London-based Yoo, one of the world’s biggest residential design companies, is opening an office in Bangkok in a bid to expand its business throughout Southeast Asia.

The brand, which is well known for its high-profile designers that include Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders, Jade Jagger, Kelly Hoppen, Steve Leung and Sussanne Khan, is setting up shop in Southeast Asia.

“We have considered opening an office for quite some time in Bangkok, as it’s the hub of Southeast Asia,” said Andrew Pang, Yoo’s managing director for Asia-Pacific. “Being here in the market is critically important for us to grow.”

The UK-based company was created at the turn of the 21st century by radical real estate developer John Hitchcox and international design legend Philippe Starck with a mission to enrich lives through extraordinary living spaces.

Focusing on places and spaces, YOO is now the largest pure residential design brand in the world, with 80 projects across seven continents including upcoming projects in Phuket and Bangkok’s Thong Lor area.

YOO’s regional headquarters are in Bangkok where its Asia-partner for hotel operations ONYX Hospitality Group is based. The company has an office in Hong Kong, but the Bangkok office will focus more heavily on Southeast Asia as a region.

In late 2017, YOO and ONYX launched a duo of distinctive hotel brands, YOO Collection and Yoo2, with the first Yoo2 hotel due to launch in Phuket in 2020.

Khun by Yoo, inspired by Philippe Starck, developed by Sansiri will also transfer later this year – and currently sets the highest per square metre prices on Thonglor.

The company is also working on projects in Kuala Lumpur and a number of residences in Hong Kong. “We work closely with developers to develop designs that are suitable to local tastes and cultures,” Mr Pang said. “Thong Lor is a perfect area for our style of designs.”

“We believe our approach to design will resonate in this regional market,” said James Snelgar, head of international business development at Yoo. “We expect huge business growth in the next five to 10 years as we expand into other spaces like hotels and co-living spaces.”