano, and theHSBC headquarterswith Norman Foster & Partners.[18][19]

The Key Speech

[edit]

1970 was a particularly transformative year for the firm; 24 years after founding the company, Arup opted to retire from actively leading the company. At the time, the firm (thenOveArup & Partners) was made up of several independent practices spread across the globe, so prior to his departure, Arup delivered his 'Key Speech' on 9 July inWinchesterto all his partners from the various practices.[20]The speech set out the aims of the firm and identified the principles of governance by which they might be achieved. These included quality of work, total architecture, humane organisation, straight and honorable dealings, social usefulness, and the reasonable prosperity of its members.[5]

Arup's philosophy work on influential projects was the subject of a dedicated retrospective at the V&A Museum in 2016.[21]

Operations

[edit]
Picture of an office building.
An office building occupied by Arup in theDublin Docklands.

Arup is an employee-owned business, with all staff owning a stake in the company and part of a global profit share.[22]

By 2013, Arup was operating 90 offices across 60 countries around the world.[5]These offices are elaborately interconnected by sharedinternet-based collaborative working packages and communication systems that can, where required, enable a single project to be worked on by multiple offices across a seamless, 24-hour working cycle. However, it is more common for individual offices to specialise in working on an assigned subsection of a project rather than continuously exchanging.[5]

TheBBC TelevisionandRIBAdocumentaryThe Brits who Built the Modern Worldhighlighted Arup's collaboration with architects and described Arup as "the engineering firm whichLord Norman Fosterand his peersLord Richard Rogers,Sir Nicholas Grimshaw,Sir Michael HopkinsandSir Terry Farrellmost frequently relied upon. "[23]

The firm has published an annual sustainability report since 2008, and is involved in several projects around the world aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions,[24]such asDongtan Eco-City,which is planned to be zero waste,[25]and theHigh Speed 2Interchange Station, which is the first railway station in the world to achieveBREEAM'outstanding certification.[26]

Arup also runs community engagement programmes comprising initiatives to combat homelessness,[27]improvesanitationin disaster relief programmes,[28]and disaster recovery after earthquakes.[29]They also engage in partnerships withgovernments,NGOs,think tanks,and other advocacy groups.[30][31]

Notable projects

[edit]
Angel of the North
Coventry Cathedral,showing the new building by Arup in the background.

Africa

[edit]

North America

[edit]

Asia

[edit]
CCTV HeadquartersinBeijing's central business district nearing completion (August 2008).
Marina Bay Sands – Singapore

Australia

[edit]
Sydney Opera House
Kurilpa Bridge,Brisbane

Europe

[edit]
Millennium BridgeinLondon

Sports

[edit]

Arup had its own sports division, specialising in designing, consulting and structural engineering for sporting facilities such asstadia.[36]Many of Arup's modern stadia are designed with a contemporary, distinctive edge and the company strives to revolutionise stadium architecture and performance.[36]For instance, the Bird's Nest Stadium for the 2008 Olympics was complimented for its striking architectural appearance[37]and theCity of Manchester Stadiumfor the2002 Commonwealth Gameshas stairless entry to the upper tiers through circular ramps outside the stadium.[36]The most notable stadium projects led by Arup remain theCity of Manchester Stadium(2002),Allianz Arena(2005), Beijing National Stadium (2008),Donbass Arena(2009) and theSingapore Sports Hub(2014).

Awards

[edit]

Awards to group

[edit]

The firm is consistently placed amongst top performers in Corporate and Social Responsibility rankings such as the ACCSR.[38]

Arup's multidisciplinary sports venue design and engineering scope on theSingapore Sports Hubwon the 2013 World Architecture Festival Award in the Future Projects, Leisure Category.[39]

Casa da Música

TheCasa da Música,Oporto,designed by Arup andOffice for Metropolitan Architecturewas nominated for the 2007Stirling Prize.[40]

Arup's work withThe Druk White Lotus School,Ladakh,won them Large Consultancy Firm of the Year 2003 at the British Consultants and Construction Bureau – International Expertise Awards, 2003 building on their triple win at the 2002 World Architecture Awards.[41]

Arup was awarded the Worldaware Award for Innovation for its Vawtex air system in Harare International School.[42]

Arup won theGold Medal for Architectureat theNational Eisteddfod of Walesof 1998 for their work on the Control Techniques Research and Development HQ, inNewtown, Powys.[43]

Arup Fire has won the Fire Safety Engineering Design award four times since its creation in 2001.[44]The 2001 inaugural award was won for Arup's contribution to theEden Projectin Cornwall, UK, the world's largest greenhouse. In 2004, the design for London's City Hall was appointed joint winner. In 2005, theTemple Mills Eurostar Depotwon. The 2006 winning entry was for Amethyst House, a nine-storey building with an atrium from the ground to the top, inManchester,UK.[45]

Arup wasRoyal Town Planning InstituteConsultancy of the year in 2008.[46]

Arup was awarded the 2010 Live Design Excellence Award for Theatre Design for the integrated theatre and acoustic team's design for the new Jerome Robbins Theatre, created for Mikhail Baryshnikov and The Wooster Group.[47]

The Evelyn Grace Academy, London designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and Arup won the RIBAStirling Prizein 2011.[48]

Arup was named Tunnel Design Firm of the Year at the 2012 ITA AITES International Tunnelling Awards.[49]

Arup was awarded Infrastructure Architect of the Year at the 2020 Architect of the Year Awards.[50]

Arup was awarded Britains Most Admired Company 2021 by Management Today[51]

Awards to Arup employees

[edit]

Barbara Lane, associate director with Arup, won theRoyal Academy of EngineeringSilver Medal in 2008[52]for her outstanding contribution to British engineering on design of structures for fire.

Fellows

[edit]

Arup Fellow is a lifelong honorary title awarded to selected honorary individuals in the firm. It acknowledges the highest design and technical achievements of people, not only within the firm, but also in the industry as a whole. They are considered role models who possess world-class expertise who put theory into effective practice.

The current fellows, as of April 2024, are:[53]

  • Alice Chow
  • Alisdair McGregor
  • Alison Norrish
  • Alistair Guthrie
  • Andrew Allsop
  • Andrew Lawrence
  • Andy Sedgwick
  • Atila Zekioglu
  • Barbara Lane
  • Brian Simpson OBE
  • Brian Stacy
  • Bruce Chong
  • Chris Luebkeman
  • Corinne Swain OBE (d. 2020)[54]
  • Craig Gibbons
  • Davar Abi-Zadeh
  • David Caiden
  • Dinesh Patel
  • Duncan Nicholson
  • Erin McConahey
  • Fiona Cousins
  • Florence Lam
  • Geoffrey Tai
  • Goman Ho
  • Graham Dodd
  • Haico Schepers
  • Helen Campbell
  • Ian Feltham
  • Ian Gardner
  • Jon Hurt
  • Jo da SilvaOBE
  • Justin Abbott
  • Kym Burgemeister
  • Liu Peng
  • Mahadev Raman
  • Malcolm Smith
  • Marianne Foley
  • Mark Chown
  • Mark Fletcher
  • Mathew Vola
  • Matt Carter
  • Melissa Burton
  • Michael Beaven
  • Michael Willford
  • Mike GloverOBE
  • Naeem Hussain
  • Nick O'Riordan
  • Paul Johnson
  • Paul Sloman
  • Peter Burnton
  • Peter Gist
  • Peter Johnson
  • Raj Patel
  • Regine Weston
  • Richard Greer
  • Richard Hornby
  • Richard Sturt
  • Rory McGowan
  • Rudi Scheuermann
  • Sam Chow
  • Sowmya Parthasarathy
  • Susan Lamont
  • Tateo Nakajima
  • Tim Suen
  • Tony Vidago
  • Tristram Carfrae
  • Vincent Cheng
  • Wilfred Lau

Notable alumni and current staff

[edit]
[edit]

Companies under Arup Group

  • Oasys Ltd, established in 1976 as the software house of Arup, providing engineering software for structural, geotechnical and pedestrian movement simulation/analysis software.

Several staff have left to form other companies, often with significant parallels with Arup.

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcde"Arup Financial statements 2022".arup.com.Archivedfrom the original on 27 March 2023.Retrieved27 March2023.
  2. ^"Arup Financial Statements 2022 - Arup".www.arup.com.Archivedfrom the original on 27 March 2023.Retrieved27 March2023.
  3. ^"The history of Arup - Arup".www.arup.com.Retrieved2 September2021.
  4. ^"How Arup Became The Go-To Firm for Architecture's Most Ambitious Projects".ArchDaily.16 September 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 9 July 2023.Retrieved2 September2021.
  5. ^abcdefghiVolner, Ian (16 September 2013)."How Arup Became The Go-To Firm for Architecture's Most Ambitious Projects".archdaily.com.Archivedfrom the original on 9 July 2023.Retrieved17 April2021.
  6. ^Corporate Report 2008, section 23 (Report). The Arup Group. p. 19.Arup Group Ltd is owned by the Ove Arup Partnership Employee Trust, the Ove Arup Partnership Charitable Trust and the Arup Service Trust.
  7. ^"Arup Structure".The Arup Group. Archived fromthe originalon 1 November 2009.Retrieved25 November2009.
  8. ^Odoi, Antoinette (20 August 2007)."Firms owned by staff have beaten the FTSE all-share".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 6 May 2021.Retrieved9 April2021.
  9. ^"V&A · Engineering the Penguin Pool at London Zoo".Victoria and Albert Museum.Archivedfrom the original on 14 June 2023.Retrieved2 September2021.
  10. ^"Arup Associates".historicengland.org.uk. 15 June 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 13 June 2023.Retrieved17 April2021.
  11. ^Alexandra Wynne (3 August 2016)."Arup's total design legacy".New Civil Engineer.Archivedfrom the original on 13 June 2023.Retrieved14 September2021.
  12. ^"Sir Philip Dowson - obituary".www.telegraph.co.uk.14 September 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.Retrieved14 September2021.
  13. ^Ove Arup & Partners 1946–1986.London: Academy Editions. 1986.ISBN0-85670-898-4.
  14. ^Campbell, Peter; Allan, John; Ahrends, Peter;Zunz, Jack;Morreau, Patrick (1995).Ove Arup 1895–1988.London:Institution of Civil Engineers.ISBN0-7277-2066-X.
  15. ^Jones, Peter (2006).Ove Arup, Master Builder of the Twentieth Century.New Haven, CT:Yale University Press.ISBN978-0-300-11296-2.
  16. ^Hunt, Tony (October 2001)."Utzon's Sphere: Sydney Opera House—How It Was Designed and Built—Review".EMAP Architecture, Gale Group. Archived fromthe originalon 19 December 2006.Retrieved30 January2007.
  17. ^"V&A · Computers and the Sydney Opera House".Victoria and Albert Museum.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2021.Retrieved14 September2021.
  18. ^"Centre Pompidou: high-tech architecture's inside-out landmark".Dezeen.5 November 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 5 July 2023.Retrieved14 September2021.
  19. ^"The construction of the HSBC building in Hong Kong – The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group".industrialhistoryhk.org.Archivedfrom the original on 21 June 2023.Retrieved14 September2021.
  20. ^"Ove Arup Key Speech - Arup".www.arup.com.Retrieved14 September2021.
  21. ^"V&A · Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design - Exhibition at South Kensington".Victoria and Albert Museum.Archivedfrom the original on 14 September 2021.Retrieved14 September2021.
  22. ^Easen, Nick (3 November 2019)."Employee ownership: how Arup's CFO stays ahead of the curve".Raconteur.Archivedfrom the original on 18 August 2022.Retrieved22 September2021.
  23. ^"The Politics of Power".The Brits who Built the Modern World.London. 27 February 2014.BBC Four.Archivedfrom the original on 24 November 2020.Retrieved15 March2014.
  24. ^Earley, Katharine (16 May 2013)."Arup: sustainability shapes every project".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2023.Retrieved22 September2021.
  25. ^"Dongtan Eco-City in China designed by Arup - Verdict Designbuild".www.designbuild-network.com.Archivedfrom the original on 30 September 2022.Retrieved22 September2021.
  26. ^Marshall2020-08-28T06:00:00+01:00, Jordan."Arup's HS2 Interchange station approved".Building Design.Archivedfrom the original on 28 January 2023.Retrieved22 September2021.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^"Arup Partnership".Habitat for Humanity Australia.16 September 2021.Archivedfrom the original on 27 January 2022.Retrieved22 September2021.
  28. ^"WaterAid joins forces with Arup | WaterAid Australia".www.wateraid.org.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2023.Retrieved22 September2021.
  29. ^"Generous UK donors can be proud of post-tsunami reconstruction | Disasters Emergency Committee".www.dec.org.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 24 June 2023.Retrieved22 September2021.
  30. ^"LocalGov.co.uk - Your authority on UK local government - Government appoints Arup-led consortium for £3.6bn Towns Fund delivery".www.localgov.co.uk.15 June 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 24 June 2023.Retrieved22 September2021.
  31. ^UCL (15 July 2009)."UCL signs agreement with Arup".UCL News.Archivedfrom the original on 23 June 2023.Retrieved22 September2021.
  32. ^"High Roller Observation Wheel".London: Arup.Archivedfrom the original on 3 March 2016.Retrieved17 June2014.
  33. ^Alshangiti, Mohammed."Link to press release - project overview".Company website.Archivedfrom the original on 1 March 2021.
  34. ^"The Singapore Flyer and design of Giant Observation Wheels" Brendon McNiven & Pat Dallard, IStructE Asia-Pacific Forum on Structural Engineering: Innovations in Structural Engineering, Singapore, 2 – 3 November 2007
  35. ^"Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Centre".arup.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2 December 2020.Retrieved9 September2018.
  36. ^abc"Arup Sport".arup.com.Archivedfrom the original on 1 September 2020.Retrieved29 August2011.
  37. ^Rayner, Gordon (7 August 2008)."Beijing Olympics: The Bird's Nest stadium".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 12 January 2022.Retrieved29 August2011.
  38. ^"Australia's CSR Top 10".Pro Bono Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2021.Retrieved22 September2021.
  39. ^Basulto, David (3 October 2013)."Winners of the World Architecture Festival 2013".archdaily.com.Archivedfrom the original on 1 February 2020.Retrieved20 April2021.
  40. ^"Stirling prize 2007".The Guardian.26 July 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2021.Retrieved20 April2021.
  41. ^"World Architecture Awards"(Press release). Arup. 5 August 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 10 March 2007.Retrieved27 March2007.
  42. ^"The Worldaware Award for Innovation".Worldaware. 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 21 February 2007.Retrieved27 March2007.
  43. ^"Gold Medal for Architecture".National Eisteddfod of Wales. Archived fromthe originalon 24 January 2021.
  44. ^"Innovation key to FSE Design Award winners".FSE: Fire Safety Engineering. 15 November 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 28 September 2007.Retrieved27 March2007.
  45. ^"Fire Safety Engineering Design Awards".Arup. 8 November 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 21 February 2007.Retrieved27 March2007.
  46. ^"Arup success at the RTPI Awards".The Arup Group. 17 February 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2021.Retrieved20 April2021.
  47. ^"Live Design's Excellence in Live Design Award (Theatre)".Live Design/Penton Media. 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 7 May 2010.Retrieved23 March2010.
  48. ^Griffiths, Alyn (1 October 2011)."Evelyn Grace Academy by Zaha Hadid Architects wins RIBA Stirling Prize".dezeen.com.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2021.Retrieved20 April2021.
  49. ^Maloney, Rebecca (11 December 2012)."Arup named Tunnel Design Firm of 2012".The Arup Group.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2021.Retrieved20 April2021.
  50. ^Wright, Sarah (26 October 2020)."Arup named 'Infrastructure Architect of the Year' 2020".The Arup Group.Archivedfrom the original on 20 April 2021.Retrieved20 April2021.
  51. ^"Arup revealed as Britain's Most Admired Company".www.managementtoday.co.uk.Retrieved24 February2022.
  52. ^"Less is more for fire protection".Royal Academy of Engineering. 5 June 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2011.Retrieved3 July2008.
  53. ^"Arup Fellows".Arup.arup.com. 8 May 2024.Archivedfrom the original on 8 April 2024.Retrieved8 April2024.
  54. ^Sue Manns, "Presidential team continues to raise profile of planning", RTPI, 17 March 2020Archived26 July 2020 at theWayback Machine.Retrieved 31 March 2020
  55. ^Bevan, Robert (8 June 2016)."Ove Arup: the man who made engineering creative".www.standard.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 15 March 2021.Retrieved9 April2021.
  56. ^Harwood, Elain (2 January 2019)."Sir Jack Zunz obituary".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 2 January 2019.Retrieved9 April2021.
  57. ^Glancey, Jonathan (5 September 2014)."Sir Philip Dowson obituary".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 7 September 2014.Retrieved9 April2021.
  58. ^"Povl Ahm".the Times.4 June 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 21 October 2021.Retrieved9 April2021.
  59. ^Sharpe, Dennis (23 October 2011)."OBITUARY: Professor Sir Edmund Happold".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 12 December 2010.Retrieved9 April2021.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Arup (buildings and structures).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arup_Group&oldid=1223438797"