December 2021
Issue 16 | Year-end Edition
DSA DIGEST The official newsletter of DSA Architects International
Inside this Issue
Thank you 2021,
Hello 2022!
As we reach the end of another fantastically busy year here at DSA, we look back on the many achievements and successes we have enjoyed as we prepare ourselves for more exciting challenges in 2022. We are grateful to all our clients and partners for the opportunities, support and the partnerships built and extended during the last 12 months and would also like to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to our talented staff for their continuous hard work and commitment. Seasons Greetings to every one of you!
What's New? | p. 2 New Projects | p. 3
Recognition | p. 4
Onwards & Upwards | p. 5
Project Progress | p. 6-7
Other Updates | p. 8
Socials | p. 9
What's New?
We have a new website!
Saturday & Sunday is the new weekend in the UAE In line with the UAE government's forward thinking vision and directives for the public and education sectors, DSA Middle East are aligning to a Monday to Friday work week, with a Saturday and Sunday weekend starting 3rd January 2022.
Did you know? Since 1971, weekend in the UAE was only on a Friday. In 1999, it was changed to Thursday & Friday. In 2006, it was moved to Friday & Saturday to bring UAE closer in line with the rest of the world. Page 2
New Projects
Seven Seas Luxury Resort Marbella, Spain
Palm Crescent Development Dubai, UAE
Located on a mountainous terrain with magnificent views to the Marbella coastline and the surrounding mountains, this project is a high-end boutique hotel, accommodating 7 large villas and 15 exclusive guestrooms, a club house, as well as wellness/ spa facilities and fine dining F&B offering.
Situated in a prime location on the crescent of Palm Jumeirah, the development will consist of approximately 30 premium villas and a clubhouse to provide beach access for all residents and world-class amenities. The objective is to create one of the most desirable residential developments in Dubai.
Intercontinental Residences Al Khobar, KSA
Intercontinental Hotel Al Khobar, KSA
A residential waterfront project in Pearl Bay area and a part of the Dana Bay Resort, the Intercontinental Residence will provide efficient dwelling units intended for rent on long term or for short term basis.
A development also forming part of the Dana Bay Resort and situated alongside the Intercontinental Residences, the hotel is an existing establishment which requires façade enhancement and improvement works.
Saadiyat Luxury Villas & Townhouses Abu Dhabi, UAE
Laguna Residence II Al Khobar, KSA
A luxury residential development located on the prestigious Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi and will consist of 8 premium villas with direct access to the adjacent 5Star beachside hotel and 60 upscale townhouses. The architecture will be modern / contemporary in design.
A waterfront facing residential project situated at the heart of Dana Bay. The objective is to change the façade design from new-classic to modern style without affecting the current structural & MEP design of the villas. Page 3
Recognition 5-Star Winner for Best Architecture Multiple Residence at the Arabian Property Awards 2021 DSA were thrilled to receive the highest accolade of a 5-star Arabian Property Award 2021 for Best Architecture – Multiple Residence, in relation to our Jawaher Al Saadiyat project on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, which we delivered for Aldar Properties. Special thanks to Design Principal, Lee Ton and his team, for their efforts for creating a high-class residential community and on being recognised with this achievement.
DSA were contracted by TDIC / Aldar Properties as the design architect and lead consultant to undertake multi-disciplinary design services for this prestigious residential development. It is located in an exclusive area of Saadiyat Island overlooking a golf course and consists of 83 high-end villas and townhouses with supporting community facilities including a gym, minimart, café, restaurant, salon, swimming pool, multi-use games area and an open parkland within a gated community.
DSA shortlisted for Architecture Firm of the Year at the Construction Week Awards & Design Middle East Awards 2021
The development has been designed to create a safe and vibrant community where the outdoor public parks/spaces and street character complement the individual residences. The exclusive six-bedroom villas and some five-bedroom villas have been placed to the north of the site where they have an uninterrupted view of the golf course. The bulk of the development comprises four-bedroom villas which is the most popular format for growing families.
We were honoured to be shortlisted for Architecture Firm of the Year at the Construction Week Awards 2021. This prize seeks to recognise and reward individual excellence, corporate prowess and projects that have taken strides to become future-ready within the construction industry.
The Design Middle East Awards 2021 held in October of this year, recognise the very best from the region's design and architecture industry. DSA were thrilled to be recognised in the Architecture Firm of the Year category.
Equim Parametized Competition Winner One of our talented architects from the Middle East office, Nikhil Shanmukhan, participated in the prestigious Equim Parametized Competition and performed magnificently to win first prize for the proposal entitled, 2060 Skyscraper: A Maglev Kinetic Tower. Congratulations to Nikhil and his team for this incredible success, which demonstrates the high levels of innovation and creativity we are proud to be able to offer at DSA. Page 4
Onwards & Upwards We wish you all the best on your retirement!
New Promotion We are happy to announce the promotion of Martin Pirnie, from Lead Architect to Associate Design Principal at our Middle East office. Congratulations Martin!
Let's hear it from DSA
After over 30 years with the company, Rob Low, Director from our Africa office finally bid us farewell in October. Rob is one of the founding members of DSA and was at the forefront of amazing projects the company is proud to have delivered over the years.
To better portray the depth of talent and the personal touch DSA aspires to, we have asked our team to submit a vlog chatting about a subject of their choice within the field. The standards were high and the decision on the Top 3 was very difficult, but we are pleased to announce the following winners:
Rob's dedication and commitment to DSA is truly remarkable and his depth of technical knowledge is unapparelled. We are privileged to have worked alongside a supportive leader who never failed to inspire and motivate everyone around him.
New Team Members MIDDLE EAST OFFICE Asmita Nalavade Project Coordinator Joined on 5 Nov 2021 Smitha Gopinathan Document Controller Joined on 13 Dec 2021 BELGRADE OFFICE Stevan Vukadinović Architect Joined on 1 Nov 2021
INDIA OFFICE Monika Sekaran Junior Architect Joined on 1 Nov 2021 Thasleem Basheer Architect Joined on 15 Nov 2021 Nived Puthussery BIM Coordinator Joined on 30 Nov 2021 Aravind Sankaran Architect Joined on 1 Dec 2021 Muhammed Firos Architect Joined on 12 Dec 2021 Gokil Raja Architect Joined on 12 Dec 2021
Pappu Keshari, Document Controller from the Middle East office talked about his experience in being part of the Atlantis the Palm Aquaventure expansion. He visited the site to show the amazing new slides & attractions in the biggest waterpark expansion in history.
Our concept architect, Francis Arcos, has shared how DSA have helped him develop his skill sets, from creating freehand drawings to more computergenerated 3D and walkthrough animations.
Namrata H, one of our talented Assistant Design Managers from our Middle East office, has shared her experience working at DSA and the Design Management team in the last two years. Page 5
Project Progress Building Work Starts on Anse La Mouche Resort, Seychelles Work has commenced on site for the Anse La Mouche
project on Mahe in the Seychelles for the Royal Developments Company. The earthworks for the 120 room Hilton Canopy Hotel and Spa began earlier this year. The principal building contractor has been awarded and completion of the hotel, commercial village and serviced apartments is scheduled for mid 2024.
Construction Underway for Mosi-oa Tunya Livingstone Resort in Zambia The construction of Mosi-oa-Tunya Livingstone Resort in Zambia is well underway and scheduled for practical completion mid next year. The Radisson Blu operated resort comprises of a 174 key hotel, 26 villas, a conference centre, as well as a sports and kids club facility.
We are very excited to see the façade cladding and screening elements starting to be installed on site. The next big milestone for the project will be the installation of the large overhanging roofs which is one of the major architectural features of this design. Page 6
Completion of MAF Al Lilac Villas at Al Zahia with Exemplary Health & Safety Record
DSA are proud to have successfully completed Al Lilac B at Al Zahia in September of this year with outstanding achievements as recognised by our client, Majid Al Futtaim Properties. We have helped provide a safe work environment and completed the project on time with zero accidents, whilst protecting the welfare of employees and controlling construction costs. Subsequently, MAF, together with Sharjah Asset Management Holding started the handover of Al Lilac's second phase in October. The neighbourhood features new architectural designs that mix modern aesthetics with timeless details. It also boasts several amenities which includes an innovative Sensory Park with interactive sculptures and landscaped areas. It also has accessible pedestrian walkways and shaded pathways developed to create a sustainable living environment that fosters human interaction within the community.
As the Lead Consultant of the project, DSA played a vital role in monitoring site safety to ensure project success. Our commitment to health and safety for employees and excellence performance in the safe execution of the project, helped us achieve 13 million manhours without Lost Time Injury (LTI).
We have maintained good coordination between construction and safety teams, which resulted in the project being completed within the original contractual period. This is a rare achievement in large horizontal construction projects. During the peak of Covid19 pandemic, we developed methods to conduct site inspection remotely but still effectively. This helped us to continuously support the project during the challenging time. Many obstacles were encountered during that period, but these were overcame by various means of action plan and facilities provided at site. These include continuous monitoring of workers, regular checking of health, illness and potential exposure to illness, sanitisation and disinfection of site offices, social distancing, PPE (face masks) continuously provided to workers, and a special entry/exit was provided with a sanitisation tunnel to prevent the spread of the virus.
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Other Updates New Vision for Senegal DSA had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Madani M. Tall, owner of Four Points by Sheraton, Dakkar, part of Diamniadio Sports City in Senegal. It was a casual introductory meeting where he shared about his vision and ambitions. He emphasised on the development opportunities that unfold themselves in Senegal and invited DSA to be part of this happening. We are grateful to have clients who become partners in the success of various projects.
3D Concrete Printing: A Sustainable Innovation In the continuous search for new ways to achieve sustainable designs, innovation, and construction efficiency, we had the pleasure to visit the factory of Concreative, the 3D concrete printing factory in Nadd al Hamar, Dubai, sister company of Freyssinet Gulf. Thrilled with the endless opportunities that can be achieved especially when combining the design aesthetics and flexibility of the 3D Concrete Printing with the post tensioning engineering, providing a holistic shell solution with factorycontrolled quality. The 3D printing achieves zero waste and minimal impact on site, reducing construction pollution with accuracy and speed of construction. Looking forward to applying this innovative and high performant technology on our future projects, especially those located on remote sites, unique with their delicate environment.
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Socials #DSAPinkOctober At the beginning of the last quarter of 2021, DSA have showed support for the Breast Cancer Awareness month by coming to work wearing pink. Most of our staff who have been working remotely were invited to come to the office for a day to participate on the cause and catch up with the whole team over a sumptuous breakfast feast.
Last day of work for 2021!
Our team at the Middle East office celebrated Christmas and the last day of work for the year, with a spread of delicious canapés. It was a day filled with fun conversations as we look back on the fantastic year we had at DSA.
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Designed to Deliver.
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