Dubai Marina
Long article from Construction Industry Times.
Dubai Marina is setting a challenging new view of what the city of the future will be like. The 10-year project, based round a four-kilometre man-made waterway, will provide an environmentally and electronically advanced home for 50,000 residents.
Phase one of the project is a landmark development, six residential towers, which will set the standards for the entire project.
This US$325 million phase one development is taking place in two stages - the three north towers and podium for completion in July 2003, and the south section of the project for completion in February 2004.
The project was launched in 1998, the first stage of the development being the canal which opens out into the Gulf.
The 43-storey Al Murjan tower, 34-storey Al Mass and 26-storey Fairooz towers will be ready for residents to move in by the final quarter of 2003.
Providing homes for up to 3,500 people, the project also includes 64 villas. The two-storey podium will contain parking for 2,100 cars, a fitness centre, a day care centre and space for 20 retail outlets.
The scale of the construction places it on a par with the Emirate Towers - the tallest buildings in the Middle East, and the tenth tallest in the world.
Three and a half million square feet of concrete floors will be used to build the entire phase one of the project.
At its peak, an estimated 7,000 people will be involved on site during the construction of the six-tower complex.
From the exterior of the towers there is an immediate difference to most of the ambitious projects that are springing up in Dubai.
Developers EMAAR wanted the towers to have a sense of permanence, so architects HOK chose an atypical pre-cast panel facade, rather than the aluminium and glass fronts that can be seen along Sheikh Zayed Road.
"Each tower has a different presentation - in terms of colour, and also in terms of engravings on the facade," explains project manager Rob Allan.
Yet this design provides more than just a different look to the building - it also offers protection from the extreme heat of the area.
The design has been based upon systems used in Canada, where the issue is exactly the opposite, keeping out extreme cold.
By adapting the design - a pre-cast panel with a polyurethane sandwich - and altering the position of the windproof and waterproof membranes, the buildings become very efficient, both thermally and acoustically.
For the eventual occupants of the towers this means a reduced demand for air conditioning, cutting power consumption, and therefore reducing costs whilst maximising environmental benefits.
The sense of permanence runs through the entire phase - on every level from the design, to the structure, to the leasehold.
"It is not every day that you get the chance to establish what is, I suppose, a new satellite city," said a delighted Daniel Hajjar, Gulf regional manager for the designers, HOK Canada.
"With that brief, and the fact of where this is, something pretty special has been delivered. A lot of pioneering things were established on this project.
"For example the idea of a 99-year lease, or a freehold, did not exist in this part of the world. In North America and the UK they are used to it - here it is something entirely different.
"How you cater for that market is entirely different to how you cater for a rental market - whether it is in the laws, the detailing, and even the longevity of the building - all these elements are influenced by that."
Designing for the future means taking account of technology, coming to terms with the different ways in which people will be living, not just over coming years, but coming decades.
An example of the way this has been approached is the incorporation of data points throughout each apartment in the towers.
Between 16 and 24 data points have been included in every apartment, near to every point where electrical goods might be situated.
Rob Allan elaborates: "It is designed so that in the future, if an owner wishes to connect appliances, for example air conditioning or electric blinds, to a communications system, they can run it all from a remote location.
"Equally, from the same 24 data points you can plug in a computer or a TV and get broadband access. EMAAR has established that as a norm for all the apartments. It is fed by broadband fibre optic cable and will be connected to an external service provider."
A high level of technical sophistication is accompanied by the highest quality finishes.
"We have created a landmark development," says Daniel Hajjar, "with each building having an individual identity throughout.
"Whilst they are quite modern buildings in terms of the skin, and the technology being used, there are touches catering it to a particular locale - the Gulf.
"We didn't want these expressions to age themselves, so they are classic in nature - which adds to the sense of longevity.
"In terms of integrity and the level of finish you would be hard pressed to find anything of that level of quality anywhere in Dubai."
Setting a standard for the rest of the Marina has been central to the planning and execution of the construction work.
But from a practical point of view, as the first element of the Marina, phase one has had to create an infrastructure that will provide for all the following projects, as well as cater for itself.
"It has been much more than just a building project," confirms Rob Allan, "It is creating the infrastructure and making sure it works.
"This development was on the edge of the Marina, but there were no roads around it.
"And within the space of two years [the construction period for phase one] the infrastructure design consultants, Parsons International Ltd and Hyder Consulting, have had to integrate the immediate services needs for phase one with the overall design for the full Marina development.
"It has certainly been a challenge.
"The road structure is now being built, and we have resolved with the local authorities how to get portable water, irrigation water, telephone and data services and electricity on to the site.
"We have had to establish temporary measures for sewerage - for the first year we will connect into an EMAAR sewage treatment plant."
Work is about to start on a further nine private sites, while EMAAR are ready to begin on a further six sites themselves, as the rollout of the site continues.
"Design guidelines have been put in place for all of the developments," said Rob Allan. "There are some constants. The waterfront promenade has to have a common feel, so that you can walk around the Marina and feel you are still in the same place.
"The road network will also be landscaped in a common manner across the community. And the landscaping done across each development is defined to an extent.
"However, EMAAR's phase one development will be the jewel in the crown - an extremely luxurious development. Just in terms of the amount of space it has - it is very generous.
"On the podium, the footprints of each tower leave a large area for landscaping. You have six towers coming up out of six and a half hectares of land - it's quite a hike to get around when I go out on site.
Yet the level of finishing, and the scale of the project, has not slowed the speed. Whilst Mace originally projected a 28-month construction period, the NASA Multiplex/Al Futtaim Tarmac joint venture determined to complete the project in just two years and is on course to do so.
"The contractor has worked around the clock," said Rob Allan. "The structure cycle time has been around five days per floor - despite it being a detailed floor with a lot of sheer walls.
"The towers have been effectively topped out in 12 months - it's incredibly fast construction. The contractor is committed to delivering the project in 24 months and we have no doubts he will do it. EMAAR were confident enough in his early performance to appoint him for the second half of the project."
Return to Dubai Marina Communities homepage.
Dubai Marina is setting a challenging new view of what the city of the future will be like. The 10-year project, based round a four-kilometre man-made waterway, will provide an environmentally and electronically advanced home for 50,000 residents.
Phase one of the project is a landmark development, six residential towers, which will set the standards for the entire project.
This US$325 million phase one development is taking place in two stages - the three north towers and podium for completion in July 2003, and the south section of the project for completion in February 2004.
The project was launched in 1998, the first stage of the development being the canal which opens out into the Gulf.
The 43-storey Al Murjan tower, 34-storey Al Mass and 26-storey Fairooz towers will be ready for residents to move in by the final quarter of 2003.
Providing homes for up to 3,500 people, the project also includes 64 villas. The two-storey podium will contain parking for 2,100 cars, a fitness centre, a day care centre and space for 20 retail outlets.
The scale of the construction places it on a par with the Emirate Towers - the tallest buildings in the Middle East, and the tenth tallest in the world.
Three and a half million square feet of concrete floors will be used to build the entire phase one of the project.
At its peak, an estimated 7,000 people will be involved on site during the construction of the six-tower complex.
From the exterior of the towers there is an immediate difference to most of the ambitious projects that are springing up in Dubai.
Developers EMAAR wanted the towers to have a sense of permanence, so architects HOK chose an atypical pre-cast panel facade, rather than the aluminium and glass fronts that can be seen along Sheikh Zayed Road.
"Each tower has a different presentation - in terms of colour, and also in terms of engravings on the facade," explains project manager Rob Allan.
Yet this design provides more than just a different look to the building - it also offers protection from the extreme heat of the area.
The design has been based upon systems used in Canada, where the issue is exactly the opposite, keeping out extreme cold.
By adapting the design - a pre-cast panel with a polyurethane sandwich - and altering the position of the windproof and waterproof membranes, the buildings become very efficient, both thermally and acoustically.
For the eventual occupants of the towers this means a reduced demand for air conditioning, cutting power consumption, and therefore reducing costs whilst maximising environmental benefits.
The sense of permanence runs through the entire phase - on every level from the design, to the structure, to the leasehold.
"It is not every day that you get the chance to establish what is, I suppose, a new satellite city," said a delighted Daniel Hajjar, Gulf regional manager for the designers, HOK Canada.
"With that brief, and the fact of where this is, something pretty special has been delivered. A lot of pioneering things were established on this project.
"For example the idea of a 99-year lease, or a freehold, did not exist in this part of the world. In North America and the UK they are used to it - here it is something entirely different.
"How you cater for that market is entirely different to how you cater for a rental market - whether it is in the laws, the detailing, and even the longevity of the building - all these elements are influenced by that."
Designing for the future means taking account of technology, coming to terms with the different ways in which people will be living, not just over coming years, but coming decades.
An example of the way this has been approached is the incorporation of data points throughout each apartment in the towers.
Between 16 and 24 data points have been included in every apartment, near to every point where electrical goods might be situated.
Rob Allan elaborates: "It is designed so that in the future, if an owner wishes to connect appliances, for example air conditioning or electric blinds, to a communications system, they can run it all from a remote location.
"Equally, from the same 24 data points you can plug in a computer or a TV and get broadband access. EMAAR has established that as a norm for all the apartments. It is fed by broadband fibre optic cable and will be connected to an external service provider."
A high level of technical sophistication is accompanied by the highest quality finishes.
"We have created a landmark development," says Daniel Hajjar, "with each building having an individual identity throughout.
"Whilst they are quite modern buildings in terms of the skin, and the technology being used, there are touches catering it to a particular locale - the Gulf.
"We didn't want these expressions to age themselves, so they are classic in nature - which adds to the sense of longevity.
"In terms of integrity and the level of finish you would be hard pressed to find anything of that level of quality anywhere in Dubai."
Setting a standard for the rest of the Marina has been central to the planning and execution of the construction work.
But from a practical point of view, as the first element of the Marina, phase one has had to create an infrastructure that will provide for all the following projects, as well as cater for itself.
"It has been much more than just a building project," confirms Rob Allan, "It is creating the infrastructure and making sure it works.
"This development was on the edge of the Marina, but there were no roads around it.
"And within the space of two years [the construction period for phase one] the infrastructure design consultants, Parsons International Ltd and Hyder Consulting, have had to integrate the immediate services needs for phase one with the overall design for the full Marina development.
"It has certainly been a challenge.
"The road structure is now being built, and we have resolved with the local authorities how to get portable water, irrigation water, telephone and data services and electricity on to the site.
"We have had to establish temporary measures for sewerage - for the first year we will connect into an EMAAR sewage treatment plant."
Work is about to start on a further nine private sites, while EMAAR are ready to begin on a further six sites themselves, as the rollout of the site continues.
"Design guidelines have been put in place for all of the developments," said Rob Allan. "There are some constants. The waterfront promenade has to have a common feel, so that you can walk around the Marina and feel you are still in the same place.
"The road network will also be landscaped in a common manner across the community. And the landscaping done across each development is defined to an extent.
"However, EMAAR's phase one development will be the jewel in the crown - an extremely luxurious development. Just in terms of the amount of space it has - it is very generous.
"On the podium, the footprints of each tower leave a large area for landscaping. You have six towers coming up out of six and a half hectares of land - it's quite a hike to get around when I go out on site.
Yet the level of finishing, and the scale of the project, has not slowed the speed. Whilst Mace originally projected a 28-month construction period, the NASA Multiplex/Al Futtaim Tarmac joint venture determined to complete the project in just two years and is on course to do so.
"The contractor has worked around the clock," said Rob Allan. "The structure cycle time has been around five days per floor - despite it being a detailed floor with a lot of sheer walls.
"The towers have been effectively topped out in 12 months - it's incredibly fast construction. The contractor is committed to delivering the project in 24 months and we have no doubts he will do it. EMAAR were confident enough in his early performance to appoint him for the second half of the project."
Return to Dubai Marina Communities homepage.
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