me architect

MARCH 2009 | VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 3

An ITP Business Publication

NEW

S, DATA

, AN

ALYSIS A

ND

STRATEGIC

INSIG

HTS FO

R ARC

HITEC

TS IN TH

E GC

C

MA

RC

H 2009 | V

OL

UM

E 3 | ISSU

E 3

An ITP Business Publication

NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITYThe who, what, why & how much of architectural glass

LIVING IN GLASS HOUSESA look at some of the world’s best architecture universities

TOP OF THE CLASS

UNITING CULTURES SHOULD PROVE LUCRATIVE FOR FUJAIRAH’S GOLDEN BEACH

Draw Link Architecture, the fulcrum organization of the Draw Link Group of companies is ably supported by divisions such as Draw Link Interior for interior design, Draw Link Technical Works for project management, 90One Projects for IT and media based marketing tools, and a dedicated furniture line. Our approach to architecture differentiates us from the competition. Extensive research on topography, climate, expected return on investment, marketability and innovation sets the tone for our concepts. We offer end to end solutions for residential, commercial and hospitality projects in the region. Draw Link Architecture offers a balanced approach to incorporate design-innovation to complement your project's objectives. We adopt green designs, an eco-friendly resource-efficient process to harmonize architecture with nature. At Draw Link Architecture, each project is a challenge that draws a unique yet compelling treatment.

W I N N E RTourism, Travel & Transport Future

2008

001 www.constructionweekonline.com | 03.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

CONTENTS MARCH

MARCH 2009 ISSUE 3 VOLUME 3

14

07

21

12

30

33

48

18

27

38

21

12 18

33

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL NEWS X-architects sets benchmarks, KEO simplifies sustainability and Cairo is being transformed. All that plus the latest news from around the globe

POST SHOW REPORT: MADEexpo ‘09 Twice as big as the UAE’s Cityscapes, Milan’s MADEexpo is the new ‘must-attend’ in Europe

FEATURED FIRM: ATKINS From its engineering work on Dubai Creek to Burj Al Arab to BWTC, Atkins is a Middle East mainstay

TOP OF THE CLASSA brief look at 10 of the world’s top postgraduate architecture universities

Q&A: FRANZ KOOK, DURAVIT, CEO Lauren Hills speaks to Franz Kook about working with some of the worlds top bathroom desginers

STUDENT UNIONPrinceton graduate students work with dxb.lab and Jesse Reiser through pr0gress design studio

ARCHITECTURE UNDER REVIEWARCHITECT mainstay M Alaa Mandour analyses the parallelism of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture

COVER STORY: GOLDEN BEACH Burt Hill architects John Kim and Mohammed Zannouneh present their new Fujairah project

ARCHITECTURAL GLASSArchitects and LEED APs talk to Jeff Roberts about the who, what, when & why of glass for buildings

BATTLE OF THE... Guggenheim Museums: Frank Lloyd Wright (New York City) vs. Frank Gehry (Bilbao, Spain)

48

56

STZ

iGuzzini illuminazione Middle East, DAFZA Building No.6 East B Office No. 835 P.O. Box 54827, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, tel: +971 (0) 4 701 7825, Fax: +971 (0) 7830, www.iguzzini.ae, [email protected]

Better Light for a Better Life.

1 2 3 4

Partners for better light.

Beijing, National Centre for the Performing Arts. Natural daylight gradually fills the interior spaces as morningbreaks, seeping in through the huge glass dome. Later it blends harmoniously with artificial light, engineered to takeover discreetly as night falls over the city. For over 30 years, iGuzzini has been working alongside great designers,architects and lighting designers (as well, of course, as clients sensitive to this issue) to give the world better light.

Architectural design: Paul Andreu associated with ADPi and BIAD. Concept & Schematic lighting design forDome Inter ior : L ight ing Planners Associates Inc. . C l ient : The Grand Nat ional Theatre Committee,Wan Siquan . iGuzzini Partner Assistance: . Product design: Le Perroquet, by Piano Design; Light Up, by JeanMichel Wilmotte; Zoom, by Bruno Gecchelin. iguzzini.com, iGuzzini illuminazione spa, Italy.

1

2

34

05

EDITOR’S LETTER


Jeff Roberts, Group [email protected]

Registered at Dubai Media CityPO Box 500024, Dubai, UAETel: 00 971 4 210 8000 Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080Web: www.itp.comOffices in Dubai & London

ITP Business PublishingCEO Walid AkawiManaging Director Neil DaviesDeputy Managing Director Matthew SouthwellEditorial Director David InghamPublishing Director Jason Bowman

EDITORIAL

Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Group Editor Jeff RobertsTel: +971 4 435 6269 email: [email protected] Editors Lauren Hills, Selin ArkutEmails [email protected]; [email protected].

ADVERTISING

Commercial Director Michael StansfieldTel: +971 4 435 6350 email: [email protected] Advertising Manager Keiron GallagherTel: +971 4 435 6349email: [email protected]

STUDIO

Group Art Editor Daniel PrescottDesigner Lucy McMurray, Gurpreet Jhita

PHOTOGRAPHY

Director of Photography Sevag DavidianChief Photographer Nemanja SeslijaSenior Photographers Valeriano Handumon, Alan Desiderio, Efraim Evidor, Khatuna KhutsishviliStaff Photographers Khaled Termanini, Thanos Lazopoulos, John Pocock, George Dipin, Samin Abarqoi, Leila Cranswick, Rajesh Raghav, Ruel Pableo, Louis Savage

PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION

Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Production Manager Eleanor ZwanepoelProduction Coordinator Louise SchreiberGeneral Manager - Regional DistributionShaded Ali ShadedDistribution Manager Karima AshwellDistribution Executive Nada Al Alami

CIRCULATION

Head of Database & Circulation Gaurav Gulati

MARKETING

Head of Marketing Daniel FewtrellMarketing Executive Masood Ahmad

ITP DIGITAL

Director Peter Conmy Internet Applications Manager Mohammed Affan Internet Design Manager Hitesh Uchil Web Designer Meghna Rao

ITP GROUP

Chairman Andrew NeilManaging Director Robert Serafi nFinance Director Toby Jay Spencer-DaviesBoard of Directors K M Jamieson, Mike Bayman,Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafi n

Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 286 8559

Certain images in this issue are available for purchase. Please contact [email protected] for further details or visit www.itpimages.com

Printed by Emirates Printing Press L.L.C DubaiSubscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

In early February, while attending Milan’s MADEexpo 2009, I found myself sitting in the audience during a presentation on applying the con-cepts of biomimicry to the built environment (check out p. 12-13 for the full post-show report). Dr Denise DeLuca, LEED AP and representative of The Biomimicry Institute (TBI), was speaking passionately about using nature to address the challenges of our personal and professional lives.

At fi rst, I’ll admit, I was skeptical. Reading the title of her presentation, Biomimicry: innovation inspired by nature, I expected to be confronted by a daisy-chain donning hippie encouraging me to use vegetable oil in my Jeep’s straight-6. But, from the moment she read that fi rst quote from Janine Benyus, TBI founder and president, I was fascinated. It went like this: “The more our world functions like the natural world, the more likely we are to endure on this home that is ours, but not ours alone.”

Let me pause. For those unfamiliar with the concept, biomimicry is: “The practice of developing sustainable technologies inspired by ideas from nature.” I understand how it sounds and I can imagine the images it evokes in the heads of my readers—a bunch of really intelligent, really eccentric scientists gathered round a table trying to devise better, more intimate ways of hugging trees or speaking to fl owers.

If that’s how you’re thinking, hold on. Let me at least offer some con-crete examples of just how important this science is to the built environ-ment. The Eastgate Building in Harare, Zimbabwe, features an HVAC system modeled on the self-cooling mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni, termites that maintain the temperature inside their nest to within one degree while ambient temperatures fl uctuate between 3ºC and 42ºC.

Another example is how engineers and scientists have studied hump-back whales to learn to create effi cient wind power. Using science much too complex to describe here, scientists have studied the tubercules on the humpback’s fi ns to achieve an 8% increase in lift, a 32% reduction in drag and a 40% increase in angle of attack—all of which is being used by a company called WhalePower to design more effi cient wind turbines.

TBI analyses trees and bones to optimise safety and gas mileage in automobiles; it uses the Golden Ratio to create ultra-effi cient fans and water mixers; it studies how chimpanzees cope with illness to devise new medications; it studies prairies to learn to grow food sustainably and the forest canopy to develop green roofi ng systems.

All of these are examples of how biomimicry has helped advance hu-man civilisation. Biomimicry is, at the same time, incredibly simple and incredibly complex. It’s about slowing down, getting over ourselves and our status as ‘dominant species’ and looking to nature for answers. Long-time biomimicry advocate William McDonough designed a building that mimics every function of a tree except reproduction. If more of us paid at-tention to the basic precepts of biomimicry in our projects, we’d move well past green buildings and into the realm of living, breathing ones. I can’t wait to experience it when we it happens.

LEARNING FROM NATURE

Receive Middle East Architect every month! To subscribe to the magazine, please visit: www.itp.com/subscription

Published by and © 2009 ITP Business Publishing, a division of the ITP Publishing Group Ltd. Registered in the B.V.I. under Company number 1402846.

BPA Worldwide Business Publication Audit Membership Applied for August 2008.

Emirates Glass, L.L.C., P.O. Box 29769, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 7094700 Fax: + 971 4 3471440 E - m a i l : e m i g l a s s @ e m i r a t e s . n e t . a e W e b s i t e : w w w. e m i r a t e s g l a s s . c o m

Emicool keeps you COOL


REGIONAL NEWS

residents while maintaining

a community-based identity

and low-density architecture.

“In Al Ain, you cannot

build higher than approxi-

mately 20m, which is only

G+3 or G+4,” explained

Esmaeil. “[Al Naseem] is a

compact city and hence it is

more sustainable.”

Due to north/south-facing

facades, the windows of the

buildings will be exposed to

less direct sunlight. Likewise,

the east/west-facing facades

will take advantage of vast

expanses to control thermal

bridging, increase energy-ef-

fi ciency and control light.

Orientation is just one

of many considerations

considered by X-architects

to maximise the level of

sustainability of Al Naseem.

“[Al Naseem] is sustainable

from the perspectives of

LOCAL ARCHITECTS GET SHOT TO SET GLOBAL BENCHMARK AL AIN, UAE // Al Naseem, a

desert masterplan in Al Ain

(Dubai), designed by X-ar-

chitects, was chosen to be a

pilot project for Abu Dhabi’s

Estidama sustainability as-

sessment tool.

Considered a very strin-

gent set of guidelines for

achieving environmental,

social, cultural and economic

sustainability, Estidama was

designed by Abu Dhabi’s

Urban Planning Council to

address the specifi c chal-

lenges facing the region’s

built environment.

“The basic environmental

elements – sun, wind, sand

– are very specifi c for this

part of the world,” explained

X-architects’ founding part-

ner, Farid Esmaeli. “For ex-

ample, how can you use wind

to reduce the use of energy?

How can you use the sun to

do the same? These are the

things we’re focusing on.”

Al Naseem is a mixed-used

development that incorpo-

rates all of the necessary

amenities to allow residents

to live, work, stay, play

and pray. The masterplan

addresses the needs of its

technology, society and con-

text,” explained X-architects’

founder and CEO, Ahmed Al

Ali. “Starting from scratch,

we considered the wind and

how it shapes the dunes

around the original site.

Then, we looked at the sun

and orientation. We also had

to address the lack of water

and the need for water-sav-

ing strategies. We considered

climate, energy and soil.”

Al Naseem – cur-

rently entering the detailed

masterplanning stage – is

one of the fi rst projects to

have successfully met all

requirements for Estidama

approval. Providing every-

thing runs smoothly, the

development will serve as

a functioning benchmark

against which other projects

seeking Estidama approval

will be measured.

IN NUMBERS

25 The percent of Deyaar’s projects scheduled to continue as planned in 2009. Ironically, this is also the percent of Deyaar projects scheduled to be postponed indefinitely during the same period.

US $10.4 MILLIONThe cost of design and construction of Metito’s state-of-the-art water treatment plant, which is to be built in the Jebel Ali Power Complex. Metito’s first water treatment plant in Jebel Ali is one of the UAE’s only LEED Gold building.

AED 20.7 BILLIONValue of Emaar Misr’s total development portfolio in Egypt, which includes several smaller, smarter and cost-competitive mixed-use developments.

3The number of masterplans currently breaking ground in Cairo’s ‘New Cairo City’ district. The masterplans include Marassi, Uptown Cairo & Mivida.

AED 8.48 BILLIONValue of Dubai’s non-oil trade with Singapore including free zone and customs warehouse trade at the end of 2008.

US $8.3 BILLIONEstimated losses by Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) during Q4 2008, which is the reason cited for postponing construction on KSA’s planned Mile-High Tower.

3500The official – but presumed to be understated – number of jobs lost in the region’s building sec-tor since the onset of the financial downturn

Abu Dhabi, with multi-billion dollar long term plans for continued infrastructure development, is providing the world with remarkable opportunities that simply do not exist elsewhere. What is becoming clear in the new global economic climate is that Abu Dhabi is fast establishing itself as a beacon of cultural renaissance as well.

ROHAN MARWAHA, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CITYSCAPE EVENTS

On Time

Save

Control

Improve


REGIONAL NEWS

its design plan, which features

an integrated mixed-use

development that holds 30.7

million ft² of residential units

including town houses and

apartments, 4.3 million ft²

of offi ce space and 1.85 ft² of

space designated for retail.

Sorouh City will be located

along the banks of a large,

man-made lake and is

surrounded by lush parks,

public squares and tree-lined

boulevards; providing a dra-

matic green respite from the

bustling Cairo city centre.

CAIRO, EGYPT // To meet the

growing demand for residen-

tial and offi ce space in the

greater Cairo area, UAE-

based developer Sorouh has

appointed Callison to master

plan and design Sorouh City.

The 42.3 million ft² devel-

opment – sited just outside

the Cairo city centre and a

central part of the develop-

ing New Cairo City – will be

in close proximity to schools,

hospitals and the Cairo Inter-

national Airport.

Callison recently released

SOROUH CITY TO HELP MEET SPACE SHORTAGE

We believe that the fundamentals of the [Egyptian] market are robust and continue to present an attractive investment opportunity for both local and international markets. By offering well-designed units that suit smaller families we are offering customers quality homes in an integrated community.

SAMEH MUHTADI, CEO OF EMAAR MISR ON EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN EGYPT

46 MILLIONEstimated population of Cairo in 2009

16 MILLIONReported population of Cairo in 1997

EMAAR FINDS FUTURE IN EGYPT WITH AED 20.7 BILLION INVESTMENT CAIRO, EGYPT // The Spanish

colonial architecture that

typifi es Santa Barbara, Cali-

fornia (USA) is the design

inspiration behind Emaar

Misr’s Mivida masterplan

in Cairo’s ‘New Cairo City’

district.

Moving away from the

vernacular architecture of

Cairo and driven by the

overpopulation of the city, the

Emaar Misr has launched the

sprawling, Mediterranean-fl a-

voured mixed-use develop-

ment Mivida.

“The construction of the

Business Park and other

infrastructure work is already

underway, and the master-

planning has been complet-

ed… sales of homes within the

community will start shortly,”

said Sameh Muhtadi, CEO of

Emaar Misr.

A 3.8 million m²

masterplan, Mivida en-

compasses an integrated

neighbourhood of 5000

apartments, townhouses,

villas, offi ce and retail space,

as well as healthcare facili-

ties, schools and hospitality

venues. Landscaped parks

and community complexes

are to create public meeting

points that infuse continuity

throughout the master plan.

Introducing smaller, more

technologically advanced

housing that suits smaller

families, the project is intro-

ducing a suburban lifestyle

into an urban setting, and

the Santa Barbara-inspired

design style is set to be trans-

lated throughout the built

environment and outdoor

space, providing a relaxed-

yet-lavish, Mediterranean,

community atmosphere.

Following the EGP 12

billion (AED 7.9 billion) Up

Town Cairo, and the EGP

9.92 billion (AED 6.5 billion)

Marassi currently under con-

struction, Emaar Misr’s Mivi-

da raises the fi rms investment

portfolio by EGP 5.75 billion

(AED 3.8 billion); cementing

the developer’s confi dence in

the growth of the real estate

industry in Egypt.

REGIONAL NEWS

010 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 03.09 | www.constructionweekonline.com

AED 5.578 BILLIONEmaar Properties’ reported net profit for 2008

KEO OFFERS WORKABLE MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ABU DHABI, UAE // The Moham-

med Bin Zayed City Towers

designed by KEO as part of

Mohammed Bin Zayed City

is an example of working

sustainability in the region.

This is according to Uwe

Nienstedt, the Managing

Director of KEO Interna-

tional Consultants’ Urban

Development Division in

Abu Dhabi, who insists

that KEO’s masterplan for

sustainability can be fol-

lowed and implemented by

developers and end-users

will very little effort.

“The completed develop-

ment will cater to the mid-

dle-income tenant market,

which is currently highly

underserved in Abu Dhabi…

the development has been

designed taking many of the

principles of Estidama into

account,” said Nienstedt.

The residential tow-

ers will encourage a more

pedestrian lifestyle as the

development is surrounded

AUTODESK LOOKS TO EGYPT IN BID FOR REGIONAL SUPREMACY CAIRO, EGYPT // As the building

industry begins to boom in

Egypt, Autodesk appointed

Hazem Nabil Khaled to grow

the company’s position in the

burgeoning market.

Autodesk products have

long been the software of

choice for architects looking

to visualize and simulate

the performance of their

designs, and Khaled’s man-

date is to focus specifically

on growing the business in

TWIN ELEVATORS TO REVOLUTIONISE LIFTSDUBAI, UAE // ThyssenKrupp’s

new TWIN elevator system

is a revolutionary compact

vertical transport system

that offers greater capacity

than traditional systems.

With a total of four cabs

and 17 conventional eleva-

tors, TK’s TWIN is set to be

used in the 210-metre-high

mixed-use Latifa Tower in

Dubai, which is scheduled

for completion in 2010.

As one of the latest

innovations in vertical

transport technology, the

TWIN system comprises

two or more independent-

ly-operable elevator cars

within one elevator shaft.

The TWIN design has been

embraced by architects and

developers in Germany, the

Netherlands, Spain, Saudi

Arabia and the UK, and is

now being used in the UAE.

“The increasing number

of TWINs around the world

shows that architects and

developers have been won

over by the elevator system

and its advantages – in-

cluding reductions in build-

ing volume and greater

capacity,” said Monica

Soffriti, communications

manager for ThyssenKrupp

Elevator AG.

a largely untapped market.

Managing Autodesk’s

Cairo office, Khaled is

looking to offer new cus-

tomer-oriented divisions

and enhance technical

support and implement an

educational division in con-

junction with the Egyptian

Government.

“Despite the global

financial crisis, I am very

optimistic about the future

of the Egyptian market due

Expanding to the Middle East gives us the opportunity to remain competitive in an area of the world that has seen exponential growth in recent years. This new office will operate with a multidisciplinary team serving the diverse business culture in the Middle East, with our award-winning building design geared to furthering a global ‘green’ society.

ISMAEL LEYVA, DIRECTOR OF ISMAEL LEYVA

ARCHITECTS ON OPENING AN OFFICE IN QATAR

to the stable atmosphere

and solid economic status

enveloping the country...

Egypt is an attractive zone

for IT and communication

industries,” said Khaled.

by shaded pedestrian walk-

ways and parks. District

cooling and double glazing

have been employed to

maximise energy efficiency,

Nienstedt continues.

The AED 25 billion

Mohammed Bin Zayed City

development is at once

addressing the significant

shortage of residential

space in Abu Dhabi while

also providing end-users

and investors with afford-

able, sustainable housing.

POST SHOW REPORTMADEexpo 2009


MADEFIERA MILANO, RHO

FEBRUARY 4-7

expo 2009

TODAY, COMPUTERS THINK FOR US, AND THEY THINK TOO FAST…. NOWADAYS, FORM SWALLOWS FUNCTION.

ALEXANDROS N. TOMBAZIS

initely. Venice? Absolutely. Milan? Not so

much...until now.

Upon arriving at Milan’s 2nd Edition

of the Milano Architettura Design Edilizia

(MADEexpo), held from February 4-7,

2009, it quickly became clear that Italy’s

fashion capital, long overshadowed by its

more architecturally endowed sister cities,

has offi cially announced its presence on

the world’s architecture stage.

SIZE AND SCALEItaly’s foremost international trade

show for building and architecture, the

MADEexpo showcased an extraordinary

and comprehensive range of products and

technologies for building, renovation and

redevelopment.

Massive in scale and scope, MADEexpo

boasted separate halls for each of the

following industry subsections: struc-

tures/construction systems/materials,

building envelope, interior architecture,

installations/renewable energy, construc-

tion supply chain planning, construction

IT, worksite equipment/technologies and

sports facilities/fi tness/urban fi nishings.

The four-day event saw 200,126 visitors

from 118 different countries. For readers

more familiar with the Cityscape brand of

architecture/development exhibition these

numbers put MADEexpo into perspective:

Cityscapes Abu Dhabi and Dubai both re-

ported record turnouts in 2008, the total

number of visitors to those shows were

48,354 and 51,885 respectively. In four

days, the Milan event attracted double

what the UAE Cityscapes get in fi ve days.

BIOMIMICRY AND ECO-DESIGNSustainability, energy effi ciency, safety.

As one might have expected, these were

the buzzwords of the event and were the

main issues around which MADEexpo

and its 100+ conferences revolved. Among

the most popular and highly-attended

conference was CITYFUTURES; an aca-

demic conference, jointly organized by

Nowadays, Italy is probably most

famous for fi ne fashion, football and

food. The mere mention of the Mediter-

ranean peninsula conjures up images of

open-air cafés set amidst cobblestone

piazzas and starry-eyed lovers bent on

romantic liaisons.

Milan in particular evokes images of

ridiculously attractive models stalking

catwalks practicing faces of brooding

intensity. Milan is stylistic brilliance. Mi-

lan is retail bliss. Milan is haute couture.

Relatively speaking, Milan is not generally

considered a hotbed of Italian architec-

ture. Rome? Of course. Florence? Def-


POST SHOW REPORTMADEexpo 2009

ORGANISMS IN NATURE FACE THE SAME CHALLENGES HUMANS FACE, BUT THEY MEET THEM SUSTAINABLY.

DENISE DELUCA

MADEexpo and the Italian Organization

of Architectural Technology during which

engineers, scientists, administrators and

architects presented challenges and solu-

tions for building cities of the future.

Of particular interest were presenta-

tions given by Denise DeLuca (Biomimicry

Institute) entitled “Biomimicry: innova-

tion inspired by nature” and Alexandros

N. Tombazis (UNESCO/UIA & PLEA

member) entitled “Eco-technologies in

architectural design: Is ecological design

something different?”

DeLuca’s message was simple: “Organ-

isms in nature face the same challenges

humans face, but they meet them sustain-

ably.” Using this rationale, DeLuca chal-

lenged her audience to use nature to solve

the problems of the built environment.

DeLuca offered several examples of

human problems that have been solved

through the use of biomimicry—velcro

mimics the function of a burr; corrugated

steel mimics the texture of a shell; PV

panels mimic the process of photosyn-

thesis in plants—and urged scientists,

engineers and architects to study nature

more closely.

She reminded building professionals

that thus far, humans still haven’t man-

aged to manufacture materials that handle

force as well as the horn of the rhinoceros;

or distribute energy as effi ciently as the

electric eel; or adhere to dry surfaces like

the gecko; or displays brilliant colour vari-

ation without pigment like the peacock.

“Biomimicry is about learning from

the natural world, not extracting from it,”

explained DeLuca. “If you have a problem,

ask nature, then try to emulate its genius.”

In examining the ‘genius’ behind eco-

logical design, Alexandros N. Tombazis

posed an altogether different question:

Is the trend toward ecologically sensitive

design any different from what we’ve been

doing since the origin of buildings?

In Tombazis’ estimation, vernacular ar-

chitecture cannot be quantifi ed, classifi ed

or copied, and that quality is what makes

it inherently ‘ecological’. “Vernacular

architecture is an adherence to social rules

and a refl ection of social needs, usually

built by people with limited means but

unlimited intelligence,” he says.

However, the current state of the indus-

try refl ects a much different reality. “After

post-modernism, the rule became ‘any-

thing goes’,” explained Tombazis. “Too

often those cultures with unlimited means,

have limited brains. Today, computers

think for us, and they think too fast….

Nowadays, form swallows function.”

Despite his assertion that mainstream

architecture is about the 15 minutes of

fame that comes with building the largest,

tallest, broadest or deepest structure,

Tombazis conceded that now, practitio-

ners are much more aware of ecological

issues. “Things have changed. We are

starting to smell spring in the air, but we

have to move from words to works.”

From the Baths of Diocletian to the

Basilica of Santa Croce; from Bruneschelli

and Albertini to Palladio and Piano, archi-

tecture has been interwoven into the fabric

of Italy ever since the fi rst Roman coveted

the vaults and arches of ancient Greece.

This year’s MADEexpo was just the

second iteration of what has become one

of Europe’s ‘must-attend’ events in the

architecture world. Much like the fashion,

food and football that so stereotypi-

cally characterises the Milan experience,

MADEexpo is a wonderful example of how

an industry trade show should be done.

GLOBAL NEWS


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK//

Lehman College’s new sci-

ence building, designed by

Perkins+Will, is the fi rst

groundbreaking in the City

University of New York’s ‘De-

cade of the Sciences’ initiative.

Embracing the concept

of ‘living classrooms’,

Perkins+Will are revolu-

tionising the classroom

experience by going beyond

just housing academic pro-

grammes, and using the new

building itself to facilitate

teaching and research.

Dubbed an ‘urban wet-

land’, the building provides

a space from which scien-

tists can conduct ecological,

life science research, and

will also feature displays

that provide real-time

information on building

operations, including energy

and water usage.

City University of New

York has long been known

for its rich architectural

heritage, with architects

like David Todd and Jan

Pokorny shaping the college

and surrounding landscape,

and the new Lehman College

building aims to be a striking

addition to the campus.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL//

Isay Weinfi eld and Domin-

gos Pascali’s 360º building

has won the MIPIM Archi-

tectural Record’s Future

Project Award.

360º Building is situated

on the ridge separating

the districts of Alto de

Pinheiros and Alto da Lapa,

a location that offers great

sights of the city.

Mindful of the bustling,

overcrowded urban environ-

ment, the architects have

introduced the 360º Build-

ing as a compact, very green

alternative to the low, verti-

cal multi-family housing

model that is typically seen

in the region.

Once complete, the build-

ing will feature 62 elevated

homes, each complete with

their own garden space,

which are not balconies but

rather the larger outdoor liv-

ing spaces you would enjoy

in the backyard of a ground

level development.

The judges of the compe-

tition were most impressed

by “the way in which the

architecture of a pinwheel

plan arrangement had been

combined with a construc-

tion proposition to produce

an exemplary series of

apartment layouts with

generous open space in the

form of ‘yards’, attached to

apartments on every fl oor.”

HURRY! Limited supply of 50 season passes REGISTRATION HOTLINE

Tel: +971 4 4356125 or +971 4 4356893

www.itp.net/events/cwseasonpass

31st March 2009, DubaiStandard delegate rate: $995

30th March 2009, DubaiStandard delegate rate: $995

27th May 2009, DubaiStandard delegate rate: $995

29th April 2009, DubaiStandard delegate rate: $995

13th May 2009, JeddahStandard delegate rate: $995

15th June 2009, AmmanStandard delegate rate: $995

4th June 2009, DohaStandard delegate rate: $995

ARC2

602


GLOBAL NEWS

REGGIO CALABRIA, SICILY//

Zaha Hadid Architects have

recently released their de-

signs for the Museum of the

Mediterranean, as well as a

multifunctional building for

the performing arts; both

are to be situated on the

Regium Waterfront.

In a step towards defi ning

Reggio Calabria as a Mediter-

rean capital of culture, the

projects have been designed

to complement the topogra-

phy of the area while injecting

cultural energy into the space.

Situated on the narrow

sea strait that separates Italy

from Sicily, the museum

draws inspiration from

the organic shapes of the

starfi sh; the symmetry of

the shape differentiate the

different sections of the

museum, providing space

for exhibitions, restoration

facilities, an archive, an

aquarium and a library.

The performing arts

building will house a gym,

craft laboratories, shops

and a cinema, as well as

three auditoriums that

can join to form one large

performance space.

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN//

After the award-winning

Mountain Dwelling project,

the Bjarke Ingels Group

are reaching new peaks in

manmade mountain designs

with their Seven Peaks of

Azerbaijan masterplan.

As Central Asia’s fi rst

carbon neutral master plan,

is designed to be a sustain-

able urban environment

that creates a striking

skyline that is recognisable

along the city’s coastline.

“What we propose for the

Zira Zero Island is an archi-

tectural landscape based on

the natural landscape of Azer-

baijan,” said a spokesperson

biotopes and eco-niches, it

channels water and stores

heat, it provides viewpoints

and valleys, access points

and shelter space.

The Seven Peaks of

Azerbaijan are not only

metaphors, but actual living

models of the mountainous

ecosystems of Azerbaijan.”

the one million m2 develop-

ment resembles an illumi-

nated mountain range from

a distance, however up close

the development functions

as a fully inhabited space

for residential, cultural and

recreational living.

Located within a crescent

shaped bay, the masterplan

from Bjarke Ingels Group.

“This new architecture

not only recreates the iconic

silhouettes of the seven

peaks, but more importantly

creates an autonomous eco-

system where the fl ow of air,

water, heat and energy are

channeled in almost natural

ways. A mountain creates

FEATURED FIRM


ATKINS EST. 1967

1960

S

1970

S

1985

1987

END

OF T

HE

1980

S

1992

1994

1999

Tim Askew has over 30

years or practice in the

construction industry

and has been Manag-

ing Director for Atkins

in the Middle East and

India Region, since

1999, overseeing all op-

erations as well as staff

across nine offi ces.

Simon Crispe was

recently appointed the

fi rst Ambassador for

RIBA’s newly formed

Gulf Chapter. Currently

Commercial Director for

the Middle East, he has

been involved in several

projects including the

Jumeirah Beach Resort.

Joe Tabet is design

Director in Abu Dhabi

and has over ten years

design experience across

the gamut of building

sectors, specializing

in hotel design and is

currently overseeing the

design of Al Ajlan Tower

in Riyadh.

Jim Carless, AILA,

manages a dynamic

landscape design team,

bringing over 15 years

experience in outdoor

design to projects

including Durrat Al

Bahrain, Iris Bay and

The Wave in Oman.

Shaun Killa has over

16 years experience, sev-

en in the Middle East,

and specialises in urban

design projects. He has

won many awards for

his designs including

Bahrain World Trade

Center and DIFC Light-

house tower.

A small team of Atkins

engineers carries out

design and supervision

commissions in Dubai,

Muscat, RAK, UAQ, Abu

Dhabi. The early work is

exclusively engineering

and involved dredging

the Dubai Creek, laying

pipeline, surveying, wa-

ter-related engineering

projects and road design.

Demand for Atkins

services grows and in this

decade, three permanent

offi ces are established

across the Middle East.

The Abu Dhabi offi ce

opens in 1976, Kuwait

in 1977 and the regional

head offi ce in Dubai on

March 28th, 1979.

Atkins acquires it’s fi rst

architectural commission

- a private villa design in

Dubai.

While engineering work

continues with projects

like roads in Satwa

and strengthening of

quay walls at Jebel Ali,

Atkins receives more

building design com-

missions, starting with

the Standard Chartered

Bank Building, followed

by numerous design

projects for the municipal

authority.

Atkins’ portfolio includes

urban planning, trans-

port studies of Dubai

Creek, police stations,

Offi cers’ Sports Club,

Dubai Police College,

a Police Academy, Al

Mussalla Tower, the

Taj Palace Hotel and Al

Salam Tower.

Opening of Atkins offi ce

in Sharjah, whose focus

is design and project

management to the oil

and gas industry. The

business diversifi es and

grows and now includes a

thriving Rail business.

Atkins’ future is altered

dramatically when, fol-

lowing a limited compe-

tition with some of the

world’s best design-led

practices, the com-

pany is appointed lead

architect & engineering

consultant for Jumeirah

Beach Hotel, Wild Wadi

and the offi cial icon of

Dubai, the Burj Al Arab.

Burj Al Arab and Wild

Wadi open in time for the

Millenium celebrations to

worldwide interest, setting

the scene for dramatic

growth in the region over

the next decade.

FEATURED FIRM

019 019 www.constructionweekonline.com | 03.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

2002

2003

200

4

2005

2006

2007

2009

2009

Nicholas Lander spe-

cialises in Sustainable

Design and Building

Physics. As Regional

Head of Sustainabil-

ity, he brings extensive

experience in passive

design, operation and

master planning.

Paula Hirst brings over

a decade of experience

working on large scale

mixed use regenera-

tion projects and now

oversees the regional

Masterplanning and

urban design business.

Lee Morris is a Design

Director in Dubai. He

has worked on global

projects including the

Sales Centre in Business

Bay, Museum of Sydney,

the Royal Hong Kong

Jockey Club and Dubai’s

Trump Hotel & Tower.

Atkins’ opens its offi ce

in Doha, Qatar. This

is closely followed by

a major infrastructure

commission when

the Qatar Ministry of

Municipal Affairs and

Agriculture appoints

the company as lead

consultant for the 42km

Doha-Dukhan Highway.

21st Century tower is

complete, which at this

time is the tallest resi-

dential building in the

world at 269metres.

Atkins fi rst major job

out of the Bahrain offi ce

is to masterplan and

provide design consul-

tancy services for Durrat

Al Bahrain, a 20km2

sustainable residential,

commercial and leisure

resort for a population

of 60,000, consisting of

13 man-made islands.

In Oman, Barr Al Jis-

sah is completed. The

project involves roads,

tunnels, environmental

impact studies, coral

relocation and building

design. In Dubai, work

completes on Arabian

Ranches & Zabeel Park.

Nakheel appoints Atkins

to undertake compre-

hensive masterplanning,

design and delivery

of ‘Coral Island’ a

270,000sq m luxury

resort on The World.

RTA appoint Atkins to

the Dubai Metro project

(red and green lines),

to provide full multi-

disciplinary design,

design coordination of

civil works (including

geotechnical and site

investigations), and con-

struction supervision

of tracks, underground

stations and mainte-

nance depots.

A plethora of proj-

ects set for comple-

tion across the region

including Dubai Metro

red line, Doha Dukhan

Highway, Al Mas, The

Address, DSEC Tower,

Indigo Tower, Tiffany

Towers, and the Bah-

rain World Trade Center

- the fi rst commercial

building to harness wind

power for energy.

Atkins receives its trade

license for Saudi Arabia,

and work continues on

the 220m, 40 storey

Abdullah Fahad Al Ajlan

offi ce tower in Riyadh.

light& ambience

te o & e

Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority · Bldg. 6 West A – Offi ce 731 · P.O. Box 54744, Dubai – UAE

Tel. +971 4 609 1033 · Fax +971 4 609 1016 · [email protected]

Pier

Hou

se R

esor

t an

d Ca

ribb

ean

Spa,

Key

Wes

t, U

SA

The

Jum

eira

h Be

ach

Hot

el, C

hica

go B

each

Res

ort,

Dub

ai, U

nite

d A

rab

Emira

tes

The Fullerton, Singapore

Mandaly Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, USA


FEATUREXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

ARCHITECT EXPLORES SOME OF THE BEST POSTGRADUATE ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

f undergraduate architecture

training provides a groundwork

of theory and practice that gives

architects the skills and confi dence

to enter the working world, it is post-

graduate studies that hone these skills

furher through in depth specialisation;

giving practitioners cutting edge ideas

and profi ciency to approach the ever-

changing built environment.

Design is at the core of architecture, but

professionals have long felt—and research

has supported this notion—that once

architects are in the fi eld, working on similar

projects day in and day out, their growth as

an architectural designer is often diminished.

Architects already working in the fi eld

can benefi t greatly from mid-career archi-

tecture courses designed to reinvigorate

their design skills and allow them to remain

at the top of their game.

And similarly, if you have completed

your BA in Architecture and you wish

to complete your Masters straight away,

many universities offer programmes that

are designed specifi cally to make a smooth

transition from undergraduate level into

the working world.

“Given the pressing need for postgradu-

ate-level training in order to prepare local

practitioners for their respective profes-

sions, universities like the British Univer-

sity in Dubai allow students to conclude

their Masters with a work-based project,”

says Richard Smith, the Technical Director

for Atkins in the Middle East and Asia.

BRITISH UNIVERSITY IN DUBAI, UAEThe Faculty of Engineering at the British Uni-

versity in Dubai (BUiD) provides both practi-

cal and research programmes to support the

development needs of the Middle East.

The university offers full-time and part-

time Masters programmes in Sustainable

Design of the Built Environment and

Systems Engineering in collaboration with

the Welsh School of Architecture in Cardiff

and The University of Manchester.

“Essentially, BUiD was the region’s fi rst

research-based postgraduate university

and they offer specialised MSc programmes

across several fi elds of academia. Atkins

works closely with BUiD students and fac-

ulty to encourage practical, industry-based

research, shared educational tools and

market data,” says Smith.

FEATURETOP ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITIES



Speciality: Sustainable designFeatured postgraduate course: Master of Science, Sustainable Design of the Built EnvironmentHead of department: Professor Bassam Abu-Hijleh, head of Sustain-able Design of the Built Environment

CARDIFF UNIVERSITY, WALESThe Welsh School of Architecture (WSA)

was voted as the UK’s top school of archi-

tecture in the Times Higher Education

Supplement, and its holistic approach to

design embraces all aspects of architecture.

WSA is currently expanding its taught

Masters programme, offering course

options in Environmental Design of Build-

ings, Theory and Practice of Sustainable

Design, Urban Design, Sustainable Energy

and Environment, Building Energy and

Environmental Performance Modelling.

The Design Research Unit within the

WSA is a nurturing space where design and

research come together to produce innova-

tive and sustainable built solutions. Real,

workable design projects are carried out,

producing buildings designs that can are

pushing the envelope in practical solutions.

Speciality: Sustainable designFeatured postgraduate course: Master of Science, Sustainable Energy and EnvironmentHead of Department: Professor Phil Jones, chair of Architectural Sci-ence and Head of School at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University.

ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (RMIT), AUSTRALIARMIT focuses on exploring the emergence

of innovative practices in the context of

international architectural debate, promot-

ing a constructive environment for learning

through project-based research and critique.

What differentiates RMIT’s Masters

programme from other universities is the

Urban Architecture Laboratory in which

students undertake urban architectural elec-

tives in conjunction with spatial information

architecture electives. The RMIT mission is

“to provide a rich and challenging scholar-

ship environment for students, academics

and creative practitioners engaged in the

activity of designing.”

RMIT also offers short courses in 3D

Max, AutoCAD, Photoshop and Rinoceros

to keep architects’ computer aided design

skills at the forefront.

Speciality: Spatial information architecture through computer aided designFeatured courses: Short courses in computer aided designHead of department: Melanie Dodd, Professor of Practice Coordina-tor and Senior Lecturer of design and social context

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UKArchitecture has been studied at Cam-

bridge University since 1912, and the Fac-

ulty of Architecture is respected for push-

ing boundaries and diversifying to address

issues within the built environment.

The university’s Master of Philosophy

in Engineering for Sustainable Develop-

ment was launched in 2002 and now, in

its seventh year, this course has been aid-

ing architects and engineers to fi nd the

best possible sustainable solutions.

Especially designed to attract topfl ight

engineers early in their careers, the course

enables professionals to engineer build-

ings for sustainable development through

enhanced technical skills and a holistic un-

derstanding of a sustainable development.

Similarly, a part-time Masters in Inter-

disciplinary Design, built especially for

architects, is a course for design, strategy,

leadership and sustainability in architec-

ture, ensuring a multiple-voiced approach

to built solutions.

Speciality: Sustainable engineering and interdisciplinary designFeatured course: Master of Studies, Interdisciplinary Design for the Built EnvironmentHead of department: Sebastian Macmillan, Course Director of Inter-disciplinary Design for the Built Environment.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LONDON, UKThe Bartlett Faculty of the Built Envi-

ronment was opened at the University

College of London (UCL) in 1841, and

has since then been a prominent force

in international architectural debate.

Students, staff and alumni contribute to

architecture around the globe through

designs, buildings and books.

Through a stimulating teaching environ-

ment, new waves of architecture have been

explored throughout the years; “This is a

school where people constantly design,

invent, explore, write, draw, teach, specu-

late, theorise, map, fi lm, critique, analyse

and imagine,” says Professor Iain Borden,





the Director of the Bartlett School of

Architecture, UCL.

The Masters programmes include

Master of Architecture, Master of

Architectural Design, Master of

Architectural History, Master of Ar-

chitecture Urban Design and Master

of Science Urban Studies.

The Master of Architecture, Urban

Design employs a programme of

design-based research that brings

together the latest theoretical re-

search on the spatial structure of the

urban environment in conjunction

with the built form.

Speciality: Urban design Featured course: Master of Architecture, Urban DesignHead of department: Professor Iain Borden, the Director of the Bartlett School of Architecture

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, USAThe Graduate School of Architecture,

Preserving and Planning (GSAPP)

of Columbia University has offered

a number of specialised architecture

programmes since it opened in 1881.

All programmes stress the need for

analysing and understanding histori-

cal trends in architecture in order to

move forward with new ideas. The

school’s preservation programme,

which was America’s fi rst, continues

to train professionals in the under-

standing of historic architecture, arte-

facts and landscape.

“The architect’s buildings are

placed in the city like the books of a

thoughtful novelist might be placed in

a news stand in a railway station, em-

bedding the possibility of a rewarding

detour amongst all the routines... the

architect crafts an invitation to think

and act differently,” says Mark Wigley

the dean of GSAPP.

GSAPP offers Master of Architec-

ture, Master of Advanced Architectural

Design, Master of Architecture and

Urban Design, Master of Historic Pres-

ervation, Certifi cate in Conservation of

Historic Buildings among others.

Speciality: Restoration and conservationFeatured courses: Master of Science, Historic PreservationHead of Department: Mark Wigley, Dean of the School of Architecture

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BOSTON, USA MIT’s School of Architecture + Plan-

ning (SA+P) is recognised as a top

school of architecture and design in the

USA; pushing boundaries in the built

environment through its graduate and

postgraduate courses.





There are many masters programmes

available at MIT, including the Master of

Architecture and the Master of Science in

Architecture Studies; which includes courses

Architecture and Urbanism, Building Stud-

ies, Design and Computation and the Aga

Khan Programme for Islamic Architecture.

The programme was established in

1978 at both MIT and Harvard University

and the course is recognised as being at

the forefront of urbanism in the Islamic

world. The course is dedicated to the study

of Islamic architecture, urbanism, visual

culture and conservation.

Speciality: Islamic ArchitectureFeatured course: The Aga Khan Programme for Islamic ArchitectureHead of department: Nasser Rabbat, Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Architecture, MIT

THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH, UAE The School of Architecture and Design

(SA+D) forms part of the American

University of Sharjah and is committed

to ensuring that graduates have the skills

and design philosophy to make signifi cant

contributions to the Gulf region within a

broader global context.

“Good design results from a combina-

tion of a deep understanding of culture, an

ethical engagement in society and respect

for the creative skills needed to establish

a sustainable built environment,” states

SA+D within its design philosophy.

The Master of Urban Planning is an

interdisciplinary course that is rooted in

architecture, engineering, public health,

law and social sciences, enabling urban

planners to combine design, analytical and

communication skills to manage a sustain-

able development.

The MUP seeks to empower students

with the application of multidisciplinary

knowledge in the fi eld of architecture and

urban planning.

Speciality: Urban planningFeatured course: Master of Urban PlanningUniversity representative:

GOOD DESIGN RESULTS FROM A COMBINATION OF A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURE, AN ETHICAL ENGAGEMENT IN SOCIETY AND RESPECT FOR THE CREATIVE SKILLS NEEDED TO ESTABLISH A SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.

THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH’S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

George Katodrytis, Associate Professor, Director of Scholarship and Outreach

WASEDA UNIVERSITY, JAPANWaseda boasts the oldest Architecture De-

partment of all the private universities in

Japan, and each year the Waseda alumni

contribute to the talent within large design

fi rms such as Nikken Sekei, NTT Facilities

and the Ishimoto Design Offi ce.

Through a variety of postgraduate pro-

grammes, Waseda deals with the relation-

ship between architecture, urban design

and engineering, providing specialised

courses that enable architects to reach

expertise in seismic design, vibration engi-

neering, seismology/wind engineering and

advanced disaster prevention planning,

among many other specialisations.

Speciality: Seismic architecture and engineering Featured course: Postgraduate studies in seismology/wind engineeringHead of department: Shigeru Satoh, Professor of Urban Design and Planning



025www.constructionweekonline.com | 03.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

027

ARCHITECT PROFILE FRANZ KOOK


ROOM FOR

DESIGN MASTERS LIKE NORMAN FOSTER AND PHILIPPE STARCK HAVE KEPT DURAVIT AT THE PEAK OF BATHROOM DESIGN. LAUREN HILLS TALKS TO FRANZ KOOK, CEO OF DURAVIT, TO EXPLORE THE ARCHITECTURE OF BATHROOMS

THOUGHT



Product designers pro-duce several iterations before their designs see the manufacturing fl oor

“Is it design, or is it architecture”,

people asked when they saw the bathroom

series by Norman Foster. So faultless in

its functionality that the combination

of ceramics and metal fi nishing was not

commonplace, but was rather, extraordi-

nary. Foster’s design was inspired by the

humble archetype of two cupped hands

scooping water; two adjacent circles defi ne

the geometry of the whole range.

Duravit has embraced their ‘living

bathroom’ philosophy since it began

creating sanitary ware in 1842, creat-

ing bathroom products that are driven,

not only by function and quality, but by

design. With bathrooms emerging as an

important living space for relaxation and

revitalisation, a well designed bathroom

is a valuable asset, and often a showpiece

within a development.

Duravit is one of the fi rst sani-tary ware companies to collaborate with architects. Can you tell me about these collaborations?Kook: We fi rst collaborated with Philippe

Starck 15 years ago, however the collabora-

tion started before that as it always takes

about two years to fully develop a product.

We started fi rst with the design of Starck 1,

then Starck 2 and 3. From there we moved

to Starck X, which was more expensive

and of even higher quality.

With Norman Foster we have one

series, which we extended last year.

Foster had an idea for a washbasin that

he wanted to implement in one of his

own projects, so we collaborated with

him to create the design, and as it was so

well received we made it available to the

public. When Norman Foster sketches

his architectural concept for his custom-

ers he also draws the bathroom; and his

clients will often follow his design ideas.

Is it important for architects to consider fi ttings in a bathroom before they design a space?Kook: While the interior designer is

predominantly involved when the bath-

room space is discussed, the design of

a bathroom should be considered at the

architectural stage too.

In great buildings, the bathroom

design is not accidental; architects are in

collaboration with interior designers and

clients will think about the best possible

solution for the bathroom.

What should architects keep in mind when designing a bathroom?Kook: Looking at commercial projects

like hotels, for example, the design of a

bathroom is a key factor that customers are

looking for. The bathroom can enhance the

style and architecture of a building; people

pay far more attention to good bathroom

design than they did 20 years ago.

What value does good bath-room design add to the end user?Kook: I think that people might have lost

money through speculation over the last

year, so they are thinking about what is

truly valuable; thinking about what can

enhance their lives. We are convinced that

the bathroom plays an important role in

a person’s lifestyle. It is more than just

a cleaning room; it is not only for taking

a shower, it is a room for relaxation and

enjoying your personal space. It is the last

Duravit collabo-rates will several of the world’s top designers

029



room before you go to the bedroom and

the fi rst room you enter when you start

your day; it is a very important space.

Do you think that architects and developers consider the bathroom as an important space?Kook: I do think that they recognise that

the bathroom is an important living space,

but often they might be restricted because

of a client’s budget or the space con-

straints. But architects are most defi nitely

concerned with designing a good shape for

the bathroom, giving enough space for a

shower and bath, a nice wash basin area

with a mirror and cabinet. However, there

can be limitations; if an apartment is only

100 metres2 you have to be clever with

how you utilise the space.

Do architects communicate with Duravit with regards to their bath-room design intent? Kook: Yes, if you look at our guest list for

the Duravit Design Days, we have many

architects from all over the world coming

to view our latest products and to discuss

the latest trends. For Duravit Design Days

2009 I have spoken with architects from

Scandinavia, Tunisia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia,

the UK and Belgium.

Architects are interested in collabora-

tion and they profi t from the discussions

as they can see what designs are available

and how they can be installed in there

own projects. Duravit has had great

success working with different architects

who will specify products for their proj-

ects, or even develop their own range as

Norman Foster and Philippe Starck did.

How has bathroom design changed in the last 20 years?Kook: Bathroom design is more liberal

today; you cannot say that there is just

one trend out there as there are many

ideas and products available for differ-

ent settings. When I started working in

this profession it was not usual to have a

series of sanitary ware; we would design

individual units and the customers would

combine the elements themselves.

What we have developed is a range of

different design styles to complement any

development; a series gives the develop-

ers one design language. For example our

new PuraVida range is curved and femi-

nine, and before this Duravit has devel-

oped many strong, rectangular minimal-

ist shapes; for example, our rectangular

design of Vero still is very successful. The

designs of Starck 1, 2 and 3 moved away

from the rectangular shapes.

In the competitive market what do you think your company offers to architects and developers?Kook: Our strength at Duravit, which

appeals to architects, is that we are not just

selling bathrooms, we are selling design.

The architect or interior designer wants to

have a good bathroom that will enhance

the design, but often they don’t have a

deep knowledge of the bathroom. We have

so many different series and different op-

tions that the architect can specify some-

thing that will complement a project.

Every design series has its own

philosophy and personality, so you can

create a certain identity and theme in

line with what an architect desires. We

have strong competition, but we have

an advantage because of our ‘designed’

concepts and the fact that we can offer

full solutions for bathroom - ceramics,

bathtubs and fi ttings - so we can give one

design language to a developer.

What do you see as the future of bathroom design?Kook: The bathroom, as an increasingly

important living space, will move towards

greater use of technology. Electron-

ics, light and sound, electronic pictures

and cleaning systems will advance the

bathrooms. The technological advance-

ment will need to be incorporated into the

design; the bathroom needs to look good

and function well.

Is water conservation an impor-tant element of bathroom design?Kook: Yes. Especially in the Middle

East, where water is expensive and it goes

through a long process to get clean. On the

other hand, people are willing to invest in

water when it helps to revitalise the body.

You mustn’t use water when it is unneces-

sary, but with a water-saving shower you

can use less water and still feel refreshed.

Duravit products have been specifi ed for the Burj Dubai, can you tell me more about this?Kook: The architects have specifi ed

products from the Starck 1 series pre-

dominantly, with a special focus on the so

called “barrel”, a vanity unit designed for

Duravit by Philippe Starck. We have deliv-

ered more than 1,000 barrels to Dubai, as

well as almost 4,000 WCs and bidets and

more than 1,600 baths and whirlpools.

How has collaboration with architects benefi ted Duravit?Kook: We profi t from the contact with

architects; we discuss their needs. Some

products are developed after a specifi c

requirement from an architect. When you

talk about bowls, that is the wash basins

and the plate, and they can be cylindrical

or conic and we have several forms. These

designs fi rst came about with of the archi-

tecture for hotels, as it suited the structure,

and we developed them accordingly for

other projects.

Architects might want to have a dif-

ferent approach to the bathroom design

of their project, and we try to listen and

come up with the best possible solu-

tion; it is a win-win situation because we

are pushed to create innovative designs

and the end product is something that

complements the architecture.

Duravit was one of the fi rst bathroom

companies to collaborate with design-

ers; We have collaborated with Sieger

Design, Norman Foster, Philippe Starck,

Phoenix Design, Michael Graves, Mas-

simo Iosa Ghini, James Irvine, Frank

Huster, Jochen Schmiddem, EOOS,

Andreas Struppler and Herbert Schultes.

We profi t greatly from this collaboration.

Absolutely!

Early concept designs for a prefabricated bathroom

Bathroom designers require as much creative inspiration as architects

and engineers

STUDENT UNIONPRINCETON UNIVERSITY


DESIGNER: GIANCARLO VALLE PROJECT: F-1 URBANISM A DENSELY SETTLED, SELF-CONTAINED BUILDING-CITY HYBRID. ACCOMMODATING MEGA-SCALE ENTERTAINMENT VENUES & VARIOUS FORMS OF AUTOMOBILE RACING, THE PROJECT IS A ‘VERTI-CAL MONACO’.

STUDENT UNIONCREATING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN DESIGN PROFESSIONALS AND THE GULF’S ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS WITH POTENTIALThe following projects are two of

many done by graduate students from

Princeton University, New Jersey in 2007.

The studio was hosted in Dubai by archi-

tecture fi rm dxb.lab and taught by Jesse

Reiser, who designed the O14 Tower cur-

rently under construction in Business Bay.

Under the title “Islands” the students

were asked to chose from 5 potential

geographical sites in Dubai (offshore,

coastline, city, desert or mountains) and

were asked to develop alternative design

strategies challenging the classical model

of over-arching zoning in Dubai.

Assisting students like these to share

their fantastic concepts with the public

in Dubai is part of the mission of the

pr0gress initiative, a newly-founded edu-

cational project in the Emirates striving to

create content for exhibition and discus-

sion. Pr0gress recently evolved out of a

public forum for emerging voices and cul-

tural dialogue, and has since determined

the need for an independent research

institute and platform aiming to support

cross-cultural education in the gulf region

and compliment the intellectual discourse

with a new range of activities. For more

info please contact Adina Hempel and

Richard Wagner ([email protected]).

031

STUDENT UNIONPRINCETON UNIVERSITY


DESIGNER: WENDY FOK PROJECT: ECO-LUX DUBAI VILLA + DIVE RESORTWAVE TRAPPING ARTIFICIAL REEF + SALT WATER DESALINATION INTEGRATED SUS-TAINABLE COMMUNITY.

AERA EVID

BUH TISNART TRP

ECAPS NEERG

)m00.0( EDIT HGIH

)m00.4-( EDIT WOL

033

ARCHITECTURE UNDER REVIEW PARALLELISM OF TIME

033 www.constructionweekonline.comt | 03.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

THE PARALLELISM OF TIME

1/

1/

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S DREAM COMES TRUE

Frank Lloyd Wright intended his

Mile High Illinois skyscraper to be

the focal point of Broadacre City—a

theoretical city he began planning in the

1920s. While a one-mile-high skyscraper

might have seemed fantastically out of place

in Wright’s era, The Illinois skyscraper proj-

ect was an exploration of horizontal space

because, as he put it, some cities are simply

“incorrigible” and Broadacre could use a tall

building to act as a cultural and social hub,

which would address some of the sprawl is-

sues associated with growing urban spaces.

The foundation of Wright’s building was

a massive column, shaped like an inverted

tripod, sunk deeply into the ground. This

supported a slender, tapering tower with

cantilevered fl oors. In keeping with his

belief that architecture ought to be organic,

Wright likened this system to a tree trunk

with branches.

He planned to use gold-tinted metal on

the facade to highlight angular surfaces

along balconies and parapets and specifi ed

Plexiglas for window glazing. Inside the

building, mechanical systems were to be

housed inside hollow cantilevered beams.

To reach the building’s upper fl oors, Wright

proposed atomic-powered elevators that

could carry 100 people per trip.

Wright believed that it would have been

technically possible to construct such a

building even at the time it was proposed.

At the time, the tallest skyscraper in the

world was New York’s Empire State Build-

ing, which stood at less than a quarter of

the proposed height for The Illinois. It

probably would have been possible to erect

a self-supporting steel structure of the

required height, but, of course, steel comes

with a host of strength-to-weight challenges

that arise when building structures of such

great heights.

Not surprisingly, Dubai’s Burj Dubai

clearly resembles the original design of

Frank Lloyd Wright’s ‘The Illinois’—the

only difference being is that The Illinois

was designed 50 years earlier. Architecture

critics always cite a handful of stories of

unbuilt skyscrapers as the best of the style

and, in doing so, completely neglect the vast

majority of completed projects.

The folklore surrounding classic sky-

scrapers that never saw completion tells us

much about what motivates both architects

and their clients. These tales beg the ques-

tion, what is it about working in the tall

building genre that compels architects to

produce such interesting work?

My hypothesis is this: Perhaps that which

motivates architects to go taller and taller is

a fantastic wish to be free of gravity’s limita-

tions and to build something that inspires

clients, investors and other architects as it

seems to soar into the sky. Another, albeit

more down-to-earth theory, is an appeal to

rationality: Perhaps architects design tall

buildings simply to create cities that make

logical use of available land.

If The Illinois had been built in Chicago

50 years ago, would SOM still have had to

blaze new trails in terms of technology in

construction, MEP works, HVAC and even

window cleaning mechanisms—all of which

were designed and tailored specifi cally for

this tower—in the Burj Dubai?

Fifty years ago, would Frank Lloyd

Wright be faced with the same challenges

The interior of Gehry’s Bilbao Guggenheim (right) is almost a carbon copy of Wright’s in NYC (left)

ARCHITECTURE UNDER REVIEW PARALLELISM OF TIME


that existed for SOM in its quest for the

world’s tallest tower? Would his solutions

have differed signifi cantly? Would they

have differed at all?

From its inception, The Illinois was

designed to stand 1,609 meters (5,280 ft)

and aimed to provide solutions to the ever-

sprawling city of Chicago. Had it been built,

The Illinois would have incorporated 528

stories and a gross area of 18.46 million ft²

(1.71 million m²/171 hectares).

Wright’s is arguably the most famous

of the visionary buildings that never came

to fruition. All of them aimed at address-

ing the increasing urban sprawl occurring

in cities throughout the world. Before

mile-high towers projects were launched in

Kuwait, KSA and Dubai, the very concept

was never considered fi nancially viable.

But now, however, as Burj Dubai

becomes simply a symbol of luxury with

little concern for reason or the challenges

of urban sprawl, it is the project that has

come to most closely resemble Frank Lloyd

Wright’s concept of a vertical city. It pro-

vides yet another example of the relation-

ship between iconography and fi nancial

feasibility: Those with money, build high.

A similar situation occurred when the

wealthy Guggenheim Foundation hired

Frank Gehry to design a museum for

the architectural playground of Bilbao,

Spain. While their exterior forms differed

somewhat, the interior architecture of Gug-

genheim Bilbao was designed to be almost

a carbon copy of that of the Solomon R.

Guggenheim museum in New York City.

This is not a criticism of the buildings,

but instead a celebration of the designer’s

aim and the relationship between himself

and his building. For great architects, that

relationship has never been a commercial

one, but instead a relationship built on a

mastery of art, design, building and style.

With regard to any of these relationships,

and considering that for over 60 years his

work has been recreated, regurgitated and

downright copied, Frank Lloyd Wright

proved it then as he continues to prove it

today with the inspiration he provides to

contemporary students and architects, he is

still the master.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1950s design for ‘The Illinois’ has clearly been mimicked in SOM’s Burj Dubai (middle)

NOT SURPRISINGLY, DUBAI’S BURJ DUBAI CLEARLY RESEMBLES THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S ‘THE ILLINOIS’—THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING IS THAT THE ILLINOIS WAS DESIGNED 50 YEARS EARLIER.

THE SKETCHBOOKVAUXHALL SKY GARDENS


VAUXHALL SKY GARDENSArchitect: Amin Taha, Sarah Griffiths and Richard CheesmanPractice: Amin Taha ArchitectsLocation: LondonStatus: On-siteCompletion: 2012


THE SKETCHBOOKVAUXHALL SKY GARDENS

DLE EAST ARCHITECT

THE AIM OF THE PROPOSAL IS TO DYNAMICALLY ENHANCE THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT, IMPROVING BOTH THE VISUAL APPEARANCE OF THE SITE AS WELL AS PROVIDE A RANGE OF BENEFITS FOR THE EXISTING AND DEVELOPING COMMUNITY THROUGH A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH. OBJECTIVES TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH DESIGN WERE CONSIDERED AND ESTABLISHED THROUGH CAREFULLY LOCATED AND ARTICULATED SKY GARDENS AND ROOF AREAS.

SARAH GRIFFITHS, DIRECTOR, AMIN TAHA ARCHITECTS

CASE STUDY GOLDEN BEACH


BURT HILL’S BEACH RESORT IN FUJAIRAH AIMS TO UNITE EXPATS AND NATIONALS IN

A SEARCH FOR TRANQUILITY Words: John Kim, AIA Images: Mohammed Zannouneh

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Some travel to escape life, oth-

ers to invigorate it and still others

travel to simply experience a life

they never knew existed. But a truly

transformative trip has the power to do all

three. When Burt Hill set out to design an

exclusive resort development in Fujairah,

UAE, on a coastal site where the Hajar

Mountains and Indian Ocean meet, it was

not without challenges. But in the case of

Golden Beach Resort, Burt Hill found that

the opportunity to create a truly trans-

formative experience far outmatched the

cultural challenges of the region.

A resort development differs from other

projects because, by its very nature, it is

designed to deliver an escape; a ‘world

apart’. The design challenges that an

architect faces when taking on a resort

project are also a world apart from those

encountered in more typical projects. The

features of a vacation site that distinguish

it as an escape from the real world make

the architect’s role invaluable—it is the

architect’s design and vision that ulti-

mately create the inspiring, eye-opening

experience for which travellers yearn.

VISION: LOOKING TO THE PAST TO SHAPE THE FUTUREFor Golden Beach to deliver a ‘world apart’

to its guests, it took a critical analysis of

the existing culture, but also, an analysis of

the world the way it once was in Fujairah.

The fi rst thing the Burt Hill design team

examined in shaping the future of the

resort was in fact the history of the region.

The team learned that the most common

and oldest profession in an emirate that

boasts more than 90km of coastline was, not

surprisingly, fi shing. But in Fujairah, fi shing

was historically much more than just busi-

ness; it was a social foundation that shaped

the emirate. Thus, the Burt Hill vision

emerged from studying old fi shing villages

where a sense of intimacy was created by in-

corporating narrow alleyways and closely set

buildings to bring it down to human scale.

Golden Beach will be a gathering point for visitors from Fujairah and Sharjah



In studying these fi shing villages, Burt

Hill learned that the density of the build-

ings and the low building height allowed

residents to sense the gradual movement

in space from narrow passageways to

larger piazzas. Above all, it inspired a

sense of discovery within the space. This

sense of discovery would be a key ele-

ment in creating a resort that was truly

transformational.

In addition to studying Fujairah’s fi sh-

ing tradition, the Burt Hill design team

took a deeper look at the city and its land

formation. The city is a composition of

several mountain chains and a dramatic

coastline along the Arabian Sea. This blend

was the inspiration behind designing a

cascading or ‘stepped’ building rather

than building a Dubai-like high-rise tower,

which had the potential to disrupt the

city’s natural context. The cascaded terrac-

es resemble the stepping of the mountains

at the background of the site and create a

link between the soaring mountain chain

and the beach front.

Accordingly, the vision began to take

form with the idea of a stepping fi shing

village. By stepping, we were able to use

Draft after draft of con-cept sketches allowed Burt Hill to design the right combination of low-density and contex-tual architecture

INTERIORSUAEwww.interiorsuae.com

29 MARCH – 01 APRIL 09ABU DHABI NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

A UNIQUE INTERNATIONAL TRADE EXHIBITION

DESIGN LED HALLS – incorporating the Decorex International PavilionPRODUCT LED HALLS – kitchens, bathrooms, floor & wall coverings, furniture, lighting, fabric and accessories

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE ENTRY BADGE VISIT THE WEBSITE

JOINTLY ORGANISED BY:

Plai

n cu

shio

n by

Wal

lace

and

Sac

ks /

Pat

tern

ed c

ushi

on b

y Sc

atte

rbox

/ V

ase

by C

IMC

/ B

owl b

y K

atig

i / C

hairs

‘Tre

nd’ b

y M

ark

Web

ster

/ ‘B

igw

ire’ t

able

by

Zano

tta fr

om C

oexi

sten

ce /

Lig

htin

g by

Lox

ton

Ligh

ting



THE CITY IS A COMPOSITION OF SEVERAL MOUNTAIN CHAINS AND A DRAMATIC COASTLINE ALONG THE ARABIAN SEA. THIS BLEND WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND DESIGNING A CASCADING OR ‘STEPPED’ BUILDING RATHER THAN

BUILDING A DUBAI-LIKE HIGH-RISE TOWER, WHICH HAD COULD DISRUPT THE

CITY’S NATURAL CONTEXT.

different dimensions and different levels

to help break the banal rhythm of repeti-

tive buildings. While it was important for

the design to meld well with the context

of the site, it was equally important that it

provide an inspiring experience for end us-

ers. The differing levels of terraces provide

intimacy and privacy to guests who desire

panoramic views and serenity in the midst

of the ocean and mountains.

By designing the resort in a village-like

cluster, we were able to establish a strong

relationship between the traditional

character of the fi shing villages that once

dominated the region and the contempo-

rary living that accommodates our present

living style.

VISION: MODERN, YET VERNACULARIn articulating the vision for this project,

it was essential that Burt Hill not only

look to the past to see what was built, but

also to see how it was built in terms of the

architectural elements used in the facade

design. This level of analysis would allow

the team to truly convey the vernacular

architecture of UAE.

While this is one aspect that architects

and developers often ignore in resort

design, in the case of Golden Beach, it

seemed counterproductive to disrupt the

natural beauty of the surrounding context.

With a goal of preserving this beauty, we

embraced the vernacular style of tradi-

The modern interior de-sign perfectly contrast

the vernacular architec-ture of the exterior



tion to the emirate and we infused it with

modern features so as to bring lavishness

into the interior space.

While aiming to strike a balance be-

tween modern and vernacular design, the

modern aspects of the design concentrate

on the type of local materials used, con-

verting exterior design elements such as

pergolas, niches and archways into a sim-

pler edition that is more representative of

Fujairah’s vernacular. On the other hand,

for the interiors, luxurious and contem-

porary elements that are more commonly

associated with modern design—including

the use of marble, chandeliers and stylistic

frosted glass for most of the handrails—

would be more appropriate.

The design must retain the essence of

Fujairah’s traditions, yet it should deliver

a contemporary feel that maintains a dis-

tinct character. For instance, we simplifi ed

and ‘modernized’ the traditional screens,

still using wood to represent the lattice

work, as well as keeping its original func-

tion as a shading device.

CHALLENGES: DESIGNING FOR DIF-FERENT LIFESTYLES Resort design is unique in that the needs

of the local population must be met as well

as those of the hundreds of nationalities

that will inevitably visit the resort. In the

case of Golden Beach, there was an added

challenge in that the nationals are divided

into two very different groups: residents of

Fujairah and residents of Sharjah.

In Fujairah, for example, the local

residents enjoy a very private lifestyle.

Natives of Fujairah are oriented towards

large families and are committed to family

life from an early age. Hence, they prefer

to spend the weekends with a larger group

of relatives rather than with friends. In

addition, Burt Hill had to consider that the

In its design, Burt Hill had to bear in mind the very different lifestyles and traditions of residents of Sharjah versus those of Fujairah residents



BY DESIGNING THE RESORT IN A VILLAGE-LIKE CLUSTER, WE WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL CHARACTER OF THE FISHING VILLAGES THAT ONCE DOMINATED THE REGION AND THE CONTEMPORARY LIVING THAT ACCOMMODATES OUR PRESENT LIVING STYLE.

emirate of Fujairah is almost dissected by

Khor Fakkan, which geographically sur-

rounds Fujairah and is part of the Emirate

of Sharjah, which strictly prohibits the

consumption of alcohol.

While cultural differences certainly

played a role in its design, the common

thread of creating an oasis in Golden

Beach, unifi ed the groups and allowed Burt

Hill to create a seamless design despite

having practically two separate resorts to

accommodate the local population.

Burt Hill designed alcohol-free, ser-

viced hotel apartments—including large

dining rooms, several bedrooms and bath-

rooms, kitchenettes and living rooms—on

one end of the resort. These apartments

are designed to be a ‘home away from

home’, for nationals who enjoy relaxing,

cooking and socialising with other family

members away from everyday life.

The ‘Fujairah nationals’ section of the

resort needed to also cater to the expatri-

ates, so from a design standpoint, this

meant understanding the dichotomy of

locals and expats. While locals are often

seeking a new fashionable lifestyle that

maintains some of the old traditional

character of the region, expatriate life can

often seem short-term, fast-paced and

stressed out.

In summary, Burt Hill’s solution was to

divide the resort into two sections, one to

meet the diverse demands of nationals and

residents, and the other section to cater

The cascading design of Golden Beach was inspired by the nearby Hajjar Mountains

Where the World of Real Estate Meets

Investors DevelopersArchitects Government Authorities Urban PlannersConsultants EngineersConstruction CompaniesCorporate End UsersContractors DesignersProperty Advisors FundManagers Retailers RealEstate Owners

Exhibition

Real Estate Finance & Investment Conference

Online Business Matching

Headline Sponsor Investment Sponsor Associate Sponsor

RegionalBroadcast Partner

Gold Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

19 – 22 April 2009Abu Dhabi National Exhibition CentreUnited Arab Emirates

Open 10am - 7pm DailyBusiness card required for entry

FAST TRACK!Register Now For Your FREE Visitor Passwww.cityscapeabudhabi.com/mea

Silver Sponsors

Pre-registered visitors will receive a free copy of the Show Catalogue

International Broadcast Partner



to UAE tourists travelling to Fujairah.

This design incorporates hotel suites that

resemble a typical hotel, which will serve

as a place of respite.

OPPORTUNITY: ENHANCING LIVES THROUGH CONSCIENTIOUS DESIGN With any project, architects have the

opportunity to enhance the lives of the

people that will live, learn or work within

the structure, but with resort design there

is a limited opportunity to deliver that

‘world apart’ experience.

The hotel location is considered one of

the most essential locations in the district

of Faqait. It is edged by quiet farmlands,

stunning mountain chains and a pictur-

esque coastline. The hotel entrance, on the

other hand, is located directly on a main

street. This unique positioning provided

an opportunity to use design to create a

barrier between the noisy street and the

calm beach and to ensure that all guests

experience the restorative pleasures of the

site’s location.

Moreover, most of the rooms have an

ocean view, yet some of them also incorpo-

rate a view of the adjacent farmlands and

distant Hajar Mountains. When designing

a resort, one must always consider all the

elements that surround the site and work

with them in the design to extend their

value to the hotel room and beyond.

In an effort to beckon guests to what

is, to most people, the main attraction at

Golden Beach, the Burt Hill team designed

a diving centre on the beach to encourage

THE ‘FUJAIRAH NATIONALS’ SECTION OF THE RESORT NEEDED TO ALSO CATER TO THE EXPATRIATES, SO FROM A DESIGN STANDPOINT, THIS MEANT UNDERSTANDING THE DICHOTOMY OF LOCALS AND EXPATS. WHILE LOCALS ARE OFTEN SEEKING A NEW FASHIONABLE LIFESTYLE THAT MAINTAINS SOME OF THE OLD TRADITIONAL CHARACTER OF THE REGION, EXPATRIATE LIFE CAN OFTEN SEEM SHORT-TERM, FAST-PACED AND STRESSED OUT.

Golden Beach’s location is considered one of the most essential in Faqait

All rooms have either an oceanview or a view of

the Hajjar Mountains



THE MOST RECENT POPULATION DATA INDICATES THAT FUJAIRAH ATTRACTS ABOUT 214,000 TOURISTS EACH YEAR AND HAS AN ADDITIONAL 120,000 RESIDENTS FROM WHICH TO DRAW INTEREST....RESEARCH SHOWS THAT 11 NEW HOTELS—3,300 ROOMS IN TOTAL—ARE PLANNED TO ENTER THE [FUJAIRAH] MARKET BY 2011.

use of what will become the site’s world-

renowned coral reefs and bio-diversity.

MARKET: ON THE BRINK OF A BOOMDevelopment in Fujairah is in its infancy

but is expected to explode in the next

few years. Several new developments are

occurring along the coast, which is about

50km from Fujairah City. Golden Beach is

located within the ‘developing market’ area

and should benefi t from the newly devel-

oping infrastructure in the area as well.

The most recent population data

indicates that Fujairah attracts about

214,000 tourists each year and has an

additional 120,000 residents from which

to draw interest. The Burt Hill design team

worked closely with Economics Research

Associates (ERA) to better understand the

market for this type of development. Its

research showed that 11 new hotels—3,300

rooms in total—are planned to enter the

market by 2011. While there is a lack of

existing infrastructure, it is a harbinger of

what lies ahead for a location that has been

called one of the “Jewels of Arabia”.


Burt Hill saw Golden Beach as an opportunity to enhance people’s lives

through its design

The leading exhibition and meeting place for

Aluminium products, Technologies and Investments in the Middle East

Germany

Dubai

Brazil

India

China

Shaping the Aluminium industry in the Middle East

29 - 31 MARCH 2009DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

www.aluminium-dubai.com

ORGANISER

Reed Exhibitions Middle EastPhone: +971 2 444 6113, Fax: +971 2 444 3768

Email: [email protected]

PLATINUM SPONSORDIAMOND SPONSOR

SUPPORTER PARTNERS

GOLD SPONSOR SILVER SPONSOR

www.alu-scout.com

FEATUREARCHITECTURAL GLASS


LIVING IN AGLASS HOUSEEXAMINING WHO, WHAT,

WHY AND HOW MUCH OF GLASS IN ARCHITECTURE

Words: Jeff Roberts

Solar power is one re-source in which the Gulf is not lacking

Architecture is about creating

space. Whether its space to live, work

or play, architects design structures to be

experienced. To remove the experiential

element from a structure is to render it a

sculpture rather than a piece of architec-

ture. Few materials are as directly respon-

sible for infl uencing the way in which users

experience a structure than the glass used

in its facade. Whether its intent is form

or function – and especially if it’s being

combined with cutting-edge technology

– the versatility of glass is unparalleled.

But none of this is new information.

There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that

says: “You want your horse to look good,

but you also don’t want him to have to eat

grass.” In an architectural context, this

simply means that a pretty building may

look nice, but a building that functions

effi ciently is equally important.

While state-of-the-art materials,

including glass, may be more expensive

initially, contractors, developers and value

engineers would do well to approve those

higher glass budgets, especially if they

want a building that considers the comfort

of its users.

ARCHITECT caught up with building

professionals around the world to talk

about the importance of using the ‘right’

glass for the right project in the Gulf.

WHO’S MAKING THE DECISION? Richard Wagner, architect at dxb lab and

former vice president of the Architecture

Association of the UAE (aaUAE), describes

an ideal scenario. “In an ideal nutshell, the

architect specifi es the type of glass, the en-

gineer verifi es that choice, the contractor

builds it, and the developer sells a quality

project as desired by the clients.”

It doesn’t take an astrophysicist to know

that in Gulf architecture, things don’t often

work that way. In a region where quality

can quickly be supplanted by quantity,

architects often struggle with contractors

and value engineers convincing clients that

using a less advanced product will have

little infl uence on how the building looks

or performs.

Thom Bohlen, (AIA, NCARB) chief

technical offi cer at the Middle East Centre

for Sustainable Development (MECSD),

understands the importance of consulting

with qualifi ed professionals when consid-

ering glass.

“Architects normally specify glazing for

their buildings, but typically they get input

from structural engineers, glazing contrac-

tors, glazing suppliers and, of course,

from the green building consultant,” says

Bohlen. “The appropriateness of the U-

values of the system, transmittance factors

and shading coeffi cients can all greatly



IN AN IDEAL NUTSHELL, THE ARCHITECT SPECIFIES THE TYPE OF GLASS, THE ENGINEER VERIFIES THAT CHOICE, THE CONTRACTOR BUILDS IT, AND THE DEVELOPER SELLS A QUALITY PROJECT AS DESIRED BY THE CLIENTS.

RICHARD WAGNER

Germany has set the standard throughout Europe in harnessing solar energy

SOMFYSomfy’s internal blinds allow users to alter the look and feel of any setting. The blinds help control heat transfer, reduce glare and help protect your furniture and floor coverings from fading – all at the touch of a button. Somfy’s internal blinds come in several styles including: aluminium/wood-en venetian blinds, pleated blind, roller blind, fabric Roman blind, nets or curtains. For the full range of products/services, check out www.somfy.com.

SCHÜCOSchüco’s fully integrated PV systems turn sunlight into electricity, delivering free electricity to your home. It’s third-genera-tion, highly integrated thermal systems captures heat from the sun, uses it to heat water and then stores the water in a high-efficiency tank for use in the home. For the full range of products/services, check out www.schueco.com.

SCHEUTENBy applying advanced coating technology, Scheuten can now develop and produce coatings which combine ample light penetration with effective solar control. Scheuten Glass offers a combination of solar and efficient heat reflecting properties with Isolide Brilliant glazing, representing the latest in technology in this area. Every combination of Isolide Brilliant possesses a U-value equal to that of the superior Low-E categories. Isolide Brilliant affords architects almost unlimited possibilities for designing transparent facades without making concessions to interior climate control. The colour of this insulating glass product appears neutral from the outside. For the full range of products and services, check out www.scheuten.com.

affect energy consumption in buildings.”

All too often, however, developers or

contractors in the Gulf decide on a type

of glass or facade system depending on

budget or preference of origin. Specialty

engineers are consulted only in the most

complex scenarios and architects are left

voiceless in the great debate about money.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ‘RIGHT’ GLASS FOR THE RIGHT PROJECT?Matching the glass system with the style

of the building and the context in which

it sits is extremely important. The quality

of the glass, in terms of structural/physi-

cal/thermal properties, is paramount to

achieving a building that looks and func-

tions properly.

“Especially in hot regions like the Gulf,

the energy performance and comfort levels

of a building clothed in glass are totally

dominated by the choice of glass,” explains

James Law, chairman and founder of

Hong Kong-based James Law Cybertec-

ture International (JLCI).

Having designed several projects for the

Middle East and India – and employing a

highly futuristic brand of architecture that

melds the form and function of a build-

ing with cutting-edge technology – using

glass that does what it promises is crucial

for JLCI. “Using the wrong glass can have

disastrous outcomes, including making the

building ineffi cient and unpleasant as well

as using unnecessary levels of energy to

keep occupants cool,” adds Law.

Because glass can range from fully

transparent to fully opaque or refl ective,

and can be specifi ed in virtually any tint

or colour, aesthetics is less of an initial

concern than function. As Kareem Negm,

LEED AP and architect at Dar Al-Han-

dasah (Shair and Partners), points out,

‘function’ in the Middle East means more



ESPECIALLY IN HOT REGIONS LIKE THE GULF, THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE AND COMFORT LEVELS OF A BUILDING CLOTHED IN GLASS ARE TOTALLY DOMINATED BY THE CHOICE OF GLASS.

JAMES LAW

Japan is one of the larg-est consumers of solar glass solutions. Image: Scheuten

than just energy-effi ciency.

Of course, double glazed, low-U glass

should be specifi ed externally to reduce

solar gain but because of religious and

cultural privacy issues, residential projects

will almost always opt for fully refl ective

or very dark tints, regardless of effi ciency

levels of the glass. Internally, however,

aesthetics take priority.

“Fritted glass for shower enclosures can

be used in hotel room to deliver light and

maintain privacy,” explains Negm. “For

commercial applications, sandblasted

logos and engravings enhance branding

and corporate identity.”

Wagner agrees that the choice of glass is

important where aesthetics are concerned,

but given the architectural trend of using

massive curtain walling in the UAE, the

environmental and climatological aspects

of glass cannot be ignored and the building

standards need to follow suit.

“Standards for thermal insulation of

building envelopes – which includes glass

– are far too tolerant given the harsh sum-

mer climate we endure,” explains Wagner.

“This allows for many loopholes during the

construction process and ultimately can

cause buyers and operators horrendous

long-term running costs.”

IS GLASS A LIABILITY IN GULF ARCHITECTURE? In the more moderate climates of Europe,

North America and parts of Asia, glass can

be an extremely versatile material that can

simultaneously addresses effi ciency and

design challenges. But, climates in the Gulf

are harsher; they require materials that

function at higher levels and, therefore, re-

quire careful consideration during design

and specifi cation.

Chad Oppenheim, founder and principal

of Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture +

Design, often says: “Building glass refrig-

erators in the desert doesn’t make a lot of

sense.” His logic is doubly poignant given

his experience working in a solar-heavy

climates and the number of projects OA+D

has completed in Miami.



Central Station in Berlin displays solar glass solu-

tions by Scheuten

SAINT-GOBAINBe it thermal insulation, acoustics, safety/security, self-cleaning or solar control, Saint-Gobain Glass has an extensive range of high performance solutions for the construction market. Products directly related to solar control include: Planitherm Total, Planitherm 45, Cool-Lite, Bioclean Cool-Lite and Priva-Lite. For a complete list of products and services, check out www.saint-gobain-glass.com.

EnergyGlassSpecialists in building integrated photovoltaics (BiPV), EnergyGlass uses poly vinyl butyral (PVB) for its PV modules. PVB is typically used for layering the safety glass in curtain walls, glazing for roofs, parapets/balconies, shading windows, greenhouses and noise bar-riers. EnergyGlass products have been researched, developed and supported by the Universities of Milan and Turin. For a complete list of products and services, check out www.energyglass.eu.

ROMAGRomag is a UK-based manufacturer of specialist transparent com-posites to the security, renewable energy, architectural and specialist transportation markets. Romag’s key areas of activity are the supply of PV solar panels and glass and glazing products to the renewable energy, architectural, safety/security and transportation markets. For a complete list of products and services, check out www.romag.

So, the obvious question remains, is

glass a liability in the Gulf? The architects,

engineers and LEED APs interviewed for

this article suggest it just might be.

“I think any material can be a ‘liability’ if

used improperly or unwisely, or where all

considerations in the use of that material

are not considered,” says Bohlen. “Well if

you look at it from an environmental point

of view then yes. We’re creating glass box-

es that are heat magnets. They look nice

but often trap the heat inside and thus cost

a lot of money to cool. This cooling process

harms the environment in a tremendous

way,” agrees Negm.

Wagner takes the argument a step

further to suggest that the ‘liability’ aspect

of glass doesn’t rest wholly with the mate-

rial itself. “There is always an element of

liability in glass, no matter where you are

located,” he explains.

“The reason that there appears to be

a lack of versatility in this market can be

largely attributed to the fact that the local

manufacturing industry has not developed

a diverse and feasible enough repertoire,

which in return has hampered construc-

tion of avant-garde designs.... At the same

time we have to consider the environmen-

tal aspect of shipping tonnes of products

halfway around the globe, which adds

another great liability,” adds Wagner.

THE FINAL WORDIt seems clear that the key to using glass

correctly and responsibly lies in the ability

of architects, contractors, developers and

engineers to be collectively mindful of its

climatic challenges and specify the product

in conscientious ways.

“Just like any where else, glass can be

a versatile material in the Middle East,

but it must be used in conjunction with

the correct application and specifi cation

to meet the specifi c requirements of the

region,” Bohlen insists. “The [challenges]

include high heat and humidity, blowing

sand particulates and plenty of solar gain.

Anytime you can avoid the sun’s rays from

directly striking the glass you have gone a

long way towards making the facade and

interior more effi cient.”

SPOTLIGHTDRAW LINK GROUP

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 03.09 | www.constructionweekonline.com052

SERVICE PROVIDER SPOTLIGHT

Have you worked on anything our readers would recognize? Draw Link is busy working on several

projects – some of which are still under

construction – but once fi nished, they will

be easily recognisable for the originality of

their concept. Some examples include: the

Bab B’Har hotel resort in Fujairah – which

won an architectural award from Cityscape

– Boutique Hotel Maison D’Hotel in

Jumeirah and a small boutique hotel in

Deira.

What inspires you in your work?My inspiration comes from the experience

of living life and travelling. Architecture

is constantly evolving and boundaries are

always being pushed so there is no limit to

our creative potential.

Do you feel that there is a lack of context throughout some Middle Eastern cities? Throughout the Middle East, there are

very few projects with concept, mostly due

to the construction boom and shortened

timelines. In my opinion, Dubai is the

only city that has context in its organiza-

tion. Dubai is an exemplar of the ‘modern’

Middle Eastern city. A lot of other cities

lack concept in their development.

ARCHITECTURE IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND BOUNDARIES ARE ALWAYS BEING PUSHED SO THERE IS NO LIMIT TO OUR CREATIVE POTENTIAL.

ON ARCHITECTURE Daousser Chennoufi ChairmanDraw Link Group

What are the benefi ts of work-ing for an organisation like Draw Link that provides services to so many sectors?No matter which service we’re providing,

we start with the original concept. Then we

materialise it in architecture and execute

all the construction and MEP works. Our

fi nal step is to fi nish the interior and en-

sure the quality of the fi nal product.

We can also provide our clients with

marketing consultation, as we obviously

know the strong points of the project. In

some cases, we arrange an opening event

to monitor fi rst reactions to our project.

We’re also trained to deal with a large

network of suppliers and contractors.

In the case of Draw Link Group, it’s

much easier when you have all the capa-

bilities in-house. Because we all work to-

gether as a team and all of our competen-

cies are interrelated, it makes the work less

complicated and improves overall quality.

In an industry full of challenges, con-

necting skill sets helps you learn from dif-

ferent fi elds and increase your professional

capacity. Our biggest advantage is that we

can offer our clients a complete range of

services. For every project, we don’t just

offer a simple drawing or a consultation,

we offer a complete concept.

SPOTLIGHTDRAW LINK GROUP

www.constructionweekonline.com | 03.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 053

What inspires you in your work? Our main inspiration comes from nature

and history, we also draw from that which

we see or learn or know. Everything we

see and experience has the potential to

inspire us. And, the best way to derive new

inspirations is by travelling.

Have you worked on anything our readers would recognize?For example, we did Mosque Abu Manara

in Jumeirah as well as series of local res-

taurants – one of which won a Commercial

Interior Design award. We’re also doing

the JAL Hotel in Dubai and several luxury

villas around the city.

With the tight timelines, how sophisticated is interior design in the ME? Are you always able to do your best work?

Here is the challenge: doing your best

despite such a timeline; working fast and

reaching perfection. We always do every-

thing to protect and defi ne the concept. We

treat every project as the biggest and most

important. Above all, the most important

element is to ensure the integrity of the

concept and the quality of the project.

Are there benefi ts to working so closely with project managers, graphic designers and architects at

THE BEST INTERIORS ARE THOSE THAT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD. PERHAPS THEY COME IN THE FORM OF AN OLD COFFEE SHOP IN TUNIS OR AN APARTMENT IN PARIS.

ON INTERIOR DESIGN Salma Aloulu & Fahda BarrakSenior Interior DesignersDraw Link Group

a comprehensive service provider like the Draw Link Group?The work we do in our teams allows us to

exchange thoughts and share experiences

– ultimately it helps all of us do our jobs

better. As architects and designers, we can

switch from working with design teams to

architecture teams quite seamlessly. At the

end of the day, we all work very closely; it

is a very creative atmosphere.

Do you think the economic slow-down with create fewer projects and thus, better quality? The slowdown will allow us to provide bet-

ter service to our clients and spend more

time elaborating concepts. While other re-

gions are seeing slowdowns, in the Middle

East, it simply allows us to work at normal

speed and achieve the best quality. So the

slowdown might actually be benefi cial for

the market and the client.

What is your favourite interior that you didn’t design? The best interiors are those that make

people feel good. Perhaps they come in

the form of an old coffee shop in Tunis

or an apartment in Paris. Projects like

these might be done without professional

designers but with a lot of human intel-

ligence. In projects likes these, there is

poetry and sophistication.

SHOWCASE SERVICE PROVIDERS

054 To advertise in this section, please contact Keiron Gallagher at +971.4435.6349 or [email protected]

BEYONDESIGNS INC.BeyonDesigns Inc, a Dubai relocated enterprise, is a

premier polyurethane manufacturer of architectural

features, bringing to life, a unique blend of artistic beauty

coupled with technical excellence. Established in 2004,

it offers to its clients, an assortment of embellishments,

patterning the essence of coral stone using state-of-the-art

molding technology. The company carries with it, several

years of extensive experience from Canada.

WATERMAN INTERNATIONALThe Waterman Group is a multi-disciplinary engi-

neering and environmental consultancy, delivering

small and large projects around the world. Over the

course of half a century, Waterman’s successfully

engineered projects and ingenious design solutions

have been based on providing practical and cost-

effective solutions to clients. Waterman’s regional

offi ces are in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

NORRA multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers

and consultants, Norr has built an expansive client

base since 1938, and is trusted throughout the globe

to deliver creative, integrated building solutions.

Norr design, deliver and manage strategic and

complex solutions, ensuring that the right combina-

tion of the fi rm’s resources is applied to solve the

demands of each project. Norr’s regional offi ces are

in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

+971.4330.4400www.noor.com

KEO INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANTSFounded in 1964, KEO delivers world-class profes-

sional design and management services. KEO offers

award winning architectural design, progressive

infrastructure engineering and highly ranked

project and construction management. At over 1600

professionals worldwide, KEO is one of the largest

AEP/PMCM fi rms and have consistently ranked

in ENR in the top 200 International Design Firms,

as well as Top 20 International PM rankings for

HALCROWHalcrow specialises in the provision of planning,

design and management services for infrastructure

development worldwide. With interests in transpor-

tation, water, maritime and property, the company

is undertaking commissions in over 70 countries

from a network of global offi ces. In the Middle East,

Halcrow provides transport, water, property, de-

velopment, environmental and energy consultancy

services across a geographic region extending from

MOTT MACDONALDFrom energy, buildings, transport, water and the

environment to health and education, industry and

communications, Mott MacDonald has experi-

ence in civil, structural, mechanical and electrical

engineering disciplines, with a number of staff

considered to be authorities in their fi elds.

Transforming ideas into reality is our forte, and

the holistic approach to engineering consultancy is

rooted in the full range of skills covering all stages of

the development cycle.

+971.4351.7077www.waterman-int.com

+965.461.6000www.keoic.com

+44.1793.816253www.noor-international.com

+971.2443.4608www.mottmac.co.ae

+971.4886.1322www.beyondesigns.com

aterman

055

SHOWCASECLASSIFIEDS

055 To advertise in this section, please contact Keiron Gallagher at +971.4435.6349 or [email protected]

To advertise in this section contact:

Keiron GallagherTel: +971 4 4356349

GSM: +971 50 8597474email: [email protected]

BurJuman Shopping Mall · Dubai +++ Club House Dubai International Marine Club +++ Deira City Centre · Al Ain +++ Conference Centre and Sports Pavillon - Jumeirah Beach Resort Complex · Dubai +++ Deira City Centre - Cinema Exten. · Dubai +++ DoCentre · Doha - Qatar +++ Nad Al Sheba Grandstand · Dubai +++ Sharjah Mega Mall +++ Dubai International School +++ BMW / Rover Showroom · Kuwait +++ Media City - Phase 3 · Dubai +++ Royal Flight Hangar · Muscat - Oman +++ Dubai Autodromeness Park +++ Granada Shopping Centre · Riyadh +++ Khalifa Sports City - Sports Hall Building · Doha - Qatar +++ Mall of the Emirates - Ski Slope · Dubai +++ IKEA Hyper Market DFC Zone 4 · Dubai +++ Zayed University Dubai +++ Sharjah Internationort +++ The Avenues · Kuwait +++ Dubai Mall +++ Dubai Festival City - Crowne Plaza Hotel +++ WP - The Knuckle at Dubai Festival City +++ Sheikh Khalifa Sports City · Manama +++ NOC Building · Bahrain +++ The Avenues Extension, the Lakes · Kuwait +ain City Centre · Manama +++ BurJuman Shopping Mall · Dubai +++ Club House Dubai International Marine Club +++ Deira City Centre · Al Ain +++ Conference Centre and Sports Pavillon - Jumeirah Beach Resort Complex · Dubai +++ Deira City Centrma Exten. · Dubai +++ Doha City Centre · Doha - Qatar +++ Nad Al Sheba Grandstand · Dubai +++ Sharjah Mega Mall +++ Dubai International School +++ BMW / Rover Showroom · Kuwait +++ Media City - Phase 3 · Dubai +++ Royal Flight Hangar · Musc

man +++ Dubai Autodrome & Business Park +++ Granada Shopping Centre · Riyadh +++ Khalifa Sports City - Sports Hall Building · Doha - Qatar +++ Mall of the Emirates - Ski Slope · Dubai +++ IKEA Hyper Market DFC Zone 4 · Dubai +++ Zayed Universai +++ Sharjah International Airport +++ The Avenues · Kuwait +++ Dubai Mall +++ Dubai Festival City - Crowne Plaza Hotel +++ WP - The Knuckle at Dubai Festival City +++ Sheikh Khalifa Sports City · Manama +++ NOC Building · Bahrain +++ The Avenunsion, the Lakes · Kuwait +++ Bahrain City Centre · Manama +++ BurJuman Shopping Mall · Dubai +++ Club House Dubai International Marine Club +++ Deira City Centre · Al Ain +++ Conference Centre and Sports Pavillon - Jumeirah Beach Resort Compbai +++ Deira City Centre - Cinema Exten. · Dubai +++ Doha City Centre · Doha - Qatar +++ Nad Al Sheba Grandstand · Dubai +++ Sharjah Mega Mall +++ Dubai International School +++ BMW / Rover Showroom · Kuwait +++ Media City - Phase 3 · Dubai +al Flight Hangar · Muscat - Oman +++ Dubai Autodrome & Business Park +++ Granada Shopping Centre · Riyadh +++ Khalifa Sports City - Sports Hall Building · Doha - Qatar +++ Mall of the Emirates - Ski Slope · Dubai +++ IKEA Hyper Market DFC Zone ai +++ Zayed University Dubai +++ Sharjah International Airport +++ The Avenues · Kuwait +++ Dubai Mall +++ Dubai Festival City - Crowne Plaza Hotel +++ WP - The Knuckle at Dubai Festival City +++ Sheikh Khalifa Sports City · Manama +++ NOC Buildi

Bringing ideas to life Building envelopes made by Kalzip®

For further information call T +971 - 4 887 3232 · [email protected] · www.kalzip.com

FREEFREEFREEFREE

FREEFREE

Middle East

ReadersArchitect

REAL WOOD FLOORS LLC

ECO Friendly Luxury Carpet

ARCHITECTURE COMPARE & CONTRAST


GUGGENHEIM MUSEUMSBATTLE OFBATTLE OF......

Location: New York City, USAType of building: Museum of modern art Architect: Frank Lloyd WrightDesign style: ModernistConstruction system: ConcreteInspiration: Overlooking Central Park, New York’s only natural respite, Wright drew inspiration from nature and wished to create a building evocative of the plasticity of the organic form in contrast the built environment of New York. Construction timeline: 1956 to 1959

Fact: Wright was against Solomon R. Guggenheim’s choice of location for the museum, believing that New York was overbuilt and lacking architectural merit. “I can think of several more desirable places in the world to build his great museum… but we will have to try New York,” Wright wrote in 1949.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO

SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

Location: Bilbao, SpainType of building: Museum of modern art Architect: Frank GehryDesign style: De-constructivist, expressionist modernConstruction system: Steel frame, titanium sheathingInspiration: The radically sculptured, organic curves of the building have been designed to appear random, and Gehry has expressed that “the randomness of the curves are designed to catch the light.”Construction timeline: 1997

Fact: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao can be seen in the opening sequence of the 1999 James Bond film, The World is not Enough, where Bond steals money from a corrupt Swiss banker affiliated with the villain Renard’s terrorist network.

• At the touch of a button, create smooth, elegant transitions of light with your window treatments.

• Move drapes to your favorite setting with one touch of the silver button. • Options include ripplefold and pinch pleat styles, single or dual track

systems, and custom curved tracks.

set your design in motion at the touch of a button

Add convenience and elegance to the space you design with Lutron controllable drapery track.

For more information, please visit www.lutron.com/meqed, call +971-4-2991224 or email to [email protected]

Sivoia® drapery remote(actual size)

Controllabledrapery trackby Lutron®

©2009 Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

me architect

Documents