middle east architect - jan 2010

An ITP Business Publication, Licensed by International Media Production Zone

JANUARY 2010 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 1

NEW

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n ITP Business Publication

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

Bright LightsINTERVIEW Tony Archibold & P. Baskaran on RMJM’s Capital Gate FEATURE Build quality in the Middle East FEATURE Smart & green lighting solutions CASE STUDY Saudi Arabia’s ITCC SUPPLIER YOU SHOULD KNOW Zumtobel Lighting

Green buildings need intelligent lighting. MEA investigates what’s being done

JEDDAH (HEAD OFFICE)Rawada StreetOmnia CenterP.O. Box 12679Jeddah 21483Saudi ArabiaTel. +966 2 669 3241 Fax +966 2 668 3069

RIYADHTahlia Street

Olaya P.O. Box 17420

Riyadh 11484Saudi Arabia

Tel. +966 1 462 1150 Fax +966 1 465 5406

Technolight was established in 1980. Over 30 years, Technolight has become

one of Saudi Arabia’s leading suppliers of lighting fi xtures, lighting control sys-

tems, wiring devices, contract furniture and security systems with branches in

Jeddah, Riyadh and Khobar. We take pride in being the fi rst lighting company

to enter the Saudi market and to offer a professional lighting concept solution,

marking a landmark in the right direction. Not only did we introduce some of

the most prestigious lighting brands and lighting solutions to the Saudi mar-

ket, but we have also set a professional lighting standard in the Saudi Market.

Our outstanding performance could not have been realized without the family

team of Technolight. In fact, our family consists of 57 highly trained sales en-

gineers and installation staff. In addition, we have two showrooms in Jeddah

and one in Riyadh all of which are superbly located right in the heart of the city.

Technolight is run by a management team. The managing director and fi ve

managers representing different administrative areas of expertise who con-

vene periodically. They run analysis with never-ending improvement cycle.

Technolight has several departments. There are lighting design dept, sales

dept, marketing dept, fi nancial dept. pricing dept, and other various activi-

ties. Technolight sales stock policy is to keep running items always in stock.

We have about $4 million in stock which gets updated on regular basis.

Showrooms in Jeddah and Riyadh

[email protected] www.technolight-ksa.com

LIGHTING

and

CONTRACT

FURNITURE

Some companies we represent exclusively in KSA are as follows: ERCO (Interior & Exterior Lighting) • WE-EF (Exterior Lighting) • BTICINO (Wiring Devices)

VITRA (Offi ce & Home Furniture) • CLIPSAL ( Diming Systems) • COOPER CONTROLS (Diming Systems)

001 www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.10 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

CONTENTS JANUARY

January 2010 ISSUE 1 VOLUME 407

03

15

07

26

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13

21

33

3315

WHAT’S ON THE WEB MEA keeps you in touch with the latest news from the industry with a synopsis of Construction Week online

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS A roundup of some of the industry’s biggest stories and product launches

GREEN PAGE: SUSTAINABILITY A new section, January’s Green Page sees Philips question whether sustainability is merely for show INTERVIEW: CAPITAL GATERMJM and Eversendai Engineering answer pointed questions about Abu Dhabi’s most bizarre building

FEATURE: LIGHTINGMEA explores the ubiquitous issue of architectural lighting and finds out what’s happening on the ground

CASE STUDY: KSA’S SMART CITY Ben Millington gets access to the KSA project that hopes to change IT and architecture in the Kingdom

SUPPLIER YOU SHOULD KNOW: ZUMTOBEL Gabriel Abdelhakmi-Gaisne goes on record about projects, products and why architects need Zumtobel FEATURE: BUILD QUALITY MEA investigates the pressing issue of build quality after last year’s building collapse in Dubai

LAST WORD: GREEN BUILDINGS Samuel Keehn talks to MEA about the LEED brand and how the Gulf’s green movement happened overnight

39

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002 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com

ONLINE

COLUMNS & FEATURES

MEYDAN RACECOURSE ON TRACK

WILD WILD MIDDLE EASTWhen Dubai’s deserts weren’t a well-kept secret, camels were a common site and talk of erecting skyscrap-ers would have risked your expulsion from the arab state, four pioneers found Arabtec.

ROYAL INSIGHTHH Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum earned a reputation last year for his restructuring strategy that resulted in strength-ening the balance sheet of his company, Al Fajer Properties.

the online home of:

IN PICTURES

For more columns & features, go to: www.constructionweekonline.com/comments

For more galleries, check out: www.constructionweekonline.com/in_pictures/

• Exclusive: US $2.5 billion claim over Dubai Metro• Nakheel to clear debt within 14 days• Contractors say US $10bn will allow industry to breathe• Abu Dhabi to finance Dubai World debts

• Exclusive: US $2.5 billion claim over Dubai Metro • Moustachioed Maestros • Madrasati renovates 200 schools in Jordan• Nakheel to clear debt within 14 days• Audio solutions makes ‘building in’ easier

31.8% Get paid for 2009.

27.3% Tender for more work.

27.3% Survive.

9.1% Upsize.

4.5% Downsize. To vote in spot polls, go to:www.constructionweekonline.com

For breaking news, go to:www.constructionweekonline.com/news/Stories selected December 27-31, 2009

MOST POPULAR

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Stories selected December 27-31, 2009

POLL: What’s your main aim for 2010?

10 RESOLUTIONS FOR A GREEN WORKPLACEThe New Year is almost upon us – and it’s time to start thinking about those resolutions. So why not pledge to ‘green your workplace’ in 2010, asks Mervin De le Torre, inte-rior designer at BAFCO.

ASSESSING DESIGNERSKenneth Laidler, former president of APID, has written a paper proposing the continual assessment of interior design practioners. Over the next few months, CID will be publishing exclusive extracts.

The fi rst phase of Dubai’s ambitious horseracing village, Meydan, has been completed and the brand new grandstand

and racecourse will welcome their fi rst visitors on January 28, when the Dubai Racing Festival kicks off. The grandstand

has seating for 20,000 and a capacity for 60,000 spectators on race days. Expected 2010 attendance is 300,000.

EDITOR’SLETTER


Wow, that was a hell of a year. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say it feels good to see the back of 2009. Trust me, dear readers, I tried to stay positive. I probably bored you all to death with proclamations of construc-tion grandeur in countries across the GCC. You probably became quite tired of my urging you to do more with less, stay strong and take the high road. Well, as we embark on another year together, my message this time is both simple and straightforward: In 2010, do what you said you’d do.

This time, I’m urging you to remember your commitments, especially with regard to making your companies smarter, more transparent and greener. In the midst of the credit crunch, very few people could be asked to remember their green commitments because whether your fi eld is architecture, engineering, interior design, facilities management or MEP, green technology is initially more expensive. But I don’t have to remind you that, over the lifecycle of the building, that same technology will actually save you money in terms of energy use, cooling loads, lighting, and reduced carbon footprint...not to mention, garner extra LEED points. Samuel Keehn’s Last Word interview in this issue delves much deeper into the myriad benefi ts of aligning one’s company with a green rating system.

In the midst of the credit crunch, I’m sure it was rather attractive to shop around for building products and professionals promising the same quality at a lower cost. I’d be willing to bet that those low-cost options, as unscrupulous as they seemed, were actually considered—if only for a moment—in boardrooms and back rooms across the region. My only hope is that honesty and integrity prevailed more often than not. We tackled that very issue—using the collapsed building in Deira as a case study—in this month’s Standard Operations feature on build quality.

When I remember back to 2007—the year I fi rst arrived on the Dubai building scene—I recall that everything was booming. There were more projects, contracts and competitions than anyone could handle and money was being made by the truckload. In the middle of all of it, came Sheikh Mohammed’s green building decree. From that moment on, every project, product and property began marketing itself as ‘green’ this and ‘sustainable’ that. Fast forward to January 2010.

The prospectors are gone. The design gimmicks and fads have passed. The industry has returned to a manageable pace. Dare I say it, even the sustainable/green rhetoric has been quieted. So, dear readers, in the most polite and unoffending way I can, I say this: It’s time to put up or shut up.

If you said your company was going to be a green one before the crisis, do it now. Pull the trigger. Make the necessary investment, build a prop-erly green building and reap the benefi ts of cheaper energy and positive PR. Likewise, if you committed yourself to adopting ISO 9001 pre-credit crunch but never got around to it, do it now. Build quality buildings and set a regional benchmark. It’s a new year and a fresh start. Now, stop talk-ing and do what you said you’d do.

YOU SAID IT, NOW DO IT

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An ITP Business Publication, Licensed by International Media Production Zone

JANUARY 2010 | VOLUME 4 | ISSUE 1

NEW

S, DATA

, AN

ALYSIS A

ND

STRATEGIC

INSIG

HTS FO

R ARC

HITEC

TS IN TH

E GC

C

JAN

UA

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2010 | VO

LU

ME

4 | ISSUE

1

An ITP Business Publication

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

Bright Lights

INTERVIEW Tony Archibold & P. Baskaran on RMJM’s Capital Gate FEATURE Build quality in the Middle East FEATURE

Smart & green lighting solutions CASE STUDY Saudi Arabia’s ITCC SUPPLIER YOU SHOULD KNOW Zumtobel Lighting

Green buildings need intelligent lighting. MEA investigates what’s being done

Cover image: A ‘pixel cloud’ lighting solution by Zumtobel. Located in the offi ce of Allen & Overy in London

Jeff Roberts, Group Editor

[email protected]

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INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

007

ABU DHABI, UAE // The Abu

Dhabi Education Council

(ADEC) unveiled a school

facilities programme at the

Building Schools Exhibitions

and Conference – Middle

East and North Africa (BSEC

MENA) held at the Abu

Dhabi National Exhibition

Centre (ADNEC) on 13th and

14th December 2009.

The school facilities

program will see the building

of 18 new schools across the

emirate of Abu Dhabi start-

ing in mid-2010. These are

the fi rst new schools to be

developed under ADEC’s 10

Year Strategic Plan.

“ADEC’s 10 Year Strategic

Plan is a historic transforma-

tion of the education system

that will deliver educational

excellence. Providing stu-

dents with world class learn-

ing environments is a key

element of our 10 year plan

and is the foundation for

achieving excellence,” said

HE Salem Al Sayeri, Acting

Director General of ADEC.

The schools will include

seven Cycle 1 (Grade KG-5)

schools, seven combined

Cycle 2 and Cycle 3

schools (Grades

6-12), two

ABU DHABI TO BUILD 18 NEW SCHOOLS IN 2010Cycle 3 schools (Grades 10-

12), and two KG-12 schools.

The program will provide

learning environments of the

highest quality that support

current teaching methods

and new curricula while

supporting the population

growth of the Emirate.

“With the best facilities to

support them, students in

the UAE will have a greater

chance of achieving their

learning goals and will be

better able to help Abu Dhabi

reach its goal of economic

diversifi cation and growth.”

added HE Al Sayeri.

Established by HH Sheikh

Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

Musanada is a govern-

ment initiative devoted to

developing and managing

cost-effective and responsive

services for the government

of Abu Dhabi.

As part of its Memo-

randum of Understanding

(MOU) with ADEC, Musana-

da will provide design

and construction

manage-

ment services as well as

construction supervision for

each of the 18 new schools.

Musanada has enlisted the

support of a leading global

contracting fi rm to provide

premier technical, engi-

neering, construction, and

management support.

“Our government leaders

have said that education is

one of the government’s top

priorities for the emirate so

we see our role in ADEC’s

school facilities program

as more than just being

a service provider,” said

Musanada, CEO Mohamed

Khalifa Al Fahed Al Mehairi.

“This MOU is a sign of our

commitment to the young

people of Abu Dhabi and the

future of our emirate.”

“What we are doing is

creating a new way

of learning,”

added

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.10 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

Hamad Al-Daheri, director

of infrastructure and facili-

ties at ADEC. “Development

of analytical skills in our

students is a key objective of

ADEC’s strategic plan and

these new learning com-

munities combined with the

other innovative features of

our school designs will help

bring this initiative to life.”

ADEC’s new school

designs promise to be

economical as well as easy

to build and operate. For

the fi rst time in the UAE,

sustainability features have

been incorporated into

school design. Energy ef-

fi cient HVAC systems, water

saving devices, orientation,

insulation and shading de-

vices have all been carefully

considered and planned into

the school design.

Other key features

of the new

school

designs include special atten-

tion to maximizing the use of

daylight, and maintaining in-

door air quality acoustics and

thermal comfort to provide

students and teachers with a

healthy, safe and stimulating

work environment.

Labs and ICT rooms

will also be furnished and

equipped with the lat-

est technology, and every

educational space in the new

school buildings will be fi tted

for smart wireless Internet

connections.

For the fi rst time also in

the UAE, all of the schools

will feature dedicated

classrooms for music, art

and design and technology

that will be fully equipped to

support diverse learning op-

portunities. The new school

designs will include sport

facilities, swimming pools,

auditoriums, libraries and

other spaces which can be

used by the community after

school hours.

The designs for the new schools promise

to be cutting-edge and economical

INDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS


DHAHRAN, KSA // The King

Abdulaziz Centre for Knowl-

edge and Culture is a project

destined to become Saudi

Arabia’s preeminent cultural

institution.

Situated near Dhahran on

the eastern coast of Saudi

Arabia, the King Abdulaziz

Centre for Knowledge and

Culture is a project relatively

small in size, but big on

innovation, ambition and

unique design.

Once complete, the centre

is estimated to cost around

US $400 million (SR 1.4 bil-

lion) and is being developed

by Saudi Aramco as part of

the oil giant’s 75th anniver-

sary celebrations.

Aramco says the purpose

of the centre is to promote

the development of knowl-

edge and culture in Saudi

Arabia by offering an array

of exhibits, events and learn-

ing tools that engage and

educate students, adults and

scholars alike.

SNØHETTA SEEKS GOLD FOR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONCovering a total of

70,000m² it will include a

library of 200,000 books, a

930 seat auditorium, a 315

seat cinema, a 1500m² hall,

a museum, a learning centre,

a children’s discovery zone,

a 4,000m² multifunctional

plaza and supporting admin-

istration areas.

The main construction

tender for the project was

opened at the beginning

of the year with four fi rms

prequalifi ed; Saudi Binladin

Group, Saudi Oger, Athens-

based Consolidated Contrac-

tors Company (CCC) and

Turkey’s Baytur Construction

& Contracting Company.

By the middle of the year

Aramco re-tendered the

contract and included more

contractors in the bidding

process such as Dubai’s Gulf

Technical Construction Com-

pany (GTCC). The bids are

being evaluated and main

construction is due to start in

Q2 2010 and fi nish in 2013.

DESIGNOne of the most striking

features of the centre is

without doubt its unique

pebble-like shapes, which

were designed by Norwegian

architects Snøhetta with

engineering—civil, ground,

façade, structural, acoustic

and sustainability—provided

by international consultant

Buro Happold.

Snohetta’s project man-

ager Astrid Renata Van Veen

says they wanted to come up

with a one-off piece of archi-

tecture to refl ect the centre’s

cultural purpose.

“It’s important that a

cultural building has its

own expression and doesn’t

lend images from any other

known cultural buildings

around the world,” she says.

“The client had very clear

aspirations for a never-be-

fore-seen-building. The idea

of the pebbles came into play

because the project has a lot

of different functions and we

thought each of these should

get their own outlook. These

individual items are then

composed together in one

frozen moment.”

There are fi ve main pebble

shaped structures which

are arranged to visually

and physically support each

other, she added. One of the

most visually interesting ele-

ments is the ‘keystone’ which

is the only pebble suspended

above ground level.

Wedged between the

tower and another pebble,

the keystone is a key element

in the geometry of the pebble

composition. The function

of the keystone will be as a

public ‘dialog, discussion and

contemplative space’ linked

to the library.

The tower itself will be

86m high with 17 fl oors and

three below-grade levels. The

various levels will include

plant rooms, the learning

centre and restaurants and

lounge areas.

Underneath the tower,

linking all of the pebbles is

the 4,000m² plaza at grade

level. The space will function

as a large foyer and channel

visitors to the various

cultural elements.

Van Veen says one advan-

tage to designing the project

was that many of the centre’s

different elements, i.e. the

theatre, cinema, library, ex-

hibition space and museum

do not require large amounts

of natural light. “That is

one of the reasons why we

chose introverted shapes like

pebbles,” she said.

Van Veen adds: “There

are quite a lot of introverted

functions in this project

which means we didn’t have

to worry about windows and

conventional function – it

allowed us play around a lot

more with the shapes and

design. The tower is probably

the only place where any of

the rules of conventional

function applied.”

INDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS


KACKC is designed around the concept of a collection of pebbles

009

INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS

ARCHITECTS CHOSEN FOR TRIPOLI UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

TRIPOLI, LIBYA // Libya’s gov-

ernment agency ODAC has

appointed Bruesa, IAD Archi-

tects and Cottrell & Michelan-

geli to realise the technologi-

cal campus of Tripoli’s 7th of

April University.

One of seven Libyan uni-

versities master planned by

BDP, planning and construc-

tion of the 45ha campus

and its 13 buildings will be

led by Bruesa and IAD with

engineering help from ARUP

and project management

from Hill International. The

project is aiming for comple-

tion by 2013.

“ODAC and the project

manager Hill International

have placed particular em-

phasis on environmental

sustainability, as well as en-

ergy and water management

throughout the complex,”

said a statement from Cot-

trell & Michelangeli.

A project which is aiming

for LEED Gold certifi cation,

the campus is looking to set

a sustainability benchmark

in Libya. “A solar plant is

planned in conjunction with

While the design of the

project may be unique, Van

Veen says construction will

be relatively conventional for

the most part.

The tower will be built us-

ing a concrete core contain-

ing lifts, stairs, shafts and

MEP while the other pebbles

will use steel structures. The

walls will be constructed

using insulated wall systems,

which will be faceted to fol-

low the curves of the pebble’s

unique external facade

THE FACADEThis bespoke external façade

is made from stainless steel

tubes and is the secret to the

distinctive smooth metallic

look of the project. The tubes

are 76.1mm in diameter and

will be wrapped around the

pebbles with a constant 9mm

gap in between.

“Imagine wrapping a

piece of string around a ball

– that’s the concept,” says

Snøhetta’s Peter French.

“There is about 350km of

pipe in total. Each pipe starts

at an opening and keeps on

going until it meets another

pipe and then they turn away

from each other. The pattern

itself is self-generating.”

French says the tubes will

be pre-bent to follow the

shape of the pebble based on

structural analysis from an

AutoCAD computer model.

Where there are windows

in the buildings, the steel

tubes will be fl attened to al-

low for a clear line of sight.

“The squashed pipes will

be similar to louvres, in that

you will be able to direct

them to various points in

order to control the view,”

says French. “They are also a

terrifi c shading element for

the windows.”

Aside from the aesthetic

benefi ts, the stainless steel

facade will also serve a very

important function as a ven-

tilated solar shield against

the harsh Saudi Arabian sun. campus infrastructure. The

buildings are oriented and

designed for an optimised

solar and thermal control,

adapted to the coastal area

of Zuwarah, west of Tripoli,”

concluded the statement.

At the end of 2008 BDP

was chosen by ODAC to

design master plans for

seven universities in Libya:

one in the mountains; two

near the coast; and four

inland. The facilities, which

were designed in response to

environmental conditions,

will accommodate a total of

28,400 students and look to

create a uniform standard for

educational facilities across

Tripoli and into the Sahara.

The realisation of the cam-

pus is considered a priority

for the Libyan government

in their efforts to institute

policies of social reform.

Building universities in Libya

is highly symbolic as April 7,

1976, is the date on which a

peaceful student protest was

broken up by the Gaddafi -led

military by fi ring into the

crowd of protesters.

French explains that

the metallic surface will

defl ect a ‘substantial

amount’ of solar gain

and any built up heat will

be naturally fl ushed out

thanks to a 300mm cavity

between the steel tubing

facade and the inner facet-

ted wall of the pebble.

The result of such a fa-

cade will be to drastically

lower the air conditioning

requirements of the build-

ings and thus the electric-

ity consumption, which is

a signifi cant contributing

factor in achieving an eco-

friendly certifi cation for

the development.

French says Aramco is

aiming specifi cally for a

LEED Gold environmen-

tal rating which will be

achieved by implementing

environmentally friendly

design and construc-

tion techniques, effi cient

energy use and optimum

building performance.

www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.10 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com

INDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTS

010

MIDDLE EAST // For many, New

Year is the time for per-

sonal resolutions of varying

degrees of diffi culty, ranging

from beginning a diet, to

stopping smoking, or even

just being nicer to friends

and family. However, Mervin

De le Torre, interior designer

at leading UAE-based cor-

porate interior solutions

specialist BAFCO, explains

why our resolutions needn’t

be restricted to the home.

“Most of us spend so much

of our lives in the offi ce that

we should consider choos-

ing some resolutions for the

workplace that can help the

environment and even save

our company some money

along the way. As offi ce spe-

cialists, we had a brainstorm

among our team and have

come up with ten of the best

tips to consider as offi ce

resolutions for 2010,” says

De le Torre.

1. IT’S COOL TO BE A

LITTLE WARMER

Once you’ve adjusted your

air conditioning to the

TOP TEN TECHNIQUES FOR A ‘GREENER’ WORKPLACEtemperature you prefer,

turn it back up by just 2

or 3 degrees. You’ll hardly

know the difference, but it

will make a big difference to

your consumption. This two

degree difference can save

the company over Dh 500 a

year. Also remember to turn

your AC off when you leave

the offi ce.

2. BE BRIGHT AND

SAVE MONEY

Energy saving light bulbs are

much more effi cient than the

traditional version and last

up to ten times longer. Next

time your company needs to

replace a bulb, recommend

they take the energy saving

option. The average offi ce

can save a very worthwhile

Dh 806* over the year by

making this switch.

3. CHOOSE FLEXIBLE

OFFICE FURNITURE

Always consider products

with highly fl exible options

as offi ces tend to change and

adapt to newer technology,

manpower and market con-

ditions. Demountable parti-

tions, open plan worksta-

tions, glass partitions, heavy

duty ergonomic chairs are a

must for any modern offi ce.

4. DON’T JUST USE

STANDBY - SWITCH

OFF AND UNPLUG

If you leave your computer

on standby overnight it uses

almost as much electricity

as it does when switched

on. Remember to turn it off

and unplug. You should also

consider switching off moni-

tors, printers, fax machines

and copiers during lengthy

breaks away from your desk.

5. ONLY USE ESSEN-

TIAL LIGHTING

We enjoy plenty of sun here

in the Middle East, so allow

natural outdoor light to il-

luminate the offi ce. Turn off

non-essential and decora-

tive lighting, particularly in

unoccupied areas. Use ‘task’

lighting, such as angle-poise

lamps, to directly illuminate

specifi c work areas instead of

brighter ‘area’ lighting.

6. GET YOUR RATINGS

RIGHT - LOOK FOR EN-

ERGY STAR

Most offi ce appliances these

days have an energy-effi cien-

cy rating. If buying, make

the choice that’s the most

energy effi cient and always

ask the supplier if they have

this information. When

purchasing PCs, monitors,

printers, fax machines and

copiers, consider Energy Star

models that automatically

power down after a period of

inactivity. Also, use laptop

computers wherever possible

as they consume 90 per cent

less energy than desktop

computers.

7. GOING OUT? WELL

THEN TURN IT OFF!

Get into the simple habit

of switching lights off

whenever you leave a

room or workspace.

8. DETECT YOUR

LOCAL MOTION

Install motion detectors

or dimmers to control

lighting in frequently unoc-

cupied areas, such as rest-

rooms. It is also a simple job

for an electrician to re-wire

restroom fans to operate

with the lights.

9. AUTOMATE LIGHT-

ING SIGNAGES

Install time clocks or pho-

toelectric cells to control

exterior lighting, advertis-

ing sign lighting and some

interior lighting.

10. KEEP COOL AND

INSTALL BLINDS

It is not only enhance the

design of your offi ce but add-

ing blinds, solar screens or

shades to your offi ce actually

helps cool down the offi ce.

Adjusting ambient temperatures by just 2 degrees will have signifi cant benefi ts

GREENPAGES

013 013 www.constructionweekonline.com | 01.10 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience de-pressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, spring or autumn, repeatedly, year after year. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), SAD is not a unique mood disorder, but is “a specifier of depression”.

The US National Library of Medicine notes that: “Some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods. They may also feel depressed. Though symptoms can be severe, they usually clear up.” It has been estimated that 1.5-9% of adults in the US experience SAD.

There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, includ-ing light therapy with sunlight or bright lights, antidepressant medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, ionized-air administration and carefully-timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin. Source: Wikipedia

MENTAL HEALTH FACT:

Ever since human-beings have lived

on Earth, daylight has been impor-

tant both for and in life. In archi-

tecture, sun orientation contributes to the

delight of working or living in a space. This

notion of comfort created by light, emo-

tions generated by light is essential for the

health and well-being in place.

Some people in United Kingdom, but

even more in Alaska, Russia and Scan-

dinavian countries, suffer from seasonal

affective disorder as a result of the lack

of daylight, both in quantity and quality.

These winter blues can cause dramatic

mood swings but can be treated by light

therapy using high quality light sources

with a good spectrum. Sustainability in

all senses—daylight, heating, water and

controls—is taken seriously by architects.

Lighting is an actor of sustainability

going beyond the implementation of

environment and human consumption pa-

rameters. Of course, energy performance

or recycling of lamps and luminaires is im-

portant, but for architects and lighting de-

signers the quality of light is a far greater

issue since it makes a major contribution

to the experience of the end users.

For architecture, sustainable lighting is

a question of mood, brightness and colour.

Just as daylight differs in summer and

SUSTAINABILITY IS IT ONLY PERFORMANCE?

winter, so fl exible lighting adds meaning

according to the use of the place or the

moment of the night.

Sustainability has become the industry’s

biggest buzzword – but architects, lighting

designers and manufactures cannot solve

all the problems alone, it is a long term

concern of society where each actor has

his or her responsibility towards climate

change. It is up to those architects and

lighting designers to defi ne tone, rhythm

and saturation that produce the right light

for the right context.

Philips’ Blue LED lighting on Dubai’s Business Bay Bridge

Philips’ interior light-ing at The Watch

House in Al Bawadi Mall, Al Ain

For further details please contact:MALLY CLARKE

GEZE Middle East FZEP.O. Box 17903

Tel: +9714 8833112, Fax: +9714 8833240Mob: +97150 6540632

www.geze.com

015

INTERVIEWRMJM & EVERSENDAI


LEAN ON MERMJM’s Tony Archibold teamed up with Eversendai to bring to life his Capital Gate design

Q&A FLORIS SMITH

Capital Gate is part of the Abu Dhabi

National Exhibition Centre’s de-

velopment in Abu Dhabi. The 160

metre, 35 storey tower leans 18 degrees

to the west and forms the ‘gateway to Abu

Dhabi’. The project is being developed by

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company

(ADNEC) and was designed by RMJM.

Capital Gate forms the centerpiece of the

Capital Centre development, a business

and residential micro city being construct-

ed around the ADNEC district.

In December 2009, RMJM and Ever-

sendai completed the steelwork on the

building and are looking to 2010 for the

offi cial opening. MEA caught up with Tony

Archibold, associate director of RMJM,

and Pitchaimuthu Baskaran, project man-

ager with Eversendai Engineering, to talk

about some of the specifi cs of a building

that is as pioneering as it is bizarre.

How does Capital Gate com-pare to the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

Capital Gate leans 18 degrees to the west,

the leaning Tower of Pisa leans only four

degrees. An application to the Guinness

Book of World Records has been sub-

mitted for the category of The World’s Furthest Leaning Manmade Tower, and

is scheduled to be judged following the

completion of Capital Gate’s external

facade toward the end of 2009.

The structure has now topped off its central core and has reached

Tony Archibold, asso-ciate director, RMJM

INTERVIEW RMJM & EVERSENDAI

How long has it taken to top off the core since the design was taken off the drawing board?Work started on site in August 2007 so the

shell and core have taken approximately

27 months to complete.

What challenges has RMJM faced and continue to face?The challenges are numerous on such a

pioneering building. These include the

pre-cambered core, which meant build-

ing the steel frame and facade whilst the

building itself was continuously moving;

the unique nature of each piece of steel

diagrid, which required custom fabrica-

tion of each one to very precise tolerances;

managing the logistics and planning of the

façade installation which is effectively like

a huge jigsaw puzzle with each piece de-

signed to fi t in one specifi c location; not to

mention the world record breaking incline

and the resulting diffi culties of contraction

with such a pronounced overhang.

How does one top off a core that slants in the opposite direction of the building’s lean?The central core is a vertical structure that

provides the central strength, but that also

houses what will be the lift and emergency

stairwell systems within the building.

Post-tensioning was used to improve the

stiffness of the building.

At the same time, the core was built

at an angle so that as the weight of each

concrete slab is added the centre of gravity

of the building pulls the core into its fi nal

its fi nal height of 525 feet. From ei-ther an architecture or engineering perspective, is this signifi cant?The topping out of the central core is a ma-

jor milestone in the building’s construction

and we are moving forward swiftly with

other elements as well.

December 2009 saw the completion of

the steelwork on the external facade and

diagrid structure, which provides a large

percetage of the building’s support, of

course, along with the central core.

The fi rst phase of the Splash, which

sweeps down from the 17th fl oor of the

tower over the top of the main ADNEC

Grandstand, is expected to complete

before the end of the year. Fitting out and

fi nal additions to the building’s overall

structure will occur throughout 2010.

AN APPLICATION TO THE GUINESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED...IT IS SCHEDULED TO BE JUDGED FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF CAPITAL GATE’S EXTERNAL FACADE, TOWARD THE END OF 2009.

TONY ARCHIBOLD



vertical position. The result is a much

stronger and stiffer core, but this construc-

tion technique affected the building design

in profound ways, such as accommodating

the resulting movements in the facade, the

installation of the lifts installation and the

coordination of the service risers.

Has this been done before?No. Capital Gate is the fi rst building of its

kind to be developed in the world.

How wide is the base of the building and how much reinforced steel did it take to form the mesh?The base of the structure is a concrete

raft which is 2m deep solid concrete slab

packed with reinforcement to allow it to

resist the enormous forces acting on it.

Capital Gate leans 18 degrees, compared to the Leaning Tower of

Pisa’s four degrees

PROJECT TITLE CAPITAL GATE: ADNEC development Phase 3 DEVELOPERS ADNECARCHITECTS RMJMMAIN CONTRACTOR Al Habtoor EngineeringSTEELWORK SUBCONTRACTOR EversendaiLOCATION Abu Dhabi, UAEBUILDING TYPE Mixed-use commercial, residential, leisureSIZE 50,000m2HEIGHT 160mFLOORS 35INCLINATION 18 degreesSTATUS Under constructionCOMPLETION External (Q4 2009)

FAST FACTS ON CAPITAL GATE:



018 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com018 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com


How many piles were drilled? How did you go about accommo-dating gravitational pressure, wind speed and seismic pressure which will have been caused by the lean?There are 490 piles that descend on aver-

age around 30m into the ground. Conven-

tional piles are compression piles and are

designed to resist descending vertical load.

Due to the lean of the building some of the

piles are in tension and are designed to re-

sist ascending forces that would otherwise

pull the pile form the ground.

Is the leaning tower the biggest challenge RMJM has undertaken?This is certainly one of RMJM’s more chal-

lenging projects, but as one of the world’s

largest and leading architectural fi rms we

have been involved in many notable and

challenging projects. One example would

be the Scottish Parliament Building in the

UK which won the Sterling Prize.

What was RMJM’s reason be-hind choosing the diagrid structure?The diagrid approach was driven by the

unique architectural form as well as

by the varying core position in relation

the fl oor plate and also by the need for

clear internal fl oor space particularly

in the hotel fl oors at the upper level of

the tower. The diagrid approach being a

gravity and lateral load resisting system

is really an obvious choice in this context

over the conventional approach which

would not be suitable.

Where did you source the steel?The steel was fabricated in Sharjah and

Dubai, then transported to Abu Dhabi.

How many tonnes of steel has it taken to build Capital Gate?Right now, the total tonnage of steel is

approximately 13,200 tonnes.

Does the steelwork provide the main support to the building?The frame is an exoskeleton. That means

that the diagrid carries all the weight

of the fl oors, with the exception of the

internal diagrid, which transfers its load

to the concrete core at level 17.

Capital Gate forms the centrepiece of the ADNEC mixed-use development

019



How does the steelwork inter-act with the other materials?The fl oor steel spans between internal and

external diagrid, and between external

diagrid and the core. The fl oor beams are

connected to the concrete core via embed-

ment plates which are cast directly into the

core wall when the concrete is poured.

How much steel is in the diagrid?There is approximately 7,000 tonnes of

steel use to create the diagrid system.

What are the dimensions of the Capital Gate’s podium footprint?The footprint for Capital Gate is essentially

elliptical. The diametre of its major axis is

50m while its minor axis diameter is 35m.

Do fl oor plate dimensions vary with height? If so, by how much?The fl oor plates are all more or less the

same size throughout the tower. The fl oors

up to 10th level are stacked vertically

directly on top of one another.

Between levels 10 and 27, the fl oor plates

stagger over each other, in relation to the

lean and twist of the shell, by between 800

to 1400mm and then back to 900mm.

Between Level 27 and 34 the range is

between 900mm and 300mm in relation

the line of the facade.

Does the lean of the building create an overturning moment?The lean does create an overturning mo-

ment. The maximum axis tension on one

diagrid is 8500 KN.

How well is the overturning moment resisted in the founda-tions? Are there tension piles?There is a large podium footprint which

means the piles are not predominantly in

tension. The piles however, have been de-

signed for tension as well as compression.

In total there are 287 1m piles of 25 to

30m deep and another 193 600mm piles

which plunge to 20m deep.

Does the building have any unusual energy use/production features? If so, what are they?The hotel space, in particular, will feature

a double facade. This will create a thermal

cushion in the intervening space which

should signifi cantly reduce building energy

demands. There are also energy recovery

measures integral within the building’s

MEP systems.

Capital Gate has used 13,200 tonnes of steel


املعرض واملؤمتر التجاريThe largest and most comprehensive exhibition and conference for security and safety in the Middle East

17,200 visitors from 96 countries and over 700 exhibitors from 50 countries

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021

BRIGHT LIGHTSCutting light consumption and therefore energy use is crucial

in achieving the region’s green building goals. But what measures are actually being taken on the ground?

What did we do without mobile

phones?’ So go a number of be-

wildered conversations. Well,

to answer the question, empires were built

and men landed on the moon. Not bad

when you think of the lines of communica-

tion available. Equally, the conversation

could go: ‘What did we do without artifi cial

light?’ Well, Michelangelo painted the

Sistine Chapel and London, earth’s most

populous city with nearly a million people

in 1800, prospered using just candles,

rushlights, torches and lanterns.

That the modern world needs artifi cial

lighting to function, and only functions

24/7 today because of the lighting tech-

nologies available, means the thurst and

expectation for light will only increase:

reports concerning energy consumption

in the UAE last year claimed 25 percent of

the Gulf’s water had been consumed – one

fi fth of which was used to generate elec-

energy effi cient lighting solutions. With

our sustainability campaign – which we

started in 2007 – we want to tell our

customers about the fact that climate pro-

tection and money saving go hand in hand,

throughout the world.”

Energy effi cient products already ac-

count for 65 percent of Osram’s sales says

Boulouednine, which the company intends

to increase to 80% by 2016. “It is currently

possible, for example, to save up to 80% of

electricity by using energy-saving lamps,

or intelligent T5 fl uorescent lamps. On

average, more than 90% of the environ-

mental relevance of our products relates to

their usage. This is more than in any other

industry,” he points out.

“Lighting accounts for around 15%

of the energy bill in most homes, and

around 25% in commercial buildings,”

says Bastable Lighting Services MD Rod

Bastable. “We are UK-based but have an

tricity. The report also estimated the UAE

would need to fi nd US$10 billion to satisfy

energy demand for the next 10 years, due

to the amount of ongoing construction.

Focusing on energy consumption and

the built environment, research by lighting

manufacturer Osram shows electricity

used for indoor lighting accounts for 10%

of the total electric energy required for

buildings. In many facilities, this percent-

age is even higher. For example, illumina-

tion in an offi ce space of 400 m² accounts

for approximately 40% of the total energy

consumption of the space.

HOT TOPIC“Climate protection and sustainability is a

big topic for us,” says Mourad Bouloued-

nine, director of projects, Osram Middle

East. “We have set the trend in energy

saving lamps and feel a great obligation

to play an active role in the migration to


FEATURELIGHTING

Due to the amount of construction, the UAE will need US $10 bil-lion to satisfy energy demand over the next 10 years

offi ce in Dubai. Just as energy prices have

risen dramatically in the West, the Middle

East is now experiencing the same with

energy bills increasing by around 60%. So

the need to implement smart control sys-

tems and low energy lighting is pressing,

as is attendant lifecycle maintenance.”

The architecture industry has always

targeted lighting as a key element of

sustainable design, and there is now a

region-wide initiative to develop and

implement lighting solutions that meet

people’s needs and concerns while also

addressing environmental regulations.

With this in mind, the US Green

Building Council (USGBC) installed the

third-generation version of its green

building performance rating and

certifi cation system, Leadership

in Energy and Environmental

Design (LEED), midway

Dimming a room by 10% is imperceptible to the eye but the cost savings with that level of adjustment are signifi cant

FEATURE LIGHTING


023

through 2009. This latest version is the

culmination of over four years of technical

research, reviews of several LEED certifi ed

projects and the advisory activities of en-

ergy experts and political heavyweights.

The LEED revamp included a detailed

restructuring of how points are calculated.

The previous congeries of different LEED

systems for different project types has

been harmonized to be more universal,

with weighting given to the specifi c ef-

fi ciency strategies that have the biggest

positive environmental impact.

CONTROL SYSTEMS “We don’t have to do without light,” reas-

sures Bastable, “It’s about controlling

output. Flexible controls to enable

zoning and gradation of light-

ing do just that – to the

Osram has developed specifi c FM soft-

ware to enable effi cient and cost effective

lighting management. “Indeed, Osram

light@FM 2.0 software also enables own-

ers and facilities managers to track pro-

curement and maintenance costs online,

schedule maintenance and cut downtime.

And, with data protection in mind, only

trained staff can download sensitive proj-

ect and price data,” says Boulouednine.

On the lighting front, Bastable has de-

veloped Apollo, a patent pending multiple

LED source for fi bre optic illumination.

“Due to the uniquely designed driver sys-

tem and optimal cooling techniques, when

correctly installed, these light sources will

operate for between 200,000 and 400,000

hours,” says Bastable. “This is based on the

correlation between ‘Life’ and ‘Junction

Temperature’ and validated by mean time

between failures data throughout the LED

manufacturing industry.”

human eye, the dimming of a light by 10%

is imperceptible, yet the cost savings with

that level of adjustment are signifi cant.”

Sophisticated lighting control systems

that regulate consumption can lead to

signifi cant cost and energy savings. In fact,

advanced systems are estimated to reduce

lighting energy requirements by 35-50% in

most applications.

“These systems use less energy while

continuing to provide the desired lighting

level. They can also reduce peak demand

charges by automatically dimming or

switching off certain lighting loads during

periods of peak electrical demand. Addi-

tional savings can be realised through less

frequent lamp maintenance and reduced

cooling loads. The overall result is a fairly

short payback, typically fi ve years or less,

and a high rate of return on the invest-

ment,” notes Bastable.

FEATURELIGHTING


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LEVITON SINCE 1906

building envelope system need to be con-

sidered during the audit if an integrated

approach to light use and energy consup-

tion is to be achieved,” says Raghavan.

PROCUREMENT PROBLEMS “Indeed, these systems have the potential

to make a huge impact on carbon emis-

sions. But, there’s a lot of convoluted and

confl icting information surrounding light-

ing, hindering real progression toward our

sustainable goals,” says Bastable.

“In my role as a lighting consultant and

designer, a major frustration is the discon-

nect between procurement and facilities

management. Facilities management

should ensure the full integration of sys-

tems and accurate maintenance schedules

throughout the lifecycle of the building,

but this is not always the case,” he adds.

Bastable continues: “I have consulted

on prestigious developments that have not

engaged FM from the design stage; conse-

quently lighting was not integrated with all

the other services, which is crucial if you’re

serious about energy reduction.”

Cost cutting is also hindering progress

on the ground says Bastable. “It’s true

that lighting is often the fi rst installation

to be compromised should cost suddenly

become an issue. Specifi cation usually goes

out of the window. For example, the price

discrepancy between quality transform-

ers and cheaper ones is huge, and often to

tempting a saving to resist.”

FUTURE PROTECTIONIt is the simple things like turning lights

off, using dimmers and timing switches

that can make lighting more environmen-

tally friendly. The technological solutions

have to be part of the building envelope

system and, in turn, architects, engineers

and operations personnel have to be

involved at the start of the process if the

much talked about commitment to cut

emissions is to come to fruition and secure

the future for generations to come.

IT’S TRUE THAT LIGHTING IS OFTEN THE FIRST INSTALLATION TO BE COMPROMISED SHOULD COST SUDDENLY BECOME AN ISSUE. SPECIFICATIONS USUALLY GO OUT THE WINDOW.

Furthermore, the light source can be

mounted directly into the duct-work of

AC systems or into the conduits or piped

water circulation systems to maximise life

and performance. “Many products widely

sold in the industry are already known to

be failing, well short of their claimed life,

due to excess temperature of the junction

in normal operation, which the Apollo

mounting negates,” says Bastable.

BUILDING ENVELOPEAn energy audit comprises an inspection,

survey and analysis of energy use in a

building in order to understand the energy

dynamics of the system.

“A typical energy audit would involve

recording various elements of the building

envelope including lighting, walls, ceil-

ings, fl oors, doors, windows and skylights.

The audit will also assess the effi ciency,

physical condition and programming of

mechanical systems such as HVAC and

thermostat,” explains Manohar Raghavan,

business development manager, MEA 3M

Building and Commercial Services and 3M

Construction Markets.

“The energy audit fi rms typically look at

the energy use given local climate criteria,

thermostat settings, roof overhang and

solar orientation. All the elements in the


LEED Version III places signifi cant emphasis on retrofi tting existing buildings with energy saving measures

FEATURE LIGHTING

CASE STUDYKSA’S SMART CITY

026 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com026


ITCC is looking to pro-vide critical infrastruc-ture and networking for Saudi Arabia’s ITC industry



ITCC: SAUDI’S SMART CITYIn two and a half years Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh will burst into the cyber-century and beyond with the completion of its Information Technology Communications Complex (ITCC), the Kingdom’s fi rst “smart city” By Benjamin Millington

In order to attract the world’s leading

Information Technology and Com-

munications (ITC) companies to a

place like Saudi Arabia, you need to offer

the world’s best ITC services and infra-

structure - this is the concept behind the

Kingdom’s new US $1.65 billion (SR6.5

billion) ITCC development.

The project is being developed by Raya-

dah Investment Company, the investment

arm of the government’s Public Pensions

Agency (PPA), which is also developing

the $10 billion King Abdullah Financial

District (KAFD) in Riyadh.

As with KAFD, ITCC aims to generate

income to support the PPA’s social security

network, as well as achieve the broader

goal of stimulating new jobs and industry

to improve Saudi Arabia’s social future.

Currently, the Kingdom’s ITC sector is

disjointed, lacks suffi cient infrastructure

and faces numerous challenges and limita-

tions with its internet service providers.

ITTC is looking to change that.

Included in the project’s 776,000m² will

be administration buildings for ITC com-

panies, technical business centres, build-

ings for research, training and develop-

ment and software production companies.

There will also be support buildings

such as hotels, restaurants, a convention

centre, residential apartments, a technical

college and government service buildings.

When commissioned in mid-2012 it is

expected that ITCC will make Riyadh a

regional hub for ITC services, education,

research and innovation.

CONSTRUCTIONThe master plan for ITCC was designed by

a joint venture between local consultants

Zuhair Fayez and Singapore’s Jurong In-

ternational. Zuhair Fayez then carried on

with the detailed design of infrastructure

and substructures.

In April 2008 Rayadah awarded a US

$65 million contract to local contractor El

Seif Engineering for construction of infra-

structure for the 487,000m² development.

The contract included a sewage treat-

ment plant and an underground concrete-

encased optic fi bre cable network which

was completed in August 2009.

Meanwhile, mobilisation and excava-

tion works for the superstructures began

in July following the award of three more

contracts for phase one of construction.

The main package went to Al Rajhi

Projects for construction of ITCC’s central

area, which includes four 20-storey towers

and is the project’s main architectural feature.

The contract also includes construc-

tion of two R&D buildings, two business

technology incubator buildings, a sports

club and a clinic. The second contract,

valued at US $150 million, was awarded

to Construction Contracting Enterprises

for a 326-room Crown Plaza hotel and a

5000m² convention centre.

The third contract, worth US $50 mil-

lion, was awarded to Al Yamama Com-

pany for the construction of a residential

complex including apartments, villas and

recreational areas. All three contracts are

due for completion in 30 months.

ITCC project director Mohammed

Alsabek says construction is progress-

ing as per schedule and few hiccups are

expected. “The time frame for this project

is satisfactory; with hard work and good

coordination we should be able to achieve

the completion dates,” he says.

Alsabek says excavation work for the su-

perstructures is ongoing and isn’t expected

to be complete until the end of the year. He

• The total cost is around US $1.65 billion (SR6.5 billion)• The entire site will achieve at least the basic Leed environmental certification• The four towers will be covered by a golden perforated aluminium sheeting

1.4m away from the curtain wall which will reflect up to 60% of the solar gain• Each of the 4mx2m panels holding the aluminium sheets will have individual

lights which will illuminate the towers in various changing patterns at night• ITTC’s data centre will be rated tier four, the highest rating possible which

allows virtually zero downtime• There will be an average of one parking space per 25m

FACTS OF INTEREST



Bakr says all buildings in ITCC will

achieve at least the basic LEED environ-

mental certifi cation through the use of

grey water recycling, low energy lighting,

low energy air conditioning and most of all

– reduction in solar gain.

One of the key features of ITCC’s four

central towers will be its unique external

cladding designed to refl ect the sun’s rays.

“About 1.4m away from the curtain wall

is a golden sheet covering the entire build-

ing,” Bakr explained.

“The sheet is aluminium shined to gold

and is perforated which means you can see

out of the building but you can’t see the

glass from the outside,” he continued. “The

purpose of this cladding is not only for aes-

thetics but also energy savings as it refl ects

UV rays and up to 60% of the solar gain.”

Also, according to Bakr, the aluminum

sheets will be held in 4mx2m diamond-

shaped panels featuring individual lights

designed to illuminate the towers in ran-

domly changing patterns at night.

SMART CITYThe concept of the “smart city” can be

loosely defi ned as a place which offers

widespread broadband services, the latest

in voice and video communication plat-

forms and high-level data security.

All of this should be operated on a huge

optic-fi bre cable network designed to give

the fastest speeds and accommodate next

generation technologies for years to come.

says a staggering 1.6 million m³ of earth

must be removed from the central area

alone to accommodate ITCC’s extensive

parking facilities. “For this development to

be successful we wanted to provide enough

parking for every tenant,” he said.

Alsabek adds: “So under each of the four

towers there will be fi ve basement fl oors of

parking, a total of 22m deep, while under

the R&D building there will be two levels.

Beneath the hotel and conference centre

there will be an additional three levels.

“If we don’t have proper parking it will

be diffi cult to market the development

properly, so overall we have worked out

a design that features one car per 25m²,

which is quite a lot.”

According to Alsabek, there are still

several other elements within the project

that are yet to start construction, one of

which includes a 35-tonne district cooling

plant. He said tenders will start rolling out

gradually over the coming months.

Meanwhile, phase two of construc-

tion, which includes 18 buildings and the

second infrastructure package, is currently

under design and tenders will be open to

bidders during the course of next year.

ENVIRONMENTWhile the focus of the project is certainly

on the technology aspects, ITCC will also

be up to scratch on its environmental

credentials according to systems project

director Abdul Muhsin Al Bakr.

1.6 million cubic metres of earth must be removed for ITCC’s car parking lots

One of the most unique features of ITCC’s central towers are their golden cladding



“If a company comes to us with a specif-

ic need there is no doubt we will be able to

do it. It’s a fl exible design, which will suit

both KSA and multi-national companies.

The sky is the limit,” adds Al Arfaj.

Rayadah commissioned international

ITC consultants Orange to design all of its

networks and solutions. Meanwhile the

company has already signed MOUs with

several leading ITC companies who want

to be involved in the project, including

Microsoft, Cisco and Cantel.

“One of the biggest attractions for these

companies is the fact that we will own and

operate the infrastructure and ensure the

highest quality is delivered,” says Al Arfaj.

He continues: “If you search around you

are not going to fi nd a space like this for

ITC companies, basically there is nowhere

in KSA that can provide all the services

that an ITC company needs in one place.”

Al Arfaj says he expects only ITC related

companies to operate within ITCC. It’s

expected that the project’s 22,000m²

technical college will help to feed the ITCC

with trained professionals and create new

jobs. The facility will act as a high-class

and reputable ITC college and link in with

the project’s research and development

facility where and when applicable.

THE SHEET IS ALUMINIUM SHINED TO GOLD AND IS PERFORATED WHICH MEANS YOU CAN SEE OUT OF THE BUILDING BUT YOU CANNOT SEE INTO THE GLASS FROM THE OUTSIDE.

Silicon Valley in the US was one of the

fi rst cities specifi cally designed around the

needs of ITC companies. In this region, the

UAE’s Dubai Internet City is one develop-

ment which boasts the smart city tag while

India’s Smart City Kochi and Smart City

Malta are currently under development.

As the world catches onto the economic

and social benefi ts to be gained from a

thriving ITC sector, Rayadah’s lead ITC

engineer Khalid Al Arfaj says ITCC will

ensure Saudi Arabia is not left behind.

“We benchmark ITCC with the best and

most high-tech smart cities in the world,”

he says with little reservation.

PRODUCT SUPPLIER YOU SHOULD KNOW


030

GABRIEL ABDELHAKMI-GAISNElighting concept itself. The second step

concerns the quality of luminaires and

light sources. The greatest potential for

saving energy is provided by the intelligent

use of lighting control systems, which can

be integrated into all Zumtobel fi xtures.

Can you expand a bit on the con-cept of ‘Humanergy Balance’? GAG: On one hand, you have the individ-

ual with his or her expectations, needs and

feelings. As human beings, we need light

for orientation, work and comfort. Like a

plant, the individual also seeks light. Yet,

there is a great difference between daylight

and artifi cial light. There is also a big dif-

ference between a solitary light source and

a dynamic lighting composition.

On the other hand, we have to address

the issue of energy. Ever since the green

movement happened, the issue of saving

energy has been loaded with socioeco-

nomic signifi cance. With its concept of Hu-

manergy Balance, Zumtobel is adjusting

the equilibrium between human, economic

and ecological aspects of light – always

with a view to aesthetically sound design.

Light is more than just an energy con-

sumer. The right use of light is oriented

on visual requirements, emotions and bio-

logical effects. Human Aspects + Energy

Effi ciency = Humanergy Balance.

How do Zumtobel technicians and

What is the Zumtobel vision? GAG: ‘We want to use light to create worlds of experience, make work easier, improve communications and safety while being fully aware of our responsibility to the environment.’

Ever since the company was founded

in 1950 by Dr. Walter Zumtobel, this vi-

sion has guided Zumtobel in developing

innovative lighting solutions that meet

ergonomic and environmental standards

and create added aesthetic value.

When energy-use is in question, people often turn to lighting and HVAC as the culprits. How do Zum-tobel products deal with this?GAG: According to the International

Energy Agency IEA, an average of 19% of

the worldwide requirement of electrical

energy is consumed by lighting. Therefore,

the contribution of responsible and intel-

ligent use of light is correspondingly high.

Light can play a huge role in saving energy

resources and reducing CO2 emissions.

We address the issue of climate change

in all our projects thanks to our ‘Humaner-

gy Balance’ lighting philosophy. The target

is to design lighting solutions that perfectly

balance environmental and energy needs

with those of the individual.

The right way towards increasing energy

effi ciency is the intelligent use of light

and lighting. The fi rst crucial factor is the

Marketing Manager MENA, Zumtobel Group

designers reconcile the lack of build-ing standards in the Middle East? GAG: In the Middle East you will actually

fi nd a mix of various international stan-

dards. The specifi cations of most of the

projects are either realised from the US or

Europe, or by international architects and

designers located in the region. Therefore

most projects are completed according to

European or US standards.

How closely do Zumtobel personnel work with architects and engineers to meet design specifi cations? GAG: Zumtobel has a long tradition of

working closely with architects, lighting

designers and electrical consultants who

design, prototype, develop and manufac-

ture non-standard fi ttings.

Many of the luminaires that are now

mass-produced by Zumtobel were really

novel when they were fi rst created. They

were developed to incorporate new design

ideas in luminaires, to shape lighting by

using innovative technology, or to break

existing standards with new kind of ap-

plications. All of this was achieved through

close collaboration with architects, design-

ers, planners and engineers.

If I’m an architect, why would I specify Zumtobel lighting solutions? GAG: Zumtobel, as a global player and

leader can provide several benefi ts to the

Gabriel Abdelhakmi-Gaisne in the Zumto-

bel lighting studio

Interior lighting at the New York Times Building in New York City

PRODUCT SUPPLIERYOU SHOULD KNOW


results into product optimisations in order

to provide people with the best possible

lighting quality and experience.

What is the biggest/smallest instal-lation Zumtobel can handle?GAG: Our portfolio, expertise, technol-

ogy and people enable us to be able to deal

with any type and size of installation.

Lately, we have been involved in the

following projects in the Middle East: Yas

Island Marina Hotel Abu Dhabi, Meydan

Race Course in Dubai, Burj Dubai, Dubai

Mall (Porsche Design, Swarowzki Crystal,

Paul Smith, G Star), and the Atlantis Palm

Hotel, Dubai.

What Zumtobel innovations can the industry expect to see in 2010? GAG: This year four Zumtobel products—

Aero II Hybrid, Linaria Seamless, Super-

system and ZBox—were winners of the

2009 iF Design Award by the renowned

Industrie Forum Design.

First, the Aero II Hybrid pendant offi ce

luminaire combines inorganic LEDs for a

brilliant direct component and fl uorescent

lamps for indirect ambient lighting.

Thanks to this hybrid design, created

by Sottsass Associati studio in Milan, the

luminaire system’s overall effi ciency can

be signifi cantly increased, when compared

with conventional luminaires fi tted with

fl uorescent lamps.

Second, ZBox presents itself as a

straightforward, versatile lighting control

system. Easy to operate through intui-

tive icons on its keys and an LED status

display, it enables hotel guests to choose

the lighting scenes and brightness levels in

their rooms without any fuss. Moreover,

the lighting scenes for the day are differ-

ent from those automatically activated

via ZBox Nightlogic, with their markedly

decreased brightness.

This creates a pleasant ambience at

any time of the day while optimally using

the potential for saving energy. Using the

ZBox lighting management system, more

than 25% of energy can be saved.

In 2010, we’re planning to launch some

very innovative products which feature the

latest LED technology…you will hear about

all of them very soon.

Also, we invite you to visit us at our

booth on the Light & Building 2010 fair in

Frankfurt, Germany [April 11-16]. There

you will witness some of the most amazing

innovations the architecture and lighting

industries have ever seen.

What is the Zumtobel Group’s busi-ness strategy post-credit crunch? GAG: We have a long tradition of main-

taining relationships with our partners

worldwide. The Zumtobel strategy has

always been to design joint solutions with

our partners that fi t the project require-

ments to address all the topics involved:

design, planning, delivery and payment.

Bottom line: How can Zumtobel help architects do their jobs better?GAG: We offer partnership, customised

and state-of-the-art lighting solutions, su-

perb design, real customer service (design,

planning, engineering), innovation and

passion for light!

projects and the people who achieve them.

Close Cooperation. Close cooperation

with the customer Integral project solu-

tions are based on high-quality lighting

solution concepts, innovative technology

in function and design, and a wide range

of personal services ranging from support

in planning and implementation offered

by specially trained lighting solution con-

sultants through to maintenance, care and

programming.

Consulting and Knowledge Cen-

tres. The Zumtobel Light Forums as well

as Light and Consulting Centres all revolve

around the customer. Some 30,000

customers worldwide enjoy the benefi t of

acquiring in-depth knowledge in seminars

and workshops, and gaining information

on product innovations, lighting solutions

and related application options.

Quality Assessment. Lighting

scenarios are developed in close project

partnership; after the brainstorming and

conceptual phase, they are tested and

assessed for feasibility in authentic instal-

lations before being used in real projects.

This enables the customer to make a

cogent and realistic quality assessment.

Customised Solutions. International

project partnerships with architects, light-

ing designers and artists provide abundant

impetus to fuel ongoing innovation. Joint

development of project-related customised

special solutions is one important aspect of

the fi rm’s very close relationships with its

customers and clients.

Humanergy Balance. Zumtobel

conducts research on the health-promot-

ing effects of light and feeds its research

The Budersand Hotel Golf & Spa on Sylt

in Germany

Danish Radio Concert Hall featuring Zumto-bel lighting solutions

PANOS BioMotion: Colour temperature adjustable, RGB colour dynamism Design by Sottsass Associati

CAREENA – LED recessed and surface-mounted luminaire, with unique micro-prismatic optic (MPO+) in a timeless design

SUPERSYSTEM: LED hybrid luminaire system for complex lighting tasks Design by Supersymetrics

Intelligent lighting solutions by Zumtobel strike a perfect balance of lighting quality and energy efficiency – HUMANERGY BALANCE.

www.zumtobel.com/LED

The interaction with intelligent lighting control systems creates dynamic solutions providing a perfect combination of lighting quality and energy efficiency.

High-performance LED products by Zumtobel

fascinate users with their high efficiency, excellent colour rendition,

maintenance-free operation and sophisticated design.

033

STANDARD OPERATIONSThe 2009 collapse of a new building in Dubai brought build quality to the fore. The adherence to globally recognised standards is being particularly scrutinized. What

is expected of builders, developers and owners and is this likely to change? MEA investigates

The collapse of an eight-storey

building in Deira (Dubai) at the

end of last year hit the headlines

across the region. The fact that it was a

newly built property and that there was

no immediately identifi able reason for the

collapse, such as a fi re, heightened concern

over why it had happened.

As expected, the results of an investiga-

tion conducted by Dubai Municipality

were announced shortly afterward and, in

conjunction with initial statements, the in-

vestigating committee confi rmed that the

building materials were in question. More-

over, the design of the structure was found

to be fl awed and the operational aspects of

the project were found to be substandard.

that must be adhered to by law vary ac-

cording to discipline and the local author-

ity regulations, however, certain standards

are now recognised globally and widely

used throughout the industry.

“From a certifi cation perspective, I

would say that ISO14,001 for environ-

ment; OHSAS 18,001 for occupational

health and safety; in addition, ISO9001

for quality [are among the main standards

that must be adhered to in GCC coun-

tries],” explains BSI Abu Dhabi general

manager Ahmad Al Khatib.

In general, the certifi cation of fi rms to

such standards shows that they adhere

to recognised methods of working that

have been set out within the listed stan-

One of the most effective ways to gauge all

of these factors and guarantee that build-

ing X will continue standing well into the

future is to ensure that every material and

process onsite meets internationally ap-

proved standards and certifi cations.

But, the big question being of course is,

what does gaining recognised certifi cations

actually mean in the Middle East and are

government authorities likely to increase

the stringency of their construction re-

quirements following the Dubai incident?

STANDARD PRACTICEThere are a wide number of standards and

certifi cations applicable to fi rms operating

within the construction industry. Those


FEATUREBUILDING STANDARDS

FEATURE BUILDING STANDARDS

034 MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.comwww.constructionweekonline.com | 12.09 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 034

There are numerous standards and certifications that can be applied to construction firms and their operations throughout the GCC countries. Some of the most widely recognised and followed are as follows.

ISO 9001ISO 9001 outlines the requirements for a quality management system (QMS) ie a framework around which an organisation can control its processes in order to achieve set objectives including customer satisfaction, regulatory compli-ance and continual improvement.

First published in 1987, it was thoroughly revised for the third edition, which was introduced in 2000; changes included new requirements and a sharpened customer focus. The fourth and latest edition, ISO 9001:2008, does not require any specific reassessment for certification.

ISO 14001ISO 14001 sets out the requirements for an organisation’s environmental man-agement system (EMS). It applies to those aspects over which an organisation can be deemed to have control or influence over. First published in 1996, it has since been updated several times.

OHSAS 18001OHSAS 18001 provides specifications for Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management Systems. It is intended to enable an organisation to con-trol its health and safety risks and ensure a continually improving performance trough ongoing measurement and setting of targets. Registration to OHSAS 18001 by an independent, third party, certification body demonstrates a com-mitment to implement, maintain and improve the way in which you manage your health and safety system

BS 4449BS 4449 is the specification for carbon steel bars used for the reinforce-ment of concrete. The standard lists the characteristic yield strength, tensile properties and ductility of the three grades of steel approved for use on the reinforcement of concrete.

LEEDDeveloped by the US Green Building Council, LEED is used to establish the environmental accreditations of new construction or major renovation projects. There are six categories in the LEED system - sustainable sites; water ef-ficiency; energy and atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmen-tal quality; and innovative design – each of which has a number of options. An environmental designer or LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) uses these categories to determine what environmental features the project can incorporate given its geography, goals and budget and assigns a certification level which range from certified to platinum.

OTHER CERTIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS

David Sugden, chair-man, Passive Fire Protection Federation

Ahmad Al Khatib, general manager, BSI Abu Dhabi

Ben Bowsher, execu-tive director, UK Cares

dard. The aim of doing so is to improve

performance, effi ciency and safety, with

the certifi cations demonstrating the fi rm’s

achievements to outside parties. Although

standards are voluntary and separate from

legal and regulatory systems, they can be

used to support or complement legislation.

Some of the other standards that are

applicable within the industry relate to

specifi c materials or products. “For rein-

forcing steel the product standard mainly

used is the British Standard BS 4449:

FEATUREBUILDING STANDARDS


WHILE IN THE UAE, I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED STEEL FROM SOURCES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN SUPPLIED TO REINFORCEMENT FABRICATORS...

1997,” explains UK Cares executive direc-

tor Ben Bowsher. “The standard requires

either steel supplied by a company that

has a valid accredited product certifi cate,

which is normally supplied by Cares, or

there should be a product testing regime

applied, which approved each batch of

steel from a non-certifi ed source,” he adds.

Such stringent quality control over

products is imperative in the construction

of buildings. The absence of approved

and properly installed products can create

major issues warns Passive Fire Protection

Federation (PFPF) chair David Sugden:

“[In the case of passive fi re systems] you

can’t test the installed system. You need to

have the products tested in a lab inside a

test rig. But unless you install the materi-

als and products in a building to the same

standard as they were in the test rig, they

won’t perform in the same way,” he warns.

CONTROLLED STANDARDSJust how strictly are the application of

standards and certifi cations enforced in

the region and are fi rms complying? Again

this appears to vary between countries,

disciplines and the size of fi rms involved.

“In specifi c sectors like construction

some of the standards are regulated,” as-

sures Khatib. “In Abu Dhabi, the govern-

ment started an initiative this year on reg-

ulating HSE implementation for the build

and construction sector,” he explains.

“I understand that, in the main sections

of the building, steel from Cares-certifi -

cated sources is being used. Although it is

also apparent that sometimes this is not

the case,” reports Bowsher. “In fact, while

in the UAE, for example, I have personally

witnessed steel from sources of dubious

origin supplied to reinforcement fabrica-

tors in this way,” he warns.

In general, the international fi rms

comply with such standards as a matter

of course and also seek certifi cations from

any subcontractors they employ. A spokes-

person from a major construction industry

contractor comments: “We take services

and materials from companies that are

registered to certain ISO systems; also,

from subcontractors we want to see health

and safety discipline.”

There are several reasons cited by major

contractors for following internationally

recognised standards that are not specifi -

cally required by law. These include the

ability to standardise the company’s pro-

cesses and services to increase effi ciency;

plus the ability to bid for work in markets

that require the additional standards such

as the oil and gas sector, municipalities

and government departments.

And for those standards that are legally

required, ensuring that all work is carried

out within guidelines is essential in order

that the fi nal building produced can be

used. “Currently, before we can pour a

[concrete] slab on site we have to get the

work inspected by the municipality; they

have to be convinced that the supporting

structure is correct,” states the spokes-

person. “The municipality has to sign off

the slab pour and we must show these

documents before we can hope to get an

occupation notice on completion of the

building,” he explains.

So with the Deira building collapse still

looming in minds throughout the indus-

try, are the regulations for the region’s

Using internationally recognised standards can help standardise

the company’s pro-cesses and services


construction industry likely to become

stricter? “Not necessarily,” stated Al

Khatib. “This most pressing issue is more

related to companies adhering to the local

law and construction guidelines imposed

by the local authorities rather than not

having the right law in place. Nevertheless,

it might raise a need for better or stronger

specifi cations and standards.”

“The need for standards and best prac-

tices is increasing due to the arrival of so

many high-profi le, huge-scale, extremely

expensive projects in the Middle East.

These create an expectation and thus,

a strong demand, for international best

practices and standards,” adds Al Khatib.

Enforcement of the standards is made

by different local authorities throughout

the region. “In the UAE, for example, Abu

Dhabi Municipality is in charge of enforc-

ing HSE (14 & 18) implementation and

certifi cation to the build and construction

sector of Abu Dhabi,” reports Al Khatib.

“PFPF member fi rm Warrington Fire has

a role with the Civil Defence Department

of Dubai in setting and maintaining fi re

prevention standards,” adds Sugden.

Penalties for non-compliance vary ac-

cording to the severity of the consequences

that this would invoke and could involve a

warning notice, fi ne, removal of trading li-

cense or, in the event of a death on site, the

people deemed responsible can be jailed.

Aside from potential legal consequenc-

es, operating without applying recognised

standard procedures can create even more

serious issues. “The penalty for occupants

if a passive fi re system is not properly

installed is death,” stresses Sugden.

So what more can be done to ensure that

buildings are constructed to international

standards and standards-certifi ed prod-

ucts are used on projects? “Create national

building regulations, design codes and

product standards and enforce their use,”

suggests Bowsher.

• Identify the relevant certification body that works best for you• Contact the relevant local authorities to establish what certifications are required • Contact the certification body to determine their requirements• Appoint an individual to oversee the implementation of the standards procedures • Submit required materials to the issuing body and/or allow access for inspections

HOW TO GET CERTIFIED

Ensuring that the message reaches a

wider audience is also vital. “Establish-

ing forums where experts and end-users

can get together to discuss several related

issues and share ideas and working with

the local authorities on regulating many of

those standards,” he adds.

INTO THE FUTUREOne of the major events due to take place

in the standards sector is the introduction

of Eurocodes. These structural codes are

scheduled to arrive in March 2010, and the

fl exibility of their design has meant that

several countries outside of Europe have

already committed to adopting them.

Also, BSI is currently working to identify

existing regulations for construction.

The introduction of the Eurocodes has

several objectives, including the provision

of common design criteria for mechani-

cal resistance; to form a common basis

for research and development, in the

construction industry; and to enable

the preparation of common design aids

and software. They are also intended to

provide a common understanding between

designers, manufacturers and contractors

regarding the design, engineering and

building of structures.

Eurocodes are being adopted by several countries outside of Europe because of their universal application

FEATURE BUILDING STANDARDS

039

THE LAST WORDSAMUEL KEEHN

to green buildings. Water and energy are

important components but they’re cer-

tainly not the whole package.

What is the whole package? SK: Regardless of whether you’re talking

about BREEAM, LEED, Green Star or

whatever, there are fi ve main components:

First, is the site, which is about connecting

people and creating density; Water effi -

ciency; Energy effi ciency; Materials, which

means using things that are locally sourced

and/or recycled; and indoor air quality.

With so much information available, if I’m Joe Developer or Jane Owner, which one do I use? SK: Honestly, you don’t get a lot of

Founded in Jordan in 1991, EMS

started as an energy services com-

pany and eventually grew into the

Middle East’s fi rst energy effi ciency, water

effi ciency and green building consulting

fi rm. Originally, EMS focused on existing

buildings and, in doing so, started to no-

tice MEP systems and how over-designed

they had become in the region. The EMS

team realised very quickly that the build-

ings they were trying to make ‘green’ were

fundamentally ineffi cient.

Twenty years later, the industry has got-

ten to the point where clients are inviting

green consultants to be involved during

design. Currently, EMS consultants are

involved at the pre-, mid- and end-design

stages of building throughout the region.

In the simplest terms you can, defi ne sustainability for us? SK: My defi nition of sustainability is very

similar to the one that is generally ac-

cepted. I see it as meeting the needs of the

present without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet the needs

of all species. Most people only talk about

sustainability in human terms but, I don’t

think that’s entirely accurate.

How did the green movement gather momentum in the Gulf? SK: Three years ago, green buildings

took off in the Middle East. That’s when

business for us began to skyrocket. There’s

a lot of talk about water and energy ef-

fi ciency in buildings but there’s a lot more

GREEN BUILDING GURUSamuel Keehn, LEED AP and Environmental & Sustainability Manager, Energy Management Services (EMS), gave us 15 minutes to talk about all things green


THE LAST WORD SAMUEL KEEHN

040

options. There are a lot of options for

building sustainability assessment tools

(BSATs) but where you build will generally

dictate which one you use. Is that the best

way to go about it? Probably not. But,

it’s the way the market evolved here. The

regulations haven’t yet caught up with the

pace of building.

Why is that? SK: You’ve got to remember, the green

movement happened overnight here. No

one was ready for it; not architects, not en-

gineers, not contractors and not develop-

ers. The industry wasn’t ready but Sheikh

Mohammed [bin Rashid al Maktoum]

wanted to do it, he issued his decree in

2007, and it just happened.

Keep in mind, whether you use LEED

or whatever, there aren’t a lot of quantifi -

able differences between BSATs. Estidama

and BREEAM Gulf have a slightly more

local approach in that they try to deal with

the Gulf context specifi cally but they’re

all pretty similar. A notable exception is

integrated design. LEED, BREEAM and all

the others talk about integrated design but

Estidama actually requires it. That’s a very

quantifi able difference.

So, why is everything LEED?SK: LEED has more name recognition

than any of them. For those involved in

the building industry, LEED is a high-end

brand. And as such, there are defi nite

fi nancial benefi ts to aligning oneself with

that BSAT and that brand.

Such as?SK: Lower operating costs, for example.

Improved air quality, lower insurance pre-

miums, higher occupancy, higher market

values and future capital, productivity

gains—did you know that a 1% gain in

productivity is worth USD $20 per square

metre?—reduced life cycle costs and higher

satisfaction for owners and occupants.

As a green building consultant, do you get tired of the green wash-ing that seems so prevalent here? SK: Absolutely. There are a lot of false

claims. There are a lot of products that

claim to be able to add green points to a

building but actually just add cost. The

way we deal with that is to ask for docu-

mentation. If you don’t have documenta-

tion that proves a certain product comes

with specifi c benefi ts, it’s not green as far

as we’re concerned. If more consultants

continue raising these questions, maybe

the market will change.

Remember, the green movement

happened very very quickly. In Eu-

rope or the US, the green build-

ing movement is 30, 40 or 50

years old; here, it’s three years

old. So, yes, sometimes it’s

easy to get frustrated at the

green washing but you’ve

go to keep it in perspective

and see it for what it is.

What really bothers

me is when consultants

start green washing

Samuel Keehn, LEED AP

YOU’VE GOT TO REMEMBER, THE GREEN MOVEMENT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT HERE. NO ONE WAS READY FOR IT; NOT ARCHITECTS, NOT ENGINEERS, NOT CONTRACTORS AND NOT DEVELOPERS... SHEIKH MOHAMMED WANTED TO DO IT, HE ISSUED HIS ‘GREEN’ DECREE IN 2007 AND IT JUST HAPPENED.

themselves. That’s really frustrating. As

a green consultant, we’re supposed to be

serving the industry. Our role, as I see it, is

halfway to being regulators. I understand

green washing from manufacturers, but

from a consultant, it’s really shameful.

What is the easiest way to achieve sustainability in a building?SK: Get everyone involved as early as pos-

sible. That is absolutely key. There’s a lot

of copy/paste design here where owners or

contractors will try to add green compo-

nents to a building after the fact. That’s

pointless. The way to achieve a green

building is to get everyone around a table

and start at the beginning.

‘Stovepipe design’ simply won’t work

for the industry. Stovepipe design is when

you’ve got the architect doing his design,

the MEP doing his design and the consul-

tant doing a third one. Those guys need

to be talking. They cannot have a vertical

focus. They need to be having the same

conversation; the

earlier the

better.

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 01.10 | www.constructionweekonline.com

Alumil Gulf fzcsubsidiary of ALUMIL in the Middle East

Technology Park, RAK FTZ, RAKtel +971 7 2444106, fax +971 7 2444107email [email protected]

middle east architect - jan 2010

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