By the late 1990s, China's development of urbanization had advanced rapidly. Shanghai's survey and design industry embraced a new period of development. On March 28, 1998, East China Architectural Design & Research Institute and Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research (the “Two Institutes”) merged and Shanghai Xian Dai Architectural Design (Group) Co., Ltd. was established. Shanghai's most powerful two design institutes, formed a giant in the architectural design industry, creating a precedent for the merge of domestic architectural design enterprises. The Group has been developing quickly and sustainably, and has transformed from a local design institute to a national engineering consulting enterprise which has certain international influence. In March 2014, the Group acquired the world's third largest interior design company--Wilson Interior Design Company (USA), completing the first cross-border acquisition in China’s (Shanghai) Free Trade Zone. The Group first proposed the "whole process" strategy in the industry; in addition to the subsidiary companies such as East China Architectural Design & Research Institute and Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research which mainly deal with architectural design, the Group has established companies such as Urban Architectural Design & Research Institute, Xian Dai Construction Consulting, Xian Dai Environment, Xian Dai Planning, Xian Dai Municipal, Shenyuan Consulting and Shenyuan Rock-soil. In 2009, the original Shanghai Water Conservancy Design Institute was incorporated into the Group; the Group formed the most complete "whole process" business chain in the domestic engineering consulting industry. The Group also explored and improved the EPC general contracting management mode of integrated design and construction. The Group includes five high-tech enterprises, which constantly improve the 4+e enterprise technology innovation system, and it has built the first state-level enterprise technology center in the domestic architectural design industry. In 2015, the Group listed its main business of design and consulting by integrating East China Architectural Design & Research Institute into ARCPLUS Group PLC, and became the controlling shareholder of ARCPLUS. On October 30, 2015, ARCPLUS appeared as a new brand in Shanghai Stock Exchange, opening a new page of China’s construction consulting industry.
In recent years, the Group has participated in major projects such as the National Exhibition Center, CCTV new site construction project, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai Science Museum, Oriental Art Center, core area of Pudong International Tourism Resort, Hongqiao Comprehensive Transportation Hub, Shanghai Pudong Airport, Yangshan Deepwater Harbour, Qingcaisha Reservoir, Oriental Sports Center, Shanghai International Speedway, indemnificatory housing bases such as Sanlin and Gu village. In 2008, after Wenchuan Earthquake took place, the Group participated in the anti-seismic rescue and targeted aid construction of areas such as Mianyang, Dujiangyan and Longnan, completed the design of 60,108 transition rooms in total, in which 39,783 transition rooms were finally constructed; the Group undertook 23 Dujiangyan aid projects including the command center, and was awarded as the leading group of Shanghai targeted aid construction of Dujiangyan Reconstruction after the disaster. In the construction of World Expo in 2010, the Group participated in the construction of 61 World Expo pavilions and supporting projects including World Expo Cultural Center, World Expo Axis, World Expo Center and China Pavilion, covering 161 items including various whole process businesses. The East China Institute of the Group was awarded the title of “Leading Group of Shanghai World Expo” by the CPC central committee and the State Council.
