LONDON — Design International, a global architecture firm headquartered in London, has announced its re-entry into the American market with the opening of offices in the United States and Puerto Rico as part of a new a joint venture with local architecture and interior design firm Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón (AD&V).

With the opening of Design International Americas LLC, based in Miami and San Juan, Design International is responding to increasing demand in the Americas for its innovative and highly successful retail architecture, which has long made the firm a household name in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
In addition, the strategic partnership with AD&V is set to integrate AD&V’s retail store design expertise with Design International’s renowned architectural design capabilities, especially within the retail sector.

Led by Ricardo Álvarez-Díaz and Cristina Villalón, Design International Americas begins operations in style by winning a contract for retail store design with Apparel Group, a global fashion and lifestyle brand conglomerate, which is preparing to open its first department store in Oman and beyond in years to come.
Davide Padoa, CEO of Design International, said, “As our clients and projects are becoming increasingly geographically diverse, having a permanent presence in North America has become a fundamental part of our expansion plans. After acquiring various high-profile project proposals in New York, California, Mexico and in the Caribbean, we had been looking for a partner that would enhance our integrated approach further by forming a perfect synergy of retail architecture, interior and store design.”

He continued, “We are delighted to welcome AD&V to Design International as they share our creative vision. We believe this partnership will aid in bringing back our reputation as an industry leader and innovator in North America, where we began almost 50 years ago in Toronto. Their expertise and impressive growth in the Latin American market will also help us engage with a region where we have strong cultural affinities.”

Design International's re-entry into the North American market comes at a time when the firm is gearing up to celebrate 50 years of innovation in retail architecture that started by pioneering some of the early shopping centers in the United States and Canada in the 1960s and 70s.

For more information, visit www.designinternational.com.