Japanese engineer Nippon Koei buys UK architect BDP

Japanese engineer Nippon Koei has bought the entire shareholding of long-established UK architecture firm BDP for $144m (£102.2m).

Announcing the deal today the two firms said both companies will retain their existing operations and their own brand identity, but will work together to win and deliver integrated design solutions around the world.

John McManus, chief executive of BDP (pictured), said the deal "heralds an exciting new era in BDP’s evolution".

Although separated geographically, our two firms share common values and have highly complementary strengths in terms of professional offer and sector expertise– John McManus, BDP chief executive

Established in 1961, BDP is an international practice of architects, designers and engineers with six UK studios and offices in Ireland, the Netherlands, the Middle East, China and India. The firm employs 950 people and had a turnover of over £81m in 2015.

Among its famous designs, BDP is known for creating a new entrance for Scotland’s Edinburgh Napier University in the form of a giant, titanium egg (pictured)

Nippon Koei is the larger firm. Originally established in 1946 as Japan’s first independent engineering consultancy, it focuses on civil engineering and employs around 3,200 people, with a turnover of £430m in 2015.

John McManus, chief executive of BDP (BDP)

A significant proportion of Nippon Koei’s work is associated with infrastructure development funded by the Japanese Government and the World Bank in developing economies across Asia, South America and Africa.

In coming together with BDP, the company would like to expand its current international offer in the rapidly expanding Asian commercial markets, the joint statement said, adding that two companies want to be "the world’s leading integrated architecture, design and engineering firm".

"The alliance with Nippon Koei heralds an exciting new era in BDP’s evolution," said John McManus, chief executive of BDP.

"Although separated geographically, our two firms share common values and have highly complementary strengths in terms of professional offer and sector expertise."

Nippon Koei’s president, Ryuichi Arimoto, said: "As a leading architecture and design firm in the UK, BDP’s participation in the NK group will mark a great turning point in both of our histories. We will join forces on a global basis and provide solutions together to the many urban development problems from both an engineering and an architectural perspective."