Thomas & Adamson, the international project management and cost consultancy firm, has announced that it is delivering cost management services on the new ‘Serenia Living’ luxury residential development. The luxury beachfront project is taking shape in the first plot of the West crescent of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
Thomas & Adamson (T&A) was appointed in 2022 under lead design consultant, Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ), to deliver pre-and post-contract cost management services on this prestigious project, for UAE-based developer Palma Holding. T&A was appointed to manage costs amid challenging market conditions and inflation pressures. With more than 85 years’ experience, T&A has been a trusted partner in supporting organisations across Europe, the Middle East, and the USA in navigating the challenges of procuring, delivering, and operating assets.
T&A has delivered more than 330 projects, for 135 clients, with a construction value of more than AED22bn across its residential projects, globally, over the past four years alone. T&A Middle East boasts a running total of 4,225 residential units. Using this vast service and sector experience T&A lead value engineering and negotiation processes to achieve significant savings on the construction cost of the Serenia Living project.
The firm’s collaborative approach, working alongside all members of the design and project team and assisting with early strategic guidance on design and procurement solutions, was fundamental in its approach to this project. In addition to helping reduce the development’s overall construction costs, this also helped to identify and mitigate potential risks. T&A was thorough in ensuring the design was systematically thought through, cohesive and helped avoid unnecessary delay and disruption in the latter stages of the project.
Rudolph van Wyk, Director at Thomas & Adamson Middle East said: “Due to the dynamic conditions currently pervading the construction market, including pronounced supply chain pressures as well as budget constraints, several challenges had to be overcome in the pre-contract phase to keep the project on track in terms of time and cost. By facilitating value engineering exercises with various project stakeholders, we were able to achieve key savings for our client, while maintaining the exceptionally high-quality standards required by Palma Holding. Construction of the residential project is now on track to commence, and we look forward to seeing the works through to fruition in late 2025.”
The Serenia Living project comprises the construction of four mid-rise towers (B+G+12/14/19/19) and all associated landscaping and external works. The new luxury residential project is Palma Holding’s second offering on the Palm Jumeirah, following ‘Serenia Residences The Palm’ which was completed in 2018.
Based on the concept by Hazel Wong, the design development of Serenia Living was undertaken by architecture firm Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ) and will have a total built-up area of 1,182,000 square feet. It will feature a total of 226 exclusive residences including 22 penthouses, and an ultra-luxury duplex Sky Mansion.
The luxury beachfront project will also boast one of the largest wellness clubs in Dubai that will include several amenities including an expansive gym, training studio, and a spa with sauna, steam room and an ice plunge pool. A children’s play area with a games room, outdoor pool, cinema, and an array of external sports facilities and courts will also be included within the development.
Pre-contract cost management services were completed by T&A in May 2023, with the start of construction works and project completion slated for late June 2023 and December 2025, respectively. The handover of residences is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026.