Myanmar, and particularly Downtown Yangon, is filled with pre-1940s architecture that hold the history of the nation well beyond their colonial construction. Many heritage buildings in Myanmar are neglected and undervalued by their owners who see few options to improve their earnings or upgrade their homes. Doh Eain offers a full range of services intended to provide an accessible alternative to demolition or neglect. Our unique model maintains the original ownership of these buildings while restoring them to preserve and enhance the asset for the benefit of the owners and the wider community.
Building Condition Assessments
Restoration Design
Interior Design
Project Management
Construction Management
Financial Investment Support
Local Property Owners: Residential and Commerical Restoratins
Private Investors: Impact Investment in Heritage Properties
Individual Clients: Architectural and Interior Design
Charities and Companies: Restorations for Offices and Commerical Spaces
Larger Properties (4-5 bedrooms)
Commerical Projects outside of Downtown Yangon
Heritage Projects outside of Yangon
Guy Naylor: Head of Restoration
Our management of restored properties is a key component of the sustainability of our heritage work. We encourage and help heritage building owners to preserve their historic buildings by offering them an alternative to neglect or demolition. For building owners working with Doh Eain means maintaining ownership, increasing their incomes and access to the capital and a range of services to restore their properties. For tenants, renting from Doh Eain means contributing to real social impact and preserving a unique architectural heritage all while enjoying the convenience of working with a professional property manager. Find out more on our Heritage Homes page.
Property Management
Tenant Support
Property Health and Safety
Maintenance
Indiviual Tenants: 17 Properties financed, renovated and managed by Doh Eain
Loclal Property Owners: 2 Properties renovated and managed by Doh Eain
Local Property Owners: 3 Non-Doh Eain properties under our management
Contract for organisation's short term consultants
Work with organisations that are interested in financing the restoration of a heritage buidings and have Doh Eain manage them
Jerome Sterckx: Head of Property Management
We work with communities to re-imagine and reinvent public spaces in their neighborhoods. Utilising a home-grown participatory approach, we lead projects that include the full life of a space from research, design, and building to the management and programming of public spaces. In addition, we also work as planning and design consultants on larger-scale schemes using our experience in community-driven transformational projects. The community's voice is always at the centre of every public space design because we deeply believe this is vital to vibrant places that work in the long term.
Urban Planning
Public Space Design
Architectural Design
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
Project and Construction Management
Programming and Events
Temporary/Meanwhile Public Use (strategy and implementation)
A variety of donors including brands, NGOs and Embassies: Alley Garden public space creation
Danish Embassy/YCDC: Bank Street Improvement Project and Cities for People Event programme
Singapore Tourism Board: Co-design and build of a public playground
Thaketa Climate Resilience
I Do Nation COVID-19 Response for Street Vendors and Waste Pickers: Hand sanitiser stations design, build and installation
Public space and programming project for a new mall
Design of a large city park
Yangon-wide cycling plan
Implementation of weekend pedestrianization of a Yangon neighborhood
Public space projects with residential/commercial developers
Kate Minns: Head of Public Space Design
There is limited data available about the tangible and intangible fabric of Yangon and other urban centres of Myanmar including on land and building use, demography and behaviour (how do people live in and interact with the city), or economics and the environment. Our newest service unit aims to fill that gap by using diverse research methodologies including surveys, interviews, observations, mapping and ethnographic research to understand the city better. We then use this research to inform our own urban design and policy work as well as that of others. Where possible, we make use of technology to broaden and deepen the reach of our data collection. Our team also experts in participatory and action research methodologies that help city users better understand their own communities and neighbourhoods, empowering them to make evidence-based interventions for positive change.
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Research
Participatory and Action Research Plans
Cultural Mapping
Asset Mapping
Surveys (both digital and in-person)
I Do Nation COVID-19 Response for Street Vendors Support: Direct cash transfers, surveying and enumeration
UNESCO: Cultural Mapping with youth
Singapore Tourism Board: Research around children and play in Yangon
GA Circular: Waste sytem surveys including wastepickers, junk shops and recyclers
Cultural and heritage mapping of five Yangon neighborhoods
Conduct surveys and action research on neighborhood level climate adaptation
Explore the role of and opportunities for children and youth to play in Myanmar cities
Anna Livia Cullinan: Head of Research and Community Engagement
Our community engagement team applies our tailored “Doh Eain Guide to Design” toolkit to build the enthusiastic involvement and buy-in of communities on projects in the public realm. Each project is unique and based on the context and objectives we identify the most effective and meaningful role, from consulting with communities, to having community representatives fully participate in a project, all the way to full co-design alongside communities. Our aim is to advocate for co-design on all projects because we believe that change led and owned by residents and the users of specific places in the city is ultimately more impactful and sustainable.
Girl-led and Youth-led Public Space Design Processes
Public Space Community Engagement and Co-Design
Topic-specific Community Engagement (such as waste or climate focused)
Global Future Cities UKFCO: Community engagement around inclusive street design
Kingdom of the Netherland, RVO: Community engagement around climate resiliency
Save the Children: Young City Shapers public space process in Tamwe
Lead engagement and training for network of girls-led spaces in every Yangon township
Anna Livia Cullinan: Head of Research and Community Engagement
As Myanmar has only recently embarked on its path towards democracy, public engagement in the development of the urban environment is still nascent. We aim to strengthen the public's engagement with place through outreach that uses experiences, entertainment and learning so that there is more interest and participation in sustainable urban development. We also work with students, professionals and government officials to build skills in heritage conservation, public space design and urban planning. At Doh Eain we believe that engaging more people in the shaping of their spaces will lead to real empowerment, informed debates and ultimately, to better cities.
Cultural Programming
Technical Trainings
Living History Walking Tours
We the City Talk Series
Impact Days (Community volunteering days for organizations and schools)
Global Future Cities Programme: Civil society capacity building trainings and programme communications
Kingdom of the Netherland, RVO: Online and on-site camapign around community resilience
Singapore Tourism Board: Events and outreach design around Play
Urban planning speakers series for YCDC
A network for young urban professionals
Climate-change adaptation campaign for residents of dense urban areas
A community makeover television show to share the process more widely
Interim: Aurora Kazi Bassett, Director of Communications, Business Development and Policy