Window and Facade Magazine Middle East (July-Aug 2020)

Volume 2 | Issue 6 July - August 2020

FACE TO FACE Abdulmajid Karanouh, International Director and Head of Interdisciplinary Design & Innovation, Drees & Sommer

EXTERIOR CLADDING: DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND MATERIAL CHOICES Discussion on the material choices for exterior cladding and the right design criteria

INDUSTRY SPEAKS George Philip, Deputy Vice President - Strategic Projects (the Middle East), dormakaba

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PREFACE The countries in the Middle East region have now started to reopen in some way after the complete lockdown imposed because of the Corona pandemic between March-April. The construction sector has also started to return on track to complete the pending projects. Construction companies and architectural firms are adopting technologies like digitization (BIM), drone technology, and virtual practices in their projects to improve safety and maintaining social distancing. Many banks in the UAE are working with their clients to ensure enough liquidity to the industry. The industry is moving forward with adopting some technological advancements to deal with the post-pandemic situation.

Now, we will also move forward and will talk about our theme of this edition “Exterior Cladding”. Exterior cladding as the outer skin of the building is known to be the foremost communicative and complex aspects of any building design. It performs many roles and functions – it acts as a shield to the building to protect it from the external conditions to increase its lifespan and adds aesthetics to the building.

Choosing the right material for cladding depends on various important aspects that include climatic conditions, design idea, fire-resistance properties, wind, and seismic activities. This edition’s cover story is presenting the views of industry experts on the material choices for cladding, the right design criteria, the effect of fire safety norms in the cladding industry, the future opportunities, etc. We also have some other technical articles, project write-up, case studies, and experts’ interviews. Enjoy reading!

Please send your feedback and suggestions at editorial@wfmmedia.com. Your feedback is valuable to us. You can also submit articles or case studies, write to shefali@wfm.co.in for more details.

Team WFM

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CONTENTS Faรงades & Skylights (Roofs) in Post-COVID World Ahmad Dalain, Director of Project, Taiyo Middle East LLC

8

The Real Value of U-Value

Ashhad Iqbal, General Manager, Knauf Insulation

The British Cladding Fire Test Gets Revised

Abhishek Chhabra Market Development Manager and Sujana Haridas, Fire Testing Engineer, Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants

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Cover Story

Discussion on the material choices for exterior cladding and the right design criteria

Interview with Abdulmajid Karanouh, International Director and Head of Interdisciplinary Design & Innovation, Drees & Sommer

Industry Speaks

Interview with George Philip, Deputy Vice President - Strategic Projects - Middle East, dormakaba

Wind Considerations for Unconventional Faรงades Tony Rofail, Director and Principal, Windtech Consultants

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13

Exterior Cladding: Design Principles and Material Choices

Face to Face

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4

36 48

Project Watch

Joaquin Perez-Goicoechea, Principal & Founding Partner and Dr. Nasser B. Abulhasan, Principal & Founding Partner, AGI Architects Front Cover courtesy: AEB-Qatar Back Cover courtesy: U+A

Published by: F and F Middle East FZ-LLC

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Design & Concept by: Prashant Kumar

Shefali Bisht shefali@wfm.co.in DISCLAIMER: With regret we wish to say that publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for error or omission contained in this publication. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek expert advice before acting on any information contained in this publication which are very generic in nature. The Magazine does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of claims made by advertisers. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced in any form or context without the permission of publishers in writing.

FAÇADES & SKYLIGHTS: POST-COVID Façades & Skylights (Roofs) in Post-COVID World

Ahmad Dalain Director of Project, Taiyo Middle East LLC About the Author: Ahmad Dalain is the Director of Project at Taiyo Middle East LLC, a daughter company of Taiyo Kogyo Corporation Japan worldwide leader in membrane construction and innovation with unprecedented experience since 1929. With 40 companies all over the world, Taiyo is the biggest membrane contracting company in the world. Dalain is a structural engineer with a Master’s degree in structural engineering science, and with more than 22 years’ experience focused on membrane construction innovations in the Middle East and other parts of the world. He is considered one of the few most prominent experts in the field of tensile structures (PTFE, ETFE, PVC, and other innovative materials) in the Middle East with many landmark projects executed under his directions watch, the last of them was the 70m height AL WASL DOME membrane façade at EXPO2020 (The biggest projection screen in the world).

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Owners, engineers, and contractors of façades and roofs envelopes shall adapt to post-COVID circumstances. This article addresses the general adaptation of all kinds of construction as construction primary activity and then it will address more focus on lightweight façades and roofs made of the membrane.

the post-COVID world aims to curb the virus spread into a declining curve which are the following:

INTRODUCTION

Above seems few, but they already have had an immense impact on our lives as we knew it, i.e. we went into lockdown, no offices, no meetings, almost stagnant international travel and sometimes local ones, queues grow vastly longer, consumption of hygienic gears skyrocketed.

Let’s be honest, there is a lot of information about COVID-19 crisis, we have no choice but to filter them out. Our brain typically picks things that are already primed in memory or repeated often in a kind of pattern, i.e. something recently stored in our memory.

E.g., you would recall the 2008 credit crisis or earlier one and predict when the present crisis will finish.

That is pattern biased decision because it does not address other important up to date information, or in other words, you have answered health questions by answering a different question about economic recovery. Make no mistakes, COVID-19 is health crisis remember this when you make decisions, other things are symptoms & consequences which shall vanish gradually after reaching terms with health concerns.

• Axiom1: Social distancing in all aspects of life.

• Axiom2: Increase hygiene awareness implement it strictly in all aspects

and

Obviously, there is a lot to say, however, the scope of this article is to investigate the impact of those two axioms on façades/skylights (roofs) construction industry.

THE ADAPTATION ACTIONS Straight forward, the construction industry shall adopt the following in general:

According to all concerned entities combating the pandemic, that includes worldwide governments and non-government organizations, apart from vaccine researches, there are so far two main axioms agreed on to form a primary foundation in

PTFE roof in Khalifa new stadium, Doha 2016

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• Contractors shall revise methods of construction to be shorter in duration with less dependency on manual labour work and enhance the usage of up to date technology plants and equipment.

This does not mean we shall lay off manpower completely as this has by far worse impact on society, what is meant here is that part of the work which has been redundantly being done in traditional ways while the up to date technology has a faster and more feasible methods. In other words, the lesser duration of construction is going to be in line with social distancing by simply finish earlier and with a lesser gathering of manpower. Let’s keep in mind that travel restriction is seso-like (on/off) and for an unforeseen period of time.

• Designers and engineers shall bear in mind as a top priority the hygiene aspect when selecting materials being used in construction, whether they are helping in easy disinfection or they are harmfully keeping the virus for a long time?

The designer’s responsibility shall be extended in selecting smart materials without extra unnecessary heavier weights, abnormal long lead

Welcome Pavilion at YASMALL (Abu-Dhabi) - First ETFE project in the Middle East

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time of procurement, complicated fabrications, or complicated shapes that need an extensive time of coordination. The reason behind that in existing circumstances is very obvious, we shall mind social distancing in all aspects of people’s life, construction personals are no exception, and in addition to that, we shall always aim to finish in shorter durations until we reach terms with health concerns.

• Owners shall mind selecting the contractors and designers who do respect the above-mentioned 1&2. In addition to that, perhaps it is making sense to boycott any company that does not respect the main two axioms as this may impact the people who work for that company and therefore ethically not acceptable, add to this, the impact on the job itself as well of contamination.

THE ADAPTATION ACTIONS IN FAÇADES/ SKYLIGHTS (ROOFS) MADE OF THE MEMBRANE COVID-19 is an unfortunate situation, but ironically the lightweight membrane façades and roofs are simply ticking both axioms outstandingly! Envelopes

made of PTFE, PVC, and ETFE are prone to be of the highest interest in the post-COVID world as follows: • The membrane is -by large- light material, E.g.

PTFE is 20 times lighter than 6mm Annealed glass, ETFE is 50 times lighter. In order to make this clicks easier in the reader’s mind, take a 45,000 sqm roof made of the membrane, under ideal situation and without hindrances of other trades, the full installation of the membrane can be done within 16 weeks on average with minimal access and lifting equipment comparing to other heavy hard envelopes. As you may notice, that is indeed lined up with the axioms.

That is said, it does not suggest that all kinds of envelopes must be changed to membrane material, there are wide kinds of functions which only hard cladding can play-in, but what is suggested here is to maximise the use of membrane envelopes as much as possible to meet nowadays circumstances in terms of reducing construction duration with minimal access & lifting equipment, as all that pours into social distancing.

• Membrane hygiene comparing to other hard

PTFE roof at King Abdullah Sports City (Saudi Arabia)

cladding materials is very much superior and that is due to its ability to transmit a high range of the natural light spectrum. For example, PTFE translucency varies from 9% to 40%, while ETFE transparency reaches 95%, if clear without frits. The natural light as disinfectant agent is unquestionable, yet in more details, the ETFE, for instance, can pass 95% of the entire natural light spectrum including UV that why it does not only help in maintaining a higher level of hygiene but you can cultivate green plants too.

Certainly, skylights, roofs or façades made of the membrane, especially ETFE is second to none when it comes to natural light transmission and accordingly helps in areas enveloped hygiene.

The membranes can easily be coated with selfcleaning films E.g. TiO2 (Titanium dioxide on PTFE, PVDF on PVC) that helps in easier cleaning and eventually keeps light transmittance levels as desired.

Finally, once again the two axioms sound few, but the extension of their impacts is quite huge.

We cannot quarantine all impacts in one article specially that we are still on the learning curve about this pandemic.

Saudi Arabia Cordoba Mall (Riyadh)- First ETFE skylight

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THERMAL TRANSMITTANCE (U-VALUE) The Real Value of U-Value

Ashhad Iqbal General Manager, Knauf Insulation About the Author: Ashhad Iqbal is a seasoned professional with an innovative focus on strategy, sales, and marketing of building materials. He has acquired experience through general management and commercial roles for some of the industry-leading companies, covering the Middle East and South Asia. He has conducted complex transformation programs, managed multicultural teams, and ramped-up a successful business.

Currently working with Knauf Insulation and focusing on changing the way the market perceives the various products, bringing innovative solutions that demonstrate optimum results.

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THE PRICE OF UNDER-PERFORMANCE

SO, WHAT ABOUT OUR BUILDINGS?

The European Commission launched legal action against seven nations, including the U.K. in December, for failing to properly police emissionscheating exposed by the “dieselgate� scandal. In this scandal, car manufacturer Volkswagen (VW) admitted to falsely declare the fuel efficiency and emissions levels of millions of cars between 2009 and 2015. Shortly after news of the violation broke in October 2015, shares in VW plummeted 20%, with a further drop of 17% two days later.

VW has since agreed to spend up to $16.5 billion in connection with the scandal, and in November 2016, they unveiled plans to cut 30,000 jobs by 2020 as the repercussions take hold. Although the scandal occurred in the automotive industry and not the construction industry, it raised concerns as to the potential implications of real performance not matching that of designed performance.

Delivering near-zero energy buildings that perform as expected in reality and not simply in design is essential to the entire building industry, from energy efficiency improvements to policy implementation. However, studies carried out

by Knauf Insulation in conjunction with leading universities and industry bodies point out that there is often a significant gap between the real performance of our buildings and their designed performance.

THEN WHERE BUILDING DESIGNERS AND SPECIFIERS START IN GETTING THE DESIGN AS ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE? Arguably the first thing to do is to ensure that the designed energy performance of a building is calculated using the correct methodologies and to the relevant standards. And that starts with the Delivering near-zero energy buildings that perform as expected in reality and not simply in design is essential to the entire building industry

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U-values of the building fabric. Standards and regulations in the listed locations and regions were considered for each baseline insulation specification. For Dubai - there is Dubai Green Building Code; for Abu Dhabi - it is Abu Dhabi International Energy Code; for Doha - Karamah Regulations; for Riyadh - the draft Saudi Arabian Standard, SASO and where applicable, ASHRAE Energy Standard 90.1-2013 (for all buildings except low-rise residential buildings) and ASHRAE Energy Standard 90.2-2007 (for low-rise residential buildings); and for Muscat - ASHRAE Energy Standards 90.1 and 90.2 were considered as no local standards are in place..

WHY U-VALUES ARE USED? The use of U-values allows for the comparison of different buildups for applications, so the insulating properties of a solid wall could be compared to that of a cavity wall, for example, or allow the comparison of two different types of insulation in different thicknesses. U-values are the basic building blocks on which the thermal performance of a building and its associated energy usage is established. A well-insulated building fabric is a key factor in enabling new buildings to deliver their specified energy efficiency.

It is the most accurate way of measuring the insulating properties of the application or material and building regulations/standards specify U-values which have to be achieved when building or refurbishing a building. For example, when building in Dubai, a roof in a villa has a recommended best starting point of a U-value of

Thermal installation

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0.30W/m2.K Without knowing the U-value of a wall or a floor or roof, you will not know how energyefficient the whole building will be.

Before you start any building work, you should calculate the U-value as part of the design process to make sure that it meets or is lower than that of the specifications by building regulations/ standards.

For that reason, anyone compiling SAP or SBEM calculations need to be confident that the U-values they are relying on to establish building fabric performance is accurate and correct. It is simple to think that all U-value calculations are created equally and that it can be taken for granted and

they are indeed correct and accurate. However, that may not always be the case. It is crucial to ensure that a U-value provided to a specifier or building designer has been consistently and correctly calculated by a technically competent person employing the correct methodology.

HOW U-VALUES ARE CALCULATED? To calculate the U-value, you have to start with the R-value or resistivity of the elements that make up the building element that you are trying to calculate the U-value for. The R-value refers to a material’s ability to resist heat transfer at a certain thickness - the higher the R-value the better the insulation material you are looking for.

In its simplest form, a U-value is calculated by establishing the thermal resistance of each layer in the construction element and adding them together to provide a total resistance (TR) value.

The U-value is calculated from the reciprocal of the combined resistances of the materials in the element, including any airspaces and surface resistance values.

Taking a standard timber frame wall as an example:

TR=Rse + Ra + Rb + Rc + Rd + Re + Rf + Rg + Rsi

• Rse is the external surface resistance • Rsi is the internal surface resistance This method of calculating U-values, however, does not allow for non-uniformities that exist in real constructions and therefore will not enable a realistic model to be calculated.

These non-uniformities require factors to include an allowance for the effect of repeating thermal bridges, (e.g. timber studs in timber frame construction, mortar joints in a lightweight and aircrete masonry, or metal rails and clips in twin metal skin constructions), fasteners that penetrate the construction, and the possibility of the imperfection of fit that might allow air movement around insulation layers.

These methods are defined by international standards such as BS EN ISO 6946 (‘Building components and building elements – Thermal resistance and thermal transmittance – calculation method’), and BR443: 2006 (Conventions for U-value calculations).

The accurate calculation of U-values is a fundamental building block in the development of whole-building energy models and building regulations submissions

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This is the basic formula, and by using this you could work out the U-value for a particular application. However, there are also other factors that need to be taken into account, including thermal bridging factors of fixings or stud work.

When the combined U-value method is applied to the calculation of the U-value of this construction, it becomes 0.26W/m2K as opposed to 0.20W/m2K if the effect of the timber studs is ignored. In this calculation, the proportion of insulation replaced by timber is 15%.

This proportion is identified as the default timber fraction in BR443, and a level 1 air gap correction has been applied as per guidance given in BR 443:2006 and BS EN ISO 6946:2007 as the insulation layer is penetrated by timber studs. Air gap correction levels are adjusted according to the number of insulation layers, their continuity of contact at butted edge joints in the insulation, and the level of contact with the construction.

Mineral wool insulation by way of its nature can be cut such that it fits “snugly” in-between studs and makes good contact with the construction.

A FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK Clearly, the accurate calculation of U-value requires detailed knowledge of product characteristics, calculation methodologies & standards, and construction techniques. The accurate calculation of U-values is a fundamental building block in the development of whole-building energy models and building regulations submissions.

Thermal leak detection

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U-VALUE & CONDENSATION COMPETENCY SCHEME

CALCULATION

This ever-increasing importance of consistent and correctly compiled U-value calculations was recognised by the British Board of Agrèment and the Thermal Insulation Manufacturers and Suppliers Association (TIMSA) in 2010 leading to the creation of an industry-leading U-value and Condensation Calculation Competency Scheme.

The primary purpose of the scheme is to promote and assist accurate, objective, and consistent calculation of U-values and condensation calculations within the construction industry.

Membership of the U-value Calculation Competency Scheme provides specifiers and building designers with confidence that the calculations supplied to them are accurately and consistently modelled and is in-line with all the relevant industry standards.

ACHIEVING COMPETENCY STATUS In order to achieve competency status, a company must have demonstrated appropriate technical competency and have in place a wide range of procedural controls to ensure that the U-value and condensation calculations they supply are accurate and consistent and that there is a clear and comprehensive audit trail in place.

HOW DO SPECIFIERS AND BUILDING DESIGNERS ENSURE THE U-VALUE THEY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IS ACCURATE? Recent research suggests that the first port of call for a U-value calculation is to use an online U-value calculator. However, to be assured that the calculations supplied are accurately and consistently modelled in-line with all the relevant industry standards, specifiers and building designers should request that the U-values they are provided with, are calculated by a member of the BBA/TIMSA U-value Calculation Competency Scheme. This gives the designer a reassurance that the calculation is provided after taking into account all non-uniformities and factors which may affect the thermal transmittance of the building element in question. Yes, there is still a long way to go in order to ensure that the real performance of the building matches the designed performance, but using a U-value in which the designer has confidence that can often be the starting point for giving a better chance of the success.

FIRE SAFETY The British Cladding Fire Test Gets Revised About the Authors: Abhishek Chhabra joined Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants in 2013 and has been the driving force behind the expansion of the fire compliance activities into new markets.

An engineer with a post-graduate diploma in finance, Abhishek brings with him valuable experience from other, larger TIC (Testing, Inspection & Certification) companies. He has been advocating the need for compliance with standards for improved safety and quality across industries for most of the last 18 years.

Abhishek Chhabra Market Development Manager, Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants Sujana Haridas is a post-graduate in Civil Engineering (specialised in Soil Mechanics). Before joining Thomas BellWright International Consultants, she was an integral part of the teaching faculty in a leading Institute of Technology in India, where she also led the Concrete Technology & Strength of Materials Lab. Over the course of the past 2 years, she has conducted over 400 Reaction-to-Fire tests across British, American & European standards. The wide array of products that she has tested has led her to develop a keen understanding of material behaviour in a fire scenario. She is currently handling fire propagation tests on large-scale façade mock-ups in the Fire Testing Laboratory here in Dubai.

Sujana Haridas Fire Testing Engineer, Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants

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The Grenfell Tragedy in 2017 which shook the United Kingdom and the world brought the spotlight on the British standard for fire performance of external cladding systems – BS 8414. This test method has been ported to standards in countries such as Australia, Malaysia, and the UAE references the same directly in their Fire and Life Safety Code. The test method is also specified directly for projects in many countries (such as the new airports coming up in India). With the increased scrutiny over façade fire safety, a revision was not unexpected.

At the same time, the 2018 revision of UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice had been increasing the options for material compliance, adding several international standards to avoid alienating materials from prominent supply chains. The code also uniquely references (test) standards without their year of publication and mandates the latest revisions are to be used. The intent to ensure the use of the latest technology and understanding is a great aid to fire safety, albeit sometimes difficult for suppliers of systems that need to be re-tested to the new standard.

OVERVIEW OF THE BS 8414 TEST METHOD The BS 8414 test method is used to evaluate the design of a system and is not a material test. It documents the fire propagation response of a specific cladding construction under laboratory conditions. The standard comes in two parts: Part 1 covers “non-loadbearing external cladding systems fixed to, and supported by, a masonry substrate”; Part 2 covers such systems “fixed to, and supported by, a structural steel frame.”

According to the Scope section of Part 1 of the new revision, this test method is for determining “the fire performance characteristics of nonloadbearing external cladding systems, rainscreen overcladding systems, and external wall insulation systems when fixed to, and supported by, a masonry substrate and exposed to an external fire under controlled conditions. The peak fire exposure is intended to be representative of an external fire source or a fully developed (post-flashover) fire in a room venting from an aperture that exposes the cladding to the effects of external flames. This part of BS 8414 is solely intended to give an indication

A close-up of the wooden crib used as the combustion chamber of the test

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of fire spread across or within an external cladding system. The purpose of the test is to provide data to enable evaluation of the fire performance of the components when combined to form a complete cladding system. This part of BS 8414 does not cover the performance of the glass or its supporting frame intended for glazed window openings. This part of BS 8414 does not test the total configuration of construction incorporating additional windows, doors, balconies, or ancillary penetrations. This part of BS 8414 does not cover exposure to radiant heat from a fire in an adjacent building”.

Part 2 of the test method is for determining “the fire performance characteristics of nonloadbearing external cladding systems when fixed to, and supported by, a structural steel frame and exposed to an external fire under controlled conditions. The peak fire exposure is intended to be representative of an external fire source or a fully developed (post-flashover) fire in a room venting from an aperture that exposes the cladding to the effects of external flames. This part of BS 8414 is solely intended to give an indication of fire spread across or within an external cladding system. The purpose of the test is to provide data to enable evaluation of the fire performance of the components when combined to form a complete cladding system. This part of BS 8414 does not apply to non-loadbearing external rainscreen overcladding systems or external wall insulation systems applied to the face of a building, the fire testing of which is covered in BS 8414-1. This part of BS 8414 does not cover the performance of the glass or its supporting frame intended for glazed window openings. This part of BS 8414 does not apply to glazed curtain walling systems. This part of BS 8414 does not test the total configuration of construction incorporating additional windows, doors, balconies, or ancillary penetrations. This part of BS 8414 does not cover exposure to radiant heat from a fire in an adjacent building”.

BS 8414 does not stipulate pass/fail criteria within the standard. Report BR 135 (Fire Performance of External Thermal Insulation for Walls of Multistorey Buildings) and BS 9414 (Fire performance of external cladding systems – The application of results from BS 8414-1 and BS 8414-2 tests), first issued in September 2019, can be used to evaluate the results of the test for practical applications.

HOW IS BS 8414 REFERENCED IN THE UAE FLS CODE? The UAE Fire and Life Safety (FLS) code use this test method in two ways: • Setting minimum compliance requirements for the use of specific materials to be used as key façade elements. This is done using a combination of small-scale material tests validating the individual reaction to fire properties of components, and the BS 8414 test method along with BR135 evaluation criteria to create evidence validating a defined design configuration. A proven design philosophy also adds to learning for designers and subcontractors of what combinations of materials and design elements can achieve the requirements.

• To evaluate the specific cladding design of a particular project. As many architects and façade designers work hard to differentiate the look for a building, many different combinations of designs and materials are created. The UAE FLS Code calls for additional test evidence if the designs and materials being proposed are not part of a certified and listed system (a Certified and Listed system is one which is detailed on the website of a Certification Body who audits one or more component manufacturer’s factories as part of their Certification). In such cases, a project-specific mock-up is tested as per one of the referenced fire propagation tests (like the BS 8414).

Parenthetically, Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC or GRC) has an interesting difference from other types of cladding in the way it is treated in the FLS code. The code allows any of these four large scale fire propagation tests for all cladding types except GFRC/GRC: NFPA 285 or BS 8414 or FM 4880 or ISO 13785-2. For GFRC/GRC only three test methods are acceptable: BS 8414, FM 4880, or ISO 13785-2. NFPA 285 is not acceptable for GFRC/GRC. HISTORY AND REVISION The test method was developed to evaluate the behaviour of a cladding system when a fire breaks out of an opening (such as a window).

When this occurs there is a potential for the fire

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to spread via the cladding and also to re-enter the building in another compartmentalised area. The full-scale test is necessary because the smallerscale tests on individual materials don’t evaluate design elements such as joints, fixings, termination details, insulation, fire barriers, cavities, etc., and neither do they consider how the presence or reaction of one material might affect the response of an adjacent one.

As new materials and designs surface, previously unknown risks are discovered. This is why standards must constantly evolve and update. Major fire incidents are an obvious catalyst for such reviews.

BS 8414 was first issued in 2002 and was initially revised in 2015. The new revision, 2020, contains significant changes, as we shall see.

HEIGHT AND A NEW LEVEL As mentioned above, BS 8414 does not have any specific performance criteria - specifiers and jurisdictions are free to choose classification standards or their own classification criteria. BR 135 referenced in the UAE FLS code.

Originally and up to the current revision, the test apparatus (for both BS 8414-1 and BS 84142) had a height of 8 meters and had two levels of thermocouples (temperature sensors) for observation and references. Now the height has been increased by 1.7 m and added a new level of thermocouples. Provision for an early termination of the test has been introduced using a reference line which is at the new level of thermocouples. In prior versions, the test could be terminated if the

A typical BS 8414-2 test rig and a test in progress

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flame extended above the test apparatus. The additional height and new thermocouples in the third level provide greater insights when evaluating performance according to BR 135 or BS 9414.

IMPROVED ACCURACY Wind speed will always influence the flame propagation in an external cladding fire. With improved accuracy of the wind monitoring equipment from Âą0.5m/s (1.8 km/hr) to Âą0.1m/s, the variation in test results while considering repeatability and reproducibility is expected to

reduce substantially. It may be noted that high winds are a significant element in many of the worst cladding fires, however, the difficulty of reproducing such conditions reliably in a laboratory setting means that essentially still conditions are the only option. It will also be noted that this requirement virtually excludes conducting the BS 8414 test outdoors.

MASONRY BLOCKS BS 8414-1 applies to the situation where the cladding is supported by a masonry substrate in the

A typical BS 8414-1 test in progress

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test apparatus – as opposed to a steel frame where BS 8414-2 applies. The new revision now defines the masonry substrate more precisely. Where previously the masonry blocks were specified to have minimum values for compressive strength, density and thermal conductivity, and many types of masonry blocks exceeded these requirements, now the stated values are ‘nominal’ values which are only met by a type of lightweight, thermally efficient blocks manufactured by a small number of firms in the UK. This aims to reduce any potential influence of the substrate on the results making the test more harmonized – i.e. the results should be more reliably replicated in different laboratories.

The UAE FLS code offers a choice of the test standards as described above. Chapter (18) of the code, on Roles and Responsibilities, passes the choice of test standard to stakeholders closest to assessing the risk, rather than a one-sizefits-all approach. As the leader in the testing and certification of building elements related to Passive Fire Protection in a wide region centered on Dubai, Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants provides both BS 8414-1 and BS 8414-2 as well as a large range of resistance-to-fire, reaction-tofire, other fire propagation, product certification, building envelope testing and façade consulting in their large Dubai facility. The company celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.

DEFINING DAMAGED AREA The physical damage on the cladding system due to fire is an important parameter. The earlier version of standard speaks about recording post-test observations but was never keen on quantifying the damaged areas. The new standard made it mandatory to include the percent of the damaged area in the post-test observation. This provides additional data than can be used while designing the fire and life safety strategy of a given building.

USING NEW KNOWLEDGE There are over a dozen large scale fire tests published to evaluate the fire propagation behaviour of Cladding Designs. Though the intent of all these tests is same, -- to provide criteria for cladding systems and materials that minimise the risk of a fire that spreads through the cladding (either outside or between the cladding and the building) and engulfs large parts of the building with the consequent loss of life and property for the occupants – they all approach the task differently.

While many of these tests conduct a test on a flat face, the BS 8414 test apparatus has an L-shaped design in the form of a corner with a long wall and a shorter one. While most, if not all tests simulate fire exiting the building via a window opening, there are also differences in the fire itself. Gas is used in the North American test (NFPA 285) and heptane is used in the Swedish test (SP105); BS 8414 utilises a timber ‘crib’ consisting of layers of soft-wood ‘sticks’ where the wood alternates with spaces of the same size and the layers alternate in the direction of the sticks. It produces a massive amount of energy.

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Post-test image of BS 8414-2

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COVER STORY Exterior Cladding: Design Principles and Material Choices Cladding is one of the most important elements which ensures that the exterior of a building is protected from the elements of nature and potential sources of damage. Cladding extends the longevity and lifespan of the building. It also provides the other important benefits that include providing strength to the structure and thermal insulation to the buildings.

Cladding not only protects the building envelope but also enhances the appearance of the building. It is also very important that the cladding design and the right choice of cladding material should have the right balance of aesthetics and efficiency.

We interviewed the experts in the construction sector who have provided their thoughts on the cladding sector, the trends in cladding technologies & materials, the role of fire safety in external cladding systems, etc. Here are the views of experts presented in this cover story.

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THE LATEST TRENDS IN CLADDING MATERIALS AbdulGhani Dallal, Operations Manager (KSA), Comelite Architecture, Structure & Interior Design says, in so many ways, the façade of a building reflects the nature of architecture in a given period. It demands as much aesthetic quality as it requires functional excellence. By empowering the user with technology that can bring a paradigm shift in terms of comfort while being energy-efficient, designers are indeed looking at new ways to innovate.

AbdulGhani Dallal Operations Manager (KSA), Comelite Architecture, Structure & Interior Design

Among all the solutions dotting the market, dynamically tinting electrochromic glass is a game-changer in the sector. It not only maximises natural light, but also cuts glare significantly - thereby enabling better thermal and visual comfort, and greater well-being.

He further explains, electrochromic glass (i.e. smart glass or dynamic glass) is an electronically tintable glass used for windows, skylights, façades, and curtain walls. Electrochromic glass, which can be directly controlled by building occupants, is popular for its ability to improve occupant comfort, maximise access to daylight and outdoor views, reduce energy costs and provide architects with more design freedom.

Asad Ahmed Khan Marketing Manager - Cladding Division, NAFFCO

Tamer Nezha Senior Project Manager/Façade Specialist, Target Engineering Construction Co LLC

Dynamically tinting electrochromic glass is a game-changer in the cladding industry

When the beauty of the stone is desired on a façade, the ultra-thin, large-format porcelain slabs in the Kalesinterflex range works best. With a flexibility radius of 5.5m, the tiles can be clad on buildings that have concave and convex surfaces. The 3mm thickness makes the slabs light in weight, making them an ideal façade material even for tall structures.

Highly resistant to weather changes, wear and tear, they do not require extra care or maintenance – routine cleaning will ensure the façade always looks as good as new.

He believes that the fibre cement is an innovative material. In less than 10 years, fibre cement - consisting of cement, water, cellulose, textile fibres, and air - has emerged as an innovative material. Thanks to it, the weight of the external skin of a house has been cut by a factor of 9! That’s 90 tonnes for a house built with traditional materials (bricks, concrete, etc.), compared to 10 tonnes of fibre cement. The result is fewer raw materials, less energy, and less waste, in return for better performance and better insulation.

Asad Ahmed Khan, Marketing Manager - Cladding Division, NAFFCO believes, in recent times, the market has taken a turn towards the use of metal, stone, ceramic & fibre cement to some extent. Metal cladding or aluminium composite panels with wooden or ceramic finishes have also seen more frequent use nowadays, due to the near-identical aesthetic and given the prolonged lifetime of the façade. Ventilated façades as well, have been a subject of discussion in the region due to huge temperature differences between the internal and external environments of buildings.

According to Tamer Nezha, Senior Project Manager/Façade Specialist, Target Engineering Construction Co LLC, the latest trends in cladding materials are using the 3D printing technology. The 3D printing opens up design possibilities that were unthinkable in the past. We can take advantage of this freedom to integrate functions such as ventilation, shading and air conditioning.

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©Aurecon

3D façade panels for “Museum of the Future”, UAE

THE MAJOR CHALLENGES IN THE INDUSTRIAL CLADDING SEGMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST Cladding dictates how a building appears and how it forms part of an overall urban environment, so the right choice of materials and appropriate design are the deciding factors in whether it is ultimately fit for purpose, say design and build professionals.

Thermal, acoustic, and fire resistance requirements are vital factors and challenges to take into account, from concept design through to maintenance, and the more ambitious the project, the greater the need for attention to detail, explains Dallal.

Khan says, the Middle East market has always been a challenging arena due to its central geographical location, which means that access to various cladding materials from across the world has never been a hindrance. However, changing the mindset of developers and consultants due to the use of traditional insulation materials for buildings by default has been a challenge; albeit, there has been a paradigm shift in the understanding of the building’s thermal dynamics more recently, resulting

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3D printed façade “Deutsches Museum”, Munich

in newer and more efficient material being made available in the market.

Detailing of the design façade model requires an interactive process developed by different team members, architects, engineers, and manufacturers with constantly updated and common detailed design information under design and build process, says Nezha.

SMART CLADDING TECHNOLOGIES SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS

FOR

Dallal says, cladding is getting smarter. It is also contributing to more energy efficiency. For many years, architects have been using precast concrete panels, metal screens, and timber panels as the main cladding materials, but the focus has shifted more towards sustainability, so those materials that provide cost savings to the client and help reduce the carbon footprint of a building are one of the primary considerations for designers.

Recently architects in this region have been experimenting with different materials and we have seen a few new types of cladding materials such as perforated screens, WPC panels and timber panels being used in low rise built forms and we are also starting to see an increase in the use of mineral fiber panels replacing the old traditional metal panels.

Fritted glass double glazing is also seeing a resurgence as it offers versatility and the fact that not only does it provides transparency to the building, it also helps reduce the solar gain of the built form thus reducing operational costs.

He adds, since the introduction of the new building and fire safety codes earlier this year, the only source alternative options such as rockwool or glass mineral wool to replace polystyrene-based EIFS – which has been removed from the list of approved cladding materials.

The choice of non-flammable and code-approved materials applies also to retrofit as does the need to ensure the energy efficiency of the building.

The selection of materials can contribute hugely to the overall insulation of the built form to reduce infiltration which is one of the main causes of increases in HVAC loads and any measures taken to reduce the infiltration would reduce the HVAC loads which in turn reduce the overall electricity usage.

According to Khan, impending concerns over the increased power consumption of the economy has

led the local authorities across the UAE to introduce certain ‘Green Building’ regulations, which encourage the use of sustainable façades which tick the boxes when it comes to how environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral or how recyclable the material is.

Sustainably resourced metal cladding, solar fitted cladding, and even stone faced GRC have been emerging options for Sustainable cladding in the Middle Eastern market.

Nezha says, there is a researcher from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) who has designed the multifunctional façade elements to be digitally fabricated to allow for complete design freedom and the easy realisation of innovative concepts. The new façade, characterised by its translucency and fluid surface texture, is one of the first functionally integrated façade elements from a 3D printer, providing the interior with ventilation, insulation, and shading.

KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHILE DESIGNING AND SELECTING MATERIALS FOR CLADDING When it comes to choosing a cladding system, there is often a misunderstanding between design working life and service life. Service life can be longer or shorter than design working life, explains Dallal. He described it below: • The design working life of a cladding system is the fixed period during which it will meet prescribed design parameters, subject to specified maintenance, without abuse or repair.

• The service life is the period during which it can be used economically, without abuse, with or without maintenance and repair.

The key factors to be considered while designing and selecting cladding materials are structural performance, corrosion resistance, water tightness, air permeability, thermal resistance (by conduction/ convection/ radiation), aesthetic intent and artistic finish, and reduction in carbon footprint. He adds, there are 7 factors also that influence the design working life are: Temperature, dust, wind, rain, and other weather factors are a key challenge in the Middle East region; environment; ancillary items; fasteners; workmanship; temporary conditions during construction; and maintenance.

According to Khan, aesthetics, sustainability, thermal performance, façade life, and ease of maintenance are the key factors that should be considered while designing and selecting the cladding materials.

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Tamer believes that the functionality, durability, and stability of each project element depend on the selection of materials and quality of the detailing during the analysis and design.

ROLE OF CLADDING IN INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

CONTROLLING

THE

Dallal notes, the primary function of the cladding is to split the indoor environment of a building from the outside in such a way that the outdoor environment will not affect the indoors. It is also best for regulating the light penetration and controlling the radiation and conduction of heat from the sun and prevents interiors from getting faded and dull.

Additionally, sunshades and louvered panels allow for the reflected light to enter the building that enhances the comfort, rather than direct sunlight.

The insulation and thermal properties of the cladding decide how efficient the building’s temperature control can be. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, has a regulation as to the minimum performance parameters of an external façade, which needs to comply with the green building code when it comes to thermal transmission of a façade.

Khan elucidates that the insulation and thermal properties of the cladding decide how efficient the building’s temperature control can be. The United Arab Emirates, for instance, has a regulation as to the minimum performance parameters of an external façade, which needs to comply with the green building code when it comes to thermal transmission of a façade.

Nezha explains, the external envelope of a building is of prime importance when considering the environmental impact of a building. In particular, the external walls provide the main element of the

Rainscreen cladding’s function in summer and in winter

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aesthetic impact of the building on its surroundings.

They are also key elements of the envelope as a climate modifier affecting the flow of both heat and light and consequently the resulting energy required to maintain comfort conditions within the building.

In the case of cladding systems, the importance of environmental issues is complemented by the fact that they can represent up to 20% of the cost of the building project.

RAINSCREEN CLADDING AND ITS ADVANTAGES Dallal describes, a rainscreen cladding is the most efficient cladding system for construction envelope purposes nowadays. A building solution that perfectly fits into the current sustainable architecture trends; whose installation is easier than it seems. Poor façade insulation entails a significant energy loss in private homes and other buildings. On the contrary, the rainscreen cladding system favours energy saving thanks to its air cavity on the exterior façade of the building. When combining the rainscreen cladding system with an exterior insulation system, we provide the building with numerous advantages such as the increase of thermal and acoustic insulation.

Avoids condensation and humidity: This façade system reduces condensation and humidity coming both from inside and outside the building. The continuous circulation of air inside the air cavity works as an extra protection layer and removes the possible water filtrations that can slip through the cladding joints.

One of the major reasons for which rainscreen cladding is generally adopted by building designers is the aesthetic flexibility to match any sort of shape, colour or dimension required. Apart from this, thermal performance, extended lifetime, ease of installation, sustainability, etc. are just a few other added benefits that a rainscreen system can provide, says Khan.

A rainscreen cladding is the most efficient cladding system for construction envelope purposes nowadays. A building solution that perfectly fits into the current sustainable architecture trends; whose installation is easier than it seems, says Nezha. He explains the advantages of rainscreen cladding systems that include: avoiding condensation & humidity, extends the façade’s lifetime, reduces structural movements, improves thermal and acoustic insulation, increases energy efficiency, requires virtually no maintenance, and adds value to the building or home.

Advantages of Rainscreen Cladding • Extends the façade’s lifetime: The constant ventilation inside the air cavity improves the durability of the exterior cladding material since it keeps it dry. The façade’s lifetime is even longer when using a durable and resistant material like natural slate.

• Reduces structural movements: As we mentioned at the beginning, the air cavity allows maintaining a more stable temperature in the building construction envelope. This helps to prevent the risk of cracks and other structural issues. Since the structure is not subject to extreme temperature changes, it is less liable to suffer expansion or contraction movements.

• Improves thermal and acoustic insulation: The insulation layer is optional, but when we combine it with the rainscreen cladding system, the thermal and acoustic insulation of the building improves significantly. This has a huge impact on health since environmental pollution is diminished and therefore are the health issues derived from the excess of noise such as stress or fatigue. Additionally, this system removes thermal bridges.

• Increases energy efficiency: The rainscreen cladding makes cooling the building easier

Image 6A: Upper opening rainscreen cladding

EFFECT OF FIRE SAFETY NORMS & STANDARDS IN THE CLADDING INDUSTRY Khan observes that increased fire outbursts and

during summer and provides better control of the heating during winter, favouring both thermal comfort and energy saving. Thanks to the rainscreen cladding system, energy bills can be reduced between 30 and 40%.

• Requires virtually no maintenance: Rainscreen cladding systems require almost zero maintenance, especially if you choose a cladding material that withstands adverse weather conditions like a high-quality natural slate.

• Adds value to the building or home: The extra initial investment is recovered thanks to the durability, energy efficiency, and low maintenance cost of the façade. So rainscreen cladding is an excellent choice both for new construction sites and refurbishment projects.

These systems are a very advantageous solution in terms of energy and money-saving. It is a stand for a sustainable future that allows, at the same time, reducing your heating bills and increasing your home’s thermal comfort.

AbdulGhani Dallal, Operations Manager (KSA), Comelite Architecture, Structure & Interior Design

Image 6B: Rainscreen lower opening ventilated façade

flammability of façades over the last decade have led to the introduction of regulations that drastically revolutionised the cladding industry in the region.

The norms have shifted towards façades bound by

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fire-safe regulations and minimum flammability in an attempt to safeguard buildings in the case of accidental fires. Most external façades must now mandatorily classify as Class A following European Standard EN-13501-1, which classifies building materials based on flammability and likeliness to spread the fire.

The current fire safety Code in the UAE is the most updated norm & standard in the Middle East and given solution to stop the extent of lateral & vertical fire spread and stop the extent of smoke and droplets emissions, says Nezha.

VENTILATED CLADDING & ENERGY CONSERVING FAÇADES A ventilated façade is a façade construction with an air gap between the insulation and the façade cladding. This gap is open at the top and bottom and the cladding has small open joints, thus creating a way for natural ventilation of the façade.

A ventilated façade can be viewed as a raincoat: it protects a building against the weather, while at the same time creating a healthy indoor climate.

This is why it is often referred to as rainscreen cladding.

Scientific research shows that a ventilated façade has multiple benefits compared to other building techniques. When a brick or concrete wall is exposed to continuous rain, it will act as a sponge, due to the porous nature of the materials.

Ventilated façades, however, allow for the water to be drained in the cavity and any other humidity to evaporate through the air gap.

The façade may get wet in the cavity because of the open joints, but this moisture will evaporate quickly thanks to the ventilation flow within the air cavity.

A ventilated façade reduces the direct solar impact on the building and reduces the thermal movement of the structure itself. With a welldesigned/constructed façade, condensation inside the façade build-up can be prevented.

Algae and moisture problems do not occur in that case, because the façade is ‘self-breathing’.

Khan notes, ventilated façades are an option being explored currently and have already been implemented in a few projects in the UAE. These façades prioritise the movement of air between the façade and the external wall of a building

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to boost the thermal performance and energy efficiency of the building. Simultaneously, due to an obvious chance for fire spread in ventilated areas, Cavity barriers with expandable fire stop systems have also been developed to prevent the risk of fire spreads in such systems.

Nezha explains, ventilated façades are an outdoor cladding building solution that can be applied to both new build and refurbished buildings. It is of special interest to architects for several reasons such as: • Improved thermal insulation.

• Improves the façades’ continuous finish • Faster to install and to clean Ventilated façades allow for the circulation of air between the supporting wall and the cladding material, such as marble, ceramic tiling, metallic panels, etc. In this manner, the supporting wall is protected from both the cold and heat resulting in energy savings.

MATERIALS & METHODOLOGIES FOR FIRE-SAFE CLADDING Calorific value is the amount of energy that is produced by the complete combustion of a material.

This amount of energy determines how much heat a certain material contributes to a fire.

More heat simply means a faster spreading of the fire. The calorific content of a panel is indicated by its PCS (an abbreviation of the French term ‘Pouvoir Calorifique Supérieur’) value. The higher a PCS value is, the more calorific content a panel has. Noncombustible façade material has a very low calorific value and thus a very low contribution to the fire. The classification of these non-combustible materials has an upper limit on the PCS values.

In general, the lower the calorific value of a product, the better it is when it comes to fire safety. But what does this imply?

When it comes to PCS value, two panels distinct themselves, for example, fiber cement and stone wool (Rockpanel). They both have very low caloric content. Stone wool, for example, is made from natural volcanic rock basalt, which can withstand extremely high temperatures by nature.

However, to be sure of a totally fire-safe solution, it is strongly advised to use non-combustible panels and

does not risk the somewhat dodgy performance of panels that include fire retardants to ‘mask’ their high calorific value.

Certain test standards based on EN (European) & ASTM (American) standards with regards to fire performance of façades have been made compulsory by the local civil defence authorities.

In general, there are 2 test methodologies when it comes to cladding materials; first being the material fire reaction test and the second being a system test which determines the product’s fire performance as part of a façade system, says Khan.

Nezha says, currently, there are too many fire-safe materials and large-scale fire testing still remain the only possible route to gain knowledge about the flammability of exterior façades. However, these assessments are very costly, destructive, and often impossible due to many practical constraints. Even when a large-scale test is performed, it is currently done on a perfectly constructed system. In reality, the systems installed onto buildings may be vastly different from the testing standards. Therefore, numerical simulations based on computational fluid dynamic (CFD) techniques are a cost-effective tool to bridge the knowledge gap and explore the

Fire compartmentation and fire barrier

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Ventilated systems vented - Pressure equalised

system sensitivity to some of the parameters such as the gap widths and material thickness.

IMPORTANCE OF FIRE-SAFE DESIGN, MATERIALS, AND TECHNOLOGIES Khan says, “As a fire & a life safety company, we have a deep understanding of the impact that fire-safe designs & materials can have when protecting lives, properties, and the environment.

If anything, recent times have shown the market that fire safety should be one of the primary priorities when designing or implementing façades and building materials”.

Façade materials play a key role in fire safety, as it would be extremely difficult to control the building fire on the exterior. Hence, more focus is needed in selecting appropriate materials, and this requires designer knowledge on material behaviour and performance, opines Nezha.

THE MARKET FOR THE FIRE-RESISTANT CLADDING MATERIALS AND ITS WAY FORWARD At this point, there is no turning back to flammable materials, even for budgetary purposes. The shift towards the use of fire-resistant has led to a chain of events for the better of the industry. NAFFCO for instance, has introduced TUF panel, aluminium composite panels and is the only company in the

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Middle East to manufacture the composite nonflammable core, in-house. Due to increase in fire outbreaks and huge quality control discrepancies for materials arriving from South East Asia, TUF panel introduced a methodology that would allow 100% control over the quality of the aluminium composite panels, which have been one of the major causes for fire spreads in buildings, explains Khan.

The rapidly increasing utilisation of advanced lightweight materials, including light alloys, polymers, and fiber-reinforced composites that are highly flammable poses significant fire risks impacting people, environment, and the economy, notes Nezha. They can be often found in exterior cladding systems, otherwise known as exterior insulation finishing systems (EIFS) or external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS).

These systems are designed to be cost-effective solutions for thermal insulation, weather resistance, and aesthetic external wall finishes, he adds. In the Middle East and UAE specially the most basic exterior cladding system consists of: 1. An insulation layer, often a polymer such as a polystyrene (EPS), polyisocyanurate (PIR) or polyurethane (PU); 2. A surface finish layer that can be a surface coating or a sandwich panel (such as an aluminium composite panel (ACP)).

FUTURE TRENDS FOR INDUSTRIAL CLADDING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

appearance and aesthetics, ease of application and economic, he adds.

Dallal sees a good scope for textile faรงades in the Middle East. He explains fabric faรงades are a new trend of screens and fabric architecture used on the exterior surfaces of buildings. Both old and newly built buildings can be quickly and simply clothed. It can be used for many buildings from industrial buildings to shopping centers, stadiums to residential buildings.

Khan presumes, mobile or moving faรงades are a trend that is currently in an experimental stage in the region and are being closely studied.

Solar-based cladding is also being developed as sustainable options become more viable with an increased demand for sustainable products.

Textile faรงade coating applications are made of textile materials using static (closed) PVC, mesh (mesh), PTFE (Teflon) laminates and/or mesh and aesthetic materials and imported textile products with guaranteed aluminium construction for the steel construction, And/or by applying special design tensioning apparatuses.

The future trends for industrial cladding in the Middle East using the software as Rhino & Revit for parametric design and digital fabrication, says Nezha.

Parametric design and digital fabrication - Rhino & Revit

These systems, which are used in the direction of sunlight breaker function, shading and thermal insulation as well as light permeability (night and day, inside-out, far-away view) which must be perceived differently from the inside by the inside, besides their contribution to architectural

Fabric faรงades are a new trend of screens and fabric architecture used on the exterior surfaces of buildings

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“Choice of Cladding Material can Dictate the Mode You Want to Achieve for a Specific Building”

Reymann Muaña Buscato uap, Senior Architect, U+A

What are the latest trends in cladding materials?

The current trends in cladding materials based in the UAE market, and I would say even globally, are fibre cement panels, aluminium panels, and solar panel façade cladding (photovoltaic glass panels) including timber and stone cladding.

I believe that the increase in the utilisation of these materials over the years is highly driven by several core factors such as durability, design versatility, aesthetic appeal, and functionality. For example, fibre cement panels are fire and water-resistant, has good sound and heat insulation properties.

In addition to that, it does not deteriorate with ultraviolet light and is eco-friendly and with the surge of sustainable building materials, creating a trend worldwide, more and more designers/ architects lean on these materials as an option.

Over the years, aluminium panels have been a trusted cladding ally of architects as it has never failed to give impressive results. It is durable, lightweight, can be thermally efficient and shaped

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Damac Heights is an 84 storey residential tower with retail at ground level located at Dubai Marina with a GFA of 855,590 sq.ft.

Uses a combination of aluminium composite panels and glass façade fenestration with stone cladding at the podium level

endlessly in response to the building design. Of course, the ingenuity of the architect will greatly affect the extent of usage and the manipulation of the material to fit however ambitious a design will or can be. Predictably, it would be safe to say that this type of cladding material will remain in the market for many years.

With regards to solar panel faรงade cladding (photovoltaic glass panels), this type is rarely being used in the UAE. Although as designers we try to incorporate this type of cladding, however, it never progresses beyond concept design. Once the design goes on further to the scheme, detail design, and especially to tender, these items are always on the list of being value engineered. Perhaps it is not cost-effective or it could be that the application of new technology regarding this is not in line with the existing market trends in the architectural arena. Hopefully, one day we can enjoy this type of building efficiency and sustainability in the future that is end-user friendly, especially on the facility management side.

Nevertheless, I am a strong believer of painted plastered concrete and glass windows. Basically, if you can combine these two elements properly into your design, then you can be able to create a costeffective, aesthetically pleasing, highly sustainable structure that can last for many years and easy to maintain. As a guiding principle, I always make sure to provide effective, safe and quality design features for clients, fully understanding that nowadays, the market is highly price-conscious and demanding in

terms of product quality, longevity, or if it comes to par with the regulatory codes imposed by building authorities in the government of that particular place or country and the like, as we are catering to a diverse clientele.

What are the major challenges you find in the industrial cladding segment in the Middle East?

I can say that one of the major challenges of the industrial cladding segment in the Middle East, specifically here in the UAE is complying with the new UAE codes. Although I would consider this to be a very good initiative of the UAE government in preventing fire incidents. Rules and regulations pertaining to the suppliers, manufacturers, and installers of industrial cladding (as they are increasing in number) should be strictly implemented as negligence is very common. Cases of improper installation have caused various scenarios like rainwater leakage, detached cladding from the system, and worst is cladding falling to the ground secondary to strong winds and sandstorms.

Please brief us about smart cladding technologies for sustainable buildings.

Smart cladding is the use of materials that is quite new to the market and helps with the energy efficiency and the sustainability of the building in terms of HVAC loads, water consumption, and electrical loads. Due to the new codes being implemented in the regions, especially in the UAE, other cladding materials pop up like perforated screens, mineral fibre panels, WPC panels to name a few.

U+A creates an innovative and new residential typology for Dubai, that combines functional living with the aesthetics of a expansive landscaped podium

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Midtown by Deyaar intends to create a community with a an unparalleled live and play lifestyle that incorporates high-end living with the natural surroundings of the leisure facilities. It adapts itself as an stand alone development that create a benchmark of community living with 27 total number of buildings. Midtown Community Cluster is another good example of a combination of paints, concrete and glass and good workmanship

What are the key factors to consider while designing and selecting cladding materials?

From an architect’s point of view, key factors to consider are: • Can it follow/perform the complexities of my design?

• Is it locally available?

• Is it economical or within the client’s budget?

Because most of the projects start with a very ambitious concept and at the end, it will be value-engineered and ends up way too different from what you envisioned your design will be?

• Durability • Geography where your building is located • Local and international code compliance • Constructability • Aesthetics

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What role does cladding play in controlling the internal environment?

The choice of cladding will greatly affect the internal environment and it depends on the type of building that you design or build. For example, in an office building, we usually consider more natural light to come in but less heat. This is the reason why most of the office buildings use the floor to floor glass cladding or panelling. To counter glare, we use vertical and horizontal louvers, perforated panels, and photovoltaic glass panels. For the hotels and other residential buildings, there is less glass panel usage due to building code, fire codes, and privacy.

It can literally dictate the mode you want to achieve for a specific building function.

Could you please tell us about rainscreen cladding and its advantages in detail?

Rainscreen cladding is a form of insulation for moisture resistance and rainwater seeping into your core walls in particular. It helps to protect your core walls against moisture. Nowadays, it has become an architectural façade cladding. Vented, vented and pressure, equalised and drained and vented are some types of rainscreen cladding to name a few.

The advantages of using these types of cladding are:

• Simple installation means most of the suppliers can attach to the main structural walls with ease.

They can work closely with façade consultants and structural engineers.

• Lightweight materials. They usually range from 4mm thick to 8mm thick sheets and weigh just less than 6 kg per square meter.

• It can decrease condensation on the building if done properly. That is why it is critical for the site architects and inspectors to monitor closely when installing otherwise it will defeat its purpose.

Rainscreen, usually increases airflow and can manage moisture effectively.

• It can be easily removed and replaced due to its advanced fixing system. It will greatly help facility management in maintenance in the long run.

• It is very easy to use. These cladding can be easily bent and rolled to fit architectural details, façade ends, and joints.

• If you use rainscreen cladding, you can still achieve the aesthetic aspect of your design. For it to have a lot of colour ranges and can even request supplier, manufacturers for customised colours and join connections.

The current fire safety norms & standards and their effect on the cladding industry in the Middle East?

Due to fire occurring situation here in the Middle East (UAE to be specific), the UAE fire code has been revised to address this situation. I myself have experienced a massive fire in my building way back in 2011 in JLT. Where it only starts in a very small fire at the top of the building (maybe in the electrical room) but because the building façade is cladded with ACP (aluminum composite panels, the fire just spread so quickly and the fire department could not do anything but only protect the surrounding building and the assets below. The norms now are all the new buildings that have been linked to the central monitoring facility by the fire department (civil defense authority) by incorporating BMS/ security rooms into the design. Also, all the products now for cladding have a strict testing and needs to pass the entire new requirement stated in the new fire code in the UAE. They have banned the use of all flammable insulation elements into the cladding.

Under the updated UAE fire code, consultants will be responsible for the overall operations and the lifecycle of a building, such as: acquiring the no objection certificate (NOC) from civil defense authorities; selection of approved material; contractor qualification; inspection during construction; and testing and commissioning works.

The purpose built sales centre conceptualised by U+A will become a truly striking building on Sheikh Zayed road. The centre provides its customers a platform for unparalleled interactive experiences whilst learning about new developments

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Wasl Experience Center is a structure with a complex geometric form that uses a combination of aluminium composite panels and curtain wall glazing for the faรงades

Now, all design consultants have this approved list of building materials to follow. It was given to us by the authority to follow, materials not listed here if we insist to use must go to a rigorous process to make it pass before we can actually use it.

What are ventilated cladding energy-conserving faรงades?

Ventilated cladding is a method where cladding has a separation or an air gap from the main faรงade wall/structure. This helps prevent moisture buildup between the cladding and the main wall.

This method will also help not to create a heat transfer from the exterior heat to the interior of the building does reducing energy consumption. Ventilated cladding is a form of energy-conserving faรงades as mentioned above.

What is the importance of fire-safe design, materials, and technologies?

This is very important. We are not only designing buildings and structure, but the safety of the end-

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users and the building itself to last its lifecycle. This also gives a sense of peace when you know that the building/structure that you design if safe for the end-users. We appreciate what the authorities have done because we do not need to second guess which building materials (cladding) to use for they have already provided us with the list of materials and suppliers that they have authorised or have accredited as safe here in the UAE to be specific.

What is the market for the fire-resistant cladding materials and its way forward in the Middle East?

I think it looks really bright. Most of the cladding materials now in the market are complying with the fire codes and local building codes. And from what I see, cladding in the Middle East is a must due to the weather condition. Cladding not only makes the character of the building, but also serves as protection of the main structure from weather and other exterior elements that will affect the lifecycle of the building/structure.

Commissioned by Emaar, U+A designed a residential development in the upscale Dubai Hills Estate, which includes ground floor terraced units, townhouses at podium level and a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments

What are the future trends for industrial cladding in the Middle East?

• Solar façade cladding panels • Graphic light façade • Perforated façade cladding • Customised aluminium cladding

In new UAE Fire Code, they have banned the use of all flammable insulation elements into the cladding

NOTE: I hope one day, our scientists and manufacturers can come up with renewable energy that can be incorporated in the façade as a design feature specially water from the tanks that flow towards our faucets can be converted back into energy for the building. That is sustainable energy. Imagine it can power your toilet lights while taking a shower or what not.

• Media mesh façade cladding The three apartment buildings range from 10-23 storeys, with amenities like swimming pools, play area, gym and multi-purpose room. U+A commissioned by Emaar to design residential complex in multi buildings and townhouses. U+A achieved the cient allocated budget and exceed the overall project efficiency. Park Ridge Towers is a good example of painted plaster and glass façade combination

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FACE TO FACE “Smart Building Envelopes can be Designed to Interact with Occupants to Improve Comfort”

Abdulmajid Karanouh International Director and Head of Interdisciplinary Design & Innovation, Drees & Sommer

About the Author: Abdulmajid Karanouh with a background in Architecture (BSc), Computation (MSc), Engineering (MSc), and Design Communication (Ph.D.), has developed over the past 20 years from a passionate specialist in complex architecture into an inter-disciplinary design lead in the built environment. His journey includes working on some of the largest masterplans in the world and on many record-breaking and award-winning projects involving high-profile organisations in Europe, the Middle East, and South-East Asia. He is especially focused on developing context-considerate integrated urban solutions and innovative building systems using BIM-augmented algorithmic thinking and computation. He currently heads the Interdisciplinary Design & Innovation group at Drees & Sommer.

In an interaction with Window & Façade Magazine, Abdulmajid Karanouh spoke about his journey, shared his views on the current situation of architectural segment in post-pandemic, etc. Here are the excerpts…

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Tell us about your practice and design approach?

Drees & Sommer was born in Stuttgart over 50 years ago as a project management consultancy firm. Since then, the firm has grown into the largest all-around German consultancy group in the Built Environment with over 40 offices across the globe, covering over 70 disciplines and sectors, offering 360 degrees total integrated urban and building solutions.

Our Interdisciplinary Design & Research (IDR) group is responsible for developing strategies to bridge gaps and establish synergies between various disciplines within Drees & Sommer on one hand, and between Drees & Sommer and other stakeholders and disciplines in the industry on the other. In that respect, our design approach is based upon the principles of interdisciplinary – as opposed to streamlining multidisciplinary – where we try to involve and integrate key representatives from various stakeholders across the industry from very early project vision stages, as opposed to working in silos in a sequential fashion. IDR comprises of a highly diverse and talented group of specialists from various backgrounds including entrepreneurial business consultation, project management, master planning and architecture, building physics and engineering, environmental and sustainable design, digitisation and BIM, constructability, operability and facility management, whole lifecycle simulation and cost modelling among others.

We use computation and algorithmic thinking to customise digital parametric tools to build links between different disciplines and project elements to design, simulate, analyse, validate, optimise, and communicate the physical buildup, and related technical and financial performance of any given project.

Al Bahr Towers, Abu Dhabi, UAE Project by: Aedas

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What inspired you to become an architect?

As a child, I have always been fascinated by how the universe works and how things take form, colour, and function. This fascination, perhaps inspired my early passion for drawing and building physical models. I especially wanted to become an aeronautic or automotive design-engineer as I spent most of my time at home in my early teenage years designing and building physical models of aircrafts and vehicles. However, I grew up in a country where no such industry or field of study was available. Therefore, I chose the closest field of study that I could find that combines visionary design and applied sciences like engineering and construction; architectural engineering. However, as soon as I had the chance to travel and work in Europe, I took every opportunity to study and specialise in high-tech to bring me closer to my original passion. It is one of the reasons that drive my passion for blending architecture with technology.

Dubai Metro, Dubai, UAE Project by: Aedas

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Please tell us about your projects featuring very innovative and different kinds of faรงade and fenestration designs.

Perhaps people in the industry know me best for having co-authored the competition-winning scheme of the Al-Bahr Towers and spearheading the design team from concept to realisation and operation from 2007 till 2015. The main stand-out feature of the building is its computerised dynamic faรงade that adapts to the movement of the sun.

However, earlier in my career, I have also been fortunate enough to have been involved in some very exciting projects indeed. This includes the Turning Torso for Santiago Calatrava in 2005, known for being the first twisted tower - and subsequently the first twisted unitised faรงade - in the world, and

the Dubai Metro by Aedas which was known for being the largest geometrically complex building in the world at the time it as built in 2009. After the completion of the Al-Bahr Towers, I have also been fortunate to work on many exciting projects for the likes of Grimshaw Architects, Foster & Partners, BIG, MVRDV, and especially Zaha Hadid Architects including the North Souks in Central Beirut District known for its unique diagrid structural envelope comprising of hundreds of diamond-like GRCframed glass units that never repeat in size and shape. Recently, however, I have been working on many exciting projects as part of the KSA Vision 2030, including Neom Mountain by Lava Architects, which is highly futuristic and ambitious indeed from an architectural and performance standpoint.

Could you please tell us about the latest façade and cladding technologies and materials

available in the UAE market and those you used in your project?

Besides the dynamic system of the Al-Bahr Towers, composite materials and structures have been some of the most exciting façade technologies that I have been working on recently in the UAE. This includes the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal by BDP Architects, where Carbon Fibre was used for the first time as supporting structure for the building envelope, earning its best innovation award by CFK Valley in Stade, Germany in 2015. Composites have since been used on several different iconic projects, including Zaha Hadid Architects’ Bee’ah HQ in Sharjah.

What are the key factors to consider while designing and installing fenestration?

More than I can list in the context of this interview, unfortunately. In a nutshell, however, it is all about being considerate to all disciplines

North Souks, Beirut, Lebanon Project by: Zaha Hadid Architects

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Bee’ah HQ, Sharjah, UAE Project by: Zaha Hadid Architects

and stakeholders involved in the process and striking a balance between them; it is very important to understand the dynamic context of the project and driving parameters including budget and timeline, the environment, the industry, and supply chain capabilities before jumping into designing anything. That being said, fundamental understanding of building physics and knowing how to blend engineering, constructability, operability, and economy with architecture to create viable solutions that are aesthetically pleasing yet performance is a key and a hard-earned skill indeed to the success of any building envelope.

Could you please brief on the technological benefits of the well-managed façades?

If building envelopes are properly designed, fabricated, installed, and managed, the benefits can be endless and invaluable indeed. It can improve the overall performance of the building from an environmental, economic, and user-comfort standpoint, including extending the whole lifecycle of the building.

Smart building envelopes can be designed to interact

with occupants to improve performance and comfort and to interact with the surrounding public for communication and education.

What are your views on the future façade and fenestration technologies as well as materials?

While I am an advocate of technology, I am also a higher advocate of a contextual approach to design; I would like to see more genuine exploration and development of indigenous materials and solutions as opposed to importing solutions en masse from abroad which are neither entirely suitable nor sustainable for the industry in the Middle East. In a nutshell, I would really like to see the making of solutions that embrace the environment - as opposed to defying it - to provide more sustainable and comfortable habitats.

How do you go about choosing the material of the façade and cladding?

By understanding and taking into consideration the project context first as described earlier, then explore how we can maximise the use of local materials and the local supply

The Turning Torso, Malmo, Sweden Project designed by Santiago Calatrava

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chain as early as feasibility studies, and then striking a balance between project stakeholders’ aspirations, budget, and delivery timeframe.

What are the challenges the architectural segment is facing due to this Covid-19 situation?

I would say the limited interaction and even more so limited resources. While online platforms have obviously helped a lot to keep people connected and communicating with one another, it is not quite as effective as being present on the ground physically, especially when interactions like sketching over the same board/drawing, feeling samples and materials, examining site conditions and mock-ups, etc. is much needed to make critical and informed decisions. Lower fees and lower number of projects combined means that architects have to manage with even fewer resources than before.

Has this pandemic affected your business? How are you dealing with this situation?

It has imposed many limitations as described above. It has also slowed down projects and decision making a lot. However, we try to keep communicating as much as we can daily with each other as a team and with our clients via online platforms. Recently, we have been allowed to gradually resume working from our office, but face to face interaction with our clients is still very limited.

Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, Abu Dhabi, UAE Project by: BDP Architects

As a well-known architect, what sustainability means to you and how do you ensure the sustainability aspects of your projects?

Sustainability - as the terms itself suggests - is about ensuring the healthy continuation of life on our planet. As an architect and design specialist, as much as I would like for many things to be done differently and as passionate as I am in pursuing in what I believe them to be the “right� things to do, I also have to accept that I am not alone on any given job and therefore I cannot control everything; I do the best I can from my position and within the available opportunities and resources. That being said, we always need to try to adapt and develop to maximise those opportunities and resources and therefore maximising the value of our services.

What is your advice for young and upcoming architects?

While being hungry and passionate for practice is highly commended and a must for success, patience and even more hunger and passion for knowledge and practical learning is even more important earlier in your career to avoid facing too many disappointments too early to a point you lose motivation too soon; whatever you have been told or taught at school is only a drop in the ocean of the what you can learn from practice; always keep an open mind for new ideas and new opportunities; best things may happen to you when you least expect them.

Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain Project by: Richard Rogers

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INDUSTRY SPEAKS “We launched a ‘Touch to Touchless’ Campaign to Convert the Manual Doors into Automatic Doors”

George Philip Deputy Vice President - Strategic Projects, the Middle East, dormakaba

George Philip is a senior management professional with over 2 decades of global experience in access solutions. He is a mechanical engineer by profession, with an MBA from Mumbai University, AMP from Harvard Business School, and completed the Executive Program in Artificial Intelligence from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also a member of NFPA. Currently, he is the Deputy Vice President (Strategic Projects) for the Middle East region in dormakaba.

In a conversation with Window & Façade Magazine, George Philip talks about dormakaba’s journey, their product range, and the technologies and innovations they have brought to deal with the COVID situation.

Excerpts…

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Please brief us on the history and objective behind the formation of your company. dormakaba is the result of a great merger of two giants in the industry, in September 2015. Dorma and Kaba bring together what belongs together.

There are parallels between our companies’ histories that combine and complement each other seamlessly. Innovation has always been a key component of how both Dorma and Kaba do the business. At dormakaba, we multiplied our shared value by pooling our resources and sharing our experiences. Together, we strive to be an innovation leader in our industry. We will continue to invest in innovation, always to create genuine added value for our customers through our smart access and security solutions.

Please highlight briefly about your products.

Our product clusters are grouped into Door Hardware - enduring, stylish door system solutions for more convenience, easy installation, and reliable functions from a single source; Entrance Systems - automated access solutions for userfriendly building access. Electronic Access and Data - electronic access control and workforce management for efficient administration, security and data collection; Lodging Systems - hotel locking and access management for holiday residences for reliable, convenient and efficient protection; Safe Locks - security locks for the optimum protection of valuables, information or hazardous substances from unauthorised access; Interior Glass Systems - system solutions in glass

Image 1: dormakaba’s offerings

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for a wide variety of requirements in buildings moveable walls; Flexible and Efficient Partition Solutions - for customised use of space in hotels, conference centers, studios, and other facilities; Mechanical Key Systems - 0ptimum security thanks to flexible assignment of access rights for best control, lower costs and enhanced convenience.

Service - customised service and maintenance for the sustained function of all our product clusters.

Could you please tell us about your manufacturing facility and capacity?

We have major production plants in Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, China, and North and South America, and Australia. While the capacity remains confidential, to give you a flavour of our leadership in the market, we crossed a major milestone - 100 millionth door closer, way back in 2010.

What are the advantages dormakaba has over its competitors? dormakaba is well-known to be the one-stop-shop with a broad offering of products, solutions, and

Image 2: dormakaba digital

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services for secure access to buildings. A single source for all your needs is critical while serving customers. Our focus on innovation, leadership and digital transformation with more than 2,000 patents and a dedicated digitisation strategy connecting customers, products, and our company for connecting services has helped us retain leadership in the market.

What role is automatipn playing in the door industry in the Middle East?

I would categorise automation with other interdependent trends like Information technology.

We are in the big data era. Couple this with the fact that processing power and data storage are becoming almost free, networks and the cloud will provide global access and on-demand services, social media and cybersecurity will be the gamechangers. All this is related to our offerings - Are our products accessible through cloud solutions?

Are they secure that you have peace of mind? Can processed data help you make decisions in your business?

In conjunction with Information technologies, new manufacturing, and automation technologies such as additive manufacturing (3D printing) and robotics have helped us to improve our productivity and reduce supply chain constraints.

All this forms a part of what we call dormakaba digital - connected customers and partners, connected products, and connected companies.

What are your views on the future façade and fenestration technologies as well as materials?

The envelope of a building is the only protection against the external environment. Yet we want the façade to be ‘live’ either by being a screen or to ‘breathe’ by opening during favourable weather conditions and closing during harsh conditions. All this puts challenges for material and performance of every component, from the glass on the façade, to the revolving doors at the entrance. We as a manufacturer must think innovatively to manage expectations. Products that can withstand wind loads (like our swing door operators, and revolving doors), managing a delicate balance of safety and security at entrances (like our access control and escape route systems), flexible entrances (like our HSW sliding folding systems), are all a part of the conversation we have, during design stage with architects, to the delivery stage when we install our products.

Name a few of your latest prestigious products and the innovations you made?

In 2018, global media company Thomson Reuters announced the Top 100 Global Technology Leaders - dormakaba was the only company from our industry in the list to be identified as the tech industry’s most operationally sound and financially successful organisations. This crown comes with responsibilities. Some of the stars that brought us to that elite group are: • Atrium Flex Revolving door (a breakthrough in design with technology): The world’s first revolving door driven with electromagnetic direct propulsion technology, clean, minimalist, all glass transparent design, eliminating floor pits, and an optional illuminated halo, to bring a smile to designers.

• Skyfold: Creating flexible spaces with vertical folding acoustic operable walls that almost

KTV Atrium Flex

magically comes down from the ceiling that creates ‘wow’ moments for the customers.

• Kaba Star Cross: Trust the Swiss when it comes to precision technology - A cross-shaped, movable element in the key provides increased protection against illegal copying, 3 D printing, and further enhances your security.

These products are just the tip of the iceberg in a basket of innovations that we keep bringing into the market every year.

Tell us about the major projects in which your products have been used.

Honestly, it would be difficult not to find our

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products in any building in the region. From the Burj Khalifa, the recently executed EXPO 2020 Pavilions, Dubai and Riyadh Metros, to all airports in the region is just a glimpse of how we have been a significant part of the landscape.

What is the current situation of your industry when the world is facing this COVID-19 challenge?

Our industry is no different from others, in terms of how it has affected the market in these challenging times. While net sales and profitability have declined in the last quarter, comprehensive crisis management was implemented. The focus went to the health and safety of employees, maintaining supply chains, and liquidity.

What practices should be adopted by the industry to overcome these challenges and deal with the after-effects of this pandemic?

A very relevant question. One major reason for the pandemic to spread is by touching people or surfaces. We launched a ‘Touch to Touchless’ campaign and supported many of the customers to convert their manual doors into automatic doors. This is evident from the fact that you do not have to touch any door when you enter Dubai Mall or Mirdiff City Centre. This is just an example, and we are converting many more. We also launched “The Safe Entry Tower”, which can scan your temperature, check for a face mask, and automatically dispense sanitizer before entry in a building. This can also be coupled to automatic doors with the optional crowd counting options to limit social distancing and closing doors when the number reaches the prescribed limits. We also have products for the retail sector that offers flexible shop fronts to expand existing space to maintain social distancing.

What are the major opportunities for your business in the Middle East?

Shifting trends from mechanical to electromechanical, shifting to digital solutions, offering solutions than stand-alone products, and most importantly, taking ownership of the product for its lifetime with comprehensive service would be the criteria that will be game-changers in the industry. How each company will manage this will separate the men from the boys.

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What are your goals and plans for the next 4-5 years?

Working with customers and influencers like architects, designers, and facility management companies to demonstrate how technologies can make their buildings more smart and secure, has been our objective that remains unchanged. What we are striving for is to be agile, during these pandemic times. Each employee is encouraged to act as an entrepreneur, giving one of our corporate values’ Customer First’ even more life.

Anything else you would like to add?

A nice adage from a recent article I read - Times are changing - ‘build to last’ is changing to ‘build to adapt’. Last but not the least, Stay Safe.

Safe Entry Tower

Retrofit of Ibis Hotel Revolving Door with the Flex Direct Drive When a product has performed well throughout its lifetime, what would you expect, from the sustainability point of view? The components used must be recyclable, reusable, and not contributing to an increase in the carbon footprint.

What if you dream of the impossible - completely giving new life to the product, saving of capital expenditure, and introduce cutting edge modern technology? Too good to be true, right?

Ibis Hotel in World Trade Centre was a part of the new look of the Dubai Convention Centre, which along with new concourse between Halls 1 and 2, Convention Tower, and Novotel Hotel, welcomed 15,000 delegates to the first-ever IMF/World Bank meeting in 2003. Hundreds and thousands have since then passed through the KTV 4 revolving door of Ibis Hotel. Powered by the old horse, the MS7 drive, it was one of the well-tested drive systems of its generation. In discussions with our dormakaba service team, for extending the life of the revolving door, dormakaba introduced the KT FLEX Direct Retrofit Kit. Unlike replacement of motors, gearboxes and other conventional ways to increase the life of the revolving door, the customer was impressed with the proposed new electromagnetic direct drive. This gearless power transmission is based on magnetic technology – proven tens of thousands of times. Low wear, low noise direct drive, provides soft movement and protects the equipment’s mechanical components.

Additionally, with an extremely narrow height, it

Quick Facts Project Name: Ibis Hotel Location: Dubai World Trade Centre Client: DWTC Commencement Date: The Ibis Hotel is a part of the DWTC complex, which started with the Sheikh Rashid Tower, which was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1979. This was extended over the years to many Exhibition Halls, Concourse, Ibis Hotel and Novotel Hotel.

Architect: RMJM

can be accommodated in a 100 mm canopy, and – of a cause - all other conventional canopies which average 300 mm in height. dormakaba’s service team successfully injected new life into the existing 17-year-old revolving door, by retrofitting this drive into the door.

Putting sustainability as the priority, this cuttingedge new technology was first deployed for retrofits and standard canopy revolving doors.

Later, using its inherent advantage as a compact drive (we informally call it the ‘Pizza‘ due to its unbelievably small size), we introduced it as the new KTV ATRIUM FLEX, which is a designer’s pride, with an elegant glass canopy and the compact drive on top. With a tiny overall height of just 5 cm, this drive unit is specifically designed for overhead mounting, offering for the first time the twin benefits of effortless ceiling installation and glass canopy elegance in revolving doors. The cute light ring around the drive, adds a touch of class to the product.

Its elegance and design secured the “If Design Award” in 2016.

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CASE STUDY Wind Considerations for Unconventional Façades

Tony Rofail Director and Principal, Windtech Consultants

About the Author: Tony Rofail has 33 years’ combined experience as both researcher and consultant in wind engineering, including 30 years with Windtech Consultants, an international wind engineering consulting firm established in Sydney in 1991 and currently having global office locations, with wind studies currently underway for projects in every continent. Tony has undertaken and supervised over 2500 wind tunnel investigations for various Masterplans, high-rise buildings, large roof and stadium building projects throughout the world, including all key markets in the Middle East and North Africa: United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt and Libya. These include numerous landmark developments.

Tony’s post-graduate research at the University of Sydney was on the subject of reliability of wind tunnel results for façade cladding pressures. Prior to this Tony’s research included a study of the effect of surrounding buildings on the interference excitation response of tall buildings. He is a key member of the committee responsible for the update of the Australia and New Zealand standards for wind actions on structures.

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In the current urban environment, the dazzling tall building with unconventional façade design is becoming increasingly trendy, with the increasing use of lightweight materials to build attractive seamless looking façades. However, the design of such façades has also become increasingly more susceptible to extreme wind events and has become a hot topic among façade engineers. Wind design codes are not able to cater for these complex façade systems and there are real risks of misuse of the codes for such façades, which can potentially lead to cladding failures with consequent risk to the public.

Wind Codes are designed for simple rectangular prism forms or an amalgamation of a group of simple extruded rectangles. Any significant departure from this becomes problematic from the point of view of codification. The codes also do not provide any guidance with regards to wind actions on doubleskin façades or sunshade elements, which are becoming increasingly important design elements in the Middle East from a sustainability aspect, given the trend towards lightweight construction.

Properly executed wind tunnel model studies are currently the only way to accurately determine the design wind actions on these complex façades. Very often conventional methods of wind tunnel model studies are not adequate in modelling the wind actions on some of the more complex façades. A case in point is the ventilated double skin façade for Rosewood Towers, in Lusail, Doha.

From a commercial aspect, the use of wind codes for even a simple rectangular prism form can lead to significant cost inefficiencies in comparison to a properly conducted wind tunnel study of buildings that feature a lightweight façade system that is taller than 15 floors. More information on this aspect is presented in the case study for Empire Tower, Abu Dhabi.

on the underwater forms, specifically the local coral formations. The development comprises two main towers reaching up the height of 37 and 40 floors and a 3-level high podium. Both towers stand on a rectangular base, turned perpendicular to each other, allowing for the maximum exposure to the water and marina views. The curvilinear cladding of the podium compliments the offset mesh façade (GRP mesh) of the towers giving an impression of two corals. The design is shown in Figure 1.

The GRP mesh is mounted on to the main façade with a small gap in between to form a double skin façade system. The wind pressures on the mesh façade will be transferred to the mounting system.

Therefore, it is important to understand the wind pressures not only perpendicular to the façade but also the component of wind forces acting vertically and tangentially on the GRP mesh. Whilst some wind standards might provide a level of guidance on the pressure drop across a porous mesh in the freestream, they do not provide any guidance as to how to assess the different components of peal local velocity pressures that generate the peak loads acting on the irregular offset GRP mesh that forms the outer skin of this double skin façade system. Wind tunnel testing is the only reliable way to determine the net pressures on both the inner and outer skins of this façade.

Figure 1: The curvilinear cladding of the podium compliments the offset mesh façade

In some cases, the use of codes is not only inefficient from a project cost point of view but also risky. For example, codes do not cater to openings through the middle of a building as in the case of the Gate Towers in New Al Alamein. Designing to the codes would have resulted in a significant underestimation of the loads on the façade cladding around the openings and in some of the lower parts of the tower.

ROSEWOOD TOWERS, LUSAIL, DOHA Rosewood Hotel & Residences is the newest addition to the ambitious Lusail City Marina District skyline.

The design concept for the development is based

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Figure 2A&B: Wind tunnel model set up

The wind tunnel test was carried out by WINDTECH Consultants and Figure 2A and B shows the wind tunnel model set up. The net pressures acting on the main building façade were determined from the measured external pressures, accounting for the internal pressures assuming the façade will remain closed with equal façade permeability for the duration of the design wind event.

The net pressures acting on the GRP mesh that was exposed to the wind on both sides were measured directly in the wind tunnel in real-time using more than 700 differential pairings located on either side of the mesh for pressures acting normal to the GRP mesh skin and a combination of appropriate drag coefficients and directional velocimetry to determine the net vertical and tangential pressures acting on the offset GRP mesh.

Quick Facts Project Name: Rosewood Towers Location: Lusail, Doha Client: Rosewood Hotel Group Architect: Arab Engineering Bureau Completion Date: 2022

EMPIRE TOWER, ABU DHABI, UAE Empire Tower, one of United Arab Emirate’s iconic high-rise buildings, is a 240m high residential tower located on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi. The unusual design of this 60 story tower involved maximising its presence on the street with vertical layers spreading to the property boundaries. The tower then bends back away from the street, allowing for an enlarged view corridor between the central park of the community and the sea. This design results in an inclined façade curving in towards the building, creating a dramatic form (Figure 3A and B).

Given its unique design, a codified approach to resolve the wind pressures on the development was not a viable approach as it would have to make various conservative assumptions with regards to the effect of the stepped plan form, potentially resulting in overengineering. Wind tunnel testing, carried out

by Sydney-based WINDTECH Consultants, therefore, was an important element in understanding the distribution of the peak design wind pressures on the façade of this irregular-shaped building. The complexity of the building’s geometry, coupled with the size of the tower structure, meant that significant cost benefits can also be realised by means of wind tunnel testing.

WINDTECH Consultants employ state of the art

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Figure 3A&B: The tower bends back away from the street, allowing for an enlarged view corridor between the central park of the community and the sea

techniques to eliminate sources of errors in the wind tunnel testing and in the assumptions regarding internal pressures for the faรงade pressure testing (Figure 4A, B, C). The technique has led to the closest agreement on record between wind tunnel and full-

scale measurements of faรงade pressures. The wind tunnel study for Empire Tower accurately predicts the net faรงade pressures considering the effects of internal pressures. In comparison with the estimated wind pressures obtained from local/international wind

Figure 4A, B & C: WINDTECH Consultants employ state of the art techniques to eliminate sources of errors in the wind tunnel testing

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THE GATE TOWERS, NEW AL ALAMEIN, EGYPT Quick Facts Project Name: Empire Tower Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE Client: Empire International Investments Architect: Aedas Commencement Date: Sep 2008 Completion Date: 2012

loading standards, wind pressures from the testing are significantly lower across most of the façade.

During the early stages of the design process, the lower wind pressures eliminated the “over-design” of the façade, thereby producing a more economical and risk-consistent building. The façade package was retendered by the façade consultant, ALT Cladding, after the issuance of Windtech’s wind tunnel study report. As a result, the tenders came back 12% lower than the original costs.

Figure 5A&B: The towers feature curved façades with large openings through the middle of each of the two towers

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In most scenarios, the wind pressures obtained via wind tunnel testing are often lower than the code prediction and therefore help the client to achieve significant cost saving on the façade materials.

However, most of, if not all, standards have limitations predicting complex flow phenomenon such as

funnelling in openings through the building. The wind pressures in some localised areas affected by complex flow phenomena could be underestimated by codes, increasing the risk of wind-induced faรงade failure. Wind tunnel testing is capable of accounting for these complex wind mechanisms, helping the faรงade engineer to ensure that their design is resilient to extreme wind events. The Gate Towers in New Al Alamein is a good example to demonstrate how a code approach fails to capture localised high pressures because of the inability to account for funnelling effects created by the building itself.

The Gate Towers is a high-end hotel and residential development consisting of two 44-storey towers sitting on two podiums split by a road that leads straight to the shore. The towers feature curved faรงades with large openings through the middle of each of the two towers (Figure 5A and B). The code had substantially overestimated the peak net pressures, especially for the upper part of the building. The code results suggest that the peak positive pressures for the upper tower would reach 3.0kPa, while the wind tunnel results show that most

Quick Facts Project Name: The Gate Towers Location: New Alamein, Egypt Client: City Edge Developments Architect: YBA Architects Completion Date: 2022

of the faรงade experiences peak positive pressures of 1.5kPa - 2.0kPa. However, the code significantly underestimated the peak negative pressures at the edge of the opening, the pressures caused by the funnelled winds through the opening. The code result was almost 2.0kPa lower than the wind tunnel results in these hotspots, a difference could easily result in the failure of the faรงade in strong wind events.

The figures below (Figure 6) highlight in red the areas that would have been underestimated if the design was based on the code calculation.

Areas that would be under-designed if the design is based on negative pressures calculated via ECP 201-2012

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PROJECT WATCH Designing ClimateResponsive Architecture

About the Authors: Joaquin Perez-Goicoechea is the Principal & Founding Partner, AGi architects. He received a Masters in Advanced Studies from Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de Madrid UPM (Spain), Masters in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (USA), and Masters in Urban Design and Architecture from the ‘Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de MadridUPM’ (Spain). Joaquin worked on several major international projects for offices.

Joaquin Perez-Goicoechea Principal & Founding Partner, AGi architects Dr. Nasser B. Abulhasan is the Principal & Founding Partner, AGi architects. He received a Doctors in Design from Harvard Graduate School of Design, and Masters in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. His area of research is on sustainable developments in arid climates and focuses on the perception of light in buildings.

Dr. Nasser B. Abulhasan Principal & Founding Partner, AGi architects

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Ali Mohammed T. Al-Ghanim Clinic, Kuwait

The program occupies the entirety of the site, and from afar the building is viewed as a monolithic element solidifying its ground and creating a high walled fortress protecting from vandalism and maximising privacy.

The courtyards are carved into the building, allowing for natural light into all the clinics. The concept of the façade generating light, views and ventilation is reversed, and the courtyards are brought inwards from the perimeter creating further privacy.

Examination rooms have been located towards the closed outer façade and opened to the interior courtyards in which common space flows.

Working directly with manufacturers and parametric processes that generate maximum areas based on minimum thicknesses, and adaptable geometries to incorporate efficient substructures have allowed

creating a contemporary mesh that connects to the cultural identity of end users. An anodised and perforated metal sheet allows sufficient light to enter, constructing a veiled threshold in between exterior and internal courtyards.

The Ali Mohammed T. Al-Ghanim Clinic is viewed as an iconic progressive building.

Fact File Client: Ministry of health of Kuwait/Mr. Ali Mohammad Thuniyan Al-Ghanim Date: 2011-2014 Architectural Team: • Stefania Rendinelli • Hanan Alkouh • Gwenola Kergall • Bruno Gomes • Ana López Cerrato

©Nelson Garrido

Ali Mohammed T. Al-Ghanim Clinic building stands as a pioneer in the healthcare sector, where challenging issues such as privacy and security are addressed using a new model. Courtyards attached to the façade are the driving element behind this unique typology.

An anodised and perforated metal sheet allows sufficient light to enter, constructing a veiled threshold in between exterior and internal courtyards

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Nirvana Home, Mesillah, Kuwait

This home is also a reflection of the culture within which it is developed. In this sense, its point of contact with the location at ground level is a public floor dedicated to socialisation, for the gathering of family and friends. With this purpose in mind, the spaces were designed to look at one another, detached from the surroundings and interconnected through a series of courtyards.

The series of geometric voids in grey polished marble contrasts with the exterior’s white rough ceramic finish. The duality of textures is similar to that found in a marble quarry, where the polished geometric voids contrast with the natural mountain terrain.

Inside Nirvana Home, little by little, step by step, the horizon and the sea begin to dominate and the building is marked by a formidable diagonal that displaces matter so as to reach maximum transparency, allowing rooms on different façades to look towards the sea. This strategy generates a string of empty spaces that become threedimensional courtyards holding gardens at different

The Nirvana building is marked by a formidable diagonal allowing rooms on different façades to look towards the sea

heights and acting as shared spaces for parents and children.

Fact File Client: Private Type: Residential | 6,000 Sqm Location: Mesillah, Kuwait Design Project Leader: Daniel Muñoz Onsite Project Leaders: Sara Barranco Samer Mohammad Date: 2012- 2017

Nirvana Home, Mesillah, Kuwait

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©Fernando Guerra - FG+SG

These thoughts led us to name this project Nirvana.

Words like “house”, “villa”, or “palace” fail to represent the scale of the building, its materialisation, or its spatial order. We prefer the term “home”.

The features of a home are not physical, but rather emotional and affective, and Nirvana Home has been designed and built to satisfy the needs of the inhabitants in these terms.

©Fernando Guerra - FG+SG

There are no words to define the concept of Nirvana, a mental state with effects in the physical and spiritual planes. This makes it difficult to explain and only those who practice meditation can understand how far they are from reaching it.

Three Gardens House, Al Funaitees, Kuwait It all started with a question: Are you able to design an outside space that can be used 365 days a year?

in which these activities could be developed, and accordingly we designed three gardens.

For moderate climates, such as the Spanish, it seems quite simple, but in the case of an extreme weather like that of Kuwait it was necessary to think about new strategies. So we asked the client:

The first one is a Wet Garden on ground floor, which allows us to activate related spaces during the hottest periods. The pool and some fountains are located in this garden, which is surrounded by the main social spaces of the house.

• Could you live in an outer space located at different levels?

• Could you classify your outdoor activities in evening and daytime actions, summer and winter events?

These enquiries may be very difficult to answer for a Mediterranean family, but definitely not for those who are used to living in adverse weather conditions and who easily know what can -and cannot- be done during the summer outdoors.

The Summer Garden stands in the coldest layer, 4 meters below street level. Protected by the soil’s

Fact File Type: Residential | 1,300 Sqm Location: Al Funaitees, Kuwait Architects: Nasser B. Abulhasan Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea Date: 2016

We decided to stratify the external uses according to the period of the year and the hours of the day

©Fernando Guerra - FG+SG

Three Gardens House, Al Funaitees, Kuwait

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thermal mass and the projected shadows of the housing volume, a large sheet of water is placed to catalyse the evapotranspiration that through convection rises and refreshes the air towards upper spaces.

The third one lies on the roof, an ideal place for winter days and hot summer nights. A perforated skin covers the Winter Garden, avoiding direct solar radiation and raising the privacy of its inhabitants.

These three gardens become unified as a single outer space and are connected -visually and physically - through exterior stairs, we begin to develop the rest of the home from the generation of the aforementioned voids, articulating the program of required uses around them.

Another important aspect to understand is the internal circulation of the dwelling, strongly linked to the concept of “family” assumed by the clients. From the main entrance, the separation of spaces and levels acts as a filter with guests, therefore, those who circulate through it are only the ones closest to the family (including service staff and workers of the house). The circulation inside the building - both vertical and horizontal - is conceived in a fluid way, creating multiple routes and possibilities for the inhabitants to reach the rooms in a more or less direct way. The routes can be interior or exterior, offering differently qualified views and

©Fernando Guerra - FG+SG

The metal mesh of anodised aluminium maintain the privacy of the inhabitants and serves as a filter on the roof of the house

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The Winter Garden on the roof

experiences. In this sense, all “public” areas are visually connected, leaving the most private rooms more intimate and looking outwards. Opposite to the closed volume towards the outside emphasised by the uniform stone cladding is the total transparency of the spaces facing the interior courtyard covered in white ceramic tile, which reflect the light and help to illuminate the rooms in a natural way.

The same perforated skin that serves as a filter on the roof - a “deployé” metal mesh of anodised aluminium has been used to maintain the privacy of the inhabitants from the neighbours’ eyes and to filter direct sunlight, serving as a shelter for the vegetation inside the aggressive Kuwaiti climate.

PRODUCT WATCH Cast-In Channel with ETA Approval As a leading supplier of secure and economic construction fixings, the fischer Group of Companies is shaping the future of the fixings industry. We have developed trends, such as advancing digitalisation or Building Information Modelling, into solutions for the buildings of the future. Increasing demands on planning security are changing the requirements placed on fixing technology.

Our innovative Cast-In Channel System provides answers to these new conditions. We are the first company to offer anchor channels with an ETA approval in the third load direction. fischer’s portfolio comprises FES C cold-formed and FES H hot-rolled channels in a hot-dip galvanised variant.

Advantages - The preinstalled anchor significantly reduces the total operating costs when combined with Building Information Modelling. The fischer Cast-In Channel systems achieve this thanks to the low follow-on costs with every additional fixing. Its simple installation no longer requires time- and energy-consuming drilling in challenging Fischer Cast-In Channel installation before pouring of concrete

circumstances such as heavily reinforced concrete.

With no drill dust and without requiring heavy machinery, the fischer Cast-In Channel system offers further advantages in terms of health and safety and environmental management – advantages which are noticeable from the very first application. fischer Cast-in Channel system usually refer to cold formed or hot rolled channels with anchors of either I-shaped or round type welded or riveted to the channels. Nail holes in the channel aid the fixing of channel to wooden or other material formwork, inside the channel there are special form of fillers to prevent the ingress of concrete during casting process.

After that, the formwork and the fillers can be easily removed, and the specially designed channel bolt are used to connect various attached items.

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For more enquiries, contact: marketing@fischer.ae.

Cast-In Channel tunnel installation

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BUZZ GA Architects Wins “Luxury Lifestyle Awards” for Abu Dhabi Hotel Project GA Architects & Engineers has won the Luxury Lifestyle Awards for its key five-star hospitality project, Al Bandar Rotana, in the Best Luxury Architect and Interior Design Studio category.

On the award-winning Al Bandar Rotana project, Ghazi Awad (Founder) said: “Having a mirage look, it is hard not to notice the inspiration of this project and its effect on the Dubai creek skyline. Our team has achieved a striking modern impression through the multi-volumetric design that was integrated within a dominant oblique ARCH structure.”

“When you reach closer, the message of luxury can be more sensed due to the great attention given to every single detail of this project inside-out, day and night. It is evident how the “Void” became the design feature of space, especially the atrium that extends 10 floors above the entrance hall with an ending glass skylight that fills this space with ambient daylight,” he explained.

Doha Metro Bags CIHT’S International Award 2020 The Doha Metro has won the CIHT’s International Award 2020.

CIHT’s International Award recognises the outstanding examples of highways and transportation infrastructure or services from outside the UK and Ireland.

The judges awarded the prize to the Doha Metro for its originality and innovation, highlighting that they were impressed with the quality of execution, with the architectural design and the use of materials

“The panoramic lifts travel throughout this magnificent Void penetrating the building at its external facade for eight floors with a spectacular view over the pool deck combined with the Creek horizon,” he added.

On the Rotana project, Awad said another unique feature was the restaurants’ glass terraces, which suspend fully above water features and that have an impressive vertical display with the upper terraces. and technologies, with the speediness of project delivery, and with the overall positive internal and external feedback the project has received.

To ensure this large network of terminals maintains a cohesive identity as it grows, at the request of Qatar Rail UNStudio created a Branding Manual, outlining our concept design in detail.

This manual contains an extensive set of design guidelines, architectural details, and material outlines to assure all of the structures in the design are built in line with our overall design concept.

Ben van Berkel, UNStudio’s founder, and principal architect explained: “Through the production of a design manual and with the use of adaptive parametric design, it has been possible to create a design with many variants, yet one which maintains a coherent identity throughout all of the stations.”

BUZZ Work on Qatar’s New Shimmering Diamond Soccer Stadium Completed

The construction work on Qatar’s new diamond shimmering soccer stadium is completed now.

The stadium is created as part of the country’s preparation for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. The building features a complex

Dutch Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020 to have Stained GlassStyle Solar Panels at its Roof Designer Marjan van Aubel has designed a set of stained glass-style translucent solar panels that will be mounted onto the roof of the Dutch pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai.

The design of the panels, made out of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, was guided by the principle

patterned façade that is said to shine in the sunlight and can also be illuminated with integrated lighting at night.

The project has been nicknamed “Diamond in the Desert”. The stadium derives its official title of Education City Stadium from its location next to several university and research buildings in Al Rayyan, west of Qatar’s capital Doha. It was designed

by Fenwick-Iribarren Architects in collaboration with Pattern Architects, Buro Happold, JPAC JV, and Salfo.

The façade of the stadium is conceived as a shimmering diamond nestled on a vibrant landscaped podium. The faceted nature of the metallic fabric façade has a strong geometric tessellation consisting of diamonds and triangles, which means each panel will reflect different qualities of light, sparkle with different hues, and mirror different aspects of the surrounding site. The movement of the sun throughout the day will animate and transform the appearance of the stadium, creating an illusion of constant motion, whilst at night its inner glow will emanate out through the façade.

that attractive sustainable technology is the best way to effect change.

Van Aubel’s solar panels can simultaneously generate solar power and let tinted daylight pass through.

Van Aubel has been developing solar panels for several years. They use light-absorbing organic dyes that cover tiny particles of titanium dioxide nanomaterial to turn sunlight into electricity. What’s more, the solar cells are flexible and can be applied to a translucent surface like a sticker.

The Dutch Biotope will not only be a showcase for futuristic examples of sustainable design and technology - the space will also act as a selfsustaining microclimate with a tower of plants taking up a large part of the space and will be made from natural materials that will be recycled or reused after the event.

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