Design Middle East March 2022

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MARCH 2022| DESIGN MIDDL E E A S T

Interiors and architecture from the Gulf, Levant and beyond

Architects

POWERLIST 2 0 2 2 ICONS OF ARCHITECTURE SALUTING AND HONOURING THE TRUE GEMS DRIVING THE MIDDLE EAST’S LANDSCAPE’S SUCCESS WE CONGRATULATE THESE ARCHITECTS ON THEIR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR OURSELVES AND FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH THEIR SKILL, IMMENSE TALENT, AND INDOMITABLE SPIRIT BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Interview

SUSTAINABILITY AT HEART MOHAND LAOUISSAT, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO AT DAVOUJ DESIGN, TALKS ABOUT HIS DESIGN INFLUENCES AND RECENT COLLABORATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

OP-ED

THE FUTURE IS CONNECTED CONSTRUCTION STEPHEN TAYLOR, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KPS UAE, DISCUSSES HOW CONNECTED CONSTRUCTION WILL ENABLE THE INTERIORS SECTOR TO UNLOCK NEW VALUE.

Surface Solutions, Designed By Nature Designed By Nature Surface Solutions, Designed By Nature

MARBLE | GRANITE | QUARTZITE | ONYX | TRAVERTINE | LIMESTONE | PRECIOUS STONE MARBLE | GRANITE | QUARTZITE | ONYX | TRAVERTINE | LIMESTONE | PRECIOUS STONE MARBLE | GRANITE | QUARTZITE | ONYX | TRAVERTINE | LIMESTONE | PRECIOUS STONE

www.glaze.ae/ TOLL FREE 800 GLAZE (45293) | TEL: +971 6 5353 123 (SHARJAH) | TEL: +971 2 5502 390 (ABU DHABI) | MAIL: info@glaze.ae

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\ Mixed-use development by RSP in Malalayang Manado, Indonesia

ARCHITECTS Powerlist 2022 BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Saluting and honouring the true gems driving the Middle East’s landscape’s success We congratulate these architects on their unwavering dedication to making the world a better place for ourselves and future generations with their skill, immense talent, and indomitable spirit

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OP-ED The future is Connected Construction

AIR QUALITY Breathe Fresh

Stephen Taylor, managing director of KPS UAE, discusses how connected construction will enable the interiors sector to unlock new value.

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INTERVIEW Sustainability at heart!

Mohand Laouissat, cofounder and CEO at Davouj Design, talks about his design influences, recent collaboration in the Middle East, and how sustainability is central to his process.

How Blueair’s DustMagnet™ can ensure less dust and more clean indoor air at home 56

PROJECT Mesmerising Cultural Desert Experience Moustafa Sakr, Area General Manager of The St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Abu Dhabi and The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, Abu Dhabi, speaks to Kasun Illankoon on the unique offerings provided by the resort and how the architecture and designs reflect the Al Wathba region.

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PICK OF THE MONTH A Slice of Style There are some things that you can't get enough of, and the slice coffee table is one of them.

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Editor's note

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his is a special edition as we're announcing our first powerlist of the year, "Architects Powerlist 2022," in which we're honouring and recognising the region's top architects who are dedicated to creating stunning structures and improving our landscapes in a more sustainable way.

We congratulate these true gems for their unwavering commitment to making the world a better place for ourselves and future generations through their skill, enormous talent, and everlasting spirit.

Check out this Powerlist in our March edition 2022.

We're also looking forward to our first event of the year, the Architecture Leaders Awards 2022, which will take place at Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk on March 30. Once again, we will honour the brightest talent, projects, and firms for their significant contributions to the country's and its breathtaking landscape's success. Get ready for the biggest celebration.

Moving on, the edition has some other exciting reads as well— Stephen Taylor, managing director of KPS UAE, describes how linked construction will generate new value for the interiors sector; Mohand Laouissat of Davouj Design discusses his

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rabih.naderi@bncpublishing.net +966 50 328 9818 EDITOR ROMA ARORA roma@bncpublishing.net CREATIVE LEAD ODETTE KAHWAGI

inspirations and how sustainability is important to his process; plus a peek at the most recent showering collection from KOHLER. Roma Arora Editor roma@bncpublishing.net

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RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVING WOMEN OF MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

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10 News

Sans Souci unveils lighting installations at Claridge’s Hotel in London

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ans Souci reveals a series of custommade installations for Claridge’s Hotel in London. The contemporary lighting refit was the vision of leading lighting designers L’Observatoire International with each installation designed by French architect Sylvain Dubuisson, well known for mixing classical style with cutting-edge lighting technologies. Each piece is made from opaque, sandblasted glass crafted into geometric patterns, which ensures unique light dispersion. This is further enhanced by fitting two-tone LED strips and one main light source to create a very special and sophisticated ambience.

“When I designed these pieces for Claridge’s, I wanted

them to be both decorative and intriguing to fit with the elegance of the art deco interior design. This was achieved by combining two contrasting patterns – rectangular and circular – similar to Chesterfield sofas.

The large, complicated designs were then produced in white glass, which embodies simple sophistication.

Manufacturing large installations such as these is complicated but I am thrilled with the results, which stay true to my original designs.“ said Sylvain Dubuisson, architect and designer.

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to work with L’Observatoire International and Sylvain Dubuisson, world leaders in lighting design. Dubuisson is always looking to work with new technologies and materials, which is something we are passionate about at Sans Souci. The development process took lots of time and resources to create these beautiful pendants in a colour that is entirely unique to this project. The final installations are elegant and one of a kind, just like Claridge’s.“ added Dominik Cienciala, managing director for Sans Souci UK. “First, we brought an ambient layer of cove lights that accentuated the height and ornate detailing in the corridors, and introduced a system of tunable white fixtures that warm gradually from day to night.

Secondly, we needed to design a light fixture that was iconic and completely unique; that fit perfectly in the design heritage of Claridges, but felt timeless. With longtime collaborator Sylvain Dubuisson, we designed a fixture that is both beautiful and functional- with many layers of light that allowed it to provide cooler, diffuse light in the day then transition to warm, more directional light at night. The realization of the design was made possible with the expertise of Sans Souci and their experience with cast glass- whose involvement throughout the process ensured that we were able to devise specific fabrication solutions for these very beautiful pendants, that transformed these spaces and became a beautiful addition to the hotel.”

A total of 264 pendants and 198 wall lights were made to illuminate Claridge’s interiors. This adds to the list of Sans Souci projects London, which includes the Southbank Spa, Connaught Patisserie, The Langham Hotel, 1 Blackfriars Tower Crown Plaza hotel, Royal Lancaster hotel, and Fortnum & Mason – the Parlour & the Fountain Restaurant.

A total of 264 pendants and 198 wall lights were made to illuminate Claridge’s interiors.

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The use of modern Trimble solutions helped reduce the rework by up to 65%, a 50% productivity boost and a 25% total energy consumption reduction.

Reminiscing the project experience, Sreenivasa Rao Vipparla, general manager, Design & Engineering – ME, UK & CIS, Eversendai Engineering, said: “Tekla Structures is a potent tool behind the success of our Museum of Future Project due to its powerful 3D modelling capabilities and flexibility to open API options that gave us a large scope to explore and develop routines to do modelling and detailing accurately in a relatively short time with a high degree of precision. Considering the complex geometry as well as the intricate shape of the structure and also provision of multi-staged construction pre-set requirements of CMES Analysis, the Tekla Structures had played a vital role in concluding the Engineering and Detailing activities within the project deadlines.”

“The BIM management with Tekla software boosted the project’s efficiency, accuracy and time management,” added Vipparla.

Paul Wallett, regional director of Trimble Solutions, Middle East and India said: “It is an honor to be part of this modern construction marvel, the most-awaited opening of one of the most beautiful museums in the world. The advancements in technology today has led us to enhance digital solutions in so many ways in the construction sector.

Eversendai, our esteemed client, efficiently used Trimble’s solutions in the construction, and we are immensely proud of how our product has significantly enhanced the workflow and processes. We encourage the industry to adopt such advanced technologies and put them to use.”

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ubai’s Museum of the Future, that opened in February 2022, was built, using advanced construction technologies and software, including Trimble’s flagship product, Tekla Structures. Trimble is a global leader in construction technology, and has revealed how its solutions enhanced and simplified the details and workflow in the designing, fabricating, and coordinating phases of this landmark project.

With its size and complex design, the Museum of the Future involved using massive amounts of data during the design phase and Eversendai integrated Tekla Structures, Trimble’s flagship software solution, to make the workflow seamless and deliver precise interface requirements.

Eversendai also utilised a cloud collaboration tool from Trimble portfolio to identify potential clashes in various processes such as roofing, façade, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP), and reinforced cement concrete.

Using the cloud-based software allowed the contractor to resolve the issues in the initial design phase, saving substantial time and resources.

During the construction of the Museum of the Future, various project teams used multiple solutions from Trimble. Trimble Connect was used as the Common Data Environment (CDE), Trimble’s SysQue was used for the intricate MEP design, Tekla Structures also proved helpful in designing the building’s highly complex structure and Robotic Total Stations were used for the automated onsite layout.

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Trimble’s Tekla Structures reduces design complexities of the Museum of the Future

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12 News

Kristina Zanic Consultants designs Accor HQ; inspired by fascinating Parisian mansions

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ristina Zanic Consultants has designed stylish new office space in Dubai for French hospitality group Accor.

The headquarters office for India, the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey features a newly refurbished reception and corporate hospitality area that welcomes visitors in a sumptuous style rarely seen in workplaces and blurs the lines between hospitality and office design.

Accor appointed Kristina Zanic Consultants to help realise its vision for the new space to be an accurate reflection of its brand ethos, and to display the same luxury elements and feel as seen in its exclusive hotels and resorts around the world.

The scope involved the design of a 300sqm area to host meetings with partners, collaborators, and VIP guests for its luxury brands. It included a lift lobby, reception and lounge, spacious conference area with food and beverage facilities, informal meeting space with relaxed social areas, and two lavish guest washrooms.

The design is inspired by the exclusive Parisian mansions that showcase haute couture collections and pay homage to extravagant French luxury and timeless character.

A colour palette with a black and white base has pops of colour added through rich jewel tones of warm rusts, mustard yellows and midnight blues used in the bespoke loungestyle furniture and carpeting.

Although the dominant style is classic, it also blends in touches of mid-century and contemporary design in the lighting and furniture selections. This is demonstrated further in its eclectic collection of artwork, focusing on style and fashion that adorn the meeting room walls and corridors.

“This was a one-of-a-kind project to work on where we got to translate the luxury hospitality aesthetic into an everyday office space,” said Justin Condon, design director at Kristina Zanic Consultants. “We’ve designed luxury hotels and offices before, but never one that is a perfect blend of both. The challenge was in finding the right balance between creating an experience of luxury hospitality but also delivering on the functionality needed from an office space.”

Visitors stepping out of the elevator doors are immediately immersed in a sophisticated ambience of sumptuous velvets, natural marble, intricate wall panelling and gold detailing.

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The future IS CONNECTED

STEPHEN TAYLOR, managing director of KPS UAE, discusses how connected construction will enable the interiors sector to unlock new value.

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CONSTRUCTION

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onstruction is one of the world's largest industries and major construction projects are some of the clearest signs of rapid progress, as the Middle East evolves into a primarily knowledge-based regional economy. However, large construction projects are notoriously difficult to manage anywhere in the world. They must bring together and coordinate supply chains, contractors, suppliers, equipment, and labour, all within predetermined budgets and timelines. Managing this process manually is practically impossible, but the adoption rate of digital tools in the construction sector lies far behind almost every other modern industry.

Because many companies in our sector are still attempting to manage complex workflows by hand, customers are frequently frustrated by completion delays

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and budget overruns. The inefficiencies created by these manual operations also slash through margins on fixed-price construction contracts and leave companies of every size struggling to survive.

Even when construction companies do start to use technology, it’s often just a suite of unconnected systems that are not talking to each other. These silos require multiple entries of the same data, and the lack of connection prevents the data from creating a bigger picture. Construction is like a team sport, and you are only truly successful if all the stakeholders are working together as one.

Today, connected construction technol-

ogy is transforming interior design and construction companies like KPS. After many years spent discussing and planning these technology changes, we are finally deploying them. At KPS, we believe that these changes will make everyone, and everything, work smarter. This kind of open communication between technology, to make sure that the whole project team has the right information at the right time, invariably leads to better project outcomes.

Let’s look at some of these exciting changes in more detail and what these technologies can do to help link assets, people, processes, and project sites.

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Data collection apps The increased portability of tablets and smartphones allow for easier communication and the ability to work from anywhere.

Data collection apps are helping to gather faster, more accurate and higher-quality data from our project sites, to create significant time savings and reduced data entry errors. Data collection workflows can be automated, so the submission of one form triggers another form to be sent, and so on until a task is completed with all the necessary approvals.

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Building Information Modelling The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) software improves collaboration because each specialist area can add their inputs to the same 3D digital model, instead of the information being broken out onto multiple versions of a paper drawing.

This way, the model evolves immediately as people contribute; a change made once is a change made everywhere. Everyone is looking at the same single source of truth at the same time, whether they are onsite at one of our interior construction projects, in our Dubai HQ, or in one of our client's offices in London or Frankfurt. Combined with regular 3D scans of the project site, it allows our clients to follow every detail of their project remotely without ever visiting the worksite, even from overseas.

BIM also helps with problem-solving in the design and planning stages of a project, by automating clash detection and providing a more complete picture of the project.

In the UK, BIM is already mandatory for government construction projects, and it is fast becoming so for large-scale projects in other markets including the UAE, Hong Kong, France, South Korea, Germany, and Italy.

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Stephen Taylor is the managing director of KPS in the UAE, a technology-led and design-focussed interior contractor with over 500 staff and a presence in nine countries across the Middle East and Europe.

Virtual reality and wearables Virtual reality technology can be integrated with BIM to help better understand complex projects. You can create a workspace design with BIM and then can use VR to walk around it.

This can give our clients an even more realistic idea of what the project will look like once completed and helps to avoid changes and delays further down the line.

3D printing In the near future, 3D printing has the potential to change much of our material sourcing. Prefabricated materials

for a project can be printed and then transported to the job site, ready for use immediately. This can allow us to remove unnecessary steps and get the materials faster.

With everyone on a project aligned and using the same set of information and communicating seamlessly, it becomes easier to minimise changes, address risks, and improve time and cost issues. These changes will affect more than just our day-to-day operations; they will shift the entire approach to creating and managing construction projects in many ways that are still hard to predict.

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KOHLER Statement and Anthem Showering Collection elevate the shower’s design and experience

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Kohler believes every shower is a canvas, and the Statement and Anthem showering collection is the ultimate palette.

The Statement Showering Collection brings a range of unique shapes and an array of sizes to the shower, breathing new life into our showering experience. The new Anthem shower controls will transform the daily routine of showering into a customized corporeal event with the power to instill a sense of wellbeing and transform the day.

Statement Showering collection: The Evolution of Showering Inspired by iconic design forms, showering modules in this new collection offers an array of sensory stimuli.

This collection includes four styles of hand showers, four unique rainheads, and two body sprays, all available in a range of sizes, shapes, finishes to best suit the décor and design environment yielding a natural interplay with other accessories and design elements.

When bathrooms blend with living spaces.

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Defined by voluminous proportions and soft, organic designs the Statement showering collection brings form and finish to the forefront without overwhelming the space. Inspired by iconic furniture and home goods, the collection carries an underlying familiarity while creating striking aesthetics within the space.

Create a World of Wellbeing: with indulgent sprays and inspired forms

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Within the thoughtfully crafted forms are signature spray experiences to create wholly immersive environments. An oblong showerhead results in enveloping water coverage for the whole body, and seven immersive spray experiences include options such as a Deep Massage spray composed of twisting jets that knead sore muscles or a Cloud spray that swathes the body in a warm mist.

Anthem Shower Controls: The Beauty of Simplicity

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The sleek shower controls from KOHLER provide myriad combinations of temperature and spray control for hand showers, body sprays, rain heads, and showerheads, allowing unrestrained creativity and endless possibilities.

Engineered for personalization: The Anthem collection enables complete command over temperature, volume, spray experiences, and more in both digital and mechanical options by acting as the control center for six shower outlets. The buttons for each outlet pop open when pushed, converting into dials that allow users to set and adjust flow volume.

About Kohler Co. Founded in 1873, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. Kohler focuses on making everyday moments better through thoughtful design and intelligent technology, with homes becoming more connected.

Explore more at: https://www.kohlerglobalshowers.com

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Architects

POWERLIST BROUGHT TO YOU BY

2 0 2 2

ICONS OF ARCHITECTURE

SALUTING AND HONOURING THE TRUE GEMS DRIVING THE MIDDLE EAST’S LANDSCAPE’S SUCCESS We congratulate these architects on their unwavering dedication to making the world a better place for ourselves and future generations with their skill, immense talent, and indomitable spirit

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BOTTOM \ MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE by Killa Design is not only a visual and artistic beacon, but also sets new innovative benchmarks. As a 17,000sqm torus-shaped building clad in stainless steel, achieving LEED Platinum status, and designed holistically through BIM at every design stage, the building represents the future through innovative design principles, implementation, and construction

01 KILLA

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riven by design excellence, Shaun Killa is an awardwinning architect with international experience spanning over 27 years.

Killa's design philosophy focusses on innovative low-carbon sustainable buildings and challenges architectural norms to create expressive and timeless forms, which has led him to design numerous highly recognisable projects such as Almas Tower, Dubai Opera House, and Bahrain World Trade Centre – the world's first large-scale integration of wind turbines on a building.

Throughout his career, Killa has received numerous global accolades, including the ENR News Maker Award in New York, the Global Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction for the Lighthouse Tower, and the CTBUH Best Tall Building in the Middle East Award for the Bahrain World Trade Centre.

Killa Design was founded in Dubai in 2015.

Killa has worked on award-winning projects such as the Museum of the Future, the Address Beach Resort, W hotel Namaste, Vida Dubai Marina & Yacht Club, Marsa Al Arab, Sheybarah Island, Aykon Twin Towers, and the Office of the Future, the world's first occupied printed building.

In 2017 and 2021, Killa was ranked number 1 as ‘Most Powerful Middle East Architect’ inclusive of Killa Design winning ‘Best Architectural Firm’ in the Middle East,

by Construction Week and ‘Boutique Firm of the Year’, at the Middle East Architect Awards, 2017.

He continues to work closely with Killa Design's associate partners on a variety of projects to ensure the highest design quality while also providing innovative and sustainable concepts.

Killa has also been a keynote speaker at several global conferences, inspiring architects and developers to challenge the status quo and focus on sustainable buildings and masterplans in order to continue to improve the urban habitat for the people who live in it and aggressively reduce carbon emissions from the built environment.

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Shaun

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Powerlist 2022

02 TABET Joe

FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR JT+PARTNERS

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oe Tabet is a multi-faceted visionary architect with over 20 years of professional experience in the architecture and construction industries around the world.

Tabet founded JT+Partners in 2015, with a small team in a +100sqm office in Business Bay, Dubai. The company became an "overnight success," gaining recognition as a renowned international multidisciplinary consultant with spectacular projects in global destinations worldwide.

Over a seven-year period, despite economic downturns and pandemic obstacles, Joe persevered, developed a vision for the firm, organised everything around the future, from business strategy to financial situation, and exploring for work in different geographies and other sectors like healthcare.

JT+Partners grew to more than double its original size as a result. His initial team grew to +70, the company's Dubai office grew to +300sqm, and the firm expanded its business to Abu Dhabi and Beirut.

Tabet hired employees from multi-cultural backgrounds, of +15 various nations, with varying professional experiences, making use of the region's abundance of multiskilled personnel. As a result,

JT+Partners has an energetic, collaborative, and creative team of innovative individuals with their fingers on the pulse of global architecture and construction, from the latest technologies and trends to the oldest traditions, producing bespoke designs that reflect diversity in culture, experience, and understanding.

JT+Partners and its projects have earned accolades and prizes from Cityscape, MEA, Arabian Property, UAE Business Awards, and UAP Dubai. Hotel projects that have recently been completed include those in RAK, Seychelles, and Egypt.

Tabet is a firm believer in implementing innovation at multiple levels, including design, business, client approach, project approach, and a strong support staff. He employs "unconventional" management strategies for JT+Partners in order to maintain its reputation as a world-renowned consultant, delivering iconic, environmentally and socially sustainable projects around the world while also retaining and developing his clientele and contacts.

Residential towers and villas, hotels, resorts, golf courses, waterparks, and hospitals are among JT+Partner's current and upcoming projects in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, RAK, Sharjah, Egypt, Greece, and KSA.

\ TAWILA ISLAND RESORT - Red Sea- Egypt, is intended to provide 120 keys with a mix of inland and overwater bungalows, all-day dining, one signature specialty restaurant, pools (adults, kids), kids club, gym, spa, private beaches, pool bar, retail, and event spaces

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03 MAGILL Michael

MANAGING AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR RSP

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ichael Magill is the Middle East and North Africa managing and creative director for RSP. He believes that architecture is all about people and their interactions with the physical environments. He aspires to develop design projects that will survive for centuries by combining innovative design with cutting-edge technology.

Magill was appointed the global head of design for RSP in 2021, and he has been working with other RSP design studios to develop the group’s profile and design skills on a number of building typologies. He leads the RSP Global Design Forum which allows key designers to share their experiences and design ideas on a virtual platform through monthly panel discussions. He is now developing a strategy to improve and integrate RSP's 12 design studios through regular virtual sharing of live projects around the world.

The main focus of the Dubai studio in 2021 was RSP's recovery from the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and Magill was able to do that and much more than was planned.

Despite the challenges since 2020, where ongoing projects have been put on hold/delayed and the pipeline of new

projects has slowed, Magill decided it would be more beneficial to divide the business development efforts 50% in the MENA region and 50% in completely new markets such as Indonesia and Cambodia. This strategy was a success, as RSP was able to win projects for both architecture and interior design teams for multiple mixed-use and hotel developments.

Despite a challenging business environment, the Dubai office was able to win exciting new projects in the region from old and new clients such as Huawei, Aldar, Al Futtaim, Majid Al Futtaim, and Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

On the office front, Magill made significant adjustments, such as shifting from a typical on-site working arrangement to a hybrid model. He continues to advocate for full digital adoption, putting employee well-being and convenience ahead of outdated workplace practices.

He has also been instrumental in the business's expansion by constructing two new studios abroad, so the Dubai office is anticipating a very busy year in 2022. The company will concentrate on expanding its presence in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

There are ongoing attempts to grow the local interior design team, transitioning it from a support position to a fully functional independent team department in order to develop new prospects in numerous typologies such as food and beverage, luxury hospitality, and healthcare.

He was also named Architect of the Year at the Design Middle East Awards in 2020 and 2021.

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\ Mixed-use development in Malalayang Manado, Indonesia

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Powerlist 2022

\ AMER MNEIMNEH is a strategic planner and urban designer with a background in architecture. He has more than 20 years’ experience gained in the Middle East.

As Vice President, Amer leads 90+ staff within AECOM’s Middle East Urbanism + Planning practice and drives growth by ensuring clients receive the best of the firm’s technical practice, quality design and innovative thinking.

04 Amer

RIGHT \ A TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION CAMPUS in Saudi Arabia

BOTTOM \ A MOUNTAIN RESORT in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia

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VICE PRESIDENT, URBANISM + PLANNING, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

AECOM MIDDLE EAST

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mer Mneimneh is a strategic planner and urban designer with a background in architecture. He has more than 20 years of Middle East experience.

As a vice president, Mneimneh leads 90+ staff within AECOM’s Middle East Urbanism + Planning practice and drives growth by ensuring clients receive the firm's best technical practice, excellent design, and innovative thinking. He is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive team to help AECOM achieve its vision of a future where infrastructure generates opportunity for everyone, uplifting communities, enhancing access, and preserving the environment.

Mneimneh moved to Dubai in 2004 with Dar Group to contribute to the design and delivery of Jebel Ali Airport and Palm Jumeirah. In 2007, he joined AECOM, an industry-leading consulting and Fortune 500 firm. He was exposed to global and regional projects where his ability to address complex briefs, passion for design and understanding of cultural diversity paved a way for accelerated career growth.

Mneimneh relocated to London, UK, early in his career with AECOM

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to support the firm's work on the award-winning Saadiyat Island master plan, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games master plan, and the Rawabi sustainable community in Ramallah, as well as Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Mneimneh worked on the city, community development, urban regeneration, and strategic planning projects after returning to the Middle East in 2009.

The award-winning Dubai Expo 2020 Urban Planning and Public Realm, where he led the bidding, planning, and delivery stages, as well as the Jeddah Strategic Plans, Dubai Harbour, Bluewaters, Bastakiya Urban Regeneration, Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter, and Al Msheireb Downtown Doha, to name a few, are among the transformative projects he contributed to.

Recently, Mneimneh has been advising the public sector in the

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the planning and implementation of Vision 2030 initiatives focused on quality of life improvement.

In response to the market demand, Mneimneh is currently focussed on growing AECOM’s team of urban planning professionals in the Kingdom while maintaining a centre of excellence in UAE. While COVID-19 presented us with personal and professional obstacles, Mneimneh thinks that the future belongs to cities, communities, and organisations that prioritise wellness, resilience, and adaptability.

Mneimneh has gained vast international expertise through involvement in projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, Northern Africa, and Europe during his 20+ years of experience.

Mneimneh sits on AECOM's global ESG and Equity, Diversity

& Inclusion (EDI) steering committees, in addition to his leadership and technical roles, to embed sustainable development and resilience across AECOM's activities and encourage an inclusive and diverse working environment.

He also engages regularly with universities on career development programmes and participates as a critic on academic projects.

As an active member of AECOM’s thought leadership group that researches and addresses complex matters our industry and cities faces, he is currently completing a paper on Dubai’s urban fabric adaptability to new wellbeing and quality of life agenda.

Mneimneh is a registered architect, a member of the Lebanese Order of Engineers and Architects, and a founding board member of the Urban Land Institute GCC Council.

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

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24 A R C H I T E C T S

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Powerlist 2022

05 PRYDE

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

Scott

REGIONAL DESIGN DIRECTOR

DLR GROUP MIDDLE EAST

S

cott Pryde is an award-winning architect with over 20 years of international experience who is driven by creative design. Scott has focused his design philosophy throughout his career on master plans and buildings that are innovative, contextually inspired, and have a holistic approach to the natural environment, which has resulted in memorable community-based projects.

In the Dubai office of DLR Group, Pryde manages a team of skilled designers and architects. He says: "Our design approach always begins with a narrative, tied to history, and the necessity to comprehend people's attitudes and tendencies in order to create a vision.”

Pryde leads design for work in the Middle East from the Dubai office. He has a proven track record of leading design teams to deliver large scale international projects. Scott brings a unique and tested project approach with strong leadership and effective communication skills to successfully realise projects.

He is leading high-profile projects in Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. He has also worked widely throughout Europe and Asia, with a diverse portfolio of high-end and community-driven projects.

He has extensive experience in retail/mixed-use, residential, and hospitality projects.

design-middleeast.com

\ SPORT SOCIETY has been designed as an arena but having all the amenities and functional elements of a leisure and entertainment centre. A multipurpose arena in the centre of the project becomes the beating heart around a racetrack with single loaded sports, leisure, retail and F&B units.

07 JOHNSON

25

Brian

MANAGING PARTNER

GODWIN AUSTEN JOHNSON

06 Darryl

MARCH 2022

CUSTER

MANAGING DIRECTOR—DESIGN DIVISION

W

hen Brian Johnson, managing partner of Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ), decided to open the Dubai headquarters in 1991, he established a firm that has helped define not only the UAE's skyline but also the landscape of cities across the Middle East by creating some of the region's most iconic

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

D

arryl Custer serves as the managing director of the design division for KEO International Consultants.

He has 32 years of international and domestic US commercial urban mixed-use design leadership and project management experience with an acute understanding of development, design and operations across multiple sectors and regions.

Custer was the Hong Kong office director at CallisonRTKL Asia Limited prior to joining KEO, and his primary focus during this time was project management and design studio leadership, with an emphasis on client and team growth throughout the design process. He began working for CallisonRTKL in 2003, and had a variety of positions over his tenure. Custer had worked for several different US-based design firms before joining CallisonRTKL, and he adds a plethora of related expertise such as firm operations, marketing and business development, contract negotiation, team building, design management, training, and financial analysis.

Custer’s design focus is on working with clients to improve communities through sensible and creative vertically stacked mixed-use configurations. On the operational side, he has brought tremendous strides towards improving the careers and lives of his teammates through steady leadership, smart team building, robust design management, in-house training, all while maintaining good financial management. Most recently, Custer has brought a fresh vision to the design team for all KEO’s offices with a focus on being a global leader in multi-discipline design and design delivery using BIM technologies.

Custer is now involved in project delivery from Egypt to Oman, with a diverse mix of commercial, hotel, and residential projects.

EMAAR Beach Vistas in Dubai, Alemein Towers in Egypt, and a slew of huge hotels for the Red Sea Development in Saudi Arabia are among his current high-profile projects.

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KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTS

structures.

With over 30 years in business, GAJ is known as one largest and oldest design and architectural companies in the UAE. Today, under Brian’s leadership, the company offers a wide range of services including architecture, interior design, and MEP with outstanding expertise in the hospitality, education, leisure, residential, and commercial sectors.

Among his recent projects are The Warner Brothers Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton, Miral Headquarters Abu Dhabi, and Arcadia High School.

Johnson has been practising architecture in the region for over 45 years, and with his distinct style and unwavering commitment to designing excellence, he has established a culture of excellence and is the preferred partner for many notable projects, resulting in the firm winning a slew of architectural awards.

His guiding principles are based on the goal to deliver bespoke oneoff design solutions that respond to and build on the client's hopes and aspirations to provide a long-lasting, functional, and appealing environment.

Among Johnson's current projects include a residential development in Diriyah Gate in Saudi Arabia, a new park and exploration centre in Sharjah, and a Mediterranean-style residential development in Egypt, and others.

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08 GOMEZ Ignacio

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

\ THE W HOTEL EXTENSION TOWER is a Resort Hotel extension of the current hotel Mina Syahi Hotel, however it is a stand-alone development with its independent access and drop-off area.

I

gnacio Gomez, born in Andalusia, Spain in 1975, earned a Master of Architecture and Engineering with Honors from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, ETSAM, as well as a postgraduate programme in Museography and Exhibition Spaces from the Foundation Antonio Camuas, Centro Superior

design-middleeast.com

de Arquitectura in Madrid, Spain. Prior to joining Aedas, he was a partner and design director at Godwin Austen Johnson. He was responsible for leading the overall design direction and a number of key projects in the Middle East.

Gomez has over 19 years of professional experience in architecture and has

GLOBAL DESIGN PRINCIPAL AEDAS

established himself as a key design architect in the region with a growing portfolio of projects recognised for their brilliance since migrating to the Middle East in 2006.

He believes that virtual and fictional narratives have been and will continue to be immensely important sources of inspiration and that as the economy and world enter unknown territory, architects can and should play a role in the role of imaginary landscapes and stories. The architect must be able to turn to create non-fiction. The work then becomes an active entity in society's minds, similar to a fable or myth.

The source becomes less relevant, even obliterated, and what matters more is how the building or the city lives on in collective memory.

Gomez strives to deliver unique and individual solutions for each project and takes pride in the fact that they never follow the route of formulaic design. He further feels that automation and rapidly evolving technology are altering the design and construction industries, enabling engineers and architects to better harness the power of data, manage risk, and improve efficiency. The meeting

of digital technologies— machine learning, robotic automation, sensoring, and big data—could rethink builtenvironment concepts and present architects with new opportunities.

His designs earned him the title of "Young Architect of the Year" at the Middle East Architect Awards 2010, while his Red Sea Riviera Master Plan was named Best Residential Project of the Year at the same event. Ignacio received the Cityscape Global Award 2011 for Diplomatic Quarter Celebration Hall and Best Hospitality Project for The Chedi Khorfakkan at the Middle East Architect Awards 2012, and most recently for Architect of the Year 2019 and "Sustainable Project of the Year" & "Innovation In Design Award" for ENOC Future Station At Dubai Expo at Design Middle East Awards 2020, and "Hospitality Project of the Year" for SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences at Middle East Architect Awards 2021.

His work has appeared in magazines such as Fisuras Magazine, Future Architecture Magazine, Via Arquitectura, 2A, Middle East Architect, and Construction Week, as well as some of the most popular architecture websites such as Dezeen and Archidaily.

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09 AL ASSAM Mohamed FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN

architectural firm in the Middle East.

Al Assam has also played a role in leading the firm towards sustainable design. Over the past few months several of our projects have won LEED accreditation. He is an active speaker and debater, and contributes often to public and professional forums.

Dewan's diverse portfolio includes projects like Madinat Al Nakheel in Iraq and Samarra University in Iraq, The Fountain View and Port De La Mer in Dubai, Mamsha Al Saadiyat and Yas Viceroy Hotel in Abu Dhabi, and many more.

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largest developers and clients in the region. The office continues to grow its portfolio across the region and with forays into Africa, CIS countries, and SE Asia, firmly establishing itself as an international practice.

An extensive experience and professional knowledge in all types of projects life cycle from inception to construction and turnkey.

Al Assam is an effective coordinator and facilitator of team performance and has wide experience in a multidisciplinary context, with the ability to lead technical and administrative staff, to achieve a high architectural quality and profitable results. As a chairman of the board of directors, Al Assam has participated in setting the strategic direction of the firm.

With his sound strategic awareness in business Development, the firm has achieved several international awards and nominations. Dewan is currently staffed with over 300 professionals and working on an extensive portfolio of projects in various sectors and across 10 countries in the GCC, Africa, and Asia.

Dewan has just been given top honours after being ranked among the world’s top 50 architectural firms. The company was also recently ranked as top four

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

B

orn in to a middle-class family, with roots in the old city of Najaf. As the son of both ancient cities of Baghdad and Najaf, important factors that played a major role in the thinking and performance of Al Assam as an individual, an architect, and at a later stage, as an urban planner.

Mohamed completed his high school with an outstanding score, allowing him to apply and get into the Architecture School of Baghdad University.

Al Assam moved to the UAE in 1976. In the UAE, only the larger cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi had the shape of real cities at that time. In this sensitive environment, Mohamed’s firm Dewan Architects + Engineers emerged and established itself (established in Abu Dhabi 1984 ) as a leading contributor to the cityscapes of the UAE through its practices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and later in Baghdad, Barcelona, Manila, Sahrjah, and Riyadh.

Over the past 35 years, Dewan Architects + Engineers has focussed on developing its name and brand as a “design-led” architectural firm. Dewan has maintained its solid reputation as “The Quality Architects” and has maintained an impressive client portfolio of the

MARCH 2022

DEWAN ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS

\ Embracing a sense of duality, THE ADDRESS RESIDENCE FOUNTAIN VIEWS is a glittering gateway between commercial and residential zones in Downtown Dubai.

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10 ALI

Mohamed

DESIGN DIRECTOR

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

RMJM

W

ith over 16 years of experience, Mohamed Ali is the design director at RMJM. He was involved in the development of over 35 projects, ranging from high to mid-rise residential buildings to hotels, mixed-use, retail, commercial, industrial, and office buildings.

Emaar, Meraas Holding, Sorouh, DSOA, TDIC, TECOM, Omniyat, RAK Properties, Sharjah Holding, PIF, Masar, Thakher, Misk, and Qiddiya are among RMJM's existing clients. Mohamed feels that they add a fresh new perspective to the countries' growth, particularly to mixeduse commercial and residential complexes where densification creates an 'urban hub.' \ CONFIDENTIAL PROJECT, MAKKAH, KSA

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“I think architectural thinking is quite often about how to manage the complexity of different stakeholders, that’s why I consider architecture as a puzzle with an infinite number of pieces; every piece counts and makes a difference. My passion is to find the missing components, pull them together and execute into a fantastic workflow,” feels Ali. Design, in Ali's opinion, is a recurring process of sculpting visionary ideas into realistically buildable structures. Technology has returned the glory of history's great architects and enabled them to construct the most complex projects. His role is to build virtual mockups and do electronic snagging prior to construction.

Ali is one of the industry's leading innovators, with several of his projects focussing on bridging the gap between design and technology. In addition to architectural design, Ali is the founder of RMJM PIM, a studio that combines the latest technologies and international design standards with a collaborative mentality to produce seamless and efficient delivery services. Its goal is to reshape the real estate sector

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

\ INNOVATION HUB, TECOM, Dubai, UAE is a new business park within the Dubai's Internet City Freezone.

The project consists of 11 low rise office buildings which encircle a landscaped pedestrian courtyard.

MARCH 2022

\ THAKHER GARDENS, Makkah, KSA the Thakher Gardens have been designed as a gateway site to a new Thakher city, integrating the mixeduse development into a single cohesive and efficient approach allowing for the creation of a new urban quarter that is a destination for living, hospitality, events, shopping, leisure, and civic use.

by offering clients full control over time, cost, and quality by incorporating design and construction intelligence into the project lifecycle.

"Transparency is my leadership model: the ability to listen and act while remaining responsible for the final decision." It's a difficult task that requires a lot of strength in order to maintain a great balance between capabilities and requirements.

"It's yet to be accomplished simply by being,” adds Ali. RMJM's versatility is demonstrated by its ability to complete projects of various

sizes. As a result, the company's initiatives attain a degree of long-term viability that does not detract from the company's long-term portfolio of work.

Ali's job as a design director is to use a holistic approach to design and consider the local environment to create places that seems inclusive, lively, and meaningful. He provides consistent leadership for activities such as project planning and direction, programming, design, technical application coordination, graphic portrayal, client relations, winning work, and publish-grade documents.

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11 Mirjan

MEHMEDINOVIC ASSOCIATE – ARCHITECTURE

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

STUDIO INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS (SIEC)

B

orn and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mirjan Mehmedinovic is an architect with over 10 years of worldwide experience in the Middle East and Europe. After graduating from the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Architecture, he initiated his career at the university’s Institute for architecture, urbanism, and spatial planning. At the Institute, Mehmedinovic led several highly-acclaimed residential and commercial architecture projects from initial planning and design to completion and delivery for over four years. His most

notable project was the University Library for which he received 2012 Annual Award for Artisticum for Best Architectural Realization from the Association of Architects in B&H Chapel of Vrhbosna’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese.

Seeing the tremendous infrastructure growth plans in the Middle East, Mehmedinovic made a strategic career decision to move to Qatar, where he joined CEG Doha as an architect. At CEG, he was engaged primarily on residential, projects over the course of two years. Mehmedinovic relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2014, to work as a design architect with Arabtec, where he worked on the most innovative, next-generation projects. Among the largest projects, he worked on while at the company were the SZR Tower in Dubai, as well as the Al Reem Island master plan, and Al Badia master plan in the UAE. After acquiring international experience and expertise, Mehmedinovic relocated to Dubai with colleagues in his network

to launch Studio International Engineering Consultants (SIEC) in 2014.

As an in-house technology expert, Mehmedinovic has steered some of the company’s most mission-critical projects using leading-edge design and presentation tools including BIM and Lumion. As of 2021, SIEC counts Emaar, Dubai Properties, Nshama, Eagle Hills, Dubai South, Amaala, DGDA, and the Al-Futtaim Group on its client roster.

He has worked on several highprofile projects at SIEC, including the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club, Jetex Terminal, KSA Airport, Science Museum, Saadiyat Island Hotel and Resort, The Pulse Mall, and Mudon Residences.

He also remains a passionate advocate of sustainability with a reputation for crafting structures that lie at the intersection of stunning design and environmental stewardship. He is a licensed architect in Bosnia & Herzegovina and is currently a member of the Society of Engineers in the UAE.

RIGHT \ For the MUDON VIEWS project by SIEC, the focus was to maximise the efficiency of the building layout by limiting the number of cores and reducing the area of circulation while maximising the saleable areas. design-middleeast.com

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12 DUFRESNE Pierre Martin PARTNER AND DESIGN PRINCIPAL U+A

World Records has since dubbed the remarkable gravitydefying hotel/office is the world's most leaning tower.

Dufresne has also written a book about the tower: 18 degrees - Capital Gate The Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi Birkhauser Verlag GmbH. Dufresne co-founded the award-winning firm U+A in 2007, and has been the driving force behind the company's personalised design approach ever since. His architectural enthusiasm stems from his long-standing fascination with 'living structures,' or buildings that improve the lives of their residents on a daily basis.

He has always valued the architect's intrinsic responsibility and affinity for providing, understanding, and executing a design that is personalised to the client's individual needs, giving each place a soul and a purpose.

Dufresne continues to hone his skills by embracing new technology and employing cutting-edge design tools.

Understanding the quick pace of design, he is constantly championing the relevance of design within the new challenges dictated too often by the real estate industry's excessive demands. His reputation has since grown to include regional recognition as one of the top 10 most prominent architects in the Middle East. He also leads all of U+A's international operations, pursuing design excellence in the studios in London, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Montreal.

Dufresne has worked directly with prestigious clients such as Amaala, Emaar, Meraas, ADNEC, Hines US, IBM PRC, China Telecom PRC, Centrair Japan, Aman Resorts Singapore, GHM Hotels, Beaufort Group HK, and Indigo.

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

P

ierre Martin Dufresne graduated from Canada's prestigious Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism in 1996, before moving to South East Asia, where his passion for design excellence bloomed during his seven-year stint at multinational giant HOK's Hong Kong office. Dufresne was quickly given a senior role for the architectural concepts of a number of prestigious commercial and residential projects in the region, which led him to develop a keen interest in large-scale projects. His experience also took him to a variety of regional locations, where he oversaw the design of projects in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and China. He then accepted a sought-after senior position at award-winning Kerry Hill Architects in Singapore. Dufresne worked on several high-end resorts in Southeast Asia, including the Chedi in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the Sukhothai in Bangkok, and the Amansara in Cambodia.

Dufresne relocated to Dubai in 2005, where he famously developed one of Abu Dhabi's most striking emblems, Capital Gate while working for RMJM. Guinness Book of

\ VILLA AMALFI project by U+A is a limited residential development by Meraas consisting of 68 townhouses in the heart of Jumeirah Bay Island.

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13 SALEHI Kourosh DESIGN DIRECTOR

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

MENA & LWK + PARTNERS GLOBAL DESIGN PRINCIPAL

\ Redefining Retail - SMART MALL - KSA

K

ourosh Salehi has overseen some of LWK + PARTNERS and the region's most complex and prestigious projects including The Islamic Library of Makkah, Qetaifan Island North, The One & Only Montenegro, Katara, Burj Crown, the iconic Sky Garden Bridge and innovative research and development projects for The Roads and

\ EMAAR BURJ CROWN luxury club lounge - UAE design-middleeast.com

Transport Authority (RTA). During this time he has delivered a wide range of masterplans, supertall towers, residential, museum & cultural, civic, transport, retail & entertainment complexes and mixed-use projects.

As evidenced by his global experience and multiple award-winning projects, Salehi is involved in pioneering high-rise mixed-use towers and masterplans that incorporate technology, sustainable materials, and new building techniques. He is a wellknown regional artist who works in a variety of media, including painting, collage, photography, multi-media, and sculpture, with a passion that infuses everything he does.

He is currently working on blueprints for the future technoindustrial city, which involves the design of all modes of city components and advanced integration systems, as well as a staged strategy for how the implementation would guide the city's and nation's progress over the next 100 years. >>>

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Salehi is the MENA region's Head of Studio, as well as one of LWK + PARTNERS' Global Design Principals and a member of the MENA Board. He is a British architect and urbanist who received his education and training at one of London's top design institutions. For over two decades, he has worked as an educator and a visiting

| DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

lecturer of design at various prestigious institutions in the UAE, as well as a visiting international critic at institutions in the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and China. He is currently working on a series of research papers and presentations on the storytelling methodology that drives the MENA region's place-specific architecture.

Salehi has the vast foreign experience, having lived in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Asia, and China for over 30 years. In places such as London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Makkah, Dubai, and Doha, he has overseen the design process for a variety of metropolitan skylines, with his most recent completed tower design being the "Habtoor City Towers" and the award-winning "Emaar Burj Crown" is currently under construction in Dubai. Context, community and human experience inform his approach as an urbanist, where he explores a range of design interventions, to grow knowledge, and grapple with the challenges of the contemporary built environment.

His design philosophy combines imaginative and skilful manipulation of form with the ability to draw inspiration from a wide range of information and experiences. He was in charge of a variety of cultural initiatives in Saudi Arabia, including Makkah's Islamic Library, Dammam's Andalus Arena, and Riyadh's Najdi-influenced Institutions His most recent projects include a masterplan framework for regional regeneration in Saudi Arabia and a series of iconic passenger ferry terminals for Abu Dhabi Ports, which are now under construction in the capital. His Sky Garden Bridge across Dubai Creek, received Royal endorsement and has been featured in a number of international design journals.

Against other globally recognised firms, Kourosh's remarkable design skills and passion have helped secure several high-profile projects in the Middle East and abroad. He is a member of a Design Leadership & Innovation Group that is helping to transform LWK + PARTNERS from a 35-year-old Hong Kong-based architectural firm into a globally integrated design studio.

He sees design as an enriching and immersing process, and he is a major supporter of Arab culture and its translation into a current design that is contextually relevant. Places that react to future influences and conditions are yet to be placed on them. Salehi seeks to conceive and deliver exceptional buildings and places that respond to these complex interdependencies.

In an era of fast-moving information platforms, new ways of representation and communication are needed. The field of architecture is becoming increasingly complex, necessitating new methods of inquiry and design: Salehi has passionately invested in digital and immersive means of representation, in exploring the boundaries of expression and the way the narrative of design is communicated with the end-users.

MARCH 2022

\ DEIRA SMART PLAZA - UAE

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14 SHUAIB Tarek H. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

PACE

C

hoosing to build upon the storied legacy of a firm that sparked an

architectural revolution and renaissance in Kuwait and the region, Pace’s current CEO and lead architect, Tarek Shuaib decided to pursue his

\ AVENUES RIYADH - Exterior view

design-middleeast.com

professional career at the firm founded by his father, renowned architect and master planner, Hamed Abdul Salam Shuaib.

Introduced to architectural excellence from a very early age, Shuaib developed a passion for the industry that made it inevitable as a chosen profession. He earned a Master’s degree in

Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis in the United States, and a Bachelor’s from The American College in London, England.

Shuaib began working with some of Pace's most prestigious government clients, including The Amiri Diwan, Bayan Palace, the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait University, KISR, and the Ports Authority, to mention a few. He was assigned key and diverse responsibilities in his various roles, including local and regional client liaisons, interior design, and site supervision.

Within a few short years, Shuaib started taking over as Managing Partner of the firm, and in 2017, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer – leading Pace to become an industry-leading multi-disciplinary consultancy firm in the region, with an international reputation for design excellence and an innovative, quality-focused approach to project delivery and construction. Under his leadership, and running all

three regional offices (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain), Pace has delivered more than 1800 projects across the region and internationally to date.

Drawing upon more than 30 years of professional experience, and in-depth industry knowledge, Shuaib succeeded in capitalising on the firm’s legacy, and under his leadership, Pace continued to deliver award-winning projects and internationally recognised landmarks that fairly influenced the country and some of the region’s architectural landscape. Some of the international honours and accolades Pace was able to nab during Tarek’s tenure include awards from the World Architecture Festival, World Architecture News, World Stadium Congress and International Road Federation.

Shuaib is an architectural influencer and visionary who has been highly successful at identifying emerging trends in the market and in adapting his firm's approach to meet its client’s ever-changing needs. >>>

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\ AVENUES KUWAIT - Interior

regional offices – one in KSA and another in Bahrain - overseeing the firm’s work in planning, property and infrastructure across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Pace’s most recent notable project overseen by Shuaib in the education sector includes the new Sabah Al-Salem University City University Campus Administration Facilities.

The internationally award-winning project is the largest construction package of the entire development and entails the construction of seven buildings that mark the City’s main entrance and gateway, situated on a 55,085sqm plot, with a total builtup area of 318,867sqm (worth USD 630 million). While in the health sector, Shuaib delivered/oversaw some of the region’s most prominent healthcare facilities including the Jahra medical city (valued at USD 1.18 billion) and the New Maternity Hospital, among several others.

Pace contributed to the overall architectural landscape, locally and regionally, with several awardwinning and globally recognised projects including the Central Bank of Kuwait Headquarters, Kuwait National Museum, Sabah Al Salem Stadium, and Jazeera Airways Terminal.

Notable regional works include Marassi Al Bahrain in Manama, redevelopment of Kuwait's famous Souk Al-Mubarakiya, Assima Mall in Kuwait City and numerous projects in Saudi Arabia such as the Red Sea and Qiddiya Infrastructure projects, Diriyah Gate Infra Spine, The Avenues Riyadh, and Riyadh Metro.

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changing needs of the market and clients. He succeeded in maintaining a steady momentum of his ongoing internal transformation to promote greater operational efficiency and better results, as well as actively pursuing further new technologies and innovations.

Another big part of his achievements is expanding Pace’s operations both in Kuwait and internationally, with three full-fledged offices across the GCC including our headquarters in Kuwait and two

MARCH 2022

\ AVENUES KUWAIT - Exterior

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

As a design principal, Shuaib was an instrumental force in bringing Pace to the twenty-first century, spearheading the firm’s transformation into a contemporary multidisciplinary consultancy firm that influenced the urban planning and development in the region as a whole.

Furthermore, with his technical and integrated expertise spanning a wide range of sectors including masterplanning, property, and infrastructure, Shuaib has delivered and is currently overseeing a plethora of significant projects of varying functions and magnitudes, both locally and overseas, for both public and private sector clients. According to his clients and co-workers, Shuaib strives to ensure that every aspect of these projects seamlessly maintained the highest standards in terms of design, quality, timely delivery, safety, value, and cost-effectiveness.

Under his mentorship, Pace’s team is always encouraged to reflect and speculate to become well-practised problem solvers. With the past couple of years being transformative for the construction industry because of the pandemic, Shuaib managed to sustain business continuity by remaining flexible, adaptive, and dynamic at all times, in order to meet the ever-

design-middleeast.com

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15 BURNSIDE Jason PARTNER

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

GODWIN AUSTEN JOHNSON

J

ason Burnside is a partner and one of Godwin Austen Johnson's (GAJ) prominent design architects. The Irish architect brings to the firm a wealth of technical knowledge, as well as decades of experience and a natural sense of the built environment's functionality.

He is a versatile architect with experience in a variety of sectors, including residential, hospitality, leisure, and mixed-use buildings.

He also has extensive education experience, having led the design of more than 20 schools in the region.

As one of the longest-serving architects in the firm, Burnside has designed and delivered some of GAJ’s highest-profile collaborations including Gate Village at DIFC with Sir Michael Hopkins Architects and the Federal National Council in

\ THE SPACE at Dubai College by GAJ

partnership with Ehrlich Architects.

More recently Burnside and his team handed over several exciting projects including The WB Abu Dhabi, Curio Collection by Hilton-the first-ever Warner Bros. themed hotel as well as the new Miral Headquarters Abu Dhabi.

A number of projects are currently keeping Jason and his team busy including the Al Furjan School and Ladybird Nursery in Dubai both of which broke ground late last year.

These two new schools are the latest in the portfolio of schools for the Arcadia Education group with the Ladybird Early Learning Centre, The Arcadia School, and Arcadia High School also completed by GAJ. In Saudi Arabia, the team is now working on numerous new projects, including a residential development in Riyadh, as well as a cultural project and a new school in the Eastern province.

\ The entrance of the ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL designed by GAJ design-middleeast.com

16 KRASINSKI

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Ivar

FOUNDING PARTNER/DESIGN DIRECTOR EDGE ARCHITECTS

I

var Krasinski is an architect with 26 years of experience. As design director and lead master planner for EDGE, he has designed and delivered over 14mnsqft of buildings and worked on masterplans totalling over 5000ha.

Net Zero is at the top of Krasinski's agenda along with pandemic-responsive architecture and engineering. He leads a multidisciplinary team, consisting of over 20

specialised disciplines, creating a large mixed-use development in Masdar Sustainable City, which will go out for tender soon. It consists of five buildings, a podium, and a climateresponsive, and pedestrianised public realm.

It is one of the most highly-rated projects in the GCC, with a large multi-storey Net Zero component, and all buildings achieving 4 pearl Estidama, LEED platinum, WELL Gold, and Masdar Sustainability Criteria (MSC).

Krasinski is simultaneously working on several high rise, master planning, and residential projects.

Sports architecture paved the way for this integrated approach. His early work included the Bronx's Yankee Stadium, the Cleveland Browns, and Bahrain's National Stadium. His decision to take this path reflected his interest in city planning and his conviction that the design of large venues require comprehensive knowledge of their entire urban context from a multidisciplinary standpoint.

Using his extensive sports experience as a foundation, he was able to deliver mixed-use designs for Dubai Motor

City, KAEC, and KAFD, resulting in a large scale, heterogeneous master planning portfolio that merges large complex data streams and optimises performance by balancing public realm requirements, environmental consciousness, use mix, and financial models.

Krasinski's projects have received numerous awards, including Yankee Stadium, the multi-award-winning 1/ JBR, and the most sustainable hospital for Al Mafraq Hospital.

His focus on the Integrated Design Process (IDP) approach and the potential for reduced embodied energy and energy usage of buildings while lowering both capex and opex is made even more effective by the use of BIM from the start of each design, providing tight control of all parameters. Krasinski devotes much of his time to university outreach, collaborating with institutions in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, India, and the European Union to help the next generation of architects embrace the latest in the design process, sustainability, pandemic-responsive design, and the overall priorities of architecture and planning for this century.

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RIGHT \ THE LINK is a Net Zero, LEED Platinum, Estidama 4 pearl and WELL Platinum rated project in Masdar Sustainable city, designed

by Ivar Krasinski’s team.

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17 AJUN Necdet

FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

ATI CONSULTANTS, ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS

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ecognised as one of the most prominent architects in the region, Turkish architect Necdet Ajun is the founder and principal architect of ATI Consultants, Architects and Engineers which he established in 1980. Known for his rational approach, intelligent solutions, and delicate details, Ajun’s core philosophy is to create universal and human-centric design solutions.

He is a mentor to a number of well-known architects and engineers in the region, and his professorial approach, distinct style, and drive for design quality have made Ajun and ATI a favoured partner for many prominent projects and customers, resulting in the firm winning winning various prestigious design awards.

Before starting his own firm, Ajun worked as a senior architect for Hans Pfitzer Architects in Stuttgart, Germany until 1977.

Subsequently, he was manager and lead architect for German Gulf Consulting Engineers in the UAE until 1980.

The success of his first project in the region, the Khorfakkan Royal Palace, built on top of the mountain and one of Khorfakkan's architectural icons, paved the way for him to settle in the UAE. Since then, he has run his own practise, where he has designed and completed over 700 successful projects around the world, and has organically grown the firm to become an award-winning, multi-disciplinary consultancy that encompasses several design disciplines, a house of expertise, global offices, and partnerships that actively complement the architectural core of the practce.

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With over 45 years of regional experience, his work includes some of the most recognisable educational institutions, residential buildings, and mixed-use complexes in the region.

Celebrating his four decades of hard work and commitment, as well as his creative vision for the future, ATI is now headquartered in their stunning office in Dubai and is actively pursuing the design of various projects internationally and in the UAE. Recent projects include a sustainable urban mixed-use development in JVC, Dubai, as well as a 60-storey residential high-rise tower and K-12 school in Iraq. \ Aerial View of SNOW TOWER, UAE

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19 ANI

Raya FOUNDER / DESIGN DIRECTOR

RAW-NYC ARCHITECTS

18 Islam

MARCH 2022

EL MASHTOOLY

W

ith over 15 years of experience in the industry, Islam El Mashtooly is a regionally and internationally recognised architect, urbanist, and educator. He is dedicated to creating architecture that supports and strengthens communities, with a philosophy that emphasises harmony within context, in addition to the MENA region's climate, culture, and traditions In 2021, Mashtooly's architectural concept for "JANNAT MASJID" won in the "Future Projects" category at the highly prestigious World Architecture Festival Awards. The project, designed as a place of peace that exudes unity, encompassing inclusion and diversity was named the winner in a category with over 550 finalists dedicated to celebrating excellence.

2021 marked the third year Islam has won a category at the WAF, following ‘Residential Building of the Year’ in 2016, and Baghdad design centre in 2018.

Mashtooly has been named as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Architects in the Middle East for five consecutive years. He has won the United International Architects Award in Baku two years in a row. He was nominated for The Mohamed Makiya Prize for Middle Eastern Architecture Personality for two years in a row. He was nominated for two consecutive years to win The Mohamed Makiya Prize for Middle Eastern Architecture Personality.

Using his expertise in urban environments, Mashtooly was a leader in creating OBMI's vertical resort concept, AERA, alongside the firm's teams worldwide. The vertical architecture minimises the footprint in areas where land is precious in value and availability. This innovative design has won multiple awards, demonstrating his thoughtful approach.

Uptown Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Etihad Airways HQ in Abu Dhabi, and the Shelter on the Edge project in Syria are among his significant work.

R

aya Ani is a multi-disciplinary architect and urban designer with over 25 years of worldwide experience in Baghdad, Boston, Dubai, Germany, and New York City. She was the 2017 President of the American Institute of Architects-Middle East Chapter.

Her interests in melding innovation, sustainability, and technology, and her drive to empower and lead by example has resulted in her becoming the founder and design director of RAWNYC Architects, an award-winning interdisciplinary studio based in New York City and Dubai. Raya Ani was bestowed upon the title of Fellow American Institute of Architects for her excellence in design and outstanding contributions in the field of architecture.

Raya Ani's boundless energy to inspire and empower through her creative and strategic visions is seen in the Iraqi Pavilion at Expo 2020. In 2019, Raya Ani created the opportunity for Iraq and Iraqis to be visible at a world expo by creating the opportunity for Iraq. She lobbied for Iraq’s participation at Expo 2020, designed and supervised the construction of the Iraq Pavilion for three years. In 2021, Raya Ani was appointed the President of the Jury for the international architectural competition for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Al Nouri Complex in Mosul by UNESCO. She was also named to Forbes' 50 Over 50 List, which honours women from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia who are making waves in their fields.

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

OBMI

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SENIOR LEAD DESIGNER

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20 MARCON Antonio CHAIRMAN

M+N ARCHITECTURE

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rchitect Antonio Marcon was born in Treviso, in the North-East of Italy, and studied architecture at the University of Florence, where he received his degree in 1976. After an initial period of academic research in urban planning, in 1977 Marcon registered as a chartered architect with the Italian Order of Architects (O.A.P.P.C.) and created a first design team; he later founded the studio Marcon Architetti in 1984.

Marcon started working very young and through the years has developed a wide experience in the design of educational and medical facilities, as well as residential and commercial buildings.

As lead architect, he developed major building programmes for the University of Florence, the University of Modena and Reggio, the local health authorities of Florence and Prato and several municipalities of the regions of Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, and Veneto. He has a strong background in bioclimatic and sustainable

design-middleeast.com

architecture, as well as architectural design, and project management.

In 2010, Marcon was one of the founding partners of M+N Architecture and was appointed member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the company; since then he has supported the firm with his unique experience and vision for the growth of the firm from a strategic and technical point of view.

He has been involved as a lead principal in many of the major projects developed

by M+N: Al Maharat Pvt. School in Abu Dhabi (a school for 2,000 students from KG to G12), Al Raha Lofts (a residential complex of 164 units in Al Raha Beach), the interiors of the new Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in Dubai, Khidmah/Provis HQ at Yas Mall (which received LEED Platinum certification), and the renovation of ZonesCorp HQ in Abu Dhabi.

He has won several public design tenders and competitions in Italy, including the national competition #Scuoleinnovative with a proposal for a new typology of school for 1,000 students and the competition for the Art School of Perugia; he has also worked on restoration projects, including the 18th century Palazzo Centi in L'Aquila, HQ of the regional government, and the 16th century Palazzo Sant’Apollonia in Florence occupied by the Administrative Court.

Marcon is currently assisting the site team in the implementation of his design for a new office building for the Ministry of Interior in Abu Dhabi, which is now under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2023, as well as working on the interiors for the new HQ of a prominent project management company based in Dubai.

\ Office building of MINISTRY OF INTERIORS, Abu Dhabi by M+N Architecture

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21 DABBAGH Sumaya PRINCIPAL

S

Dabbagh's portfolio includes commercial, residential, and educational projects in addition to cultural ones. The practice is also well-known for its quality-driven design. In 2017, they became one of the Gulf region's first RIBA Chartered Practices.

She was named Principal of the Year at the Middle East Architects Awards in 2019 and was a finalist for the Tamayouz Award for Women of Outstanding Achievements.

22 H.M.

Devaganga SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER OBMI

D

evaganga is the senior project manager of OBMI, and she has extensive expertise in managing and directing large-scale projects all over the world. With over 20 years of experience, she has an exceptional portfolio that includes worldwide projects in the hospitality, retail, multi-residential, and educational sectors, as well as managing multidisciplinary teams of approximately 100 people and building developments worth more than four billion AED. Her experience as project manager over the design of the New York University in Abu Dhabi covered a gross area of

370,600sqm. She expertly guided her team to develop and execute a scope that divided the university into multi-use levels with a pedestrian-oriented network of 29 academic, residential, student, and research buildings. Her strong relationship management and communication skills contributed to the premier government entities and officials such as the City of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Road Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai-Abu Dhabi Civil Defense, Urban Planning Council (UPC), the Abu Dhabi and Dubai-Abu Dhabi Civil Aviation. She most recently headed teams for a number of heritage projects in Saudi Arabia.

As a woman leading significant projects in her industry, Devaganga recognises and promotes the need for her peers to have a seat at the table. She also understands the importance of women in leadership roles and strongly supports activities that develop and promote gender equality in the industry.

Among her notable projects are the Oasis Luxury Hotel in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Palm Tower in Palm Jumeirah Dubai, and the Bloom Gardens in Abu Dhabi.

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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umaya Dabbagh is a Saudi architect who was educated in the United Kingdom. In 2008, she established Dabbagh Architects.

The practice's goal is to produce timeless architecture that enhances people's lives. Through its contemporary and unique approach to architecture, it addresses themes of identity, place, and context.

Dabbagh Architects is well-known for its culturally sensitive and contextual designs. Multiple honours have been bestowed upon their projects, Mleiha Archaeological Centre and the recently finished Gargash Mosque.

Dabbagh Architects are renowned for their culturally sensitive, contextual designs. The Mleiha Archaeological Centre and the recently completed Gargash Mosque have been globally recognised with multiple awards. The Al Ain Museum, which is currently under construction, is another addition to Dabbagh's new emerging architecture in the region.

MARCH 2022

DABBAGH ARCHITECTS

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23 WOODALL Sandra DESIGN DIRECTOR

TANGRAMGULF

S

andra Woodall is a passionate environmentalist, architect, urbanist, and researcher who has lived and worked in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for over 25 years.

She is the design director at tangramGULF, which delivers diverse social infrastructure projects in the MENA region.

She is responsible for driving sustainable strategies and solutions throughout the practice and has a completed body of work that has been recognised internationally for "continuing to push boundaries with fresh and creative concepts across the area, which have sustainability at their core" (MEA Awards, 2014).

Including concepts that garnered six international sustainability awards for five different projects over the course of four years, tangramGULF was named the "2019 MENA Architecture Firm of the Year" by the Middle East Economic Digest.

She is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Society of Arts, an Academician at the UK’s Academy of Urbanism, and is the RIBA Regional Ambassador for sustainability, promoting and developing British design skills internationally.

Woodall moved to the UAE from the UK in the mid-1990s to work on the analysis, review, and

\ WOMEN AND CHILDREN’S ONCOLOGY AND RADIOTHERAPY HOSPITAL, Algeria

design-middleeast.com

development of the Al Ain City master plan, which had been implemented a decade earlier by Shankland Cox, igniting a lifelong commitment to broadening an understanding of desert urbanism and the delivery of regionally significant schemes that respect and respond to local climatic, environmental, cultural, social, and economic sustainability needs.

This was supplemented by a much higher awareness of the usage of traditional materials and methods of construction when she joined Godwin Austen Johnson to work on the rehabilitation and development of Sharjah's historic Arts and Heritage Area. Working with the government's archaeological expert to ensure that traditional desert urbanism and building construction techniques were used in the development of the Sharjah Art Museum and the adjacent House of Poetry.

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PRINCIPAL AND GLOBAL CITIES AND PLACES LEADER

LEAD DESIGN ARCHITECT + BIM MANAGER

P

OWNER

DORSCH GRUPPE MIDDLE EAST

WOODS BAGOT

aolo Testolini is an architect and urbanist who has spent the last seven years in Dubai.

Prior to joining Woods Bagot, he worked in a variety of high-profile international architectural practises in the UK, Italy, Greece, and China. With more than 20 years of experience leading architecture, urban planning and environmental design projects, Testolini’s ethos is based upon a sensible business case for the proposed mix of uses and sustainable agenda. Testolini has recently been appointed to the Advisory Board for the American University of Dubai’s Architecture Department. Throughout 2020, he spent much of his time writing about the global pandemic’s influence on cities, creating the ‘Diaries of The Masterplanner’. As a global design leader, Testolini leads a large team with international experience led by individuals who have worked in various parts of the world on master plans of a similar scale and type including residential and entertainment-led masterplan such d3, Al Jada, and Dubai Creek Harbour.

26 GEHA Rabih

B

assel Omara is a multi-awardwinning Egyptian architect, designer, and artist with a humanitarian vision who has received numerous regional and global prizes and honours. After receiving various awards, including the WAFx 2018 "Ethics & Value" for his Sheltainer Project in Egypt, he successfully led the LLFP Meydan School in Dubai, a one-of-a-kind educational project that was recently named "Sustainable Project of the Year 2020" and "Design Educational Project of the Year 2021." Omara is currently focussing only on developing a new master plan vision for one of the UAE's major cities.

Omara has over 13 years of broad global experience and has successfully completed projects for both the public and commercial sectors ranging from Egypt to the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Libya, France, Mali, Iceland, and Germany. Gestalten, a well-known German publisher, published his work in the prestigious book "Container Atlas - A Practical Guide To Container Architecture," demonstrating that his achievement is not only regional but also global.

RABIH GEHA ARCHITECTS

R

MARCH 2022

Bassel

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24 TESTOLINI 25 OMARA Paolo

energy support facilities delivered by tangram’s multidisciplinary design teams across the region.

Woodall completed tangramGULF's first Mediterranean beach resort in Algeria in 2021, she also won National Hospitality Project of the Year at the MEED Project Awards and began working on new hospital prototypes for Egypt's Hospital of the Future programme in 2022, to deliver healthcare investment in the delivery of 21st Century facilities that meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals across the Arab world's largest nation.

abih Geha is the founder of the award-winning practice Rabih Geha Architects.

Geha holds a B.A. in Architecture from the American University of Beirut and earned his master’s degree from a French design school called the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle located in Paris. In 2006, Geha launched an experiment-driven and research-oriented workshop at l’Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts where he mentors Lebanon’s next generation of interior architects. He worked with Rudy Ricciotti in Marseilles and French architect Odile Decq in Paris before returning to Beirut.

What began as a modest office created to tell spatial stories and contribute to the disciplines of architecture and design in Lebanon, Rabih Geha Architects has grown into an internationally recognised, multi-awardwinning practice comprised of 15 talented architects and designers.

In 2021, he expanded his practice to the UAE and opened his office in Dubai Design District.

In 2022, the firm's other projects include Bedouin, an Italian vagabond-inspired nightclub and the restoration of two historical mansions in Beirut.

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

Woodall Joined tangramGulf in Dubai in 1999, where she worked on projects in the Public Realm, delivering 11 public buildings in 7 years, including the world's first green-roofed government building in 2007. She now drives sustainable strategies and solutions across the practice, which is critical to portfolio expansion across the entire Middle East and North Africa, delivering many first-of-their-kind schemes for national and regional significance projects. These include projects with specialisms in healthcare, laboratories, nuclear medicine and nuclear

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27 ZOUMBOULIS Andrea PARTNER ARCHITECT

SIZE | 1950 SQM LOCATION | Mohammed Bin Zayed city STATUS | Concept phase

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

REMY ARCHITECTS

\ MBZ III TYPE | Architecture - interior design fitout -supervision

design-middleeast.com

A

ndrea Zoumboulis, partner architect in charge of Remy Architects UAE Office, is a French– Greek architect.

She received her diploma from the Ecole Nationale d'Architecture Paris Val de Seine in Paris, France, and has worked in Paris, Athens, and Argentina.

She relocated to the UAE in 2015, and quickly began educating herself on all parts of the project and becoming acquainted with how the construction industry operates in the region.

Zoumboulis has built and developed multiple successful initiatives by combining positivism, a strong team spirit, and thinking beyond the box.

REMY Architects has received numerous national and international awards over the last 16 years. Their designs are the product of a thorough examination of the building's surroundings and users.

They design structures that deliver a sophisticated sense of luxury and comfort while having a low environmental effect.

This is accomplished by gathering extensive information on the client's requirements, the project's location, culture, available technologies,

geographical and climatic conditions, and so on. The firm also places a strong emphasis on user experience and sensory stimulation.

"It’s very important to reduce architecture to its essence, and therefore to its simplest form, in even the most complex projects.

Pure lines, use of raw materials and colours, local influences, functionality and sustainability are the foundations of our timeless architecture," feels Zoumboulis.

Zoumboulis is driven by excitement and passion, provides an interdisciplinary approach to design, integrating architecture, interior design, and sustainability.

REMY Architects believes in a collaborative design approach involving the owners, contractors, and design team.

Zoumboulis offers a unique perspective on the entire building process, from concept to completion, as well as a passion for design excellence and problem-solving.

REMY Architects excel at implementing the technical parts of a project to make the client's ambitions a reality, from large residential projects to small retail establishments for first-time business owners.

REMY Architects is currently working on several private residential projects in the UAE, Argentina, the USA, and Europe.

The studio's vision is to broaden its design language and develop projects of all varying scales within the region.

Zoumboulis has been on a variety of projects, including Cast Restaurant in Dubai, AD Residential Pearl Rower in Abu Dhabi, Baku House in Canada, and Sharjah villa.

\ NASEEJ CONCEPT STORE TYPE | Interior design - fitout -supervision SIZE | 90SQM LOCATION | Gate Avenue, DIFC, Dubai

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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STATUS | Completed in 2020

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28 ABOUZAID Mouaz

FOUNDER AND DESIGN PRINCIPAL

VERFORM DESIGN STUDIO

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

sum of their parts and ensures that each project incorporates a synthesis of design, function, and context, while also putting people at the centre of each design and assuring both beauty and meaning.

Growing up witnessing and studying the works of his graphic designer mother and architect father, Mouaz had a natural curiosity and passion for these crafts. He began his career by working for wellknown worldwide firms.

Throughout, and while working with international partnerships, he developed a great eye for how to execute the architectural design, as well as experience in areas ranging from concept generation to engineering.

M

ouaz Abouzaid is the founder and design principal of VERFORM, which is recognised throughout the Middle East for providing people-centric sustainable solutions.

Abouzaid has one overriding philosophy that underpins all his work is that the architecture and design have one simple function —to improve people's interactions with the built environment. The Cairoborn architect has been working for 17 years and has constantly championed the concept that individuals, regardless of background, need to truly feel at one with the spaces they occupy. As a result, for Abouzaid, whose company VERFORM is based in Dubai, it's not just about how people make architecture function, but also about how architecture can work for people.

He thinks that buildings are far more than the

design-middleeast.com

Branching out to achieve goals But he felt his true ambition lay elsewhere, and after fulfilling other people's missions with architecture in their own firms and projects, Abouzaid decided it was time to start his own design and research studio – VERFORM, a term that means "True-Form."

His objective with VERFORM became to produce detailed studied projects about social, political, and health challenges in the Middle East by focusing on socioeconomic difficulties in a specific location and proposing smart design solutions to fix them in collaboration with like-minded friends and teams.

And, like many other ambitious startups, Abouzaid began by working from an unused study room in his own house. His primary goal at the time was to conduct extensive research on urban or architectural issues and discern hypothetical solutions. >>>

BOTTOM \ AJMAN CULTURE DISTRICT PROJECT In the Ajman Cultural District project, tradition meets modernism, culture meets sustainability, and the past meets the present. As a series of architectural initiatives to alter Ajman is unveiled, a walk around the city will be transformed into a journey through the history and culture of a corner of the Islamic world.

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LEFT AND BOTTOM \ X-SPACE DUBAI URBAN GREENWAY: X-Space can serve as the lungs for a city seeking to reduce its carbon footprint, inspired by the sand that frequently sweeps across the UAE's highways

| DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

Shelter for Cairo’s low earners Sheltainer City was the name of an early project. It entailed converting shipping containers into souks and houses for Cairo's low-income citizens, giving them a roof over their heads and a place to call home. These industrial containers, which were frequently discarded after use, provided a simple and practical answer to the lack of one of the most fundamental human necessities – shelter.

Sheltainer focussed on those of the people who were most in need of the basic human right to a home. Many people were living in the inhospitable environment of a cemetery, where the bodies of the living and the dead physically lay side by side.

Abouzaid quickly recognised the literally heroic efforts of men, women, and children to maintain their dignity and hope while living in such terrible conditions, as they faced the enormous challenge of retaining their humanity as individuals while projecting a sense of grace and compassion towards their fellow neighbours.

The main goals of Sheltainer were to remodel the area to enable healthy living spaces and open areas for recreation, to create a community with improved housing conditions, and to regenerate and enhance the neighbouring markets to establish a commercial hub.

MARCH 2022

This theoretical approach, however, swiftly became a practical one – and it became about producing visual designs that offered concrete possibilities for change.

Greening Dubai city centre The use of sustainable materials, as well as the underlying principle of utilising and reinterpreting existing urban spaces, was also at the forefront of project X-Area, a pavilion located in the heart of Dubai, creating a green space for relaxation and allowing a connection with nature, in one of the world's fastest developing and stunning urban environments.

X Space is an open landscape among the skyscrapers and a green lung for the city, inspired by the movement of natural sands in the deserts of the UAE. Natural vegetation covers the city's main road, Sheikh Zayed Road, which runs beneath through a tunnel.

Community centre for rural settlement VERFORM has committed to developing a Community Hub for the Egyptian town of Arab Al-Sanae. After being contacted via social media by

a village resident seeking assistance in completing a development that some people had begun, Abouzaid saw there was a genuine need for architecture to improve the quality of local life.

As this year's World Architecture Festival prize winner, the project exemplifies Abouzaid 's design concept of revitalising and strengthening rural communities through sustainable building practices.

Overall, he sees architecture and design as a tool to reflect back to society a way of living and looking at areas that people have not yet imagined and to unify cities and people beyond boundaries through it.

Abouzaid's architecture enables people to explore new paths and discover new aspects of their surroundings, releasing their inner creativity and allowing for a greater appreciation of their surroundings.

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29 AKIKI Nabil CEO

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

FIVE DEVELOPMENT

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abil Akiki, CEO of FIVE Development, has over two decades of experience in the design, development, master planning, project management, and construction of diverse and mixed-use developments. He is also the mastermind behind the phenomenal architecture of FIVE Real Estate Development and FIVE

Holdings.

Known to have exceptionally delivered a range of world-class projects including hospitals, commercial and residential developments and luxury hotels and resorts in the GCC, North Africa, Middle East, and Europe, Akiki has a First-Class degree from INBA in Beirut

design-middleeast.com

Finishing top in his class, he received his Masters in Architecture from the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris, France on a special scholarship and graduated as Mageur De Promotion.

As a founding member of FIVE Holdings and the CEO of homegrown FIVE Real Estate Development in Dubai, Akiki proudly heads the design, development, and construction management of FIVE's projects, for which he has received over 40 regional and three global honours.

His journey with FIVE, from an architectural perspective, began in 2012 ideating Cappadocia, Villa Pera and Villa Myra are three luxury residential G+4 developments with over 220 luxury residential apartments in the Jumeirah Village Circle community. Despite a very challenging DCR and tight regulations for that zone, the spaces have been designed to be refreshingly modern and boast of organic architecture, which integrates lifestyle swimming pools and outdoor furnished terraces with the indoor luxury space of an apartment.

Akiki says: "For me, this was the the seed of an evolving architectural concept that opened up our clients’ awareness to the added value offered by the open air space. The swimming pool and fittedout terrace add to the luxe indoor expanse of an apartment."

He further adds: “FIVE Real Estate Development listens carefully to the needs of its clients, fully understands them - and then translates them into physical terms in order to best suit their overall lifestyle.”

Akki shares: “My current role is to absorb, analyse and understand the different thoughts, feelings and wishes of FIVE’s clients, as well as of FIVE’s team members whom interact on a daily basis with our guests. And, then, to apply my knowledge and experience in a FIVE-styled innovative manner to turn a common vision into reality. When you believe that architectural sesign is not simply about pure aesthetics and visual appeal - but primarily a responses to human needs, then your creations are alive, breathing and evolving day-by-day and sideby-side with humanity.”

He describes the FIVE design character as dynamic, pragmatic, unrestricted, and progressive.

“We enhance what has been successful and we implement our learnings from every project. We strive to always do better,” he concludes.

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30 TACHWALI Basel

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MANAGER DUPOD

allowed Tachwali to be acquainted with various industry advancements including concrete 3D printing, virtual design and construction, DFMA, and the process of industrialising construction, all of which will later help him in his roles at DuPod. Working on DuBox's engineering team allowed Basel to contribute to 30 projects totalling 300,000sqm of built up area, as well as liaise with reputable clients like as The Red Sea Development Company, Al Wasl, and Meraas. He was instrumental in the creation of award-winning projects known for their innovation and sustainability, such as The Coastal Village Residence by The Red Sea Development Company, for which DuBox was named sustainable project of the year 2020 at Big Projects Middle East and Technology Champion of The Year by Big Project Awards 2021.

By 2020, Basel was managing DuPod's engineering department, which specialised in hybrid (steel & precast) modular manufacturing, including utility pods, retail pods, F&B pods, and stand-alone structures. Using his DuBox experience and skills, and with the help of a skilled team of architects, designers, and engineers, Basel was able to quickly build DuPod's engineering department and implement efficient DFMA procedures optimised for modular construction. Tachwali was nominated for several prominent prizes during his time at DuPod, and he was named Young Talent of the Year (Highly Commended) by Design Middle East in 2021. Today, DuPod is recognised for its innovation in the field of construction and its enablement of construction technologies, obtaining various prestigious awards including Product Innovation of The Year by Big Project Awards 2021.

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

B

asel Tachwali is a young architect who is driven by his love of design and enthusiasm for innovation. He is always challenging and evolving project execution techniques.

Tachwali began his career at DuBox as an intern, devoting all of his time to the research of the digital and industrial realms of construction, giving him a unique perspective on modular construction. His mentor recognised his drive to driving change in the construction industry, and today he is a continuous improvement manager at DuPod, Amana's newest modular building subsidiary, where he will be responsible for research and development, digital integration, and product innovation.

DuBox, which has been a regional leader in concrete off-site modular construction since 2012 and is a hub for innovation and technology, functioned as a skill incubator, giving Tachwali the exposure he needed to build a strong technical foundation in the business. During his time in DuBox, Tachwali worked in several roles in both factory operations and engineering, learning the ins and outs of the modular system from design to execution.

Modular construction is a hub for technology integration

\ Pre-Fabricated pre-finished volumetric products manufactured to deliver consistency.

design-middleeast.com

50 Interview

Sustainability

at heart

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

MOHAND LAOUISSAT

Mohand Laouissat discovered his passion for interior design while working on homes throughout Europe. With over 10 years of expertise in the sector, he has successfully managed and overseen projects for Fortune 500 companies and gained clients such as Gucci, Mac Cosmetics, Charles De Gaulle Airport, and others.

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CO-FOUNDER AND CEO AT DAVOUJ DESIGN, TALKS ABOUT HIS DESIGN INFLUENCES, RECENT COLLABORATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND HOW SUSTAINABILITY IS CENTRAL TO HIS PROCESS

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Tell us more about Davouj Design and how your French design sensibility will influence your work in this region.

Davouj is a nickname given to my father, who passed away when I was 18 years old; he has always been an inspiration to me, especially when I decided to start my own business in the UAE. I wanted to reflect him in some way, as well as offer my European influence and upbringing to the region, which I felt was lacking.

While running my construction company in France, I began renovating apartments. It was a hobby that I did on the side because I loved and was passionate about interior design and transforming spaces for others. That, I believe, is part of what motivates me to witness the expressions on my customers' faces after I have brought their idea to reality.

What were some of the key influences that inspire your design?

What inspires my designs is delivering sustainable and multi-functional spaces at affordable prices. The focus should always be about how the client wants to feel in his/her space.

It’s a personal thing you see, your

space! It should represent you and reflect your personality or character in some way.

What are your core competencies, could you briefly explain?

Being a CEO I have to be resilient, multi-tasking, and make executive decisions on the spot sometimes.

Good listener – Listening to what the customer wants and understanding what is the expectation of the client.

Time management – Managing several projects across the UAE. Creatively and bring a French/European influence to my design approach and projects.

Passion – I believe that when you enjoy what you do, you perform at a far higher level than your competition.

Is your current collaboration with RR DECOR a strategy to expand into the Middle East market?

I'd say a little bit of both, one part strategic because it was vital to me from the start to find a company that was focussed on sustainability and high-quality finishing, and the other is that we genuinely work well together, which is something I believe is quite rare to find.>>>

Davouj Design's experienced and expert staff strives to make their clients' visions a reality.

The best part is that they always guide and collaborate with their clients from the initial meeting to the final result.

They meet all of their clients' interior design needs, regardless of the scale of the project.

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52 Interview

The customer desired a modern/classic style with a bright pop of colour for this project in Dubai Hills.

Davouj Design wanted to match the walls to the furniture, so they did classic molding work on one wall and painted it a bold orange colour, and modern molding work on the second wall and painted it black with two white panels on either side of the wall to avoid a clash of the orange and black.

PEOPLE TODAY ARE MUCH MORE CONSCIOUS OF WHAT THEY PUT IN THEIR HOMES, AND MANY OF MY CLIENTS NOW INQUIRE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT SPECIFIC PRODUCTS/ MATERIALS ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

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What has been one of your most interesting or rewarding project?

My most rewarding project was the one with Galleries La Fayette, Paris.

It is was rewarding in the sense that we built a long-lasting work relationship that spanned over years and I got to work on a variety of projects with them.

There’s a lot of focus on sustainability now. How has that evolved?

People today are much more conscious of what they put in their homes, and many of my clients now inquire about whether or not specific products/materials are environmentally friendly.

In terms of design and architecture, how do you see Dubai as a city? And how does it differ from well-known locations?

Dubai is very different to France.

Dubai is a city fairly young, you can view stunning architectural works of art like the Burj Khalifa and the Museum of the Future.

France, on the other hand, has an architecture that dates back thousands of years, hundred-yearold beauty both from exterior and interior. design-middleeast.com

How has COVID-19 influenced your design process, fit-out techniques, and sourcing?

COVID-19 gave me time to strategise and focus on which direction I wanted to take the business, because, as I previously stated, sustainability is important to me, so finding what I wanted in addition to looking at what the Middle East market lacks was important.

Bridging that gap; which for me was the quality of detail and execution matched with a good price point What trends are you are paying attention to in villa projects right now?

I'm focusing a lot on moulding work right now because there's a lot of demand for it in the market. From classic to geometric wall panelling, which I enjoy doing because it has always been a part of French culture since the time of the Kings.

If you had to define the term “being creative”, what would you say?

Being creative to me means not limiting yourself to a certain ideology of what interior design should be, what type of CEO you should be, or how is the best way to run your business. Be curious, don’t be afraid to be different, keep learning, and evolving.

What is the next project you’re slated to work on in the region?

I have a couple of projects in the pipeline in the UAE and Paris, and oddly, KSA has also been on my radar.

What do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?

In the fast-paced life, we live in today 10 years feels like an eternity so will focus on the next five and I would like to be one of the most successful start-ups born in the UAE and expanded to the rest of the world. I want to be leading in this field creating an impact on the planet using sustainable materials and technologies, in addition to having a positive financial impact on people’s lives by creating jobs.

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54 Air quality

BREATHE

fresh

HOW BLUEAIR’S DUSTMAGNET™ CAN ENSURE LESS DUST AND MORE CLEAN INDOOR AIR AT HOME

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

WORDS BY ALEXANDER PROVINS, DIRECTOR EMEA, BLUEAIR

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iving in the Middle East, the risk of dust within the home is a cause for concern for both the health of our families as well as its cleanliness.

A study by the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (Engeos) Laboratory at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi found that the UAE had an overall increase of up to 30% higher of tiny particles found in the air across Eastern Arabia since 2019, conclusive to the unusual escalation of sandstorms from Shamal winds. Although these dust particles may seem only a concern for those outside, the air knows no bounds and is therefore unconstrained from entering the home.

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Indoor spaces have been shown to contain particles, odours, VOCs and gases from household chemicals as well as other sources within the air at home. Many of them are a gateway to potential allergens and other health issues for both young and old. From gases such as nitrogen dioxide that is emitted when we cook on gas hobs, to pollutants from burning candles and toxins from household cleaning products, and of course dust allergens, indoor air quality faces constant deterioration, and effective measures are needed to address them.

Air purifiers are increasingly being seen as an important tool to help protect our health. Wanting to take this a step further, Blueair has now developed cutting edge technologies designed to capture airborne dust before it settles onto surfaces and floors. .>>>

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Here, Alexander Provins, Director EMEA, Blueair shares four benefits of how an air purifier, and more specifically the new Blueair DustMagnet™, can ensure dust free and clean indoor air.

1. Designed for a life with less cleaning Dust can quickly accumulate on surfaces, regardless of how often you clean. Blueair’s DustMagnet™ technology is uniquely designed to attract airborne dust particles like a magnet before they settle on floors and surfaces in a slick Scandinavian design that blends into the home like any other furniture. Thanks to a powerful airflow in combination

2. Removes other household contaminants Indoor air is estimated to be up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, according to EPA. The air we breathe consists of, for example, bacteria, viruses, pollutants, pet dander, different types of dust particles and even microplastics, which can find their way into our lungs and lead to allergies, asthma and other health conditions. In addition to dust, the DustMagnet™ effectively inactivates bacteria and viruses and removes 99.97% of airborne particles down to 0,1 micron in size, like allergens, pollen, mould, pet dander and microplastics, from the air, thanks to Blueair’s HEPASilent™ technology. The activated carbon in the DustMagnet™ filter also removes unpleasant household odours and smoke. Thanks to a combination

4. Better sleep Research suggests that air quality can significantly impact the quality of our sleep; microscopic dust, pollen, bacteria and chemical particles in your room may be the case. In addition to taking measures such as exercising more regularly, decreasing caffeine intake and keeping a regular sleeping-hygiene routine, improving the quality of air in your bedroom can go a long way towards helping achieve better sleep.

With the Blueair’s unique HEPASilent™ filtration technology, DustMagnet™ can produce more clean air at less air pressure, meaning whisper-silent operation and less energy use than a light bulb.

Moreover, with the DustMagnet™ “Night Mode”, the air will be cleaned at low fan speed with dimmed LED lights so you can enjoy a great night’s sleep.

MARCH 2022

3. Removes toxic plastic microfibers that are harmful to children When plastic fibres, which occur in many raw materials in our homes, are tiny enough to enter the lungs, they’re unlikely to degrade. This is linked to a number of health issues for both children and adults. It is even more crucial for children as their organs are still developing, making them more vulnerable to diseases. An air purifier can be an effective measure to help filter out these harmful air chemicals, gases, and pollutants. And when it comes to a child's environment, clean indoor air can improve learning conditions which can result in a better performance at school, enhanced abilities to concentrate and problem-solving, as well as allowing for a good night's sleep.

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with two positively charged pre-filters, airborne dust is captured and removed, resulting in less time spent dusting and vacuuming. With smart connected features and geofencing technology, the DustMagnet™ also ensures a clean home wherever you are. Available in two sizes, the DustMagnet™ 5240i is independently verified to clean rooms between 20m² and 48m² in size while the DustMagnet™ 5440i is designed for rooms between 33m² and 79m² in size. Blueair always recommends using an air purifier based on AHAMs standard of 4.8 air changes every hour to ensure continuously clean air in your room. With its smart sensor, it will also monitor real-time air quality conditions and auto-adjust to optimise its cleaning performance.

of electrostatic and mechanical filtration, Blueair’s unique HEPASilent™ filtration technology can use less dense filters than traditional air purifiers.

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When it comes to a child's environment, clean indoor air can improve learning conditions which can result in a better performance at school, enhanced abilities to concentrate and problemsolving, as well as allowing for a good night's sleep.

DustMagnet™ is available to buy from key retailers in the UAE, including Nia Home, Sharaf CG, Carrefour and Lulu Hypermarket, read more at www.blueair.com

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56 Project

Mesmerising Cultural

DESERT

D

EXPERIENCE

eep within the desert landscape lies Al Wathba, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi - an intimate retreat suffused with natural beauty and serene tranquility. With a distinct Spa as the hallmark of the hotel experience, guests can rebalance their equilibrium and embark on an individual wellness journey. Inspired by classical dwellings, the boutique resort’s 103 guest rooms and villas feature timeless local details, traditional artwork, and Arabesque accessories, alongside a range of dining destinations showcasing the dunes to panoramic perfection. Step away from it all into an exclusive natural environment, with the space to reconnect and the freedom to lose yourself.

Moustafa Sakr, Area General Manager of The St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Abu Dhabi and The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, Abu Dhabi, speaks to Kasun Illankoon on the unique offerings provided by the resort and how the architecture and designs reflect the Al Wathba region.

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Sheltered from the rest of the world with a bespoke decorative bamboo border and filled with luscious greenery, vibrant local flowers, sunbeds, comfortable seating and spaces for al fresco dining, the private and secluded ambiance ensures that everyone feels totally at ease and can switch off from reality

Inspiration for the architectural and design features of the resort The design of the resort is inspired by the look and feel of a traditional Arabian village.

Structured to blend seamlessly into the surrounding rolling dunes, it honours the history of the region and the Bedouin tribes. An immensely private boutique resort, it offers an immersive journey through the essence of Middle Eastern luxury and the warm and welcoming nature of authentic Arabian hospitality. Artwork and ornaments created by local artists and starring the most beautiful patterns and shapes of Emirati culture, add a special and unique touch to every suite, villa, restaurant, and relaxing public area.

Properties distinctive features Our stunning new state-of-the-art suites are certainly one of the highlights. Available with one or two bedrooms, the private and elegant spaces are ideal for couples, families, and friends alike. Adorned with elegant, hand

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carved wooden furnishings, classical artwork, Arabesque lamps, delicate mesh windows and designs influenced by the treasured traditions of the UAE, each enchanting suite is guaranteed to instil an instant sense of calm and comfort. Providing every relaxing amenity imaginable, guests can unwind in their own exclusive jacuzzi or plunge pool and spend quality time together out on their own private balcony or terrace. Sheltered from the rest of the world with a bespoke decorative bamboo border and filled with luscious greenery, vibrant local flowers, sunbeds, comfortable seating and spaces for al fresco dining, the private and secluded ambiance ensures that everyone feels totally at ease and can switch off from reality. Plush king-sized beds, stylish stone bathrooms including double sinks, vast bathtubs and magnificent walk-in showers complete the exceptional facilities. While the intimate and exclusive experience can be further enhanced with a revitalising massage, or a sumptuous meal, ordered directly to the suite.

Meanwhile, the 13 private villas are ideal for those who are looking for an exceptionally spacious setting for their private desert getaway, plus a more expansive selection of deluxe facilities. Available with one or two bedrooms, the grand villas are just as beautiful inside as they are on the outside.

Emphasising the sensational views and stunning setting, each comes with its own private outdoor area that faces straight out onto the shimmering golden waves of the desert. Centred around a picturesque temperature-controlled plunge pool and surrounded by comfortable sun beds, cosy seating, and blissful spots from which to lap up the desert sun or curl up with a book in the cooling shade, the villas transport each guest to their own paradise. Surrounded by the awe-inspiring power of the desert dunes and infused with serenity, sophistication, and local artwork each villa contains a grand dining room complete with a large wooden dining table, a plush living room finished with Arabesque accessories and a widescreen TV, luxurious bathrooms and lavish bedrooms fitted with king sized and double beds.

For those travelling as a large party, the three-bedroom Royal Villa ensures that everyone has their own space to unwind.

Spanning over an enormous 360sqm/3874 ft², it includes a separate maid’s room, three bedrooms with private balconies, an exclusive gazebo, and a dining room suitable for up to 10 people. Finally, the Royal Compound contains everything required for a treasured, happy, heartfelt, and flawless family vacation.

MARCH 2022

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58 Project

Contained within its own private walled area and entered via a separate gate, the stately compound contains four decadent villas – the three-bedroom Royal Villa, the one-bedroom villa, two two-bedroom villas - and a traditional Majlis.

Of course, the vast palm-fringed infinity pool is another stand out feature. Surrounded by the rolling golden dunes it’s a special oasis of calm that leaves every guest totally enthralled.

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Reflecting the spirit of Al Wathba Region The bedouin tribes roamed the Al Wathba region for centuries, and the featured décor and designs of the resort echo their traditions wonderfully. As mentioned above, the rooms and suites feature Arabesque ornaments, lamps and intricately carved wooden furnishings adorned traditional Middle Eastern Designs. The neutral colour scheme also reflects traditional Middle Eastern culture, and every element has been designed to create the feel of an authentic desert village, infused with the highest levels of luxury and welcoming charm.

Meanwhile, the beautiful Saray Spa also

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Inspired by classical dwellings, the boutique resort’s 103 guest rooms and villas feature timeless local details, traditional artwork, and Arabesque accessories, alongside a range of dining destinations showcasing the dunes to panoramic perfection.

provides another fascinating insight into UAE culture. Offering the highest levels of luxury and privacy, the welcoming centre of wellness is inspired by the idea of the traditional Middle Eastern Caravanserai, a place where travellers from all over the world gathered to rest, recover and rejuvenate. At Saray Spa, desert travelers are invited to pause for a while and renew their energy levels before embarking on the journey ahead. Set within a magnificent and calming space, this enrapturing oasis of serenity contains a wonderful collection of pampering facilities including a sauna, steam room, whirlpool, salt room, ice bucket, hot and cold plunge pools and a snow cave.

•The boutique resort has the one and only snow cave room at the Saray Spa in Abu Dhabi - what makes this snow cave room unique or special compared to others in UAE? Our snow cave is exceptionally special as it features real snow. Spending time immersed in real snow is proven to help boost metabolism and improve overall body circulation. Fitted with relaxing lighting and designed to help guests switch off and unwind, the snow cave

is an unmissable feature that should be combined with every visit to our spa.

•The location of the resort is unique as well - set in the lovely in an intimate retreat suffused with natural beauty and serene tranquillity and away from the metropolitan city - why does this setting make the resort a unique to Abu Dhabi?

Most of Abu Dhabi’s many luxury resorts offer a beach or city break, but our setting is totally unique. Set out in the endless expanse of the mesmerising desert, guests are free to relax in total privacy and peace and experience the ‘real’ essence of the UAE and explore its history. Whilst it makes guests feel like they have travelled a world away from the busy buzz of Downtown Abu Dhabi, Al Wathba Desert, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa is just less than an hour’s drive from the centre of the UAE capital. It combines intimacy, tranquillity, natural beauty, and a hint of adventure, all infused with elegant luxury and locally inspired details.

Ideally positioned for an unforgettable stay, guests are only a short drive away from Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, an area of natural beauty that welcomes flocks of colourful flamingos throughout

59 on their aim, and the FlowRider allows guests to have a go at learning to surf in the middle of the desert. Finally, the desert bonfire offers the opportunity to head out into the wilderness after sunset for a campfire under the stars accompanied by authentic Emirati refreshments and plenty of enrapturing local stories.

Cultural tourism in Abu Dhabi Whilst Dubai has countless amazing events, beaches, hotels and malls, tourists and residents can experience more culture in Abu Dhabi.

Located within its own beautiful expanse of Arabian landscape, Al Wathba Desert Resort and Spa encourages hotel guests and outside visitors to learn about the heritage of the land by taking part in a curated choice of sports and pastimes. Providing the perfect opportunity to learn about the history of the local area and experience what it was like to roam with the indigenous Bedouin tribes, the bou-

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tique activities range from camel and horse riding through the dunes to tension-relieving massages infused with ingredients sourced from the Dead Sea. Or, if guests are craving something a bit more fast paced, adrenaline seekers can taste the exhilarating thrill of careering over the golden banks in a dune buggy or speeding down the slopes on a bike under the care of the resort’s knowledgeable guides. The archery classes encourage participants to switch off from their day-to-day concerns and work

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

the year, and the elusive Al Wathba Salt Lake and majestic Al Wathba Fossil Dunes. Or, for guests looking to emerge themselves a bit further in local culture, the fascinating Sheikh Zayed Heritage Village is also within easy reach.

Plus, honouring the region’s strong links to the world of horse riding, the resort is proud to own its own collection of wild Arabian horses. Free to roam in the hotel’s enclosed paddock, guests are invited to admire the beauty of these animals whilst enjoying a sumptuous meal in the Terra Secca restaurant.

As mentioned above, we very recently launched our brand-new suites, and we want to keep on building our customer experience over the coming years. We also opened our magical Al Mabeet desert camp for New Year’s Eve to great success, and we hope to host more events in the spacious venue in the future.

Overall, we want to help as many guests as possible experience the essence of the Luxury Collection and all that it represents. We created Al Wathba Desert Resort & Spa as a place where global explorers can relax and experience the beauty of a unique boutique resort, while at the same time also learning about the local culture of the UAE through different dining experiences and activities.

All of our hosts see themselves as guides who take guests on transformational journeys, showcase the UAE’s rich culture and encourage guests to connect to the region in a meaningful way. By providing a peaceful sanctuary and a total sense of privacy, we continue to help all of our guests discover new places and gather more unforgettable experiences.

MARCH 2022

Future vision of the resort

Explore an Arabian desert hideaway on an indigenous journey.

Enjoy a relaxing stay in one of the spectacular suites or villas inspired by the local timeless design of Bedouin living and adorned with traditional artworks and accessories.

design-middleeast.com

60 Pick of the month

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

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MARCH 2022

There are some things that you can't get enough of, and the slice coffee table is one of them.

It's a stylish centrepiece and a great conversation starter in any living space. It's bold yet organic shape can be used to complement any space's tranquil atmosphere.

It has a scratch-resistant surface made of pure white Italian ceramic marble. The base of this one-of-a-kind design is composed of oak veneer in a

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smokey grey colour, adding a rich finish to the body of the coffee table.

AED7,350 Casa Lusso, Umm Suqueim Street, Dubai

Style

A slice of

® ® A product designed byCosentino Cosentino A product designed by

A product designed by Cosentino® A product designed by Cosentino®

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Cindy Crawford on Silestone Seaport Cindy Crawford on Silestone Seaport

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Cindy Crawford on Silestone Seaport

DESIGN MIDDLE EAST

TOPSON ONTOP TOP TOPS Cindy Crawford on Silestone Seaport

MARCH 2022

TOPS ON TOP TOPS ON TOP

Find inspiration at cosentino.com | Follow Us F CosentinoMiddleEast COSENTINO CITY DUBAI Dubai Design District (D3) Building 4-A, Unit 401 042428131 - infomiddleeast@cosentino.com The Silestone LOFT series have been registered by Cosentino S.A.U. Find inspiration at cosentino.com | ®Follow Usdesigns F CosentinoMiddleEast

COSENTINO CITY DUBAI Dubai Design District (D3) Building 4-A, Unit 401 042428131 - infomiddleeast@cosentino.com

Find inspiration at cosentino.com | Follow Us F CosentinoMiddleEast Find inspiration at cosentino.com | Follow Us F CosentinoMiddleEast The Silestone® LOFT series designs have been registered by Cosentino S.A.U.

COSENTINO CITY DUBAI Dubai Design District (D3) Building 4-A, Unit 401 COSENTINO CITY DUBAI Dubai Design District (D3) Building 4-A, Unit 401 042428131 - infomiddleeast@cosentino.com 042428131 - infomiddleeast@cosentino.com The Silestone® LOFT®series designs have been registered by Cosentino S.A.U. The Silestone LOFT series designs have been registered by Cosentino S.A.U. design-middleeast.com

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