The issue of indoor air pollution is still languishing behind the times when it comes to office and building design and functionality.
Author: Paromita Dey
Building Information Modelling (BIM) solutions has been in the market for more than a decade but the transition to BIM has been taking longer than expected. Experts say this is probably because of the lack of knowledge in the market about what BIM really is. Lorraine Bangera writes Let’s get one thing straight, BIM is not something to get done with and checked off. It’s a process. Peter Gertler, Consulting Director at Autodesk, explains it well when he says it’s like the accounts department in an organisation that is carried out through the whole lifecycle of a company. BIM solutions…
Transport infrastructure development is worth billions in every country of the GCC Transport infrastructure is at the heart of any urban development, with mobility of goods, services and people essential to oil the wheels of the economy. It’s no surprise then that the last decade has seen the nations that make up the GCC invest billions in building a transport network that rivals any in the world. Figures for the combined value of investment still to come are hard to pin down, but regardless of their variety they all have size in common. A report released late last year by…
Sultan Sobhi Batterjee, CEO of IHCC, gives CBNME a few insights into what it takes to run a specialised construction business IHCC is a turnkey solutions provider, taking projects from inception to completion starting with the concept design to construction and equipping. Their portfolio is based on healthcare, education and mixed use projects, which includes hospitals, medical towers, medical clinics, speciality centres, speciality hospitals, universities, colleges, and schools. IHCC is a buiding specialist, usually dealing with the latest trend of project management and hygienic safety. Sultan Sobhi Batterjee gives us an insight into what it is like to run his…
Today, with the help of technology an architect can turn any vivid design into a reality. Dr Varkki George Pallathucheril, Interim Dean of the College of Architecture in American University of Sharjah (AUS), speaks with Lorraine Bangera about if this period is the best time to be an architect How has advances in technology affected architecture in the last decade? It is true that advances in building systems, materials and construction methods have taken away many of the constraints that used to be placed on designing and constructing a structure in a particular place and time. In my view, however,…
Drake and Scull Engineering, recognised as an expert in the MEP industry, has constantly evolved and managed to stay ahead of its fierce competitors. This month, Lorraine Bangera from CBNME chats with Managing Director of Drake & Scull Engineering (DSE), Ahmad Al Naser, about the pressures of working in the construction industry and what it takes to stay on top Ahmad Al Naser is surprised at how quickly time has flown by as it has been 13 years since he first joined Drake and Scull International. “Every day has been interesting and had its own challenges and achievements. But it…
Manar Mall, one of Ras Al Khaimah’s oldest malls, situated in Al Hamra Village has announced to expand to double its size because of excessive demand. Lorraine Bangera analyses the growth of Al Hamra Village as an integrated community and the reason behind its excessive popularity Al Hamra Village in Ras Al Khaimah recently announced expansion plans for its oldest retail outlet, Manar Mall. The expansion will add many new international stores, an enlarged entertainment area, along with a complete overhaul of existing facilities. Barry Ebrahimy, Head of Commercial at Al Hamra Real Estate Development, says, “Manar Mall was the…
After a major dip in the last few years, the real estate sector kept a sturdy development in 2014. Lorraine Bangera speaks with industry experts who forecast the industry’s potential in the upcoming year keeping possible growth barriers in mind After highs and lows the property sector is finally going to remain stable. Tasweek, real estate development and marketing firm, predicts that despite global challenges the real estate market will remain attractive this year. According to the firm, positive microeconomic, regulatory and population factors continue to drive the growth across the country. Simon Gray, Managing Director at Chestertons MENA, says…
The UAE government has taken innumerable measures in the last five years towards making the country more sustainable. Lorraine Bangera analyses the role of the construction industry in this transition towards a smarter and greener state Two cities in the UAE ranked top in the region by Arcadis’ inaugural Sustainable Cities Index. The index, conducted by the Center for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) in UK, ranked 50 leading cities in the world. Dubai tops the ranking in the Middle East with the 33rd place, immediately followed by Abu Dhabi. Today, Dubai is moving towards the smart city concept, which…
A sharp decline in the oil price has given the construction industry pause for thought about the future. Orlando Crowcroft investigates Low margins and competition have been a challenge in the Gulf for as long as international contractors have flocked to its petro-states to cash in on a decades-long development boom. But the oil crash that hit global markets last summer and now sees crude worth just half of its value in June 2014 has industry experts talking of a slow-down in development pipeline that could possibly see life made even harder for construction firms in the GCC. “I’m not…