Middle East Architect - May 2010

STEPPING

WORK IN PROGRESSFXFOWLE’s King Abdullah

Financial District

ANALYSISEgypt needs houses and hotels,

but who will build them?

PORTFOLIOModernism, mosques and a new

gateway to Abu Dhabi

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PLUS

NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC

MAY 2010 / VOLUME 4 / ISSUE 5An ITP Business Publication | Licensed by Dubai Media City

OUTSIDEThe future of landscape architecture in the UAE

MAY | CONTENTS

www.constructionweekonline.com | 05.10 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 1

2

MAY 2010 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 5

WHAT’S ON THE WEB See more of MEA online, with up to date news and

an archive of projects and case studies

6OPINION Stuart Matthews argues that good design is partly behind developer Emaar’s recent spate of success

9SNAPSHOT

A short sharp summary of industry news from the

last 30 days, including Abu Dhabi’s Estidama guidelines

12ANALYSIS Egypt’s housing demand is growing, but working there has its own unique challenges

16WORK IN PROGRESS MEA visits KSA’s King

Abdullah Financial District to see how work is getting on

18THE INTERVIEW DSA’s top three architects talk about sustainability, icons and the future of Dubai

24CITYSCAPE

40CASE STUDIES A new mosque in Denmark, towers in Abu Dhabi and the fi rst modernist building in Algiers in 30 years

48THE WORK

A detailed reference section covering all the regional projects MEA has

looked at in recent months

54CULTURE Cool products, clever ideas, a useful app and some of the latest reading material from the world of architecture

WHATSee mowith u

an arch

28LANDSCAPING Attitudes to open space in the Middle East are changing, with the UAE at the forefront

34GCC ON TOUR

MEA takes a look at how the pavilions shape up at the

Shanghai Expo

Abu Dhabi plays host to a quiet but constructive

installment of Cityscape

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com

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NOT QUITE THEREWe take a look at some of Nakheel’s unfi nished projects in the region fol-lowing news of the com-pany’s well-received US $6 billion cash injection.

NEW FRONTIEREuropean fi rm BDP has big plans for the United Arab Emirates and the wider region, MENA director Gary Dicken told MEA at Cityscape.

REBUILDING IRAQDewan’s executive direc-tor Ammar Al Assam discusses the challenges of working in Iraq, the country where his fi rm was founded in 1971.

GOODBYE Conrad Egbert refl ects on fi ve years of hate mail and car chases as editor of Construction Week, in his last column before moving to Mumbai.

IN PICTURES: ROLEX TOWERWe take a look at how construction is coming along at the newest high-rise on Sheikh Zayed Road, the Rolex Tower, designed by Chicago-based architects SOM.

CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COMONLINE

COLUMNS & FEATURES EDITOR’S CHOICE

• High praise for world’s tallest tower

• Organisers praise Cityscape “success”

• Clock tower to be world’s secondtallest building

FOR BREAKINGNEWS, ANALYSIS,

INTERVIEWS, TENDERS, AND PROJECTS, LOG ON

TO: CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM

MOST POPULAR

• Power 20: TopGCC Architects

• Abu Dhabi makeover can learn from Dubai, say UPC

• Workers can beat the heat with cooling vest

• TDIC in Cityscape apartments launch

• AED1000 charge adds to Dubai Lagoon investor bill

SPOT POLL

What is Emaar’sprofi t a sign of?

29.4%Stringent fi nancial management

29.4% Burj Khalifa good will

23.6%An economic recovery

17.6%A bail-out bonus

Stories selected

for 1-23 April, 2010


COMMENT | GREEN DESIGN

4

Green architecture and sustainable design had a bit of a bad reputation in my home town.

The feeling was that developers primarily used green initiatives to get hugely profi table, and often vastly unpopular, projects through the town planning council, a body made up of the kind of politicians who would go all starry-eyed when confronted with the odd solar panel or roof garden.

Since creating a green building was a simple matter of planting a few trees, it was an easy way to tack a few storeys or units on to a project and make a bit of extra cash. If the public raised any concerns you could distract them with recycled wooden window frames, while you quietly sent the bulldozers into the nearby

Now developers will not only be judged on their plans, but at every stage during construction and for some years

after buildings are at full capacity

COMMENT

National Trust protected wetland. In some cases this attitude was

fair, and in others it wasn’t, but it is one that I shared when I took on the reins of Middle East Architect last month. This part of the world, I felt, was a prime example of green double standards, where developers and designers praised sustainability with one breath and mile-high glass greenhouses with the next.

I admit that I have had my pre-conceptions challenged time and time again in the last four weeks, and have undergone what can only be de-scribed as a conversion, from jaded green building skeptic to dancing-in-the-aisles enthusiast. It seems that, like the politicians I used to scoff at as a lowly planning reporter, it is my turn to be starry eyed.

ON THE GREEN

A lot of the factors behind my conversion are contained in this very issue of MEA, where we look at high-tech computer-operated screens on 25-storey towers in Abu Dhabi, Brazilian hardwood shades in Algiers and landscape design-ers in the UAE who are no longer content to pump gallons of water to keep the desert green. We also analyse the long-awaited launch of Estidama at Cityscape, a framework set to change the way developers build and architects design in Abu Dhabi and beyond.

Of course the Middle East has a long way to go. There is still far too much glass in the desert and an inevitable reluctance to keep sustainable building from impact-ing the bottom line, but I think most would agree that with Estidama the region took a bold step forward. Now developers will not only be judged on their plans, but at every stage during construction and for some years af-ter buildings are at full capacity. Few green ranking systems can claim to have such scope.

It is early days for Estidama, and its true impact remains to be seen, particularly as the regulations have not yet been made mandatory and neighboring Dubai is yet to follow suit. But it is right that Abu Dhabi, and eventually the Middle East at large, should show that it is serious about sustainability.

If we can do it here, in one of the most inhospitable climates in the world, then architects, developers and governments elsewhere will have no choice but to follow.

Estidama has raised the bar for sustainable architecture in the UAE and beyond

GOT A

COMMENT?

If you have any

comments to

make on this

month’s issue,

please e-mail

orlando.

crowcroft

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Abu Dhabi’s new regulations will cover all aspects of the 2030 framework.

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OPINION | EMAAR

6

Not long ago I took great pleasure in paying off a small car loan quite early, much to the puz-

zlement of an enthusiastically useless HSBC employee. For her it was ‘why bother’. For me it was more ‘phew, one less thing to worry about’.

That feeling of relief gave my happi-ness index a positive bump for several days, though I chastised myself for taking the loan on in the fi rst place.

Imagine then the recent relief of Emaar. The property development giant rolled over more than four billion dirhams of its debt into long-term project funding. In a move which Emaar described as ‘very comfortable’, it has removed its corporate neck from under the axe. Now I know it’s not the same as paying its debts completely, but even being able to shuffl e things

In a move which the company described as ‘very comfort-able’, it has removed its corporate neck from under the axe

OPINION

around must be a relief. In essence the company bought itself some time.

A few weeks later and things only got better. Emaar announced a signifi -cant and surprisingly high fi rst quarter profi t of AED 760 million, beating some forecasts by about AED 200 mil-lion; a sum not to be sniff ed at.

The reasons it gave included the performance of its hospitality and retail interests. The company said its Address hotels were enjoying goodoccupancy, and claimed decent foot traffi c in Dubai Mall, which has enjoyed the publicity of high-profi le brand openings - notably Bloom-ingdales, operated by Al Tayer. Inter-estingly Al Tayer also operates Harvey Nichols, so it has posh department store brands sewn up for both the Brits and their transatlantic cousins.

Added infl uence comes from the

DEBT TO DESIGN

ever-present Burj Khalifa, which casts the world’s longest shadow over much of Emaar’s Dubai interests.

The Burj is a suitable focal point for something which was not talked about in the fi nancial news and that’s the value of good design.

The Address hotels are doing their best to build a brand on this fact, while department store brand managers use words such as ‘distinct luxury off ers’, and tenants in Downtown prove how much extra people are prepared to pay to live in and around what they perceive as good design.

I’m not just talking about tall and surprisingly shiny spires. I mean the whole package: a nice apartment, in a nice area, with everything you need, plus a few luxury extras. It sounds simple enough, but it is as scarce as an Arabian Oryx.

Emaar has, to some degree, achieved this. Although newness and faux cultural heritage make for a slightly sterile product, individual ele-ments enjoy good design and the punt-ers like it. This enjoyment is refl ected in what they’ll pay to be there and can now be seen in Emaar’s profi t state-ments: keep in mind the performance of other developers right now.

Master planning, community devel-opment, landscaping, individual build-ing design and even interiors all have a part to play. Emaar’s relative success in a time of fi nancial constraint owes a debt to design.

So if, as an architect, you are battling to convince a client that good design provides a pay back to their bottom line, there are worse examples to point to and say ‘it worked for them’.

Emaar’s profi t in a time of fi nancial constraint owes a debt to design, says Stuart Matthews

GOT AN

OPINION?

If you have any

comments to

make on this

month’s issue,

please e-mail

orlando.

crowcroft

@itp.com

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MAY | SNAPSHOT


2 MILLIONThe expected demand for new homes by 2015 in Egypt

The

hei

ght

in m

etre

s o

f th

eR

oyal

Clo

ck T

ower

in M

ecca

Floris Smith, DSA Architects

Everything has to be an

icon nowadays.”

The size in m2 of Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the Shanghai Expo

”

“People do go outside and

they want to go outside, developments need to have plazas and

parks and urban space. That

should be a model for the future.”

Lance Lowrey, Cassia

01 The number of fi vestar hotels in Iraq

“Undoubtedly thousands of potential visitors from Europe and the Americas have beenunable to get fl ights.”Rohan Marwaha, Cityscape

“Architecture is a lot to do with the capacity

to understand the purpose of what

you are designing. I’mnot a doctor but I’ve designed hospitals.”

Bjarke Ingels, BIG

THIS MONTH’SNEED TO

KNOW


SNAPSHOT | MAY

10

Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council (UPC) want its new green ranking system – which is based on LEED criteria but more specifi -cally suited to the Middle Eastern climate – to be mandatory for devel-opers in the emirate.

The UPC, which is responsible for the Abu Dhabi 2030 framework unveiled at Cityscape last month, want Estidama, and its Pearl Rating system, to be regulatory rather than simply being guidelines for archi-tects and developers to follow.

“Currently, the LEED system is voluntary but the Estidama system needs to be regulatory. It needs to be part of the approval process, just

ABU DHABI GETS SERIOUSABOUT SUSTAINABILITYAbu Dhabi’s ‘Estidama’ system could soon force architects to include sustainable initiatives in their plans for the emirate.

80%MINIMUM

DEVELOPMENTOCCUPANCY

BEFORE PEARLASSESSMENT

to encourage developers to build a better building. The UPC is taking sustainability as far as we can take it,” said James Reed, a senior plan-ner at UPC.

Under Estidama, projects will be assessed by their Pearl Design Rating, which is engaged at the design stage and followed by a Pearl Construction Rating, which is introduced for two years post completion. Pearl Operational rat-ing then assesses the operational performance of a development when it has reached an occupancy of 80%.

Architects and designers will need to work alongside Pearl-quali-fi ed professionals during the design

phase, and submit to an assessor for review and ranking, which can be between one pearl to fi ve.

Samuel Keehn, of Energy Management Services, said that Estidama would force architects to pursue integrated design at a very early stage, meaning there would be little reason for them not to produce a green building.

“We’ve been waiting for this to offi cially launch for two years, there have been a lot of false starts but now it’s offi cially out there,” he said.

“It’s a big step forward, espe-cially if they make it mandatory for the whole of the 2030 Abu Dhabi framework development.”

“The UPC is taking sustainability as far as we can,” said UPC senior

planner James Reed.

MAY | SNAPSHOT


Architecture fi rm Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ) is opening a third offi ce in the UAE in order to capitalize on Abu Dhabi’s ambitious plans for development and economic growth. GAJ’s decision to set up a base in Abu Dhabi follows a renewed government focus on non-oil economic activity – an initiative that will see up to US $300 billion invested over the next 10 years to build industry and tourism in the Emirate. “We are mostly working on hospitality projects, which help to support the growing tourism industries, and residential and commercial projects, which assist in meeting the require-ments for new accommoda-tion in the region,” said Brian Johnson, principal and manag-ing partner of GAJ.

The Burj Khalifa scooped the top accolade at Cityscape Abu Dhabi, with judges prais-ing the 828 meter tower in downtown Dubai as ‘truly iconic’. The Burj, designed by SOM architects for develop-ers Emaar, won best mixed use category. As well as prais-ing the world’s tallest tower, the judges also commended the development of downtown

Dubai, which includes Dubai Mall and a range of commercial and resi-dential units. “This development encompasses everything good in a mixed use development - a pleasant commercial working environment, a range of excellent hospitality venues, world class shopping and a beautiful residential integration,” they said.

Architecture fi rm Stride Tre-glown will begin work on its fi rst low-income school in Al Ain, which is scheduled to open at the beginning of next year. The fi rm has been in talks with ADEC

about reducing the require-ments placed on new private schools by the government as part of its crackdown on villa schools in Abu Dhabi. The Oasis school will cater for 500 children and will be run by a management committee made

up of Indian expatriate busi-ness leaders.

Saudi Arabia will soon be home to the world’s second tallest building, as plans to top a hotel complex in Mecca with a clock tower six times taller than London’s Big Ben were unveiled in Dubai. The 662-metre Mecca Royal Clock Building – eclips-ing the 508-metre Taipei in Taiwan – will sit underneath a 155-metre metal spire that will hold the reputed ‘biggest clock in the world’ and will form part of a new complex of hotels called

Abraj al-Bayt Towers, constructed for the Saudi government by the Bin

Laden Group and managed by Fair-mont Hotels and

Resorts. The building should be fi nished by July.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has been selected as one of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) top ten green projects for 2010. The AIA Committee on the Environ-ment (COTE) praised Saudi Arabia’s fi rst platinum LEED-rated developments, designed by HOK architects, for its “innovative strate-gies to create a low-energy, highly sustainable project in the context of an extremely hot, humid climate”. KAUST is the eighth HOK project to earn AIA COTE recognition, but its fi rst in the Middle East. HOK designed the 6.5-million square foot campus on a site along the Red Sea, 50 miles north of Jeddah.

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Mecca Royal Clock Building will be six times taller than London’s Big Ben.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com12

NEWS ANALYSIS | EGYPT

Egypt may be a new frontier for Middle Eastern architects, but it still

poses unique challenges

ANALYSIS

ALL EYES ON EGYPT

It will not have come as a surprise to many in the Middle East that Egypt needs housing for its growing middle class.

A report by consultancy New Look, published in April, put the demand at two million new homes by 2015, as young Egyptian families seek aff ordable housing in a market saturated by luxury apartments. The country’s real estate market grew by 3.7% in 2009.

And it is not just in the residen-tial sector where there is money to be made for developers. Tour-ism, Egypt’s major cash cow, only suff ered minimal declines in 2009 despite the global recession. The country needs hotels, resorts and tourist infrastructure, and Egypt’s government is welcoming ambitious schemes with open arms.

UAE developer Emaar has been taking advantage of Egypt’s new

ambition for some time now. The fi rm’s 2.2 million m2 Sheikh Khalifa city – paid for by a US$100 million grant from Abu Dhabi and including schools, shops, mosques and thou-sands of homes – is one of four major developments that it is undertaking in Egypt.

Architects too are making their mark, Zaha Hadid recently unveiled plans for a 50,000m2 conference center in downtown Cairo, while



Godwin Austen Johnson are involved in two massive tourism developments on Egypt’s coast in Sharm Al Sheikh.

“They have the money now, and the ambition,” explained Hisham Youssef, a Dubai-based architect from Egypt, and former president of the now-defunct UAE architects association.

GAJ’s two projects in Egypt are in their very early stages, but the sheer size of both illustrate that the Egyptian government are serious about developing their coastline for tourists. The fi rm’s 7.5 million m2 mixed-use development in Sharm Al Sheikh – which will include 42,000 residential units and fi ve hotels – are dwarfed by an even bigger project in Soma Bay, which will include 72,000 residential units and a staggering 58 new hotels.

Ricus Van Zyl, associate partner at GAJ architects, says the willing-ness on the part of the government to allow developers to build quickly and

easily is a major advantage of work-ing in Egypt.

“It’s easy to work in Egypt in terms of restrictions. From what we have experienced the mission in Dubai to get your building permit approved is always a huge challenge with Dubai municipality, there is none of this in Egypt,” Van Zyl said.

But while both the government and developers welcome new proj-ects, construction in Egypt takes time. The estimated completion dates of both GAJ’s projects could be more eff ectively counted in decades rather than years, and this is not only due to their size. Van Zyl explains that unlike in the UAE, working in Egypt tends to require a ‘hands on’ approach to management.

“In Dubai you always guaranteed to have a project manager on from day one, and he seems to know what the design brief is and what instructions the architect requires to do the de-sign,” he explained.

CITYSTARS Architect: Godwin Austen JohnsonSite: 7.5 million m2

Location: Sharm El Sheikh

This massive hotel and apartment

complex on Egypt’s coast

includes four hotels, manmade

lagoons, a gold course and what

is expected to be the largest

swimming pool in the world.

Hotels based on the lagoons

have their own quays and water

access and the site will be served

by its very own sustainable

transport network. The site will

also feature a tennis academy,

schools a recreation center and

staff quarters. The Citystars

development is set to be an

incredible feat of engineering,

with water from the lagoons

sourced from deep wells rather

than the sea.

7.5 MILLIONMETRES2

CITYSTARSSHARM EL SHEIKH

DEVELOPMENT



“But in Egypt the project man-ager is almost just the facilitator

and the architect has to bring all the ideas to the client. We have to write the brief, draw up the design and then check that the project is what client wants. It takes a long time. What you normally do in Dubai in six months will take you 12 months there. It is a very, very slow process.”

Despite this, UAE’s Youssef explains that attitudes are chang-ing in Egypt towards quality design, something that may have been lack-ing some years ago. Developers are keener to pay for foreign talent than they were in the past, and the results are promising.

“There’s an increased appre-ciation of good design and good planning in Egypt now. A lot of developers are engaging the services of foreign consultants and designers, and there is a feeling that there is a need to bring in good, experienced designers,” he said.

Youssef does point out, however, that foreign consultants have to be aware that designs that may look good on paper can often not be fol-lowed through in Egypt. “They have to be aware of what the construction industry there is capable of,” he said.

Another consideration, he points out, is that Egyptian clients tend to want to take an active role in design. Architects that are too precious about their designs may fi nd a diff er-ent culture than they are used to in other areas of the region.

“It’s the culture in Egypt that the client says do it and you don’t push back,” he said.

But despite these challenges, both Van Zyl and Youssef are optimistic that as Egypt continues to be home to new projects and ambitious de-sign, both attitudes and ability in the country will change.

“There is a lot of really big stuff going on in Egypt,” Van Zyl said. “There is real ambition.”

What you normally do in Dubai in six months will take you 12 months there. It is a very, very slow process

STONE TOWERS, CAIROArchitect: Zaha Hadid ArchitectsSite: 170,000 m2

Location: Cairo

Stone Towers is an offi ce,

hotel and retail development

in central Cairo, which gets its

name from an ancient petrifi ed

tree in the center of the site. A

total of 525,000m2 of building

area will include state-of-the-

art offi ces, food and beverage

outlets and a fi ve star hotel. The

stone structures were designed

to imitate the complexity of

ancient Egyptian architecture,

and the patterns of Hieroglyphic

characters. The towers, which

diff er from each other in size and

shape, are set around a series of

ponds, walkways and paths.

525,000METRES2

STONE TOWERS’ GROSS BUILDING

AREA


WIP | KAFD

T he King Abdullah Financial District is a major development for the Saudi capital, and a

major undertaking for architects FXFOWLE, who have committed to developing the KSA’s fi rst Leed rated building on the site.

FXFOWLE is responsible for four plots of land on what is set to be Saudi Arabia’s biggest busi-ness park, which will eventually comprise two towers, 88 metres and 133 metres respectively, a 26-storey offi ce building, three levels of retail space and a mosque. At an estimat-

FXFOWLE managing director Steven Miller says work on the KAFD site is moving forward in leaps and bounds

WORK IN PROGRESS

KING ABDULLAHFINANCIAL DISTRICT

ed cost of US $96 billion, KAFD is being developed by the government-owned Rayadah Investment Com-pany on the outskirts of Riyadh.

It is a major project, but work on FXFOWLE’s portion of the site is well underway. The two tallest tow-ers already stand at around seven stories, and much of the low-level space is on the verge of completion. The basements of many of the build-ings are now fi nished, even down to the paintwork and plumbing.

Steven Miller, Dubai managing director of FXFOWLE, is upbeat about the development. While the

two towers still have some 30 storeys to go, an estimated 40% of the project is being constructed below ground level, and much of this work is at an advanced stage.

“The MEP work is going amazingly well. In Riyadh the soil is very soft so you can get the material out so fast, as long as it’s not rain-ing,” he said. “Then once you get to January you

KAFD | WIP


KING ABDULLAHFINANCIAL DISTRICTArchitect: FXFOWLELocation: Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaStatus: Under ConstructionCompletion: 2011

know that it’s not going to rain for another ten months.”

Not that the development has been entirely hassle free. One of the most distinctive attributes of the FXFOWLE towers is their exterior, with each tower slanting in seem-ingly random directions. While such a design is easy to create on paper, it is less easy to put into practice.

“The design is such that the outside walls of the towers all slope and because of this obviously the columns have to slope too. You can’t just stick the columns up and work around them; you have to align them perfectly on a level by level basis. They have been the biggest chal-lenge so far,” Miller said.

At the same time, the reluctance of construction companies in Saudi Arabia to use structural steel has made implementing FXFOWLE’s distinctive design more diffi cult. “They’re not trained to use it and they don’t want any part of it,” Miller said.

And while the bones of the construction are well underway in Riyadh, the environmental initia-

tives will take time. FXFOWLE has designed the façades of the build-ings to include energy-reducing sun shades while each of them has green roofs and additional landscaped areas. Environmental modeling software was used to develop the building forms in response to sun and shadow patterns, permitting natural lighting and views while mitigating solar gain.

There will also be signifi cant landscaping on the site, with plans for three levels of public space sepa-rating pedestrians from vehicular traffi c. Open public areas too are a prominent part of the project.

Nonetheless, Miller estimates that the two smaller residential buildings and the mosque will be completed within the next 12 to 15 months, while the rest of the development is probably around 24 months away.

“On the two tallest towers we have around 30 more lifts and then maybe 20 on the other two, then there are the three low buildings and that’s it,” he said. “It’s all gone pretty well.”

Columns are aligned on a level by level basis to form a slanted exterior. The site is set to be the KSA’s biggest business park.

US $96BILLION

ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION

COST FORKAFD


INTERVIEW | DSA ARCHITECTS

DSA’s three top architects sat down with Middle East Architect to discuss joined up thinking and the future of Dubai

INTERVIEW

TALKING POINTS

It’s not often that you hear a city criticized for having too many iconic buildings – as unusual, in fact, as hearing architects

complain that they have too much freedom to build what they like.

But sitting across the table in their offi ce in the Dubai Financial Center, Floris Smith, Fadi Sarieddine and Maher Fleifel are arguing just that. Dubai’s skyline may look great on a

postcard, they argue, but the pace of development in the last fi ve years has not made the city a nice place to live and spend time outside.

Mile-high buildings are all very well, but if you can’t walk across the street to the shops without fi rst navigating a 14 lane high-way and a building site in the blazing summer heat, then the novelty soon wears off .

“Dubai seems to have much too

much land available on which the city is built, so things tend to be like satellites connected with freeways with a lot of space in between, which will take a long time to fi ll up with urban fragments,” explained Smith, head of architecture at DSA.

“It’s a planning thing. Traditional cities grow slowly over time it’s like adding cells to an organism, here they create these nodes spread really

DSA ARCHITECTS | INTERVIEW


14,500METRES2

DSA’S MADINAT JUMEIRAH SOUK

far apart I mean, is the vision to fi ll this in ultimately?”

It is not only a matter of space the problem is that there is no link between buildings, as if architects only planned their buildings from the fourth fl oor up-wards. As highways and metro lines intersect urban areas, pedestrian access and open space is ignored.

“There doesn’t seem to be urban design controls that are designed for a a user-friendly city,” Smith said.

“There are two other examples of planning which I fi nd quite bizarre, and the fi rst is the metro train system – I don’t know why it was not built underground. It goes right up close to the face of buildings, so the streetscape is completely almost destroyed by that.”

The second, Smith feels, is Dubai’s elevated highways, so often constructed mere meters away from buildings. “Your whole sense of be-ing in a street environment created by buildings – which is the tradition-al way – is ignored,” he explains.

In terms of buildings, explains associate design director at DSA, Sarieddine, much of the problem has been a lack of guidance about what architects can build in the emirate. Unlike in most other countries, the amount of space Dubai has for build-ings has furnished architects and developers with a carte blanche to

develop whatever they like. “If you look at the action plan which is the paper

we get from the munici-pality that outline the regulations it is just ba-

sically an empty sheet of paper,” Sarieddine said. “If you come from the

UK or Australia where the government is very prescriptive about what you can do and what you can’t do in the public realm it is absolutely rigorous, they kill you if you have a blank wall that runs for a certain distance without an opening

in it,” Smith added. “They are so particular about that sort of thing that it surprises you to come to place where to an extent you can do what you like.”

Many of these initiatives, Smith adds, are not major burdens. In Australia, for example, architects are required to erect awnings over the street to protect the public from the rain and sun.

“These are just simple things, and yet here, where you would expect it because of the climate, they are absent,” Smith said.

But it is not just serving passers-by where the Dubai’s buildings are lack-ing; it is in their responsibilities to the environment too. For all the talk of green architecture, sustainable development and the like, architects are still failing to take their environ-ment into account.

“The climate is extreme in this part of the world yet glass buildings are very prevalent and still popular. Some clients say to me, can a build-ing be modern without having a glass façade, I say yes of course. Like glass means progress. It’s got to be glass or it doesn’t count,” Smith said.

“There is a lot of image mak-ing here, which I question from a sustainability point of view. If you’re really serious about saving material and labor and energy then you tend to make buildings simply, not un-necessarily complex.”

Sustainability is another area where Smith feels that architecture in Dubai in recent years has been lacking. He describes his favorite building in the city, the 80-storey

“If you look at the action plan that outlines the regulations it is just basically an empty sheet of paper.”Fadi Sarieddine, associate design director, DSA.


INTERVIEW | DSA ARCHITECTS

20

This dialogue is important for Dubai. Now is the time to have this conversation.”

Floris Smith, head of architecture, DSA

Index Building, designed by Norman Foster. Not only has Foster not tried to create an ‘icon’ in the conventional sense of the word, but he has created a truly sustainable structure.

“I drive past that building every day and I can see how well it is engi-neered,” Smith explains.

“The other buildings, they’re just sitting there in the sun, saying to the

sun, ‘yeah, here I am, hit me’. That building doesn’t do that, it’s clearly been thought about very carefully.”

DMS are always keen to present their designs not as stand-alone structures, but as part of the cit-ies where they are situated. It is little surprise, then, that Smith and Sarieddine have strong views about many developments in Dubai today.

“We joke about this all the time, but everything has to be an icon nowadays,” Smith explained.

“So much so that now it is the building that’s not an icon that stands out. Foster’s building stands out because it’s not an icon.”

Despite their criticisms, all three architects feel that now is the right time to take all these factors into consideration. As the pace of development slows down there is more room to breathe and to take stock of the big picture, unlike in 2008 when developers were more concerned with building as fast as possible. Midway through 2010, however, Smith, Fleifel and Sarieddine are upbeat that architects, planners and designers now have time to think about how Dubai fi ts together.

“We’re no longer in the race of building fi rst that we were in up to two years back,” Smith said.

Fleifel, associate director at DSA, added: “Just having square meters in the project back then was all that mattered, because a year later rent-ing would become more expensive. The turnover was very fast and there was little time to think long-term before the fi nancial crisis.”

“This dialogue is important for Dubai. Now is the time to have this conversation,” Smith said.

AL FATTAN HOUSE, DUBAI MARINAThe Al Fattan Offi ce Block is

the third tower in the Al Fattan

Residential Community at Dubai

Marina. While the second fl oor

features offi ces, the fi rst is

retail, with a mezzanine open-air

garden linking the two. Wooden

screens set against the glass

façade limits glare from the sun.

MADINAT JUMEIRAH SOUKA massive retail project on

Jumeirah beach, the Madinat is

not only a shopping center but

a 14,500 m2 mixed development

including hotels, bars and

restaurants. The buildings are

designed to imitate the style of

old Dubai, with thick walls and

small windows to reduce heat.

WEBSITENOWLIVE

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A n n i e C h i n o yTel: +971 4 210 8353


www.constructionweekonline.com/cidawards

T U E S D AY 9th NOV2010Dubai, UAE

M E D I A P A R T N E R

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In recent years architects have

been increasingly vocal in extol-

ling their green credentials, with

developers struggling to out-do

each other with sustainable initiatives.

Governments too have placed a

new emphasis on reducing waste

and increasing the use of renewable

energy, especially in the Middle East,

where air conditioners battle to cool

vast glass tower blocks and sprinklers

pump out thousands of litres of water

to keep the desert green.

So much so that a recent report

by Lux Research, a New York-based

consultancy, has predicted that

the green-tech industry will

expand by 6.1% year-on-

year, rising to US$ 277

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The energy-saving equipment –

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as rooftop solar systems - will reach

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research estimates, with demand

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in a decade.

Some providers believe that gov-

ernment policies, such as the Green

Leaf Building initiative in Dubai, will

see more projects from infrastructure

to commercial develop.

Enviromena, the Abu Dhabi-based

developer of solar products including

power plants, is one company to ben-

efi t from recent governmental support

for environmentally conscious, sus-

tainable projects .

Sander Trestain, vice president –

technical, said that although the initia-

tives are quite new and occurred in

ON THE RISETHE POPULARITY OF GREEN BUILDINGS IS SET TO INCREASE AS THE WORLD ECONOMY RECOVERS

a depressed market, they are on the

path of becoming world leaders.

“There is a time factor associated,

and not a lot of new buildings are

being built. However, in Abu Dhabi we

are seeing a lot of developments,” he

said. “Additionally, it has established a

7% renewable target by 2020.”

Government-led initiatives have

also resulted in substantial interest

from international venture capital.

“From our perspective we’ve been

able to close our second book of fund

raising in January 2010,” he adds.

“There’s been a substantial infl ow

of green technology money and that

demonstrates a real interest. Investors

believe in a short- to mid-term series

of subsidies and incentives coming

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6.1%YEAR-ON-YEAR

INCREASE IN THE GREEN-TECH

INDUSTRY


SPECIAL REPORT | CITYSCAPE ABU DHABI

Cityscape fails to draw the crowds in Abu Dhabi, but architects appreciate the chance to get noticed.

SPECIAL REPORT

PLAYING THE NUMBERS

CITYSCAPE ABU DHABI | SPECIAL REPORT


Cityscape closed as it opened last month in Abu Dhabi, quietly and with little of the pizzazz

that it was for so long known for. Organisers were quick to brand

Cityscape Abu Dhabi a success, with managing director Rohan Mar-waha hitting out at those who made “gloomy predictions” in the run up to the four day event. Marwaha ob-served that long-term constructive schemes had replaced the specula-tive investments of the past.

And browsing the stalls in the Abu Dhabi National Convention Centre, it was diffi cult not to come to same conclusion. Long term, large-scale infrastructure projects – many government-backed – had replaced ambitious icons, and developers courted end-user buyers rather than investors after a quick cash injection.

The event’s centrepiece, a huge model laying out Abu Dhabi’s 2030 framework, epitomised the change of direction, as did the two major

deals signed during the event, both large-scale housing projects for Abu Dhabi signed between developers and the government.

For designers and architects, this change in tack was a positive one. Instead of the event being dominated by check book waving investors, it felt more like a forum for professionals, an opportunity for new fi rms on the block to show off their designs and older players to check out the opposition.

Nathan Hones, general man-ager at Stride Treglown, said that Cityscape was in many ways getting back to its roots.

“It’s coming back to the business to business event that it used to be. It seems to be more about people getting together and meeting each other, which is good,” he said

Hones said that Stride Treglown’s stand had been already been visited by a number of developers, who, with a dearth of customers, had taken the time to fl ick through the fi rm’s book of recent projects.

ABU DHABI 2030

The Urban Planning Council’s

model formed the centerpiece of

Cityscape in Abu Dhabi. The 23

by 17 metre model was created

at a scale of 1:2,000 and covers

an area from the Corniche on

Abu Dhabi’s main island to

Shahama, Mussafah and Al Falah

on the mainland and includes

the islands of Saadiyat, Yas,

Lulu, Reem and Sowwah. “It is

a visible demonstration of our

commitment to deliver what we

embarked upon three years ago,

when the Urban Planning Council

was set up by a decree. It will be

a living, breathing model that will

be constantly updated to refl ect

progress on the ground, and

serve as a great communication

and promotional platform for all

of Abu Dhabi’s stakeholders,”

said Falah Al Ahbabi, UPC

General Manager.

This reality check that the region has had has probably been a good thing for everyone.Gary Dicken, BDP Architects

23 X 17METRES1:2000 SCALE

MODEL OF ABU DHABI 2030


SPECIAL REPORT | CITYSCAPE ABU DHABI

26

Gary Dicken, MENA director for European architecture fi rm BDP, who have recently merged with local fi rm Syna in a move into the Middle East market, agreed.

“I guess Cityscape is quite an open forum, a place where we can examine critically the way forward for the region,” Dicken said.

Developers too felt that Cityscape had developed a new emphasis on the long term, with buyers snap-ping up homes that they actually intended to live in rather than fl ip quickly and sell on. From his semi-busy stand, Wael Tawil, CEO of Developer Baniyas Investment and Development Company (BID), said that he felt the lack of long queues of speculators chucking their check-books around was positive.

“For us, Cityscape has been ac-tive, but active from the perspective of end users,” Tawil said.

“The market is free of specula-tors now. It’s not slowing down, it’s more focused. Good projects have replaced bad projects and end users have replaced speculators.”

And while many potential buyers stayed away – because of either volcanic ash or market uncertainty, depending on whom you believe

– Cityscape was graced with a number of high profi le government fi gures, befi tting its emphasis on government projects.

His Highness Sheikh Moham-med bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, toured the stands on day two of the event, paying special attention to the vast UPC model of Abu Dhabi 2030, as well as Mushrif Park, His High-ness’s pet project.

Meanwhile, while Cityscape Abu Dhabi may not have been the shot in the arm that many in the region wanted and expected it to be, but in its emphasis on infrastructure projects and joined up thinking, many felt that it was exactly what was needed.

“This reality check that the region has had has probably been a good thing for everyone,” said BDP’s Dicken.

THE DEALS

The Abu Dhabi government was

the major player at Cityscape this

year, and the two most signifi cant

deals signed were with the Urban

Planning Council (UPC) and the

Department of Municipal Aff airs.

Sorough Real Estate signed

an agreement with the UPC to

develop Watani, a master plan

community for UAE nationals,

costing a total of AED4.5 billion.

Sorough will also develop

Shamkha, another community

for Emiratis. Both projects will

contribute 9,000 homes over the

next fi ve years.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi

developer Aldar signed an

AED730 million contract with the

Department of Municipal Aff airs

to provide the infrastructure for

a development of around 1,045

villas, a school and other facilties

in Al Ain near Jebel Hafeet.

Abu Dhabi’s 2030 framework targets a population increase of 2m in 20 years.

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28 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com

FEATURE | LANDSCAPING

A new appreciation of open space and green design is changing the face of landscaping in the UAE

28 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 05 10 | www constructionweekonline com

A new appreciation of open space and green design is changing the face of landscaping in the UAE

THE BUILDINGSBETWEEN

LANDSCAPING | FEATURE


“If you look at a lot of the landscape work in Abu Dhabi and Dubai it is of a high quality, but at the end of the day you just wonder what it is all for.” Peter Sheard, senior associate, Gensler London.

It is a fact of life that the car is king in many Middle Eastern cities, and while tree-lined highways and public parks do

exist, much of the region’s landscape architecture has been designed to be viewed through car windows.

It is not only breakneck develop-ment that is to blame for the region’s lack of well-designed open space, it is the climate too. After all, sitting outside is not very agreeable in 50 degree heat, and it was inevitable that air-conditioned passages would take precedence over open air walkways.

But this situation is changing, and new projects in the United Arab Emirates seem to be paving the way for an increasing awareness of the role of open space. Architects seem to be attempting to join up cities that have so far been orientated around individual structures and roads.

Peter Sheard, senior associate at Gensler London, was one of the land-scape architects involved in the Dubai International Finance Centre, a good example of a well-landscaped devel-opment in the city. Unlike so many

areas of downtown Dubai, pedestri-ans are able to easily walk between the DIFC’s network of offi ces, retail outlets and restaurants and cafes.

The DIFC is almost eerie for its lack of cars and street noise, and Sheard believes this makes it one of very few developments in the Middle East that is both workable and enjoy-able at the same time.

“It works on two diff erent levels. The central spine allows people to get through that whole area during the less tolerable summer months, and during the winter they can walk around outside in a traffi c free pedes-trian area,” Sheard said.

“It is a design that is very much based on the idea of pedestrian con-nectivity. We wanted to fi nd a way of

moving between these structures in a way that is comfortable.”

Sheard points out that in so much of the Middle East landscape is not designed to be usable, in fact it plays a very superfi cial role in urban plan-ning, particularly in the UAE.

“If you look at a lot of the landscape work in Abu Dhabi and Dubai it is of a high quality, but at the end of the day you just wonder what it is all for. It is actually designed to be viewed from a car; it’s just eye-wash,” he said.

“We could do what we did with the DIFC because the client was convinced that you had to create a workable area or it wouldn’t attract people. If you create an environment that is car dependant then you are immediately hamstrung.”

Mushrif Park’s ‘shade house’ will remain at 20 degrees all year round. Gardens at the Ritz Carlton, Dubai.



30

This is sentiment that, while new in Dubai, is being embraced in Abu Dhabi, where landscaping and joined up master-planning has formed a major part of the emirate’s 2030 redevelopment plan. The recent design brief for the Al Bateen Marina, for example, demanded that designers include pedestrian walkways, shading and even bicycle lanes.

Abu Dhabi seems reluctant to repeat the mistakes of its northern neighbor in its grand designs for the next two decades, and Mushrif Cen-tral Park – the pet project of Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan – is demonstrative of this. The 25 year old park has embarked on a redevelopment process, featuring some innovative landscape design.

Brent Lloyd, associate at Valley Crest Design, the fi rm that redesigned the park, explained that their focus

was making the park are more pleasurable place for Abu Dhabi residents to spend time, while embracing the emirate’s commitment to green design. In order to do so, the designers had to challenge some of the design concepts of the past.

“The park right now is completely covered in turf grass which is enor-mously water consumptive. We’ve tried to reduce the amount of turf grass and make the areas that are there more usable,” Lloyd said.

Over 70% of the total site has been designed to naturally reduce urban heat buildup, by using canopies of trees as shade and paving materials that are able to refl ect the sun in an eff ort to reduce overall surface heat gain throughout the park. Changing the nature of the vegetation was also important, Lloyd explains.

“We looked at introducing diff erent landscape using types of grass and some shrub material that reduces overall water consumption,” he said.

They have also had to take into account the habits of the people who frequent the park. Unlike in the US or Europe, people in the Middle East tend to want to spend time outdoors in the evenings, so trees and football pitches are not enough to create a popular urban space.

This is something that while inno-vative in the UAE, is more established

elsewhere in the Gulf, according to Genslers’ Sheard. He says

that countries such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been creating well landscaped open spaces for longer due to

the infl uence of western architects in development

projects there. “There’s been a real commitment

there to creating landscaping, which is very, very popular with locals in the evenings. That is another diff erence between locals and expats, expats tend to enjoy outside areas in the evenings, while locals will go out for a walk at 2 am because it is cooler,” he said.

In the residential realm architects are also developing new ways of making urban areas more pleasurable places to spend time. At the Gal-leries site in Jebel Ali, a mixed use development that opened last month, designers have tried to buck the trend of building endless tower blocks and concentrated on open spaces, gardens and community areas.

The offi ces and residential towers are surrounded by a network of foun-tains and gardens, and the importa-tion of mature trees from abroad has made the exterior of the buildings ready for use almost immediately. A shade canopy provides protection from the sun when crossing between the two buildings.

Shading remains integral to good landscaping in the Gulf.

“I think people really value open spaces here, and that is something that will continue.”

Brent Lloyd, associate, Valley Crest Design

70%OF MUSHRIF PARK

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Tel: +971 4 267 2499 | Fax: +971 4 267 2492P.O.Box 86972, Dubai, UAE | Email: [email protected]

• Soft and hard landscape construction

• Automatic irrigation

• Preserved palms

• Indoor plant arrangements

• Planters

• Maintenance services

We provide



32

LIGHTINGIn Mushrif Park, an integrated

solar photovoltaic system is

anticipated to generate in excess

of 300,000kwh annually, helping

to power the park’s lighting. At

Jebel Ali, low-energy, sensor

lights are used throughout the

Galleries development in Jebel Ali,

in an eff ort to meet Leadership in

Energy and Environmental Design

(LEED) standards.

BEATING THE HEAT –Keeping cool and sustainable in a desert climate

SHADINGAt Mushrif Park, Seba have

emphasized shading in order to

make the park usable even in the

summer. Over 1,000 trees will be

planted alongside the Botanic

Gardens and Shade House; many of

them are over 25 years old, making

them the most mature trees in

Abu Dhabi. The temperature in

the Shade House is expected to

remain at around 22 degrees all

year round. Meanwhile, at Jebel Ali,

a shade canopy reduces the sun’s

glare for residents.

MATERIALSUsing stone has the immediate

benefi t of being cheap, but it is

also a staple of landscape design

in hot climates. The concept of

xeriscopes, or ‘hard landscaping’,

promotes the use of materials that

survive well in the heat. Genslers’

Sheard explained: “The Middle

East is very comfortable using

a lot of stone because the cost,

labor and supply are really low.”

WATERAt the Galleries, the irrigation

network feeds off the main

irrigation system serving the entire

area of zone one of downtown

Jebel Ali, while the main pool and

fountain use recycled water from

the air conditioning units from

nearby offi ce towers.

“It was always our intention that the space between the towers felt like a complete plaza,” explained Lance Lowrey, the project manager on the Jebel Ali site.

“Shade in design is a critical ele-ment here and I have learned a lot about it while doing this project. In fact, all the designs that we are work-ing on now try to incorporate it.”

Environmental initiatives also play a part in the Jebel Ali development, which is an increasingly important consideration at a time when govern-ments are unwilling – both in moral and fi nancial terms – to pump out vast amounts of water in an eff ort to keep lawns green. The Galleries uses an irrigation system that recycles water from the air conditioning units from nearby offi ces, saving up to 4,000 gallons of water a day.

Lowrey, who came to Dubai from the US to lead the Jebel Ali project, said that urban space is likely to become more and more important for developments in the Middle East, especially as it has not been explored signifi cantly so far.

“People do go outside and they want to go outside, developments need to have plazas and parks and urban space. That should be a model for the future,” he said.

“The nature of being in a public space is basically like being an actor in a play, and I think people love that. No matter who you are, what culture you come from, or where you are in the world.”

Valley Crest’s Lloyd’s agrees. Just because the UAE has lacked well-landscaped public space in the past, the indications are that the demand will only increase as redevelopment picks up the pace in the emirates. Lloyd believes that both local and expats in the region are screaming out for it

“I think people really value open spaces here, and that is something that will continue,” he said.


SPECIAL REPORT | SHANGHAI EXPO

GCC ON TOURHow the pavilions shape up at the Shanghai Expo



UNITED ARAB EMIRATESTheme: Sand DuneArchitect: Foster + Partners

The Saudis may have spent the

most cash on their pavilion, but

the UAE’s remains one of the

biggest in Shanghai, and has the

benefi t of being fully recyclable –

the whole thing will be taken apart

and brought back to the UAE in

October. Designed by Foster +

Partners, the pavilion is modeled

on a sand dune, constructed from

a two-metre triangulated grid of

oxide-colorized steel. But although

the fi rm’s in house modeling

group had a diffi cult task,

Shanghai’s unpredictable weather

was the main challenge during

construction. “The main shell was

constructed in just six months

during a season of heavy rain –

that was quite an impressive feat,”

said architect Gerard Evenden.

The decision to base the design on

a sand dune was not only to draw

attention to the UAE’s climate,

but also to fl aunt the country’s

emphasis on sustainable building.

“The curve of the dune responds

to the arc of the sun and is

orientated towards the north, with

the solid shell forms protecting

against the direct glare from

the south and allowing indirect

light to enter the habitable areas

via a complex series of louvres,”

Evenden said. The architect was,

however, tight-lipped about where

the pavilion will go come October.

“I’m afraid it is too premature to

discuss its location after the Expo

at this stage,” he said.

The main shell was constructed in just six months during a season of heavy rain in Shanghai – that was quite an impressive feat. Gerard Evenden, associate partner, Foster + Partners



SAUDI ARABIATheme: Moon BoatArchitect: China Electronics Engineering Design Institute (CEEDI)

The Saudi pavilion is quite a hit

in China, not only because it is

designed by local architect Wang

Zhenjun, but also because it is

the most expensive and second

biggest (after China, of course).

Wang’s ‘moon boat’ design

beat over 40 other submissions

from around the world, making

him somewhat of a hero in the

local press. Wang, who worked

with Saudi Arabian architects

throughout the design process,

said that he chose to base the

pavilion on the moon boat as it is

something that appears in both

Chinese and Arabian fairytales,

while the date trees on the top

of the structure, “symbolised

the friendship between the two

countries”. The poles that hold

the 5,000 m2 boat in place also

act as elevators. “A well-designed

pavilion must be eff ective in

getting visitors involved, so

that they are not passively

looking at it, but are also happily

experiencing it,” Wang said,

describing the Expo generally as a

“carnival of humanity.”

OMANTheme: The Voyages of Sinbad Architect: City Neon

Designed by Bahrain and

Singapore based architects City

Neon, Oman’s Expo off ering is not

on a similar scale to its neighbors,

but at 2,000 square meters it is

not among the smallest pavilions

either. The pavilion combines two

of the country’s most famous

attributes, its historic forts and

its traditional merchant ships, the

Ganjahs. City Neon, who declined

to comment on the project

when contacted by Middle East

Architect, used glass to illustrate

the traditional Omani sailing ship,

contrasting it with the distinctive

round tower of Oman’s old

capital, Nizwa. At the front of the

pavilion the tower of Sohar, a city

once known as the Gateway to

China, now once again welcomes

visitors from Shanghai.

The Expo is a carnival of humanity.Wang Zhenjun, chief architect,

China Electronics Engineering Design Institute (CEEDI)

5,000METRES2

SAUDI’S PAVILION - THE SECOND

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BRITISHEMBASSYALGIERSArchitect: John McAslan + PartnersClient: British Foreign Office

THE PROJECT Algiers is not known for mod-

ernist architecture; in fact the closest the city has to a contem-porary building was designed by Swiss-French urbanist architect Le Corbusier some 70 years ago. But with the new British Embassy John McAslan and Partners were determined to break that dry spell, and eff ectively fuse the site’s his-torical background with ambitious modernist themes. The building incorporates a visa applications room, offi ces and a recreation center with an outdoor swimming pool and


CASE STUDY

landscaped gardens. JMP had to work around the his-toric Ambassador’s Residence, contrasting its colonial style with a modern, eco-friendly building that will serve as an administrative hub for a busy embassy. As well as disabled access and ecological con-cerns, JMP also had to incorporate security perimeters into the site while retaining an open and well-landscaped space. They also had to bear in mind cost, with the British Foreign Offi ce conscious not spend too much taxpayers’ cash.

1800 M2GROSS INTERNAL

AREA OFBUILDING SITE


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THE SITE The FCO sought to incorporate

the embassy into the grounds of the residence rather than fi nding an-other site elsewhere in order to save money, as well as to ensure greater security. From the garden, the massing of the three-storey building appears to be reduced because the ground fl oor is partly sunk. The ground and fi rst level fl oor plates step back in plan, delivering a build-ing of 1,800m2 gross internal area on a tight footprint. With stunning views over the Bay of Tangiers, designers had to be careful that the embassy did not obscure the line of sight from the residence building.

THE CONCEPT The embassy was designed to

fuse Arab and colonial architecture, creating a 21st century building that did not look out of place in a tradi-tional setting. At the same time, explained London-based architect Simon Goode, JMP did not want to create a pastiche of Islamic archi-tecture. While the form and layout are distinctly modernist, Islamic themes are subtly alluded to rather than duplicated outright. The ar-chitects also had to maintain both a physical and conceptual separation between the modern embassy and the pre-existing colonial residence.

WOODOne of the most notable landscape features on the site is the 6m high wooden twisted fi ns which separate the embassy from the residence, while also providing shading. The slats are made of FSC-certifi ed Bra-zilian secondary species hardwood and were steam twisted by West Country timber expert Michael Berringer. “We would never have got away with doing something purely decorative, so we had to go after something with a positive use,” JMP’s Goode said.


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ENVIRONMENTEnvironmental initiatives were, as always, important to the develop-ment, and while the twisted wooden fi ns add to the appearance of the building, they also act as shading for the embassy and reduce solar

SECURITY“Security was a fundamental part of the project, as it was the main rea-son why they relocated the embassy onto the residence site in the fi rst place,” Goode said. The architects had to meet regularly with the FCO security forces to discuss how to protect the site, and striking the bal-ance between security concerns and architectural considerations was one of the most challenging parts of the project. “It was important to ensure that the building, while secure, did not look like a military compound,“ Goode said.

INTERIORThe interior of the building was a challenge, as the inherent emphasis on functionality of an embassy ran the risk of making it look boring and sterile. While the architects did introduce subtle references to Algerian architecture – by imitating the winding streets of the Kasbah in the building’s curved, narrow corridors – they did not want to go overboard with interior design. “There’s already a lot going on with this building, we felt it would be best just to keep it clean,” Goode explained.

gain. The use of concrete also has a cooling eff ect on the interior, cut-ting down on air conditioning bills. The fi nished embassy is the fi rst building in Algeria with a BREEAM rating, achieving ‘good’.

COSTEvery element of the building un-derwent a cost evaluation, includ-ing the roofi ng, walls, and internal fi t-out, while the use of fair face concrete throughout reduced the need for additional fi nishes.

SIX METRES

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ABU DHABIINVESTMENT COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS(ADIC)Client: Abu Dhabi Investment CouncilDesigner: Aedas Architects

THE PROJECT The aim of the

design was to produce a landmark building for Abu Dhabi, the fi rst project on a large site on the emirate’s coast. Aedas won the contract to develop the site after an international competition. Their design will provide 350,000 square feet of offi ce accommodation in two 25-storey towers, which are joined at the base by an entrance podium. Facilities include cafes, a lecture theatre and prayer rooms for the building’s estimated 2,000 of-fi ce workers. Aedas expects to fi nish work on the site in 2011.

CASE STUDY

THE SITE The 11,500m2 site near Al Qurum

beach and adjacent to Abu Dhabi’s mangrove swamps has been set aside for development by the gov-ernment. The Aedas site, near Abu Dhabi’s eastern ring road, is made up of two adjacent plots of land that ADIC hope will serve as a gateway to the city.

20%REDUCTION IN ELECTRICITY

CONSUMPTION THROUGH

SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES


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THE DETAILS Both towers are covered from

top to bottom with a ‘mashrabiya’ screen, which opens and closes in response to the position of the sun. The mashrabiya comprises over 1,000 translucent moving elements on each tower and is controlled by specially designed computer software. It will reduce solar gain by an estimated 20%, and provide 80% to 90% of the shading on the building. Orborn said that despite the apparent complexity of the

mashrabiya, it is actually relatively simple to produce. “The reality is that in terms of design, construction and implementation it really isn’t that complicated,” he said. “There is a premium to be paid, of course, but that needs to be seen in context. This will be a landmark for Abu Dhabi and show the emirate’s com-mitment to sustainable design.”

The mashrabiya is made of a translucent fabric mesh (PFTE), providing views outside even when the screen is completely closed.

THE CONCEPT The AIDC building is immedi-

ately notable for its green creden-tials, and both the developers and architects hope that it will attract a Leed silver rating. The proj-ect utilizes sustainable building techniques, including a state-of-the-art, computer operated shading system. The designers have sought to fuse Islamic architecture with modern design, basing the entire structure of the building on a mixture of two-dimensional circles and three dimensional spheres. The entire structure is designed to refl ect a single geometric theme. “Our concept was generated from a mathematically pre-rationalised form which was in turn derived from Islamic principles,” said Aedas deputy chairman Peter Oborn. “It’s a thoroughly modern building rooted in tradition.”

The interior of the building is also designed in a spherical style, with the room partitions fanning out from the interior column to the exterior wall. The ceilings, on the other hand, mimic the exterior of the building and are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. A sky garden with a four-storey space above it will be constructed every 7th fl oor, while the exterior will be landscaped with water features, pedestrian access and a palm reserve.


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COPENHAGENGRANDMOSQUEClient: Bach Gruppen A/SDesigner: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group

CASE STUDY

a 124,000m2 religious complex in downtown Copenhagen with facilities including a prayer hall, shops, conference facilities, a gal-lery, an auditorium and an Islamic library. The developers of the site, which will include more traditional Danish housing in an alpine style, hope that the Grand Mosque will

support and facilitate the cultural integration of Islamic and Danish societies and strengthen the ties between the Danish Muslim com-munity and the region. Work on the building is ongoing, but planning permission has been given for the whole project. The development is will be finished by the end of 2011.

THE PROJECT Denmark’s first purpose-built

mosque has been designed by Copenhagen-based designers BIG and built in cooperation with the Muslim Council of Denmark, an umbrella organization represent-ing 13 different Muslim organi-zations and with over 40,000 members. The mosque is part of

The 99 names of Allah 5 sides An infinite ribbon Exterior facade Interior facade


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THE SITE The municipal government

passed a resolution more than ten years ago that earmarked the site for a mosque, but developers in Copenhagen struggled to come up with a project. “Nobody really knew what to do with it,” architect Bjarke Ingels said. “We were approached by a private developer and asked to create a master plan that combined cultural areas,

THE DESIGN While mosques in the Arab world

are designed to provide protec-tion from the hot climate and keep out sunlight, the Grand Mosque in Copenhagen is adapted to the Dan-ish climate. The 46m dome, rather

than blocking light, lets it in. “We needed to adapt it to

the light conditions of its location. The sun is much lower here than in the Middle East, so while the primary chal-

lenge there is protecting people from the sun, in

Scandinavia the objective is to make as much of the light as you can,” Ingels said.

The mosque stands 46m high and is formed from a single ‘ribbon’ which is folded fi ve times in a spiral towards the sky. On the exterior the

inscriptions represent the 99 names of Allah. Ingels explains that the aim of the tower was to provide an Islamic counterpart to the nearby Our Saviour Church steeple in Copenhagen. While there are strict guidelines governing how and where a mosque can be built, modern technology allowed many of these criteria to be met easily.

Designing a mosque was a fi rst for the company, but BIG’s design had gained approval from both the Muslim Council as well as by a consultant brought in to inspect the plans. “Architecture is a lot to do with the capacity to understand other parameters and functions and understand what the purpose of what you are designing. I’m not a Muslim, but I’m also not a doctor and I’ve designed hospitals.” he said.

living spaces and a mosque.” Because of the incorporation of the mosque into the design, the developer was able to acquire the site. Ingels said that the plans have since been approved by the government, and have been praised by nearby residents, quite a feat considering the firm European tradition of not-in-my-backyard complaints to new developments.

3000CAPACITY OF THEGRAND MOSQUE’S

PRAYER HALL

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RUKN AL AQEEQ

Architect:Maan Alsalloum, CowiLocation:Saudi Arabia

The Rukn Al Aqeeq is a mixed-use development incorporating a 21 storey hotel and 12-storey offi ce tower, linked by a single storey of retail space. The entire building will be clad in stainless steel mesh and is designed to be elliptical, with the ho-tel and offi ce towers joining together at the fourth fl oor with an open-air garden area in the centre. The steel mesh is designed to help the building obtain a Leed ranking.

LAUFEN FORUM

Client:LaufenArchitect: Nissen & WentzlaffEngineer: Walther Mory Maier

Swiss bathroom company Laufen’s new headquarters is an unconven-tional design, constructed entirely from concrete and without windows. The two-storey showroom is a scale replica of a Laufen ceramic washba-sin, and was constructed in a single mould with the 44-cm thick concrete roof added later. Around 50 skylights are designed to provide light while also limiting the eff ect of seasonal changes in the sun’s position.

BREAKWATER BEACON JEDDAH

Client:Saudi AramcoLocation:Saudi Arabia

This contemporary lighthouse in Jeddah was commissioned by HOK, architects for the nearby King Abdullah University or Science and Technology (KAUST) project. Designer Dan Tobin was originally asked to produce a 30 meter tower but the project ended up twice as high. Eventually the tower will include 150 lights, which will glow through the lattice of hexagons from top to bottom, and a marble interior.

ONEMOLD WAS USED

TO CAST THECONCRETE

FACADE

THEWORKPROJECT UPDATE


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COURTYARD CONCEPT INAL SHEGERY

Arhitect:Dewan Location: Riyadh

Al Shegery’s dimensions are 700m x 800m with an area of 535,000m2. The project, which is currently in concept design phase, will contain residential buildings, a 150-room hotel, a school, a healthcare facility, retail space, a mosque and a health club. The urban design strategy of the project depends on situating the buildings as vehicle-free clusters to create an atmosphere of the tradi-tional Arabian neighbourhood.

BUILDING CONCEPT FOR KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Arhitect:Woods BagotLocation: Riyadh

Woods Bagot released designs for a building in Riyadh’s KAFD that is being touted as ‘an exem-plar of the modern workplace’. Its shape is derived from a nested and repeated fractal form, which has been designed with Islamic patterns in mind. By following mathemati-cal rigour to create an interlocking and infi nite geometric pattern, the design creates a balanced and harmonious building form.

Although four sites comprise FX-Fowle’s portion of KAFD, they were considered and designed as a single mixed-use project. The design of FXFowle’s KAFD Parcels proposes a separation between pedestrian walkways, vehicular traffi c, and public spaces within each site. The fi rm’s intent is to create dynamic, visually porous structures, while also drawing attention to three distinct levels of public space.

MIXED USE CONCEPT FOR KING ABDULLAH FINANCIAL DISTRICT

Arhitect: FXFowleLocation: Riyadh

Diyar Al Kuwait (DAK) commis-sioned KEO International in 2008 to design the pioneer project for the Lusail District in Doha. The pro-gramme for the project is relatively straightforward. It is based on a mixed use development consisting of commercial, residential and retail spaces. It encompasses 247,044m2 of allowable area – 159,989m2 for commercial; 130,220m2 for offi ce space; and 29,769m2 for retail.

MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT FOR LUSAIL DISTRICT

Arhitect: KEOLocation: Doha

US$800MILLION

TOTAL VALUE

www.constructionweekonline.com | 05.10 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT


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CENTRE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES & DIALOGUE OF CIVILISATIONS

Arhitect:TypsaLocation: Riyadh

Set within the most updated master plan for the Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University, Typsa’s Centre of Islamic Studies & Dialogue of Civilizations aims to be an integral part of the university’s spirit and a champion of the Riyadh identity. Approximately 65,000m2, the cen-tre needed to serve as a landmark because of its distinct location as well as a symbol of architectural and design excellence.

RUGBYSEVENS STADIUM

Arhitect:R&R DesignLocation:Dubai

R&R Design was brought on board to design a world class rugby sevens stadium from scratch. It was a job that started out as an extension to existing facilities, then changed suddenly to one involving full design and build of the facilities within 18 months. The development needed to house six rugby pitches, a clubhouse for local teams, including 12 changing rooms, and VIP facilities, including execu-tive boxes.

MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART

Arhitect:IM PeiLocation:Doha

The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is dedicated to becoming the world’s foremost museum of Islamic art. The design and location of the building literally and fi guratively positions the museum to become a catalyst for the development of Doha as a centre of excellence for its burgeoning culture and education sectors. Moreover, it demonstrates the country’s commitment to the international cultural sector.

15,000GRANDSTAND

SEATINGCAPACITY

AL HITMI MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT

Arhitect: Norr Group International ConsultantsLocation: Doha

Located on a prime waterfront site along the Doha Corniche, this contemporary project is a new land-mark in this city. The development consists of a 7-storey high linear arranged offi ce block anchored by a 15-storey residential tower. The concept for the project was inspired by imagery of stone formations can-tilevered over a body of water. It is clad with dark tinted glass, polished and textured natural stone tiles.


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The Pearl Qatar is a multibilliondollar manmade island project spanning 985 acres of reclaimed land. The development is the country’s fi rst international urban development venture, its largest urban development and the fi rst to off er freehold ownership to foreign nationals. The Pearl Qatar is a 13-island mixed-use development comprising 10 themed districts to be developed over fi ve years.

THE PEARL QATAR

Arhitect: CallisonLocation: Doha

US$2.5BILLIONTOTAL VALUE

THE DUBAI QUILL

Arhitect: MishascapeLocation:Dubai

Dubai’s newest fi rm, Mishascape, created the Dubai Quill for a com-petition that called for a ‘Tall Em-blem Structure’ in Dubai’s Za’abeel Park. The project’s design aims to be an emblematic symbol that rep-resents the aspirations of the city of Dubai, its leaders and its inhabit-ants. Designed by Misha Stefan-Stavrides, founder of Mishascape, Dubai Quill off ers a recreational, scientifi c and cultural space.

134.5METRES

PEAK OF THE VERTICAL

POINT

The ‘Habitat’ project is a theoretical attempt at addressing the challenge of high-density development within the contemporary urban condi-tion. Located somewhere in the Middle East, this model for urban living is predicated on a variety of uses massed as interlocking and interconnected elements that allow for accidental relationships and celebrate shared landscaped public realm spaces.

THE HABITAT

Architect:Norr GroupLocation:N/A

A joint venture between British consultancies Barton Willmore and Buro Happold recently completed the design for the KAIG – a giant botanical garden commissioned by the City of Riyadh. Taking a subtle new approach to the creation of a botanical garden in an arid climate, KAIG aims to ‘explore, demonstrate and portray the great paleobotani-cal ages that have swept across this land’.

KINGABDULLAHINTERNATIONAL GARDENS

Arhitect:BartonWillmore and Buro HappoldLocation: Riyadh

Attend the FM Expo Conference and be there for the exclusive launch of the Middle East Facilities Management Association (MEFMA) – the only dedicated

association for facility managers, by facility managers.

Take this first opportunity to hear how the organisation will be spearheading the growth of the industry and network with its top management team.

18 - 19 May 2010Dubai World Trade Centre

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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For full conference details and delegate prices, visit: www.fm-expo.comFor delegate enquiries, please contact Carol D’Souza: +971 (0)4 438 0355

Attend the FM Expo conference and YOU will be able to:

· Assess the local and regional market growth

· Discover a new view of FM in the property development cycle

· Understand the opportunities in a stalled marketplace

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· Develop a strategy to achieve LEED accredited status of your existing buildings

Visit www.fm-expo.com now for full programme and pricing

Attend one of the two masterclasses and YOU will walk away with:

· A thorough understanding of sustainability in your developments in terms of financially stability, environmental accreditation social cohesiveness

· A renewed set of tools to develop transparent cost models and flexible contacts which will guide you to develop stronger relationships with all stakeholders

Official launch of the Middle East Facilities Management Association

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FM Conference FMME.indd 1 4/25/10 5:07:16 PM


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BATHROOMMONOLITH TOILETGeberit

It is not often that you hear the words ‘elegant’ or ‘innovative’ applied to a toilet, but the Geberit Monolith is no ordinary commode. The company say that their cistern-free design, finished in brushed aluminium and glass, makes the

LIKEWANTNEEDCULTURE

toilet “a focal point in its own right” – so if you find your guests gather-ing around the bathroom door whispering to each other there is no longer cause to panic. The Mono-lith is also economical, offering a 3 and 4.5 liter dual f lush option.


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APPGOBIM Buro Happold

The iPad may be getting a rough ride in the media of late, but the boffi ns at engineering consultancy Buro Happold are convinced that its big screen and portability will even-tually make it an important asset to architects and engineers on the move. The company have jumped aboard the Apple application bandwagon with an app that enables Building Information Modeling (BIM) – three dimensional, real

time, dynamic building modeling software – to be viewed on the iPad, and therefore accessed in remote locations including on site. “The majority of building designers still use two dimensional drawings to communicate design ideas and this can result in confusion and the waste of manpower and materials,” designer Ian Keough explained.

GADGETS CAR CAMERA CAMCORDERGadget Brando

Ever pitched an idea with such oratory skill that you wish you could relive it again and again? Well if so, Gadget Bravo has the solution. For a mere US$60 you can have your very own racing-car camcorder, allowing you to record sound, video, and pictures through the car’s tiny pinhole lens. The gadget also has practi-cal use in that it is pocket-sized, so useful for taking photos or video when out and about.

1280X960PXCAMCORDER

COLOUR VIDEORESOLUTION

It’s the topic that everyone is talking about, not least in the Middle East, where architects are lining up to promote their green credentials. Eco Structures, pub-lished this month, is a portfolio of green architecture so far, showcas-

ing a range of projects designed by architects from across the world. The book is focused on showing how advanced technology, local materials and the modernization of existing structures can push the envelope of green design in 2010.

BOOKECO STRUCTURES: FORMS OF SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTUREWhite Star Publishing

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SOFABOCONCEPT DUBAIMilos

In the tradition of the chester-fi eld, BoConcept has introduced a modern, casual looking sofa, Milos, which plays with the eff ect of check patterns and stitches. The Milos sofa is both soft and sleek-looking, but the coolest

thing about it is that it is made up of 13 diff erent modules, meaning you can take it apart and create other sofas and chairs in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The Milo sofa is available in a variety of leathers and fabrics.

BOOKENGINEERS: A HISTORY OF ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DESIGNBy Matthew WellsRoutledge, ISBN: 978-0-415-32526-4

This new book, published in March, presents the vast historical sweep of engineering innovation to describe and illustrate design and what has brought it to its present state. Authored by architect and engineer Matthew Wells, the book is an excellent guide to design for students and practi-tioners alike.

PODCASTARCHITECTURE KNOWLEDGE REVIEWAmerican Institute of Architects

Architecture Knowledge Review is a weekly podcast series for design professionals from the American Institute of Architects. The 15-minute podcasts feature interviews, discussions, and reviews of best practice by architects and other design professionals.

SOFABOCONCEPT DUBAIMilos

Milan’s 2010 furniture fair showcased all kinds of weird and wonderful chairs, tables and oth-er assorted furniture this month, among them the Tonic collection from northern-Italian design-ers Rossin. The chairs, designed

by Catharina Lorenz and Steff en

Kaz, boast subtle pastel colors, and horizontal inclines formed from either wood or metal. Ros-sin’s new collection, which come in a variety of diff erent colors, shapes and sizes, are a trendy and colorful way of brightening up an otherwise dull and plain interior.

10WELLS HAS BEEN

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Documents

Middle East Architect - May 2010