QP (Quality Projects) started off as a team of individuals recruited by the Corinthia Group Chairman, Mr Alfred Pisani, to assist in managing the process and the general development of Corinthia projects. Today, the Company has evolved into one of Malta’s largest Design, Engineering and Project Management firm. How did this happen? Insider Plus has looked into this journey together with QP Executive Chairman, Mr Reuben Xuereb.
For many years, QP has provided a supporting role to Corinthia in delivering projects, typically in the form of project management. In certain instances, such as the Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli and the Palm City Residences in Libya, QP organized itself as a contractor and delivered two significantly large and complex greenfield projects.
In other instances, such as the Corinthia St Petersburg, Corinthia Budapest, Corinthia Lisbon, Corinthia Khartoum, QP has acted as the project and cost manager. QP has also been entrusted with project refurbishments at the Corinthia Prague, Corinthia Palace, and Corinthia St Petersburg.
In 2014, QP acquired a firm of architects and structural engineers and amalgamated it into one team and set up its own independent offices that are today visible and clearly distinct from the hospitality services.
QP has grown from a project management division within the Corinthia Group to a fully-fledged design, engineering and management services office. Over the last 8 years, QP has been entrusted by hundreds of owners and developers to deliver projects that are owned by third parties. More than 80% of its fee income comes from third party owned projects, such as car parks, airport terminals, runways, residential developments, hotels, warehousing, hospitals, recycling plants, iconic landmarks such as Triton fountain in Valletta, just to mention a few.
QP is today is one of the largest and most comprehensive office of professional services that offers all the services in the built environment. They can take their clients through the entire journey of any project, starting with hand sketching out a concept, to detailed design both architecturally and interiors, to engineering the project, and ultimately to project and cost managing a project.
The success is the result of a team effort. Each and every individual and colleague that has formed part of this team has contributed in no small way to take QP to where it is today. David Xuereb, as CEO, had a significant input into implementing its business plan and making this happen. Insider Plus met Reuben Xuereb who is the spirit behind the force. He was a director before 2011 but in that year became the Executive Chairman of QP. Within a short time QP hand-picked new members of the board who could effectively contribute towards the vision and growth of the company, rebrand it to seek third-party owned and developed projects, and consolidate the team with experiences in different disciplines, including project and cost management.
Mr Reuben Xuereb is an ebullient 44-year old with a drive that moves mountains. He has a charming and pleasing personality backed with years of experience. He started his studies in Banking and Finance as well as Accountancy and spent a number of years spearheading the development and growth of FIM Bank in its initial stages in Malta. His fast ticking brain and fast-moving adrenalin made him spread out in other fields which gave him a varied experience with international flavor when he led a real estate development fund out of Kuwait and the Middle East. Husband of Christina, a business consultant, and a father of two children – seven-year old Ben who is developing as a very talented footballer and a four-year old girl Georgia who is blessed with a very independent trait – Mr Xuereb is also very devoted to his mother Tessie who has unfortunately widowed very recently. His father was a successful building contractor and developer, so construction actually runs through his veins.
Relaxing with family
What makes QP different? The fact that it offers all the various, though related, services for any project makes it quite unique. Furthermore, the fact that it was born out of a developer makes QP think of space planning and operations with the eyes of a developer and operator. Very different from when a project is handled purely by designers and engineers without experience of development and operations of a project. QP’s team experience of constructing and operating projects has helped it avoid unworkable and problematic designs and engineering solutions.
QP offers six related yet different disciplines: architectural design, structural engineering, interior design, MEP or building services, project and cost management. But, and this makes us very exceptional, we are also able to certify buildings for BREAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental design).
These diverse but interrelated tasks require a very harmonious approach. What ensures such a seamless course? QP’s respective teams use Building Information Modelling (BIM), a standard that allows the different disciplines to work on one platform in real time. Therefore the design that is done by the various team members, be it architectural, structural, MEP or interiors, is all done on one base platform, avoiding conflicts and duplications which feature when different designers work on independent and uncoordinated systems. Ultimately, the most crucial discipline in any project is the project management who must ensure that the design is fully coordinated, costed, procured and built in the most cost and time effective manner.
How does an idea germinate and grow? The design part starts with an existing building or an empty land plot. The owner draws up a brief, or QP draws up the brief to describe what the owner would like to achieve. Starting with the use of the building, to the special layout, the design direction, the ultimate users….all of these are critical elements to ensuring that no time is lost in designing something that is not in line with the owner’s ultimate objective. Since design is very subjective, QP considers it of utmost importance to understand its client’s needs to direct its design.
QP has also a beating heart and has participated in various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as refurbishment and fitting out of social housing, orphanages, and the employment and training of disabled individuals as part of the QP.
From very humble beginnings, carrying out a supporting role to the Corinthia Group, QP has grown into a highly respected Company, possibly the largest of sorts in Malta and now working hard on establishing overseas offices, through establishing relationships and trust with owners that are looking for an experienced and talented team of individuals who have what it takes to design, engineer and manage a project from A to Z. Beyond Malta, QP is currently engaged and has satellite offices in Romania, Belgium, Ukraine, Cyprus, Morocco, and Libya with plans to expand further in Italy, Georgia and Ethiopia.