Devoto in Ethiopia: how to handle problems with a twist of creativity

Devoto Ethiopia 2023: we are pleased to announce that we are going back to Addis Ababa for another prestigious Interior design project: the National Bank of Ethiopia.

We want to celebrate this success by talking about a part of our work management we strongly believe in: the customer care, that has been essential in an unpredictable period like the pandemic.

IT IS GOOD TO SEE THE CLIENTS COMING BACK TO DEVOTO because they know they are in good hands. They have had the chance to see how we work, the passion and care we put into it, our commitment to “their” project that feels like ours and we can’t wait to see completed.. (Cecilia Devoto, CEO)

The history of important projects carried out in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia dates back to 2014 and continued in 2019 when we delivered the fit-out works of the Ministry of Finance in Addis Ababa.

Expected end-of-works: “first half of 2020”

A deadline we could have hit if an unpredictable event had not taken place in everyone’s life: the pandemic.  Suddenly all of us had to face new limitations and follow new rules, including what concerned people’s travelling options.

In the weeks when all the world realised that we were facing a new and unknown illness that required everybody’s sacrifice and responsibility, Devoto Design was completing the production of the furnishings that were supposed to be sent and installed to Addis Ababa.

The biggest problem? The impossibility of our Project Manager and Team Leader to travel together with the furniture and supervise the installation works in Addis Ababa as planned.

How to get over the works stoppage

As soon as the pandemic has been declared the whole world stopped, including our projects and site works. When the country borders were opened again in June, we took the chance to send the furnishings to Addis Ababa. Only the furnishings though, because it was still impossible for people to travel at that time. It was necessary to find a solution and a new plan to carry on the installation works anyway.

We decided then to plan again all the resources and the activities to grant a remote-supervised installation of the furnishings and hit the deadline the client had expected.

From our headquarters in Italy we have found some local workers to help us and agreed a new strategic plan with the client. It was the first time we handled the installation works completely remotely. Since it proved successful, we decided to use a similar remote-supervision for another important work we were carrying out at that moment in Qatar, the Vertigo restaurant in Doha.

We are talikng about the project of the Vertigo Restaurant at the Banyan Tree Doha hotel and its imposing double curving structure. If you don’t know it, no problem, you can find more information at the bottom of this article. 

New projects in Ethiopia for Devoto

Thanks to the fruitful cooperation between teams, thanks to the passion and commitment everybody put into the project, it was possible to successfully complete the works. We believe this is one of the reasons the client has chosen Devoto again for a new and prestigious project:

WE ARE HAPPY TO BE BACK IN ETHIOPIA and have the chance to work on such a prestigious and high-quality project as the National Bank of Ethiopia. (Cecilia Devoto, CEO)

While writing this article, we are working together with the designers to define all the details and finishes and the most suitable materials to meet the client’s needs.

Coming up with new ideas, finding new solutions, taking care of the client and reassuring them, doing our best to turn their project and their wish into reality despite any problem or difficulty that may arise.. this is what we do. (Marianna Devoto, Architect & Sales Director)

To learn more: 

• Ethiopian Ministry of Finance: read the dedicated page on our website
• “Double curvature, a special project for the Banyan Tree Doha Hotel Vertigo restaurant”: read the article