DSA Digest DSA Architects International, a leading ‘Architectural Design Services Business’, delivering award-winning buildings and environments from three global locations in South Africa, the UAE, and Europe.
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“Designed to Deliver”
ARCHITECTS INTERNATIONAL
Q2 2017 | DSA DIGEST | ISSUE 8
Swing AGAINST CANCER
Proud Sponsors of the
D SA
OPEN 2017
As part of the UAE’s ‘Year of Giving’ initiative, DSA are extremely proud to be supporting the ‘Swing Against Cancer Golf Series 2017’, which commenced on April 13th with the Worldwide Golf Open at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club. The five-event qualifying stage continues in Abu Dhabi on 18th April before moving back to Dubai for two tournaments in May and the DSA Open on
Emirates Golf Club Dubai, Majlis
14th September at the world renowned Emirates Golf Club, home of the Dubai Desert Classic, before culminating in the star-studded Mike Clark Golf Day on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates on October 26th.
14th September
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Steve Kelshaw, Managing Director, DSA Architects International commented:
“ Making a difference to people’s lives is a core belief within DSA. It is therefore in this spirit of delivering real results, that we partner and support the Swing Against Cancer Golf Series. With 2017 being noted as the UAE year of giving, we look forward to seeing great progress as we all do our bit to ultimately remove cancer from our society.”
The Road to Mongomo qualifier presented by DSA is a unique professional event for the region, open to both MENA Tour players and local club professionals, male and female. For more information see the recent article in Worldwide Golf magazine: http://worldwide.golf/club-news/dsa-designing-a-better-future-through-golf/ DSA players and guests at a qualifying event in April.
Following hot on the heels of the DSA Open, we will be back at Emirates Golf Club on Thursday 21st September for an event which has really excited the professional golfing community in the UAE. For the second consecutive year, DSA will host and present the ‘Road to Mongomo’ qualifier. This event will be played on the Faldo course which is currently in immaculate condition and it offers sensational prizes to the top three finishers. Those that finish in the podium places will be in Equatorial Guinea in December to compete in the 3e Actuaries Open, an event featuring a US$150,000 prize fund which attracts players from the Sunshine Tour, MENA Tour, LPGA, LET and last year even featured the PGA Tour’s Charlie Wi and a couple of players from European Tour. The event has such a high profile within the host country that the President and First Lady of Equatorial Guinea attended to conduct the official opening ceremony.
Left to right: George Fitchet, Andrew Dancox, Reza Sazegar (MD of Sixteen10 DSA’s partners in the series) and David Riley (DSA).
In this issue: • Introduction from DSA Managing Director
• Site Safety
• Onwards & Upwards
• Reflection of Excellence - The Oberoi Dubai
• Project Update - Mica Mall
• New Project Award
• World Corporate Golf Challenge
• Cricket Challenge
• One to One with Saher Shah
• Accor Environmental Campaign
• Iftar Gathering 2017
• SAPOA Award
• Hilton Dead Sea – Open For Business
WELCOME TO DSA DIGEST A very warm welcome to our 8th edition of DSA Digest. Whilst reading, I felt a deep sense of the community spirit that we have collectively developed at DSA Architects over time and this is a powerful force in an organization. Winning new projects, along with the excellence of our project management and delivery of existing developments is of course a priority and crucial to our future success, however it is all achieved through teamwork, positive cross functional internal and external collaboration. The ability to come together socially develops our sense of purpose as does DSA’s efforts to support worthy causes, in particular in doing what we can to support those seeking to fight cancer. Our sponsorship of the Swing Against Cancer initiative is a high profile event and underlines our wider responsible role in society. The deep connections we have forged with our stakeholders illustrates the unique style of our company in understanding that there is more to business longevity than just winning and completing a contract. These successes are a reflection of BOTH our technical ability and excellence and our strong corporate personality. In short, people want to work with DSA Architects. Looking inwardly, it is wonderful to see another six colleagues achieve the milestone of 10 years with DSA. This is testament to our strong culture and another pillar of our company. The last few months have seen DSA Architects win notable new project instructions, the Upscale Hotel development on Dubai Water Canal providing a great example. Our unique Mica Mall design continues to change the face of the Arabian Gulf island of Kish, the Hilton Head property in Jordan is now open and marks the hotel group’s debut in the country and exciting new Hilton Hotel projects have been secured in recent weeks, including Oman. So far, the summer has proved to be a strong trading period for the company and this augurs well for the future.
Best wishes, Steve Kelshaw, MD Middle East
Onwards & Upwards Congratulations on 10 years service to:
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JOSEPH AGNEW Associate – joined June1st 2003 (14 years)
CHRISTEL FOURIE Executive Assistant – joined May1st 2006 (11 years)
WELLINGTON KAMBARANI Site Architect – joined June 13th 2006 (11 years)
ALEKSANDAR MILOJKOVIC Senior Associate – joined June 28th 2005 (12 years)
BERNARDO RIZON Team Coordinator – joined May 20th 2006 (11 years)
SABEER NAMBALAKKANDI Architect – joined July1st 2007 (10 years)
DSA DIGEST | ISSUE 8 | Q2 2017
#PROJECTUPDATE Mica Mall, Kish Island Kish is a 91.5-square-kilometre resort island in the Gulf off the southern coast of Iran. It is part of the Bandar Lengeh County in Hormozgan Province of Iran. Mica Mall, on this beautiful Island will offer a high quality shopping mall that will also create a landmark for the Island. In addition to a world-class shopping destination, Mica Mall will offer an array of entertainment features that will draw both tourists and customers to the mall. Notably, an aquarium, discovery centre, cinema, kids zone, ice rink, spa and gymnasium, ten-pin bowling, digital golf and state-of-the-art video arcade. The Mica Mall will also be served by a dedicated cable car station. The mall will draw on the increasing popularity of Kish Island as a tourist destination, and is timed to coincide with the islands accelerated development over recent months and years. The main concourse is a curving contemporary space and a smaller linear concourse offers a variety of shopping experiences with different themes, including Iranian and Venetian malls. The combination of concourses and atriums are designed to encourage natural light to permeate through the mall.
DSA team on course for global honours World Corporate Golf Challenge The WCGC maintains its position as the largest and most successful corporate golf tournament in the world with approximately 40 countries represented at the 2016 World Final and 60 TV channels, 26 newspapers, 24 magazines and 18 leading airlines associated with the event worldwide.
More than 30 countries will participate at the 2017 World Final in Cascais, Portugal. Around 150 national qualifying events took place and attracted over 7,500 business executives globally.
Representing DSA Architects International, Managing Director Steve Kelshaw and teammate Mark Rix (DSA DIGEST Editor) earned the dream trip to Cascais, Portugal, by clinching the 2016-17 UAE title at Tower Links Golf Club after 22 pairs reached the national decider following a series of club qualifying events.
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One to One with ... Saher Shah Design Manager – DSA Architects International (Dubai Office) It is immediately evident when talking with Saher that she is both an extremely busy and highly organized lady. A useful combination one suspects and as she enthusiastically points out, with two young daughters aged 7 and 12 years and an architect husband, (who is allegedly more organized than Saher, if that were possible and currently suffering from a broken leg after a bad football injury) together with responsibility for the AL Zahia residential project in Sharjah, UAE, she has to be VERY organized. We found time to discuss Saher’s early life in India’s Northernmost region of Kashmir and her eventual move to university in Delhi where she gained her B.Arch degree and joined her first firm in New Delhi as an Architect in 1999.
Saher had originally thought of training as a lawyer but Architecture’s blend of art and engineering was too alluring. Saher’s father was the pioneer of travel and tourist industry in Kashmir, a profession followed by her sister and brother to this day. A passion for travel was clearly passed down and in order to join her husband, Saher emigrated to Leeds, UK in 2001. After almost one year working with two different firms Saher joined Stephen George & Partners Architects in Leeds where she spent the next eleven years, including gaining UK’s necessary ‘RIBA 3 Post Graduation Professional Studies’ qualifications. This was a happy time and as with the past two years and eight months with DSA Architects, Saher was able to find a work life balance (something very close to her heart) that facilitated her professional goals and responsibilities with those of her young family. On arriving at DSA Architects Dubai office in October 2014, Saher assumed responsibility as Design Manager for the Doha Festival City Hotel, a 5 Star IHG property with 350 keys.
This was a particular favourite for Saher as it represented her first Design Manager project and in her own words was ‘baptism by fire’. More recently, Saher and her team have been focused on The Crescent in Baku and as Onshore Design Manager, she has had specific responsibility for the City Tower and Infrastructure. Currently in various Design Stages are the residential villas of the Al Zahia project in Sharjah, UAE. It is the quality, the variation and ability to project manage such high value projects that excite and fulfill Saher and which ultimately provides such a high level of job satisfaction. Add to this, the outstanding working environment, great people, flexible philosophy and the unique corporate personality that DSA Architects delivers and Saher is certainly positioned to excel in her career.
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DSA DIGEST | ISSUE 8 | Q2 2017
DIY is Saher’s favourite hobby and whilst living in Leeds, she bought a derelict cottage and designed and built a 5 bedroom villa with her husband. With projects like that, reading a best-selling crime thriller, visiting her ‘soul’ city of Istanbul or maybe adding Arabic to the list of four languages she currently speaks may have to wait a while.
It is interesting to learn that Saher’s only life goal is to be a happy person. (Maybe supporting English Premier League side Arsenal is a challenge in that ambition!) We wish Saher every future success.
Hilton Dead Sea Open For Business
Staff Iftar
We are delighted to announce that the DSA designed and delivered ‘Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa’ has officially opened in Jordan, marking the chain’s debut in the country.
In the spirit of Ramadan we recently enjoyed a wonderful company Iftar at the Ballaro Restaurant, Conrad Hotel in Dubai.
The 5 star Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa is part of a larger development planned by Emaar and DSC to provide a unique experience in a low density mixed-use development. Set over a cascading plot of 80,550 m2, the 285 key hotel offers multiple F&B choices, a gym, spa and feature jetty affording easy access to the Dead Sea. These are all the drivers of the design, giving this hotel a unique identity with its first class contemporary character, blending into its environment and the style of the surrounding buildings. As in typical hill-side architecture, like in Amman, the entrance level is situated around the midlevel of the building distributing up and down to the different floors.
Safety First... DSA Architects are proud to be associated with outstanding safety as a number one priority across all of our sites. This recent announcement from KHANSAHEB Civil Engineering, Construction Division underlines our commitment to safety and effective project management & delivery. “We have recently achieved 3 Million Man Hours without a Lost Time Incident at MOE Capex Project. This is a fantastic achievement and one in which every person involved with the projects plays their part.” Well done to everyone in achieving this feat.
R.Rama Prabhu, Khansaheb Construction Division.
It was a most enjoyable night shared by all.
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Reflection of Excellence The Oberoi Centre, Dubai DSA Architects appointment by Rani International underlined our market leading position as Architects of choice for premier global luxury hotel developers. Completed in summer 2013, this AED 850M project is located at the entrance of the Business Bay District. The Oberoi Centre comprises both commercial and hotel towers and is a contemporary building that embodies height, light and space. The 28 storey luxury hotel overlooks the iconic Burj Khalifa and each of the 252 rooms and suites have floor to ceiling windows which afford spectacular views of the city’s skyline. The adjoining 34 storey office tower shares a common 4 level podium and 4 basements with the hotel tower. The entire project was succinctly captured by Mr. Karim Bizid, opening General Manager of The Oberoi, Dubai.
“The Oberoi, Dubai offers discerning business and leisure travellers an oasis of tranquility with service which is warm, caring and personalised. We are confident that The Oberoi, Dubai will add tangible value to the hospitality sector in the United Arab Emirates.” In 2014 the project won the prestigious South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) International Development Award for panorative exellence. 6
DSA DIGEST | ISSUE 8 | Q2 2017
Corporate Cricket Challenge
vs.
Sunday May 7th was undoubtedly an historic Middle East sporting occasion. The inaugural DSA Architects International Xl Versus CSA Consulting Engineers Xl cricket challenge was keenly contested at the iconic ICC Cricket Stadium in Dubai. Responding to the original challenge from Michael Samadhin & Neil Clarke (Directors of CSA, our MEP consulting partners) DSA’s MD Steve Kelshaw sent out a rallying cry for all our established and aspiring cricketers to sign up for potential selection to the DSA Dragons. The gala day of cricket, good food, the odd beverage and great company, featured both a fun challenge game and a serious cricket match. Trials were held to select the DSA Dragons team and there could be no doubt that this wonderful summer family day out with our partners would provide an additional competitive element.
Match results The result is not really important. It is the taking part that counts, according to a DSA Dragon’s spokesperson!! However, an epic battle was played out at the Dubai ICC with total sportsmanship and good humour. The talented all-rounders from CSA Engineering Consultants eventually tasted victory with an impressive display of batting, fielding and bowling. The crowd were captivated throughout and our congratulations go to the deserving victors and our heartfelt thanks go to the equally brave DSA challengers.
#NewPROJECt UPSCALE HOTEL – DUBAI WATER CANAL DSA Architects have recently been appointed to create an Architectural Concept Design for the Upscale Hotel, Dubai Water Canal Project. The project is a 240-key upscale hotel, located in a prime location on the Dubai Water Canal with spectacular views over the Canal and Dubai skyline beyond. Plot A is to be developed as a 240-key hotel. It will be owned and operated by the client under their own brand as an upscale property achieving 4-star rating under DTCM. It is anticipated that the building will be 3B+G+7.
• F&B Offerings of around 800sqm (Including a leased-out area of 300sqm)
• 200sqm that includes a fitness center, and public areas of around 400sqm
• 195sqm of Meeting and event facilities.
• 110 Parking Bays
• 240 Hotel Keys (@30sqm)
The Dubai Water Canal development site - BUA circa 17000sqm.
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ACCOR FOOD WASTAGE CAMPAIGN Accor sets new standard with commitment to reduce food waste by 30%. As research has recently confirmed, food waste is not only a huge economic loss, it has a major impact on our environment accounting for nearly 15% of global GHG emissions. With an estimated $1 trillion in food being wasted every year, over 1% of global GDP, action to address this issue is an economic and environmental imperative. On the 12th of April 2016, Accor Hotels announced that it would reduce food waste by 30% by 2020. To achieve this, they commit that sites will measure their food waste by value and use that data to drive change. Internal trials with Accor Hotels have shown that sites which adopt these measures can cut food waste by 50% by value. DSA Architects applauds and supports this socially responsible initiative from Accor Hotels. Steve Kelshaw, Peter Davison & Colin Veitch joined Novotel World Trade Centre staff to celebrate achieving a major reduction in food wastage at the hotel property.
A Maputo Landmark Recognised with International award Torres Rani Towers, Maputo – Mozambique SAPOA Innovative excellence award winner 2017 Category: International Developments We would like to congratulate our client Rani Investments and the professional team involved in this prestigious development. Thoughtfully designed as a peaceful oasis in a vibrant metropolis, Torres Rani offers every convenience, from an infinity pool to promenade shops to nearby restaurants and nightlife. With its perfect balance of work and relaxation, it captures the carefree spirit of today’s Maputo. Torres Rani is the group´s latest project in Mozambique in partnership with Minor International (MINT), one of the largest hospitality and leisure companies in the Asia Pacific region.
DSA Architects International (Middle East) address: tel: fax: mail: web:
Office 204, Convention Tower, Zabeel, Dubai, UAE +971 4 329 2288 +971 4 329 2289 dsa.dubai@dsa-arch.com www.dsa-arch.com @DSAarchitects DSA Architects International @dsaarchitectsintl
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