SUCCESS STEMS FROM CREATIVITY

Baku is interesting for its unique complex of buildings.  The designs of modern buildings and new facilities, in combination with the architectural and historical monuments of the last century, create an atmosphere which makes the city different from all others in the world.  Not only the unusual design and architectural solutions, but also the introduction of the most advanced technologies and use of modern materials from international manufacturers, guarantee the beauty, aesthetic appeal and, quite importantly, the quality of construction.  Private companies play a significant role here.  One of these companies is the Fateh design and construction company, which has earned a reputation for its unusual architectural and design projects over the last decade.

Fateh company founder Adil Talibov believes that success stems from creativity.

"In all walks of life, the creative approach determines the outcome of any work, especially when it comes to the synthesis of artistic and architectural skills.  It so happened that I studied two associated subjects, painting and architecture, although you would agree that these are skills difficult to learn - like music.  You either have the talent or you do not.  And when founding the company I followed one main principle:  to bring talented Azerbaijani architects, real professionals at what they do, into a single creative group.  Over the years of our work together, our team has managed to develop its own style.  Alongside our architectural projects, our firm does the design and decorative work using its own resources.

"It is difficult to highlight any particular one of the projects developed by our company:  all of them were interesting in their own way because I view them as the fruits of my labour.  They are all equally dear to me, even those which were implemented abroad.  Like, for example, the project, already completed, of a park built to celebrate the friendship between the two fraternal countries, Turkey and Azerbaijan.  Or, say, one of our latest works - the Gold City shopping and entertainment centre.  Including the latest technology, its grand appearance is guaranteed to attract attention - it is a work of art of sorts, without parallel in the country.  Gold City will be built in one of Baku's developing districts in the near future.

"The centre will have modern commercial retail stores, restaurants, cafes, luxury hotels, entertainment centres, recreation areas, convenient parking areas, children's entertainments, sports and spa facilities, upscale office areas and many other features.

"Construction is now underway at full speed, and it covers practically all aspects of life.  Bearing in mind that a construction boom was sure to begin soon and considering the country's huge potential for tourism, culture and sports, we formed our company ten years ago, carefully selecting highly professional specialists from both the younger generations and the more senior ones; their wide experience helps us when working on different projects.  For example, when we were working on a project to build a diagnostic centre in Samaxi, which has, incidentally, been in operation for more than a year now, it was important to take into account, in the process of designing layout, the specific nature of the medical doctors' work and the psychological state of the patients, in other words, the so-called human factor.  All the standards and requirements of a high-class medical facility were accommodated.

"Following the state plan for the development of the regions, the infrastructure outside the capital is also being developed at an accelerated pace.  Specialists from our company developed a project for a recreation and entertainment centre currently under construction in the Agdas District.  The centre, which is intended for both local residents and visitors, is being built as part of the programme to revive the Great Silk Road.

"The construction of a number of sports facilities in the country proves that the state is focussing on sports and on the health of the young generation.  The working draft for one of these sports facilities in the Xacmaz District was developed by our company.  Just one year from now, a powerful and beautiful complex will be erected on 6 hectares of wasteland; it will include a three-storey hotel and three two-storey cottages, playing fields, an outdoor stadium seating 1,500 spectators, a swimming pool and many other facilities, which will help to develop the sports potential in the area.

"At the same time, the country's economy is developing at a fast rate, and most of this growth is generated by the private sector.  The appearance of a large number of business centres and offices in Baku testifies to the active development of business in the country.  It is also pleasing that when private offices are built, customers are interested in seeing a design which is not only comfortable and practical, but also aesthetically attractive and which fits harmoniously into the city's architectural style.  You will see this for yourself in the near future:  a six-storey office building will be built on M. Mextizada Street for a private company.  It will be a building in classical style, designed by our company's specialists."

"And what about the quality of the construction work?"

"This depends in large part on new technology and the use of modern construction materials.  Let me give you an example from our company.  After developing a project, we exercise design supervision throughout the entire duration of the construction project and focus on both the principles of construction and the quality of materials used.  For example, we kept an eye on the products of the German company Paschal for several years.  Founded in 1904, it developed successfully and is known worldwide today.  From 1964, the company began specializing in manufacturing construction casing.  At our invitation, representatives of Paschal visited our country several times to familiarize themselves with the situation in the construction sector.  They were pleasantly surprised by the extent of work, the range and nature of buildings under construction and they found our market interesting for their business.  So, in 2008 we decided to become an official distributor for that company in Azerbaijan.  Our experience since then shows that the decision was a correct one.  Their construction casings have turned out to be very useful in practice.  They are economical and can be used for concrete work of different degrees of complexity.  In addition, the company manufactures casings of various dimensions, according to customer specifications, on individual orders using the customer's drawings, which gives us free rein at the design phase.  Using quality German products naturally influences the overall quality of construction.  I studied the possibility of using construction casing from other manufacturers for some time, but decided that the construction casings from the Paschal company are economical, even after they have been in use for more than 15 years.  In addition, they improve the quality of work by 30-40% because concrete's ability to maintain its characteristics depends on the quality of the casing.  There is a reason for their being used in more than 40 countries.  They are quite popular in neighbouring Georgia, and a production facility was set up to manufacture them by our friends in Ukraine.  Why should those products not be available in Azerbaijan?"

P.S.  After familiarizing ourselves with the work of Fateh, one of the leading design and construction companies, we realized how progressively social projects are implemented in the country and, not least important, that there is now the intellectual potential to implement them.