Q&A with Rory Brogan, Development Manager at Dominus

Q&A with Rory Brogan , Development Manager at Dominus

How did you come to work in the real estate sector?

I am a chartered architect, so that’s where I started my career, and I was in that world for quite some time, giving me a solid foundation to understand the property industry. Working for a bespoke architect developer provided a nice transition into construction and gave me a taste for the development side of real estate. That led me to start working for a PBSA provider, which is how I came to work at Dominus. I was looking to expand my student development experience, as well as broaden my portfolio of work across the hotel and leisure sector too, which is all very exciting.

What does a typical day look like as a Development Manager at Dominus?

My day-to-day as a Development Manager is very different from working as an architect, where I spent most of my time at a desk drawing detailed designs and not engaging with communities.

At Dominus, my day is as varied as it gets. One moment I can be sorting out key cards for a new hotel and the next I might be setting up construction insurance for an upcoming development. As a Development Manager, I need to be agile and proactive to make sure all projects are progressing on time, working with my team to bring new thinking to any challenges we face.

What attracted you to Dominus?

It was the projects that sold it for me. Dominus has given me the opportunity to work on large - and sometimes challenging - developments that are extremely rewarding and enable me to expand my portfolio.

I have always enjoyed working in PBSA, but I wanted to broaden my portfolio and have been able to work on some really exciting hotel projects since I started here. One of them is the newly opened Hampton by Hilton London City, just down the road from Brick Lane. We renovated an existing site, using smart planning to find ways to boost its value, and we've now taken the hotel from 110 rooms to 270 rooms with an added extension, which required a lot of teamwork!

What have you learnt since joining Dominus?

That PBSA can learn a lot from hotel developments, especially now that the PBSA market is becoming increasingly competitive. This means it’s more important than ever to design and develop properties that stand out and can offer more than a generic student experience.

Hotels also put a bigger emphasis on the client and the end-user, and I think we need to employ the same thinking to PBSA, designing fully serviced student properties with well-thought-out communal spaces that students actually want to live and stay in. And, when we’re thinking about this, we have to look to the next generation to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the people that will be students in 5-10 years’ time. Student needs are constantly evolving.

The 65 Crutched Friars student development is one of your main projects. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

The 65 Crutched Friars development has been a very meaningful project to work on, as it sets the standard for our social value activity by giving a permanent space to the UK’s Migration Museum to secure its long-term future.

Our founder, Sukhpal Singh Alhuwalia, came to the UK as a Ugandan refugee, so telling the stories of migrants coming to the UK is hugely important to the family and has been a passion project for everyone at Dominus.