transformation by design Pace is a leading multidisciplinary consultancy firm based in the Middle East, providing architecture, engineering and planning services to a wide range of public and private sector clients. Whether it’s the concept for a new city, the detailed design of a rail network, a skyscraper, the design of a rail network, the modelling of a flood defence system or the improvement of a management process, we plan, design, manage and construct solutions.
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Design Focus LACASA iD is committed to delivering well considered designs to clients ON TOPIC
Master planning is key to future proofing asset ROI
IN PRACTICE
Siddharth Mathur on lighting design and growth
ON SITE
Women in construction profile: Gabriela Soto
ISSUE 050
July-August 2018 Publication licensed by Dubai Production City A product of Big Project Middle East
CONTENTS
On topic Industry VIEWs frOm acrOss thE mIddlE East
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07
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12
16
18
24
28
34
36
07 analysIs
Cavendish Maxwell’s Manika Dhama shares insights into how Dubai’s residential market fared last quarter 10 analysIs
JLL discusses how Jeddah’s residential and office markets performed in Q2 of this year 12 nEWs
Perkins+Will hires new operations director in Dubai; Enviromena works on over 500MW of projects in MENA
In practice analysIs, InsIghts and IntErVIEWs
18 IntErVIEW
LACASA iD’s Patrick Bean and Toufic Alayyash discuss delivering quality designs that are achievable, and dealing with challenges in the age of information 24 IntErVIEW
Jason Saundalkar talks to Parsons’ Ken Murray about the business landscape in Saudi Arabia and his firm’s work on its mega projects 28 IntErVIEW
Studio Lumen’s Siddharth Mathur shares insights into his firm’s business in the Middle East and his aspirations for expansion into Asia, Africa and Europe
On site casE studIEs, OpInIOns and snapshOts
36 prOfIlE
Middle East Consultant talks to TJEG’s Gabriela Soto about her influences, career and gender diversity in the construction industry 40 thE back pagE
‘Usability’ is a construction tool to attract global talent, says D&S’ Stephan Degenhart 2 july-august 2018
The name defines us! 35 Years of engineering excellence Mechanical, Electrical, IT, Electronics & Wet Services Consulting Dubai - Johannesburg - Cape Town - bengaluru Tel +971 4 338 4277
WELCOME
Group EDItOR’s NOtE
When Knowledge Isn’t Power... The internet is the world’s greatest resource for information on virtually any subject, and one that’s increasingly accessible to people around the globe. In fact, stats from the 2018 Global Digital suite of reports reveal that more than four billion people now use the internet. That’s more than 50% of the world’s total population! It’s safe to say then that a lot of people now have access to loads of information and powerful resources, and while that’s a good thing on the whole, it can also cause a few problems, particularly when it comes to the way people think. It’s very easy to get into the mindset that you can research and become an expert on everything just by reading article after article or looking at pictures and videos. On a personal level, I know that I try and self-diagnose the occasional aches and pains, rather than go straight to a trained professional. While that in itself can have serious repercussions, the mindset that it reinforces is much worse. In the construction sector, access to text and other rich content has created significant challenges for those on the creative side of the industry. Speaking to designers and even architects, I hear that some meetings with potential or signed clients are a case of sitting through an endless stream of pictures and videos, which are apparently supposed to convey the sort of design that the client is after. The problem is that in a lot of these cases, the clients have put no real thought into the actual vision – they believe that it’s possible to combine the bits and pieces of what they’ve found online into a cohesive element that looks good and performs well. The reality is that approach just doesn’t work, and while I know that professionals advise their clients accordingly, it just adds tedium and can create unpleasant confrontations right at the start of the process. Architects and designers look to tell stories with what they create, but their stories have to be driven by a solid vision, and I can pretty much guarantee that an original vision can’t be found on the internet.
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OPEN A WINDOW ... BUT KEEP THE NOISE OUT? YES, IT IS NOW POSSIBLE!
IMAGINE WHAT’S NEXT
Give flight to your imagination! This is what drives Technal to advance through inspiration and innovation. That’s why where others see just a window, we see scope to introduce cutting-edge technology, catering to people’s desires and addressing sustainability. We see the future. Imagination brought us here – and it will take us where we want to go...
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$1bN WARNER bROS. WORLd AbU dHAbI INdOOR THEME PARk INAUgURATEd
Emaar to sell hotels, clinics and schools as it looks to raise $1.4bn in funds
While the rest of the world sees Dubai as the main tourist destination in the UAE, I am always stressing to my friends that live outside the country that there is so much to do if you are willing to go further
CONSTRUCTION
than that city’s beaches
ANCG $204m contract wins include ‘leading’ airline HQ
and malls. It amazes me that some residents have rarely ventured out into the desert or mountains. I
Video: Shaping the Future of Construction by World Economic Forum
would also argue that Abu Dhabi has its own charms and over the past few years it has opened theme
CONSTRUCTION
parks and museums that
Emaar to develop Middle East’s largest Chinatown
match anything that Dubai offers. More of this please! Proud AD resident WHY RESIdENCY LAW CHANgES ARE A POSITIVE FOR dEVELOPERS
Absolutely agree with everything being said here! CONSTRUCTION
We got onto the property
DEWA starts testing new turbines at M-Station expansion project
ladder several years ago and although we had to jump through some hoops at the time, it has been worth every dirham! I also run an international company based in JAFZA and this will make it easier to attract new talent and importantly we’ll have less turnover
PROPERTY
BinGhatti says UAE-China talks will boost FDI in UAE
6 JULY-AUGUST 2018
Feature: Ready for new challenges – Hamish Tyrwhitt interview
and hold onto our talent. Name withheld by request
ON TOPIC
ANALYSIS
Q2 Dubai Market Report Cavendish Maxwell’s Manika Dhama shares insights into how Dubai’s residential market fared last quarter
P
rice and rent declines continued in the Dubai residential market during the second quarter of 2018. The latest data from the Property Monitor Index indicates that apartment and villa/townhouse prices registered 12-month declines of 2.9% and quarterly declines of 1.1%. Buyers continue to be in the driving seat in the off-plan market. Developers are offering special incentives such as aggressive payment plans (some of them post-handover), registration fee waivers and in some instances even service charge waivers during the initial years. Project differentiation in this market is key, and there is increased attention on targeting certain nationalities through special events, roadshows etc in their home country, while also ramping up channel marketing, whether offline or online.
Secondary market activity remains concentrated in buildings and communities where investors expect relatively stable yields. Some erstwhile renters are also becoming buyers, choosing to replace rental outflows with mortgage payments. Over the last 12 months, rent declines for residential properties in Dubai averaged 5%. Quarter-on-quarter change was 2.5% on average. Locations such as International City (Clusters), Al Furjan, The Greens community in Emirates Living and Discovery Gardens had the most pronounced 12-month declines at more than 6%. Landlords, on the other hand, are offering incentives such as flexible payment terms and a rent-free period. In certain cases, they are even reducing lease rates for existing tenants in order to keep the units occupied in a lowdemand climate. JULY-AUGUST 2018 7
ON TOPIC
“New supply being added each month will continue to have an impact on rents across Dubai, as tenants have more choice� For those managing property portfolios in the emirate, operating expenses have continued to rise and net realised yields have compressed in the majority of the locations across Dubai during the last 12 months. Thus, investors need to factor in the building quality, occupancy levels and the expected supply within the community to ensure a relatively stable rental income. New supply being added each month will continue to have an impact on rents across Dubai, as tenants have more choice. This will also affect occupancies in existing stock and should be factored into net yield estimations for the forthcoming period. Approximately 3,700 residential units were handed over across Dubai in Q2 2018. The majority of handovers were in Jumeirah Village Circle, Damac Hills, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Al Nahda, with more than 300 units handed over in each location, and more than 88% were apartments. During the second half of 2018, the majority of scheduled delivery of residential units are in Business Bay, Jumeirah Village Circle and Downtown Burj Khalifa. Approximately 52% of upcoming supply is expected to be handed over during Q3.
Tracking transacted prices for residential properties in Dubai since 2008, the House Price Timeline published by Property Monitor shows that prices for villas and townhouses settled above the 2017 average during Q2 2018, mainly due to the limited lower-price inventory entering the market this year compared to the launches in the first half of 2017. Meanwhile, trading prices for apartments continue to shift towards the lower end of the price band, averaging $354,000 in Q2 2018. In terms of transaction volume, off-plan sales accounted for 58% of total sales in Q2 2018, dominated by Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Business Bay and Jumeirah Village Circle. As in Q1, Dubai Marina and International City led secondary market apartment sales, along with Dubai Sports City, which accounted for 33% of total apartment secondary sales. Secondary market transfers for villas and townhouses were higher than off-plan sales in Q2 2018, led by Emirates Living and International City, which together accounted for 23% of total secondary market sales. The Cavendish Maxwell Q2 2018 Dubai report also includes the Property Monitor Residential Survey, which is conducted every
Dubai apartment change in price (Q2 2017 - Q2 2018) Q to Q % change Q1 2018 - Q2 2018 12-month % change Q2 2017 - Q2 2018 International City Discovery Gardens JVC IMPZ Uptown Motor City Dubai Silicon Oasis Al Furjan Dubai Sports City JVT JLT The Greens Business Bay Dubai Marina The Views JBR DIFC Palm Jumeirah Downtown Dubai
-0.5%
8 JULY-AUGUST 2018
-1.0%
-1.5%
-2.0%
-2.5%
-3.0%
-3.5%
-4.0%
-4.5%
ON TOPIC
Dubai villa/townhouse change in price (Q2 2017 - Q2 2018) Q to Q % change Q1 2018 - Q2 2018 12-month % change Q2 2017 - Q2 2018 Al Furjan Villas Silicon Oasis JVT Motor City The Springs Jumeirah Park Arabian Ranches Victory Heights The Meadows The Lakes Jumeirah Golf Estates Jumeirah Islands Palm Jumeirah
-1.0%
-1.5%
-2.0%
-2.5%
-3.0%
-3.5%
-4.0%
-4.5%
quarter among partner agents operating within Dubai. The survey shows that the majority of agents expect prices and rents to decrease by up to 5% in Q3. However, the majority believe that transaction activity will improve over the next quarter and that buyer enquiries, seller instructions and agreed sales will be higher than in Q2. The announcement by the UAE government on new 10-year visa regulations for certain categories of residents, as well as 100% foreign ownership in companies, could have a positive impact on
housing demand from expatriates, which is closely linked to economic performance, business sentiment and the related impact on jobs. However, the details of the new visa options are expected in the last quarter of this year and the direct impact on real estate will only become clear at that time. For now, buyers will continue to wait on the sidelines as further price declines are expected in the majority of communities during the second half of 2018.
Top five locations for apartment sales in Q2 2018 Off-plan sales Secondary market sales
Top five locations for villa/townhouse sales in Q2 2018 Off-plan sales Secondary market sales
700
700
600
600
500
500
400
400
300
300
200
200
200
200
150
150
100
100
50
50
Arabian Ranches
MBR City
Akoya Oxygen
International City
Emirates Living
Serena
Dubai South
Al Quoz
MBR City
Town Square
Palm Jumirah
Downtown Dubai
Sports City
International City
Dubai Marina
The Lagoons
Downtown Dubai
JVC
100
Business Bay
100
MBR City
Source: Property Monitor
-0.5%
JULY-AUGUST 2018 9
ON tOPIC
aNaLYsIs
Jeddah Q2 Residential and Office Report JLL discusses how Jeddah’s residential and office market performed in Q2 2018
F
uture communities north of Obhur Creek will benefit from the planned Obhur Bridge by Jeddah Metro. The proposed 2km bridge will reduce travel distance between the two sides of the creek by 15km. This will significantly reduce travel time to major hubs and business centres, which will make the northern suburbs a more desirable living destination. The Ministry of Transportation invited tenders from the private sector in April of this year, though no specific completion date for the development has yet been announced. After a quiet Q1, there were a number of notable completions in Jeddah during Q2 2018, including two community-style properties: Diyar AI Salam Residences by Lifestyle Developers and J One apartments by Abdul Latif Jameel Land (ALJL’s first residential development). Abraj AI HilaI 2, the second residential project within Jeddah Gate, also began handover in Q2 2018. 10 JULY-aUgUst 2018
The completion of other small stand-alone villas and apartment buildings brings the total supply of residential units in Q2 to 817,000, with a further 4,000 units expected over the second half of the year. Other expected completions this year include Emaar Residences and two further additions to Jeddah’s skyline: Bayat Plaza Towers and Golden Tower, which are likely to hand over in Q3 2018. A further residential development nearing completion along the Corniche is the mid-rise AI Tawheed Tower. Also notable down the supply pipeline are Manazel AI Safa apartments and AI Makarona Community, which are expected to complete in 2019. Farsi Eight Towers is one of the latest high-rise projects to commence construction this quarter. The Ministry of Housing announced that reservations for the first phase of the Prince Fawaz Development in Jeddah, Tilal AI Ghorroub, are now open to eligible applicants. A thousand apartments are expected to be delivered within three years, as part of the first phase.
ON TOPIC
“after a slight rebound last quarter, market-wide office vacancies increased in Jeddah by 3% in Q2 2018 to reach 21%. this represents a 5% increase over the past year, from 16% in Q2 2017” The remaining phases, which should deliver 5,900 apartments, will be released once the first phase is fully reserved. Average rents continued to decline but at a slow rate in Q2 2018. Apartment rents declined by 2.5%, while villa rents declined by 3.2% q-o-q. Rents have now declined by 8.3% and 5.6% for apartments and villas respectively over the past year. Sale prices performed in a similar pattern to rents, with apartment and villa prices decreasing by 4.3% and 2.9% respectively over the past quarter. This resulted in sale prices decreasing by 8.5% and 5.6% for apartments and villas respectively over the past year. While the assistance provided by the Ministry of Housing in partnership with the Real Estate Development Fund has had a positive effect on access to home financing, some households are opting to hold back or pull out of buying a home, as they optimistically await a further drop in residential prices. As a result, the average time to sell units has notably increased, causing some developers to delay or downscale projects and others to proceed with caution.
Several relatively small office buildings completed over Q2 2018, including GS Office Building on Prince Saud Al Faisal and Al Noor Commercial Centre on Madinah Road. These minor completions left the total quality office GLA in Jeddah largely unchanged at around one million sqm.
Around 82,000sqm of GLA is expected to enter the market over the second half of the year, and a future 84,000sqm is currently under construction and due to be delivered between 2019 and 2020, assuming there are no further delays. Notable developments currently under construction include the first phase of Lilian Towers, AMLAK Building off Tahliya Road, Vision Tower on Prince Sultan Street, Randa Tower and Al Yasmin Tower on King Abdulaziz Road, and Rovan Tower and Methak Office Building on Prince Saud Al Faisal Road. Should these developments hand over on schedule, the total quality office GLA could reach 1.1m sqm by the end of the year. After a slight rebound last quarter, market-wide office vacancies increased in Jeddah by 3% in Q2 2018 to reach 21%. This represents a 5% increase over the past year, from 16% in Q2 2017. Office rents showed a similar pattern to last quarter and decreased by 12.2% y-o-y, falling a further 3.6% over the past quarter. As the development of King Abdulaziz International Airport, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Jeddah, comes to an end, demand for temporary office space by contractors may decrease in the short term. The new airport, which will begin trials this year and officially open in 2019, may result in increased long-term demand for offices due to Jeddah’s improved connectivity and the subsequent attraction of new industries and investments to the market.
Jeddah Office supply, Million sQM of gLa (2015-2020)
Jeddah Residential supply, thousand Units (2015-2020)
Office supply
1.20
840
1.15
820
1.10 800 1.05 780
1.00 0.95
760
0.90 740
Source: JLL
0.85 720
0.80
2015
2016
2017
Q2 2018
2018
2019
2020
2015
2016
2017
Q2 2018
2018
2019
2020
JULY-aUgUst 2018 11
ON TOPIC
Enviromena works on over 500MW of projects
Perkins+Will hires new operations director in Dubai Perkins+Will (P+W) has appointed a new operations director. Andrew Mowat will be based in the firm’s Dubai office, where he will be responsible for resourcing, finance, revenue and operations. He will report directly to managing director Roger Wilson. Mowat boasts over 20 years of experience, including nine years of regional experience spread across commercial, hospitality, medical, leisure and multi-use developments. His portfolio of projects is said to include the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition and Conference Centre, Capital Gate, Manarat Al Saadiyat Museum, the Heart of Doha, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, W-Hotel Palm Jumeirah and Al Madina A’Zarqa, formerly known as Blue City. Commenting on his appointment to the role, Mowat said, “I am excited to take on a new challenge at Perkins+Will, an industry leader in providing world-class design services across a multitude of end markets and projects. I am looking forward to working with a forwardthinking and innovative team, and I am very much aligned with Perkins+Will’s vision and goals for the future.” Mowat is a qualified architect and has experience in people and business management. He previously held roles at Aedas and RMJM. 12 JULY-aUgUst 2018
Enviromena Power Systems announced that it has begun construction of 509MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the Middle East and North Africa region this year. In Egypt, the UAE firm is constructing 256MW of solar PV projects, which will help provide power to nearly 370,000 homes, while reducing 454,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The Benban area will host a solar complex totalling 32 power plants generating a combined 1,650MW of electricity, according to a statement from Environmena. Both projects are expected to come online in 2019, which is expected to help Egypt achieve its target of 20% renewable energy by 2020. “The region has seen tremendous growth in the solar industry as a predictable option against volatile commodity prices. And as costs continue to decline, coupled with advancements in technology, we expect an upcoming project pipeline of 900MW for Enviromena in the region,” said Enviromena CEO Sami Khoreibi. Enviromena noted that it has also broken ground on a 247MW project in Al Muwaqqar, Jordan. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2020 and is expected to supply power to 320,000 homes while reducing 408,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
ON TOPIC
aurecon appoints two veterans to regional team
green technologies FZCO merges with tJEg Ted Jacob Engineering Group (TJEG) and Green Technologies have announced the merger of the two companies, effective from June 18, with Green Technologies becoming part of TJEG. Established in Canada in 1997 as Green Technologies Inc, the company was subsequently established in Dubai in 2004 as Green Technologies FZCO. Since then it has led the implementation of sustainability and LEED in the Middle East region, delivering 665 LEEDcertified buildings to date, a statement from TJEG said. According to a statement from Ted Jacob Engineering Group, Green Technologies has been a specialist engineering consultancy firm providing engineering services that range from retrofitting existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and operating performance, to designing and retrofitting district cooling plants and developing low energy to zero energy buildings. “The ethos of both companies, based on professionalism, innovation and commitment to engineering excellence, is a winning combination to deliver greater projects to its current and future clients,” said Mario Seneviratne, director at Green Technologies. “The merger of Green Technologies into Ted Jacob Engineering Group will greatly expand and augment our team’s ability to not only continue to provide excellent service to our customers but to incorporate expertise and specialisation in sustainability and implementation of LEED and net zero energy design,” TJEG added in its statement.
Aurecon’s Ermis Marques said the appointment of Robert Latham as built environment leader and Mina Al-Jubori as client director for infrastructure will help its clients unlock business opportunities in property, infrastructure and transport. Highlighting initiatives such as Dubai Expo 2020 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, Marques believes the veterans will place Aurecon at the centre of the construction sector. “The construction sector here continues to lead the world in terms of ambition, scale and pace of development. We are privileged to be trusted by clients for some of this region’s most important projects,” said Marques. “By increasing our bench strength with these appointments, Aurecon is in a better position to help our clients develop smart and innovative solutions for their unique challenges.” In her role as client director of infrastructure, Mina Al-Jubori will spearhead “the growth of Aurecon’s infrastructure business and drive the region’s client activities. As built environment leader, Latham will be responsible for leading all services delivered to clients and projects, driving financial and operational performance, and developing team competency.”
JULY-aUgUst 2018 13
ON TOPIC
arcadis helps students design their own ecoclassroom Arcadis successfully hosted a four-week work experience programme which culminated with students from Dubai’s Swiss International Scientific School designing their own ecoclassroom. The programme follows Arcadis’ Design Engineer Construct (DEC) learning programme, which was developed by Class of Your Own, a social business that aims to inspire high school students to pursue a career in the digital built environment. The DEC programme was accredited in 2012 in response to a growing challenge facing the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) fields. Arcadis explained that in many parts of the world, “There’s a looming talent shortage or a pressing need to develop new skills as the way in which projects are designed and delivered begins to change due to digital disruption. This is the first time the DEC programme has ever been completed outside of the UK, in a fast-track manner, and offers a template for further adoption across the UAE.” Throughout the four weeks, the students completed a series of modules spanning the full lifecycle of a construction project, from design through to build and operations.
14 JULY-aUgUst 2018
New Jahra Medical City opens doors in Kuwait HH the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, opened the New Jahra Medical City project in Al Jahra Governorate in Al Qasr Region. The $1.18bn project is part of Kuwait’s plans to improve national healthcare and raise the capacity of hospitals by 60%. “In 2013, following the supreme desire of HH the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, to meet the increased patient demands in the state, Jahra Medical City project was initiated. The project was developed by Amiri Diwan, in collaboration with Pace, commencing construction in March 2015 and fast-tracked to completion in three years,” explained His Excellency the President of Financial and Administrative affairs in the Amiri Diwan, Abdul Aziz Saud Ishaq. The hospital offers all secondary care clinical specialties in addition to tertiary care clinical services, complemented by clinical and nonclinical support. “The layout of the new internationally standardised medical complex comprises eight buildings; most prominent is the main hospital building, which has a total built-up area of 440,000sqm and rises to 15 storeys. The architectural design process started with a concept based on the introduction of nature to the internal environment. The purpose of this is to create harmony within the facilities, as a means of contributing to the treatment and healing of patients. Green areas and interior spaces play an active part in strengthening this direction of design, creating an atmosphere full of life,” added Pace CEO Tarek Hamed Shuaib.
ON TOPIC
OPINION
01 Roger Wilson is managing director of Perkins+Will’s Dubai.
Master Planning: The Technology Behind Future Proofing Roger Wilson explains how master planning is a key component to future proofing return on investment for developers
01
M
aster planning is more than the creation of traditional, static documents. Master plans serve as an operational platform to drive future development and respond to changes over time. At the same time, a master plan should capture the uniqueness of place and project a strong voice and vision for the future, so that it becomes a tool for creating identity and authenticity. 16 JULY-aUgUst 2018
The result is a living plan that generates momentum towards implementation, and ultimately a built project with lasting presence. Delivered well, a master plan can transform a site, release capital, provide for the future and utilise buildings and external space more effectively. Historic cities such as Paris and New Delhi are often cited as prime examples of master planning. However, current master planning practice is far more reliant upon technology, and a relatively recent development. Cities are changing at a faster rate than ever before, with the make-up and requirements of society evolving at a phenomenal rate, and with this comes an ongoing shift in the cultural and generational expectations of the urban realm. We have moved away from a stabilised vernacular culture in terms of technology, ethnicity, aspiration, economy and density. We are in a period of constant change, and need to meet demands at the rate they are set by the end user. The advancement of technology means the way space is used is undergoing significant change, and populations in many cities are increasing rapidly – Dubai has grown 46% in 10 years. Master planning is increasingly requested in client proposal requests. For
us, it is an integration of master planning and architecture, bringing in teams to plan projects holistically. This integration covers elements from technical planning to special characteristics and use. We are using a much deeper computational platform to realise master planning projects, and we now take into consideration the size and distribution of a building in a master plan, the economic issues and infrastructure and utility functions. Holistic planning has become more embedded in architecture, with a higher integration of different disciplines. Planning efforts are now coming from architecture companies rather than more traditionally from engineering. We are creating places and spaces that are more contextual, where we take global experience and refine it to meet the demands of Middle Eastern life. All this has happened and been enabled in parallel with the introduction of technology and the science of master planning, to test designs. Developers are looking for a streamlined and cost-effective approach to projects. Through analysis of a number of different elements of the planning process, we can get quick responses to market and budget changes and demands. This significantly derisks the projects, allowing us to create plans
ON TOPIC
for adaptability to environmental, economic and political changes. An example would be market changes like an increase or decrease in the demand for an operationally-specific space, such as the residential component as part of a mixed-use scheme. In this case, we can adapt the space to match new needs, without compromising the basic features of the master plan. The implementation of technology in this process allows more cost-efficient changes to be made in the future. There are always location-based factors which need to be considered to ensure successful master planning in any region. Designing for the Middle East in particular must, first and foremost, consider the environment. It’s important to look at
factors such as building orientation, wind and sun impact, and it’s then critical to plan open spaces that are usable in terms of size, temperature and cultural implications. The Western concept of neighbourhoods and districts doesn’t always work in local communities here. Elements like shading and irrigation opportunities make for more comfortable places to live and work, and at P+W, our modelling techniques allow us to do this in a more analytical way than through just guess-work. Modelling structures built in-house can analyse multiple things simultaneously, such as percentage of shade, distances between villas and public parks, retail centre access to provide orientation and shade, and access to desirable winds rather than detrimental
winds. We can also monitor areas which would get too hot and program those areas to not depend on outdoor activities. We can now put in place technologies to track projections of utility usage once built, which enables us to make modifications to the building systems to optimise use, maintenance and function. Technology measures peak energy use demand, which in turn helps manage energy costs and the environment. This information can be used to refine the next projection model. In fact, at Perkins+Will, we take analytics from everywhere in the world and apply it to each new project, being anything from four-hectare sites to entire countries, like Kuwait. It is a continuous evolution, but a necessary one.
“Delivered well, a master plan can transform a site, release capital, provide for the future and utilise buildings and external space more effectively”
JULY-aUgUst 2018 17
IN PRACTICE
“Our ethos is simple, it’s to give damn good design, something that somebody has thought about and considered materials, finishes, the approach, the way a person uses the space and the way the client wants it to look” 18 JULY-AUGUST 2018
IN PRACTICE
INTERVIEW
Leading by Design Jason Saundalkar talks to the LACASA iD team about delivering quality designs and dealing with challenges in the age of information nterior design (ID) services have long been a part of LACASA’s gamut of services, along with architecture, infrastructure, MEP, structural and construction supervision. Recently, the consultancy’s ID services have been rolled into a new entity called LACASA iD, which operates with autonomy but can also work with its parent on projects when its services are required. As part of this move, the new company now has its own dedicated workspace, which is designed to be a creative environment for employees, and a welcoming space for clients that demonstrates the team’s breadth of capabilities. The new office was designed by the ID team, several of whom have worked for LACASA for many years. Speaking about how the new entity came into being, Patrick Bean, design director at LACASA iD, explains, “The idea was that it would sit comfortably within the scope of LACASA and we would then see this more developed approach to projects. Previously, we dealt with projects in more of a sisterly way, where LACASA dealt with architecture and engineering and we, as an add-on, would do the interior design. Now, what we’re doing is pushing LACASA iD as an autonomous design company, which means we can go out there and bring projects in ourselves. This means we can stand on our own feet, but we also have the support, history and experience of our parent company propping us up a bit. It also means we carry that name forward, which is great.” The catalyst for the creation of the interior design firm was a healthy order book for ID services, and one of the firm’s largest projects at present is the Mall of Palestine, a 60,000sqm project owned and being developed by LACASA Holdings. JULY-AUGUST 2018 19
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IN PRACTICE
The Mall of Palestine is a $40m project being developed in Ramallah, Palestine. 02 LACASA iD is working on every aspect of the interior at the Mall of Palestine. 03 The ID firm designed its new office to foster creativity and act as a showcase for clients.
“The Mall is great for us in that it’s a project we’re developing and designing in its entirety. It’s rare that you’re able to design everything, from the public spaces through to the shops, restaurants, etc. As the design team, we’re all involved in it and we’re able to guide the architecture to some degree since we were involved at an early stage,” Bean comments. Toufic Alayyash, senior interior design at LACASA iD, elaborates, “With the Mall of Palestine, we’re demonstrating our skills and expertise. With this project, we’re not just dealing with architectural consultancy, we’re involved with tenants and their shops, all of the F&B outlets and even the public spaces are being designed by LACASA iD. Its been a great opportunity to expose ourselves to the market. Since we’re starting with such a massive project, we expect the future is going to present even bigger opportunities.” Bean believes that the Mall of Palestine has allowed the firm to market itself to clients it has dealt with for architectural projects but that had no awareness about its interior design capabilities. “They knew that there was this 02 ID side, but they would have never seen us as a full-scope ID house. They wouldn’t understand that we have in-house CAD, design and 3D teams, so we can develop everything and even do our own FF&E. All this is now within our scope and we’re pitching for those projects, we’re looking at much more hospitality and F&B. And if you look at our team, everyone has experience in those segments.” As far as growing LACASA iD as a selfsufficient business, Bean is confident that hospitality projects will contribute the most to its bottom line. “Hospitality projects will be what we push for, but we’re happy to take the stepping stones, meaning we’ll work on 20 JULY-AUGUST 2018
F&Bs and small retail projects. But ultimately, we’re targeting hotels. Right now we have one client that we can’t talk about that’s working on a beautiful 01 project, and it will be a superb showcase. It will have a stunning finish and will really show what we’re capable of.” Design Language
Thanks to the working relationship that several LACASA iD team members developed as a result of delivering ID services through LACASA, the new company is already firing on all cylinders. Bean states, “We sit together in the office and work together when there’s a new concept that has to be developed. No one does things individually. Perhaps before we didn’t have a lot of choice because the old space was restrictive, but now, as a proper design studio, we have the opportunity to jointly develop projects and concepts and you can see the personalities of the different people in the department coming through.” He continues, “As a result, I don’t think you could dictate that LACASA iD is going to end up having a signature style. At the same time, we tend to be very good at listening to clients. I think we’ve learned
IN PRACTICE
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“With execution, it’s critical to understand what happens on-site and how site crews and engineers function, because they’re the ones that actually build the final space that you presented as a concept” over the years that you can’t steer a client towards something, if that’s not what they want. We tend to focus on the way we deal with clients. If there’s a certain client that gels better with Toufic (for example), then we’ll make him the point man with that client. It’s great we’ve got this team and we all have a lot of faith in each other. Most importantly, we don’t have any egos and that’s very important for a design studio.” In place of a signature style, Bean is keen for LACASA iD’s calling card to be quality design and finishes. He asserts, “Our ethos is simple, it’s to give damn good design, something that somebody has thought about and considered materials, finishes, the approach, the way a person uses the space and the way the client wants it to look.” Toufic elaborates, “We listen carefully and try to deliver something that exceeds their expectations. At the same time, what we do is think about what can be executed before we present a design. Generally, when designers create a concept, they’ll create this beautiful design, have the best text, images and drawings, but when it comes down to the execution, you’ll find that the space is not delivered as it was presented at the concept stage. “With execution, it’s critical to understand what happens on-site and how site crews and engineers function, because they’re the ones that actually build the final space that you presented as a concept. If you
don’t have much knowledge about who you’re dealing with, how things are done on-site and what the market can offer in terms of quality and construction, it’s hard to deliver a product that’s close to the concept. If you have this knowledge, however, you can present something that meets the client’s requirements and is achievable from the market you’re building in.” Dealing with Challenges
One of the biggest challenges LACASA iD contends with is constrained budgets and a ‘cost is everything’ mentality. Toufic notes, “We try to educate clients and tell them that it’s an investment and it makes a difference to the overall look and feel of the project, and that the product will last a lot longer.” Bean points out, “If you put two towers side by side, one which has used inexpensive materials and one that has used quality materials, you can identify immediately which tower has the better materials. It’s obvious, and that’s part of why we educate clients about using quality materials, so the finished project has a premium appearance to anyone that is using the space. What we see time and again also is that when you order a certain product, let’s say a tile that’s supposed to be a certain size, but when it arrives, it’s not the exact size or specifications because of issues with their JULY-AUGUST 2018 21
IN PRACTICE
manufacturing process. It’s a real issue onsite and we don’t want to be in that situation.” “It’s something we are trying hard to push out of the process through educating clients. So we do get involved quite a lot when it comes to price, and we insist on getting as near to an actual budget as we can at the start of a project, so we know what we’re targeting straight away. There are occasions where people will give us a figure, but when it actually comes down to it, it’s nothing like what we were told we’d get. So we have to be extremely careful.” 04 Toufic agrees, explaining, “Sometimes clients say we have expensive taste, but it’s not about that at all, it’s about the level of quality we want to deliver. We don’t want to go below our standards, which is why our research team and the FF&E department are adamant about getting the best quality with the most reasonable budget, knowing the market constraints when it comes to clients. It goes back to educating clients so they see the spend as an investment that guarantees they’ll get the right finish, and a project that will last. It won’t just be a showcase when the project is delivered and then, after three years, it’ll degrade significantly.” Another challenge designers deal with is an overabundance of information from clients. Thanks to social media and air travel, clients are exposed to new designs and ideas on a daily basis. This can dramatically impact what they think they want and expect from designers. “We have an over-educated market now, that’s a polite way of putting it. Whatever a client sees online or during their travels can shape their ideas, and while that’s great, it can complicate things. We once had a
client who gave us over 100 images, each with comments, about what he wanted. That was information overload, and what’s worse was that the images didn’t at all align with his budget. This obviously meant that we had to steer him back to something more reasonable and give him some of what he wanted. That’s really our job and what we are paid to do,” Bean explains. “What we want to do is design your space, so yes, we want to know what you like, but the caveat is that half the time clients don’t actually know what they want. And even though you’ve invested the time into steering them in the right direction, they may suddenly come back and ask for something else because someone showed them a picture off the internet or they saw something they liked on a trip.” Toufic concludes, “When an author writes a book, if they are simply referring everything from another book, you have to ask why they are writing the book in the first place. That’s the situation we’re in. We don’t want to copy what has been done, obviously, and we 05 have to balance all these other elements and challenges and tell the client’s story through the use of architectural volumes, in lights, finishing and minute details. As interior designers, we’re dedicated to getting clients to commit to dreams – but ones that are actually deliverable.” 04 LACASA iD is currently working on hotel serviced apartments for a client in the UAE. 05 The client is targeting business travellers and
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IN PRACTICE
INTERVIEW
Kingdom Builder
Jason Saundalkar talks to Parsons’ Ken Murray about the changing business landscape in Saudi Arabia and his firm’s work on its mega projects hile 2017 was regarded as a challenging year for the construction industry in Saudi Arabia, some firms fared better than others. Parsons has been operating in the Kingdom for some 60 years and is involved in several developments and infrastructure projects, including the massive Riyadh Metro mega project. As a result, the firm is on solid ground and positive about the business environment in the country. “Business in Saudi over the last 12 months has been really strong, with the various Vision 2030 activities underway. We’re seeing a lot of opportunities and a lot of work going forward, so we’ve had a very good year. If I was going to characterise anything in the last 12 months, it’s going to be the change in terms of how business is approached. Looking at the entities that we work with, there’s been a shift to try and drive accountability and it’s been very good. I’d say it’s one of the strongest business environments I’ve seen in a long time,” says Ken Murray, GM, Saudi Arabian Parsons Limited. “One of the things that there’s a lot of focus on is the development of an improved lifestyle in Saudi – I’m sure you’ve seen the announcements about cinemas and such. Those are indications of what’s happening in Saudi, there’s a lot of focus on solutions that make the lifestyle better, whether it’s technology, control of cities, mass transit and the technology associated with that – the Riyadh Metro is a good example. It’s totally unmanned, it has 160km of track and it’s going to transform that city.” While Murray credits the Saudi Vision 2030 plan as the key driver behind new developments in the Kingdom, the mobilisation of project management offices (PMOs) has also had a positive impact on the construction industry. He explains, “It’s a move by the entities that have to execute work and deliver projects and deliver lifestyle that the citizens want. They’re figuring out how to do work more efficiently and cost efficiencies become an issue. It’s something that we’re focused on, and we have a lot of expertise.”
Parsons has been working on the Riyadh Metro project since August 2013 and Murray points out that the technological aspects of the project are now in focus. “The Riyadh Metro has been great for our business. We’ve had to bring in world-class expertise and we’re moving to the more technologically challenging part of that project now – most of the heavy civil engineering is done. The two focus areas for the client are the operation of the Metro and mobility of people.” He continues, “The project has turned Riyadh into a construction zone, so some of the innovative things that have had to happen just for traffic management and flow of people have been quite interesting because, in most metro projects around the world, you build one or two lines at a time. Here, they’re building the entire thing at once! So that’s a transformational project for the country, and when Riyadh sees that kind of mobility within its boundaries, it’s going to change the city forever and everybody understands that.” Qiddiya Entertainment City
Parsons is also involved in another of Saudi’s mega projects. Qiddiya Entertainment City, southwest of Riyadh, was announced in line with the Vision 2030 plan. This new city is said to be almost the size of Las Vegas and is expected to feature high-end theme parks, motorsport facilities, safari parks and more. “We were appointed as PMO in 2017, and that’s a very interesting piece of work because it’s greenfield and because it has a very well laid-out mandate – to provide entertainment for the citizenry of Riyadh and the country. But it’s a green build and there’s a lot of opportunity to come up with unique solutions. There’s a lot of possibilities to put some cool technology in there to handle things like control of the city. “Parsons’ product will be iNET, but there’s also a lot of opportunity to build in protection and security in an organic way, rather than trying to add it onto an existing city. We have a chance to build on things like critical infrastructure protection from the ground up, and build it into the design and have it constructed in an unobtrusive way, because the one thing that’s a big focus in Saudi – it’s not technology for technology’s sake. It’s technology to improve the lifestyle of the citizenry and that’s a big deal. That’s a part of Vision 2030.” JULY-AUGUST 2018 25
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01 The firm has worked on Yanbu Industrial City since 1975 and continues to support the project. 02 Parsons was appointed to work on the Riyadh Metro mega project in August 2013.
Reacting to Changes
Since Vision 2030 was unveiled, the country has gone through vast changes and Parsons was quick to react and reorganise itself to best address the market. 01 “We’ve done two things to adjust to what’s going on in Saudi, and when I say what’s going on, I mean the economy’s move away from oil. One of them is the client-facing nature of our business – it’s not an environment where you can wait for an RFP or you can wait for clients to come to you. Because the clients value your opinion as they’re developing their projects and ideas, we’ve shifted to a very client-centric model. We’re a client-centric company, we always have been, but we’re really focused on engaging with the clients early, helping them develop their packages, concepts and ideas, and the clients 02
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respond very well to that. They take on 80% of what we offer them as ideas and concepts of how they could do the work.” He concludes, “The second thing we’ve tried to drive their focus on is that everything is a new build. Not everything but most things in Saudi are a new build – Qiddiya, Neom, etc. So there’s an opportunity to build good solution-based technology with those projects, but we could also look at building it into infrastructure and all the things we’re developing, and that is very, very attractive. It’s a focus area for us.”
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INTERVIEW
Independent Illumination
Studio Lumen’s Siddharth Mathur shares insights into his firm’s business in the region and his aspirations for expansion in Asia, Africa and Europe 28 JULY-AUGUST 2018
ON SITE
tudio Lumen Lighting Design and Consultancy specialises in the delivery of lighting design services for residential and commercial projects. It first opened for business in Seattle and then expanded into Dubai in 2006, with a satellite office to service projects such as the One and Only Royal Mirage and Madinat Jumeirah. Thanks to a consistent stream of work in the region, despite the late 2000s global financial crisis that impacted the firm’s original base in the States, the Dubai office evolved into an independent entity and is now linked with CKR Consulting Engineers. “Following the global financial crisis, I think the founders were getting to the point where they wanted to wind down, while we were picking-up momentum. That’s where there was a difference in ideology, and that’s when we decided to break free and control our destiny, so to speak. Then in 2011, we had Anil, Mike and Stef from CKR come in as partners, and they helped chart the course of the business,” says Siddharth Mathur, partner at Studio Lumen Lighting Design and Consultancy. Studio Lumen now employs 12 people and has a portfolio of projects that spans several sectors and countries in the region. The consultancy shares certain clients with CKR but also has its own customer base. “We have common clients when there’s a requirement for both MEP and lighting design services from a single provider – in those scenarios we can very easily combine, because we are part of one group company. But when a client wants different entities to look at different aspects of design, we can do that easily as well,” comments Mathur. While working on projects with CKR has benefits, it has also created a perception in the market that Mathur is keen on addressing. “There’s a misconception that most of the work we do is domestic, which is with CKR, and that couldn’t be further from reality. At the moment, 98% of our work is actually independent, where CKR is not the MEP consultant and the client has hired Studio Lumen. I think people are under that impression since we worked so closely on certain projects and were working from the same offices for a time. Yes, we are part of a larger umbrella, but we are an independent presence. From 2011 onwards, when we parted ways with the US office, we’ve grown from strength to strength and done really well in the hospitality sector in particular.” Regional Business
While 2017 and H1 of 2018 have proved challenging for many in the construction industry, Studio Lumen has been able to keep busy and pick up new work, according to Mathur. “We’ve not really been affected in terms of our work, there have been a couple of projects which were put on hold or went back into feasibility, but that’s it. We haven’t suffered in terms of a loss of business, and I think that’s because in the last 12 or so years that we’ve been here, we’ve been able to create a certain reputation with the kind of work we do, which JULY-AUGUST 2018 29
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01 SL refurbished the interior lighting at Monte Casino. 02 Siddharth Mathur joined Studio Lumen in 2007. 03 SL worked on the Silverstar Casino in Johannesburg. 04 SL was responsible for the interior & exterior lighting of the Drift Beach Club, Dubai.
has helped us pick up repeat business. So we’ve never faced a situation where we were out of work.” He continues, “We have largely remained unaffected and it’s great to be in this position. This is all thanks to 02 the patronage of our clients and the kind of work we do. In the last 12 months, we’ve continued to pick up new work and we’re busy finishing up projects that we’re working on. As an example, I’ve got a colleague in Egypt at the moment doing the final set-up of a hotel, and I’m visiting Bangalore regularly for the Four Seasons hotel, which we are due to finish in September this year. We’re also working on a corporate office for a major bank in Saudi Arabia, and this is all separate from the work we have in Dubai. We are quite busy.” Hospitality is one of the lighting studio’s key sectors, but Mathur points out that his firm has been expanding into other sectors whenever the right opportunity presents itself. “We’ve always endeavoured to get into different market segments. Hospitality became our forte because that was the kind of work that was offered to us. I always say that you cannot suddenly become a specialist unless you have the opportunity to design and work on projects in that sector, and that opportunity only comes up when a client or a consultant team has confidence in your ability. In the last four years, retail is another sector that we’ve been working in successfully.” The consultancy is presently working on shopping malls for developer Nakheel on the Palm Jumeirah and Deira Islands, the latter of
which is one of the firm’s largest ongoing projects. Studio Lumen is also working on the Dubai Mall expansion projects on both the Zabeel and Fountain Views side, and Mathur points out that his firm is engaged on mall projects beyond the Middle East as well. “There’s a mall in Pretoria, South Africa, that we just handed over, which is about 2.5m sqft. That’s a regular mall for Dubai, but it’s probably the biggest mall on the continent in Africa,” he says with a smile. “There’s another mall in Johannesburg that we’re looking to finish by the end of next year. We see a lot of potential in the retail segment going forward, and we’re going to make the best use of it.” Corporate offices are another segment where the studio sees potential, and while this particular segment has yet to permeate the Middle East, the firm has already delivered several projects in India. “In India we’ve already done three very high-quality corporate offices for US-based banks and one for an Indian company. That was a very different experience, but we worked hard and made great use of those opportunities. That’s how we approach new segments and business.” Addressing Challenges
Mathur and his team face challenges at both ends of a project’s cycle. He explains, “The first challenge is being able to communicate on the conceptual side, on the design intent that we have in our minds for the project, and trying to align that with the client and project team’s aspirations. Sometimes their expectations exceed what we offer, and sometimes we produce designs that exceed their expectations and they ask us to scale back. This is why it’s important to have a detailed brief at the start of a project, so we can establish exactly what we are doing.” Mathur reckons this issue may be specific to the region, where projects evolve continuously. “This is in contrast to what we observed in South Africa, where right at the beginning of the project, and for the first
“When it comes to nuts and bolts, the other challenge is getting the installations done right. The execution is so critical and important, and that is where most projects fail” 30 JULY-AUGUST 2018
ON SITE
time in my life, I saw a written brief before we began doing any work. It was a brilliant summary of what they wanted and didn’t want, and it made things so much simpler. It was almost like being an actor and receiving a bound script.” The other side of the coin is challenges in the execution and delivery of a project. Mathur points out that execution is a critical part of the project and one that governs whether a project succeeds or fails. 03 “When it comes to nuts and bolts, the other challenge is getting the installations done right. The execution is so critical and important, and that is where most projects fail. Most companies don’t put as much time and effort into execution, they feel that lighting is just something that you can slap on at the end and just carry on, but that’s not how it works.” This part of a project’s cycle has become even more critical with the increasing use of LED technology to create certain lighting effects and reduce energy consumption, says Mathur. “One needs to be mindful of things like cooling and the heat produced by the LED module, and the proper installation of fittings – we’ve seen many external fittings fail because the gland of the cables was not right, so there was condensation and water ingress, etc. All of this happens because lighting is installed at the last minute, sometimes even a day before the opening of the project. As long as the fixture is switched on, nobody cares, but the devil is in the details for us.”
A 10-Year Plan
Apart from capitalising on opportunities in the countries in which the firm now operates, geographical expansion is on the cards for Studio Lumen. “We’re young and raring to go,” Mathur quips. “At the moment, we’re exploring opportunities in the East, in Southeast Asia. There’s a lot of development in Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia in terms of hospitality development. There are lots of new resorts planned, so our short- to medium-term goal is to set up something either in Singapore or Bangkok to serve those markets.” “My family used to live in Indonesia, so I’m very close to that culture. I know the people and I know how business is done, so that’s a draw for me personally. Africa is another place that offers a lot of opportunity. We’ve been toying with the idea of having a small office in Johannesburg, where we are currently doing a lot of work, but by having a small set-up there we could probably enhance our services to our clients.” 04 “Western Europe also has potential – we’re looking at London and trying to do more work in the UK primarily, as well as larger parts of Europe. Europe has always been a question mark because it’s a saturated market and it’s very competitive. But for a young studio like us, that’s the big boys’ club and we want to fight for a seat at the table, it’s as simple as that!” Mathur concludes, “So my grand plan in the next 10 years is that I’d like to have three more design studios within an eight-hour flight of Dubai: Singapore, Johannesburg and London. Once we’ve done that, we’ve pretty much covered our side of the world. As far as Australia is concerned, I don’t know. I used to live there, I’d love to go back and do some work, but that’s a longer-term plan.” JULY-AUGUST 2018 31
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Educate ME
lIWaN Mixed-Use apartments and town Centre
Developing Bahrain Kuwait-based Pace is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and shares insights into its ongoing projects in Bahrain
P
ace is one of the leading multidisciplinary consultancy firms in the region, providing specialised and professional architecture, engineering and planning services to a wide range of public and private sector clients. With more than 50 years of experience, Pace has succeeded in upholding its position as a leading regional firm, with an international reputation for the quality of its design solutions and the reliability, vision and integrity of its people, to continue influencing urban planning and development in the region. Since its inception in 1968, Pace has made significant contributions to the urban landscape within the region, starting with Kuwait’s skyline. Pace is present on an international scale, delivering high-end projects with international quality standards. By overseeing a myriad of projects across Africa, Asia and Europe, Pace 32 JUly-aUgUst 2018
has become a key market player, with over 2000 successful projects in all different sectors. Headquartered in Kuwait, Pace also has two offices in Saudi Arabia and in Bahrain. The firm is involved on projects in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia (Riyadh Metro - Bawabat Mecca), Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, KSA, UAE, Yemen, Africa, Europe and Asia. Pace in Bahrain
Bahrain’s future development plan exemplifies a forward-looking process designed to address the role that sustainable land development can play in guaranteeing stable, predictable, and long-term economic growth. Previous projects by Pace in Bahrain included Al-Bahrain Arab African Bank, Beit Al-Quran, United Gulf Bank and Hamra Building. The Avenues model in Kuwait – which was undertaken by Pace in Kuwait – has
also been replicated in Bahrain. Pace is currently undertaking several strategic projects including: Wafra towers - Bahrain Bay
Bahrain Bay is part of a bigger development plot that gives a good indication of growth of the market. Bahrain Bay’s vision has been to create an ultra-modern, advanced metropolis, and much like Pace’s vision, it is designed to be a centre of excellence and practicality. The landmark Wafra Towers project is an innovative, mixed-use scheme that comprises housing, offices, retail and public spaces designed by Pace with Weil Arets Architects. The twin towers contain contemporary one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, all with balconies and most with corner aspects. The podium contains Grade-A office space surrounding a central landscaped courtyard above parking, retail and high quality public realm. The development
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benefits from an energy efficient central plant, ensuring that its environmental credentials are established from the outset. Currently under design, the aim of the project is to have its elements remain flexible and adaptable to future change in order to support community needs as it develops, in addition to strengthening local character, while simultaneously creating an iconic destination. The towers’ design reinterprets their immediate historic context by innovating and yet retaining its essential cultural characteristics, its housing, offices, and retail spaces impart an understated elegance of modernity and an iconic world-class address in Bahrain Bay. As part of its development, Bahrain Bay makes efforts to safeguard environmental well-being, to regional and international levels. Pace strictly adhered to this vision in terms of design and construction methodologies, placing importance on the aesthetic coherence and standard of quality. The creation of two housing components maximises the amount of glazing within each unit and engages the towers with their adjacent buildings. Due to the extensive amounts of glazing on the towers’ façades, a panel-like system of sliding aluminium louvers serve as
Wafra towers – Bahrain Bay
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an additional layer of privacy and shading, in tandem with the façade’s treated glass, and the covered exterior terraces. Both elements protect the towers’ interiors from passive solar gain, while the louvers lend the towers an everchanging, chameleon-like appearance, due to the reflections they catch from the strong sunlight. The principal structural design is based on efficient functioning, controlled expense, speed of execution, durability to maintain an overall structural stability, considering all the necessary guiding aspect. The design of the structure was also carefully consisted to ensure it could deal with loads it would be subjected to in its lifetime. Another consideration was the towers’ slender design and narrow aspect ratio in the weak direction. This meant that there was the potential of wind vortex shedding at the upper part of the building. The solution to this was the plantation of a shear wall at the eight floor to control the building motion frequency and limit the expected base shear. Careful consideration was taken to ensure the towers meet and exceed public health requirements. To ensure adequate supply of water for its inhabitants, the towers will be provided with fresh water via storage tanks with the approximate capacity of two days of storage
in reinforced cement concrete tanks located at basement level, and half day of storage in glass reinforced plastic tank located on technical floors. lIWaN Mixed-Use apartments and town Centre
Pace was commissioned to deliver LIWAN, a large, mixed-use town centre development in the developing district of Hamala, Bahrain. The development incorporates retail and residential units totalling approximately 93,000sqm and consists of twelve buildings. The town is characterised by a multi-level scheme featuring largely five storey buildings with residential and commercial spaces dissected on the second floor to house prime residential units aloft. The main components include commercial, residential, office, food & beverage facilities, car parking and a fuel Station. Anchored by a cinema and gym at the north end, and a supermarket at the south end, a family entertainment centre sits in the middle of the town’s west perimeter, on the axis of its partly-shaded central square. Pace’s scope of work includes developing a design from concept to completion. Services include architecture, structural engineering, MEP, landscape, transport, interiors and construction supervision.
Bahrain Bay site map
JUly-aUgUst 2018 33
ON SITE
SHOW PREVIEW
The Big 5 Construct Egypt Show will take place in Cairo, 18-21 September, at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre
T
he largest portfolio of construction events in the Middle East, The Big 5, launches its first exhibition in Egypt at a time when the country is witnessing a construction boom with more than $335bn in active projects. With mega developments in the pipeline, Egypt is fast becoming a lucrative construction and real estate destination. The exhibition will connect thousands of industry experts, decisionmakers, buyers and manufacturers of construction products from all over the world. 15 international country pavilions, including Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, China, Turkey and France, have confirmed their participation. Greece has also secured a prominent space, becoming the official country partner for the launch edition of the event. The Big 5 Construct Egypt will showcase 360-degree building solutions across six product sectors: MEP Services, Building Interiors and Finishes, Building Envelope and Special Construction, Construction Tools and Building Materials, Construction Technology and Innovation, and Plant Machinery and Vehicles (PMV). 34 JULY-AUGUST 2018
Like other events in The Big 5 portfolio, The Big 5 Construct Egypt will place significant focus on the quality of its content. Free educational events including 40 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) certified workshops will run parallel to the exhibition. Presented by both Egyptian and international experts, these will address key industry issues, exploring hot topics within the Egyptian construction sector, during the show’s four days. The Big 5 Construct Egypt is supported by the Egyptian Federation for Construction and Building Contractors (EFCBC) and the African Federation for Construction Contractors Associations (AFCCA). Some of the largest industry players have partnered up with the event, including the international Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the Saudi Al Bawani Company, Sphinx Glass, Ezzsteel, Kandil Steel and Al Sherif Group. To learn more about The Big 5 Construct Egypt (18-21 September 2018, Egypt International Exhibition Centre), visit www.thebig5construct egypt.com.
Big Project Middle East is hosting a one-day summit that will address the key issues and topics around the topic of Value Engineering. Through a series of dialogues, the Summit will offer construction profe sionals an opportunity to define and understand what Value Engineering can bring to the table. The VE Summit makes networking opportunities possible for stakeholders from across the construction industry, allowing them to focus on the challenges and topics that surround the sector.
KEy THEMES The Good and Bad of Value Engineering Implementing Value Engineering Why Value Engineering matters How Value Engineering impacts the Bottom Line Design and Construction Applications for Value Engineering Defining roles during the Value Engineering process Technology in the Value Engineering Process Developing Research and Development for the GCC To register go to website link: www.valueengineeringsummit.com GET IN TOUCH CONTACT US CONTENT Gavin Davids +971 4 375 5480 gavin.davids@cpitrademedia.com
SPONSORSHIP Jude Slann +971 4 375 5714 jude.slann@cpitrademedia.com
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INTERVIEW
WIC Profile: gabriela Soto Jason Saundalkar talks to Ted Jacob Engineering Group’s Gabriela Soto about her inf luences, her career and gender diversity in the construction industry ollowing our special edition dedicated to women in the construction industry, Middle East Consultant continues to share the inspiration and experiences of women working in the male-dominated construction industry across the Middle East. Here, we catch up with Gabriela Soto, associate, commercial and bids manager at Ted Jacob Engineering Group. What drove you to get into construction and your very first role in the industry? What were some of the influences that set you on your path?
I’ve always been fascinated by building work and the heights of what engineering can achieve. I chose Civil Engineering as my degree and the people that have most inspired me have always been women who were hardworking and didn’t let anyone put them down. Tell us about your career, mentioning key milestones.
My first job was on-site during the construction of one of the biggest airports in the north of Mexico. From the beginning, I was convinced that I wanted to be part of iconic projects and especially those that contribute to the development of countries. When I was offered a job in the UAE, I didn’t think twice. I was eager and excited to come and see the place that was making the biggest construction dreams come to life. I remember I made the guy that hired me promise that he would pay for my flight back if I didn’t like it within three months… Eight years later, I don’t have any plans of leaving anytime soon. My work in Dubai started in construction sites, which was surreal. I was ecstatic to be in these super high-rise buildings and being part of this fast-growing country. When I started at TJEG almost five years ago, I was managing projects and operations. I’m happy to say that I’m 36 JULY-aUgUST 2018
now part of the management team and dealing with the commercial side of the business. How have you made your mark in the industry by working on projects? What would you say is your proudest moment?
I believe the most important thing is commitment. I want people to know they can trust me and that if I say I’ll do something, it’ll be done. However, you do have to be very organised with your deadlines and be aware of your workload before making such commitments. I find that it is generally more difficult for women to say no. My proudest moments are when achieving goals. I graduated top of my class when I did my master’s degree in a year while still working full-time. There are enough hours in the day when you really want to achieve something. What are some of the barriers to women entering the construction industry? What was your personal experience?
When I started on-site, people thought it was too tough for a woman and were expecting me to quit. I now think back and believe some of my colleagues were trying to make it even more difficult, so I would give up faster and so they would then ‘be right’. It has always taken a few months to prove myself in a new project and for people to trust me. Following that period, I was then very happy working on that job-site. The gCC construction sector is still male-dominated but diversity is beginning to increase. If you agree, comment on what is driving this and how you see the gCC markets changing in the coming years. If you do not agree, please share your view of the market. I am always thrilled to hear that there’s a woman running a construction site or a company, or that a woman is respected for her technical and business knowledge. It is true that I still go to events and people suppose
ON SITE
“People still get surprised when a woman starts talking and she shows her accurate technical and business knowledge, especially if you have not been introduced. If there’s a group of people that come to a boardroom together, the women are expected to be the ones taking notes and not chairing the meeting” JULY-aUgUST 2018 37
ON SITE
that I’m there as a spouse, but that is decreasing. I also see that people think ladies in construction are ‘tough women’, and I disagree with that. Younger generations need to grow up knowing that you can work in construction (or anywhere) without having to put a game face on.
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge women in the construction sector face in gCC countries? How can it be addressed?
Believing in oneself so that you can then transfer that belief to others around you. You must demonstrate what you know in your particular field and prove your worth, but for that to happen, you first have to believe in yourself. This is challenging when you’re in an industry where some people believe you don’t belong. One of the main reasons I chose the engineering field was because people around me were saying that I shouldn’t do it. I went through it stubbornly and now I’m very happy I did that.
Everyone has a part to play in diversity and equal pay. What would you like to see government authorities and construction firms do to increase diversity and make pay a level playing field in the industry?
I think we get it wrong when we say that there have to be as many women as men in a business/project/market. There should only be as many as there are qualified and capable individuals. Companies can, however, celebrate inclusion – this way, kids won’t have to choose a woman’s or man’s job for fear they won’t be able to work in the industry they feel is their passion. Besides authorities and construction firms, who else can play a part in increasing diversity and balancing pay scales?
Every individual can play a part. Men and women, we all have women in our lives who we love and respect. This goes way beyond the GCC and construction but we must change our perception that the man makes the money. The money is made by whomever chooses to work.
In doing your job, what sort of discrimination (if any) have you faced and how did you or your employer address it?
I’ve never been in a situation where I felt looked down on because of being a woman. What I have encountered is that some people don’t want to work with younger engineers, they want to see grey hair – again, it’s a matter of proving your capabilities, but this is more difficult if you look young. How do you personally push for diversity and equal pay in the construction sector? are you involved in any groups, councils, etc that focus on increasing diversity and balancing pay scales?
What has your experience been working in the gCC construction sector? If you have worked in markets outside of the gCC, how does your experience here compare with what you’ve experienced in other markets?
People still get surprised when a woman starts talking and she shows her accurate technical and business knowledge, especially if you have not been introduced. If there’s a group of people that come to a boardroom together, the women are expected to be the ones taking notes and not chairing the meeting. You can never generalise, but this has been common in my career. What I love the most about being a woman working in the GCC is the utter respect that most men have for women. 38 JULY-aUgUST 2018
I’m not involved in specific groups, but most of my friends in the UAE work in the construction industry. We help each other, share experiences, and we become better at our jobs and within our organisations due to our connections. I do believe women in the business support each other’s growth. What advice would you give a woman entering the gCC construction industry today?
Be sure of what you’re worth and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it – and if they do, prove them wrong. You’ll only go as far as you let yourself.
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LAST WORD 01 Stephan Degenhart is managing director of Drees & Sommer Middle East.
‘Usability’ is a construction tool to attract global talent D&S’ Stephan Degenhart explains how the regional construction industry can play a part in attracting and retaining global talent
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onsultants can incorporate the theory of ‘usability’ to attract global talent, by creating a healthy and well thoughtout environment that ensures wellbeing, productivity and staff retention. The implementation of this concept will achieve higher rental yields, occupancy rates and cost efficiency, and will future-proof real estate ROI. The term usability is related to the broader user experience and refers to the ease of access or use of a place. A design is not usable or unusable; its features, together with the context of the user, what the user wants to do with it and the user’s environment, determine its usability. Europe has a culture of developing real estate to attract talent, but the UAE is well placed 40 JULY-AUGUST 2018
to implement this concept, as it is still in the early stages of construction development. To fully exploit the potential of real estate, a change of perspective is needed. Global talent won’t look for suitable buildings, they expect buildings to adapt to them and cater to their performance and convenience, so to win the talent race, we must exploit this set of expectations, and the construction industry should play its part. Dubai’s first building was erected in 1979, just eight years after the birth of the UAE. In the short timeframe of 47 years, the country has witnessed rapid economic development and is quickly becoming a favourable destination for global companies looking to expand outside their home countries. With over 27,000 new buildings under construction and plans to accommodate further economic growth, the UAE is taking great strides towards achieving its objective to become an international hub for business and development. By encouraging developers and owners to implement the concept of usability, it is possible to support businesses in the foreign market looking to open their doors in the UAE, in light of the recent decision announced by the UAE government. Usability considers both current and future users, in addition to facilities or elements that may be necessary throughout a building’s
lifespan, including features that are easily adapted to by users and can meet both current and future demands. Digitisation plays a significant role in reinforcing the usability of a building and is a direction a lot of trendy foreign companies are taking. There has been a global shift in employee expectations as the millennial generation begins to infiltrate the workforce, slowly pushing out their suit-and-tie predecessors. Developers have to create commercial buildings that help future tenants attract the right talent. It is also important to understand how to boost the efficiency of a building and reduce operational costs without compromising on safety. These elements, along with the future prospect of attracting business from foreign companies, are what make usability attractive to developers in the UAE’s relatively young commercial real estate market. To adopt the concept of usability into a commercial building, a developer needs to have a thorough understanding of tenants it wishes to attract, their expectations and what factors will set it apart from the rest of the market. Usability is a trend becoming more and more prevalent across international markets and will soon see a larger uptake in the UAE, as more foreign companies begin to enter the market, which will be accelerated by this ruling.
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