DEWAN

Site works are finished in this prestigious project and is now successfully handed over

Occupying a prime location at the core of the prestigious Al Bateen Area in Abu Dhabi City, Al Bateen Park consists of apartment blocks, townhouses, villas, small retail outlets and other ancillary buildings. The entire plot of 100,644m² is divided into Site A, which is 33,342m² and Site B which is 67,302m².

The development consists of 12 buildings containing 296 apartment units with 2, 3, 4 bedrooms, all with a basement level, ground floor plus five additional storeys and a penthouse at the top of each building; 10 Villas of 6 bedrooms; 40 Villas of 4 bedrooms; 25 townhouses of 4 bedrooms and a small retail area (700 m²).

Plentiful open spaces are scattered around the development, covered with both hard and soft landscaping with facilities for children's play grounds, swimming pool and covered parking. Abundant seating areas are spread over the open green areas with fountains and sculptures dotted throughout the development.

The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) has deemed this project in compliance with the Pearl Credit Requirements, under Estidama Pearl Community, for Buildings and Villa Design Rating Systems. This is the first "Community" approval in the UAE and is an achievement for Dewan and its team.

Located in Jumeirah Beach Residence area of Dubai, the tower is a prestigious tower of G+31 floors with one basement floor. With its distinctive architectural design and curved profile, the tower will be a new landmark in JBR waterfront area of Dubai.

This commercial tower consists mainly of a hotel facilities(297 keys). Additionally, the project includes banqueting & meeting facilities, various F&B outlets including Sky bar, mini cinema, Beach club and a fitness center.

Wasl Assets Management Group intends to develop a plot of 5,764 m2 on a premium location in Jumeirah one, as a Hotel building. The project will consist of (100 to 120) 3-star hotel rooms, and will also house all the facilities needed to cater for 100-120 guests at any time, such as restaurants, lounges, swimming-pool and a gym as well as a grand entrance lobby at the Ground Floor.

The program will be supported by several retail and F&B outlets located on the 2 main visible street frontages at ground floor and some at the inside plaza.

ARAC Hotel - Al Khobar, is an 18-storey structure composed of a 5 star hotel tower and a convention center linked by a bridged pathway. With 224 guestrooms, the hotel offers two dining venues, a signature ARICANA Café and world class leisure facilities plus high-end luxury Retail Outlets.

In addition, attached to the Hotel is a fully equipped 1200 person capacity convention hall supported by a business center, conference facilities and multiple break-out rooms perfect to host conferences, banquets and exhibitions.

ARAC Hotel - Riyadh, is a 6-storey structure composed of a 5 star hotel and furnished apartments.  With 250 guestrooms and 30 serviced apartments the hotel offers two dining venues, a signature ARICANA Café and world class leisure facilities plus a fully equipped 400 person capacity Banquet hall.

Dewan Architects are recently awarded the development of an area strategically located in the center of Al Khobar city on the intersection of King Saud Road & Salaheddin Al Ayoubi Street with a Total Plot Area of 40,000 m2. The Project GFA is anticipated to reach 400,000 m2 to include the following:

1. 4* Hotel of Approximately 240 Keys & 45 Serviced Apartments, with 26,000 m2 GFA
2. Shopping Mall with 20,000 m2 GFA
3. Offices with 8,000 m2 GFA
4. Luxurious Residential Apartments (2,3,4 Bedroom & Penthouses with approximately 340,000 m2 GFA

Hittin Mixed Use Development is a low rise integrated development, with a built up area of approximately 250,000 sqm located in a suburban area of Riyadh, KSA.

The primarily residential G+2 building blocks are spread out on 7 different plots of irregular shapes, which allow for simple yet sculptural architectural forms to be created. Comprising of a total of approximately 1,400 apartment units, varying in size from 2-4 bedrooms apartments, each plot creates a memorable and comfortable living environment that allows residents to enjoy shaded walkways, landscaped areas as well as bright and airy unit interiors.

The exterior of the residential blocks is an example of simple yet elegant contemporary architecture, where elegant frames and bright colors create a diverse visual experience, adding life to the local community. In addition to the residential blocks, one of the 7 plots will also include a mall, a welcomed addition to the suburban area, which residents as well as the local community members will be able to enjoy.

Located in the holy city of Mecca, adjacent to the main road linking Mecca with Jedda. With a total built-up area of 300,000 m2, and it is composed of a theme park, hotel, business park and Al Muntazah Islamic Cultural Centre, which is an Edutainment complex integrating entertainment with education, in a cool atmosphere, with various F&B services, and specialized shops.

Malathak is a ten storey commercial and residential building that will be located in the heart of the Capital Riyadh - KSA. The project has a total built up area of 24,429 sqm , and will be composed of one basement floor, ground floor dedicated for retail and amenities, and mezzanine, first, and typical floors composed of residential units. Each residential flat consists of 3 bedrooms, guest dewan, living and dining areas as well as the related services.

Detailed Masterplan is in final stages and Architectural Design concept is being developed for this prestigious campus. As a key player in the major reconstruction efforts of Iraq, Dewan Architects been awarded the masterplanning and architectural design of a modern, green university campus in Samarra, north west of Baghdad.

The project site is about 2.6 sqm and should be developed with high energy efficient and sustainability standards, to house 12000 students and faculty members. The campus will include 16 specialized colleges with state of the arts research centers and laboratories, university HQ and deanship building, conference hall, central library, students and faculty residences, social & cultural centers, sports facilities, mosque, agricultural farms and other service facilities.

Dewan is now officially awarded the design contract for Dora Technical University Student's Accommodations. The project is located within Al Dora area south west Baghdad, adjacent to Al Masafi Street. The building mass was designed as one continuous element emerging from the ground, forming two main semi-public plazas, dedicated to the students and their social activities, and combines the building with the landscape.

The terracing of the building "topography" can be seen as a compensation for the lack of open spaces and the high density, since those terraces will be used as roof gardens and platforms for various functions. Besides its function, those terraces symbolize the wonders of ancient Mesopotamia, such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Ziggurats. The dynamism of the building is a reflection of the energy of the youth, and the progression of the learning process.

Dewan is now officially awarded the contract of this high cultural profile project in Basra. Dewan Architects been awarded the 1st prize for the design of Basra Culture Palace. On a plot of land with an approximate area of 15.275 m2, (65 * 235) m near Shatt al-Basra within the new administrative complex, which includes the new Basra Governorate HQ. The Basra Cultural Center should reflect the heritage and culture of the city.

This building will be the cultural platform of the city, with a total built up area of 20868 m2, hosting different cultural events and festivals, utilizing the latest technologies in lighting and sound systems in a modern architectural language and practical distribution of areas and functions, taking into considerations economic, sustainability, safety and security aspects, and making sure that the final outcome is compatible with the contemporary architectural styles in the world, and in the same time taking into account Basra heritage and visual legacy reflecting a bright image of the city.

The design approach was translated on the building façades in diagonal square shaped openings, reminiscent of the "Dots" in Arabic Calligraphy, spreading on the main elevation, gradually reduced in size as they get closer to the main entrance void, which is the focal point of the architectural and engineering composition of the project. The relatively large void that cuts through the building mass can be interpreted as the heart of the project, where social interaction takes place, in addition to its main function as an entrance for the public.

The central void contains sequential ramps, linked on different levels, connecting the two parts of the building for easier access to the inner spaces, in addition to a number of elevators and escalators inside the building. The idea of the book pages was translated into curvilinear gradual architectural elements that resemble an open book. Whether visitors are approaching on foot or by car, the dynamism of these elements can be sensed. Further, some ornamental features were introduced, in terms of calligraphy and poetry to decorate those "pages", and perpetuate the cultural role of Basra throughout the history.

As a result of an international competition and being the first prize winner, Dewan Architects has been officially awarded the contract of this high administrative profile project in Basra.

The projects is a G+11 office building + one basement floor dedicated for parking services. Additionally, a multi-storey car parking building is also provided with a total of 222 car parking spaces.

The project aims to contribute to the image of the city by creating a monumental structure and a landmark, as well as contributing to the life of the city by the services and variable functions provided for the inhabitants of Basra. The design was inspired by "the palm frond", one of the most important symbols of this city, and the final configuration of the building was a result of a study and analysis of the natural structure of this element.

The proposed design takes into consideration the site context, and the environmental conditions of the area, in order to achieve natural ventilation and lighting, and provide shaded areas for the users.

Dewan Architects have recently finished all the design stages of Shatt Al Arab 5-star Hotel project and site works are well in progress. The projects is located in a prime location in the new Sports City of Basra, covering a plot area of 64100 sqm.

The proposed design aims to create a unique hospitality environment based on local traditional architectural flavor with contemporary interpretation, and It is anticipated that it shall be a landmark project within Basra and will position itself as one of the primary hospitality/residential developments in the area.

The total built-up area of the project is 45,000 m², and it Consists of the following : 5-star hotel, ballrooms, various themed restaurants, guestrooms, suites and guest amenities & leisure, G+1 Villas, G+2 shopping mall.

The Kufa University Engineering Building is an office building that is located within Kufa University complex in Najaf. The building is composed of G + 3 floors, with a total built up area of 1'735 sq.m. The program includes administrative offices as well as services and facilities such as a conference hall and the staff cafeteria.

As a result of completing all design stages of this Urban Renewal project, the project was announced officially to the public on the 5th February 2013, and the public hearing symposium was held on the 25th March 2013, attended by all Karbala local stakeholders, publics and others interested in Karbala historic city. All comments/objections from all stakeholders and others will be filtered and studied to enhance the final master plan documentation.

The Holy City of Karbala is one of the most strategically important cities in mid-south Iraq. Its importance emanates from the existence of the Shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas. The city is characterized by the millions of pilgrims heading to the Holy Shrines on 13 specific religious occasions distributed throughout the year. The unique cultural and religious heritage of the site with its strategic importance ensures that this inflow of people will continue to grow in the future.

Dewan has launched its newly designed website featuring an updated user interface design including all the latest projects around the region. Some of the significant changes of the new look of the website includes a new projects overview page and compatibility with smart phones and tablets.

Project Summary Details

1. Client: ALDAR Properties
2. Site Area: 130,000 sqm
3. Total Built Up Area: 99, 077 sqm
4. Total Building GFA: 127,544 sqm

Located in Al Bateen Area in Abu Dhabi City, Al Bateen Park Development consists of 12 apartment blocks, 25 townhouses, 50 villas, and small retail outlets and other ancillary buildings. The entire plot of 10.1 hectares is divided into Site A which is 3.3 hectares and Site B which is 6.7 hectares all set within a modern Arabesque design. Public communal areas are provided such as children's play areas, swimming pools and plentiful of green areas and water features.

Sustainability goals were established for this project from the early stages of design as the client was eager to pursue a LEED Silver rating. However, as the project progressed, Abu Dhabi's Estidama Pearl Rating system was introduced and the project diverted to follow and comply with Estidama's requirements making it the first community, building and villa Estidama rated project application in Abu Dhabi aiming to achieve Estidama's 1 Pearl rating.

The sustainability goals have been discussed within the project team from project inception so that all project participants are aware of the client's intentions and these have been passed on to the construction team. By April 2011, the project attained the first community rating in Abu Dhabi (Design Stage) along with achieving 1 Pearl for all buildings and villas within the development. The project has completed construction in February 2013 and is underway to achieve the first community rating (Construction stage) along with all of its buildings and villas.

The project had several sustainable design considerations including but not limited to:

1. Optimizing project site location and orientation
2. Local natural environment enhancement
3. Addition of facilities to serve the community and enhance the overall neighborhood
4. Elimination of hazardous materials during construction and within the buildings and villas
5. Creation of a smoke free community and buildings
6. Creation of well shaded pedestrian pathways, playgrounds and parking
7. Reducing heat island effect on roof and non-roof elements by installing materials with high SRI
8. Optimizing daylight and views in the buildings and villas
9. Energy savings of 5% for Villas and approximately 15% for the buildings
10. Water savings of 12% at a minimum in all buildings, villas and overall community
11. Installation of energy and water metering systems to monitor and control consumption
12. Use of regional and recycled materials
13. Diverting and recycling 60% of construction waste from landfills
14. Operation waste management set to divert and recyle at least 40% of the operational waste

We spend a large percentage of our lives at work, so if we want to be more sustainable, it makes sense that we introduce sustainable behavior into the work place. Below is a list of things we can all do to increase sustainability in the workplace making us look good and feel good.

Manage Paper Consumption Responsibly

Paper can be an expensive office resource. It is an essential part of our scope of work and as a result has a high percentage of the waste in the office. There are plenty of ways to maximize paper resources in the office and dispose of paper responsibly. These include:

Print out test pages

Sometimes projects call for large printing jobs. Before you print out 50 copies, print out 1 test page to make sure the document is exactly how you want it. That way you don't risk printing 50 versions of a document you are not going to use.

Double-sided printing

This is the simplest most overlooked way to conserve paper resources in the office. We can use 50% less paper if everyone prints on both sides of a page (unless the document is only 1 page of course).

GOOS (Good On Other Side) paper

Use waste paper as note pads. This can completely replace the need for sticky note pads or notepaper. It is a good office practice to have a pile next the printer where people can place their GOOS paper. These can then be cut into 4ths and staple them together and distribute as note pads, or however you want to make use of it.

Know what paper you should be composting

Shredded paper cannot be recycled because the fibers have been torn and recycling it becomes too labor intensive to be profitable. However it can and should be composted. The same goes for paper towels people use to wash their hands or cardboard pizza boxes /that have been compromised by food waste. Since we don't have composting in the office, throw it in the trash so it does not compromise the recycling bin.

Buy recycled paper

You can reduce the overall impact of paper manufacturing by purchasing recycled paper. Many office supply stores offer recycled paper options which allows you to showcase your commitment to sustainability and also helps to promote green paper companies.

Computers

Every employee these days has a computer and it is up to each of us to manage their computer's energy consumption. Office computers can be a costly monthly expense in terms of energy consumption and there are many ways to reduce these costs. Although many IT consultants install computers in the office and set default, energy saving settings on computers, ultimately it is up to the employee to ensure computers are being managed as efficiently as possible. Here are some ways you can reduce energy costs.

Computer Energy Saving Settings

Set your computers settings to save energy, below are the different settings you can manage taken from Energy Star's website:

"System hibernates"

1. Drops monitor and computer power use down to 1–3 watts each
2. Wakes up in 20+ seconds
3. Saves work in the event of power loss
4. Saves $25–75 per PC annually

"Turn off monitor"

1. Drops monitor power use down to 1 - 3 W
2. Wakes in seconds or less
3. Saves half as much as system standby or hibernate: about $10 - 40

"Turn off hard disks"

1. Saves very little energy

In general it is a good idea to hibernate your computer every time you leave on your lunch break and when you leave at night. Also, if you need help activating your power settings, there are articles that can help you activate your power savings settings on a Mac and power saving settings using Windows. Or ask your IT consultant.

Screen brightness

You can also adjust the brightness of your screen. Often times our screens are too bright and can hurt our eyes. By decreasing the brightness on our screen we can create a more pleasant work environment while consuming less energy.

Lighting

Lighting consumes 25% of the energy consumed in commercial buildings and is a large line item in the energy bill. However there are ways to reduce this cost through the adoption of behavior and technology that is energy efficient.

Swap out your old lights

Old lighting technology, like T12 fluorescent lamps or incandescent light bulbs, can eat up lots of energy. Swapping them out with T8 fluorescent lamps or CFL lights can save you 50% off the energy costs associated with lighting your office, however, swapping those old technologies out with LED lighting can save you up to 85% on your lighting energy cost.

Turning lights off

When lights are not needed, they should be turned off. This includes when an office is getting plenty of sunlight, or when a room within the office is unoccupied and especially when everyone goes home at night.

Sun light and windows

The sun provides the cheapest and most pleasant form of light. Our office has windows and it is most cost effective to use the sunlight and decrease the amount of artificial light when possible. If your workplace area is well lit from the sun from the hours 1pm-4pm, turn off some lights during this time.

Thermostat management

Temperature controls in an office are designed to create a comfortable environment for everyone. For optimum efficiency, the rule of thumb is to set the thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer. The problem is, because everyone is wired differently, most people feel comfortable at different temperatures. The trick is to find a temperature that the majority of people are comfortable with and set it accordingly.

Agreeing on a temperature

Try out the preferred thermostat settings for the season and have employees rate their comfort level on a scale of 1-10 (1 being too hot, 10 being too cold, 5 being just right) then find out where people stand and adjust accordingly. If you get equal results on both sides of hot and cold spectrum, then you are in the right place and other measures will have to be taken to ensure employees' comfort levels, which will be discussed below. If the results point to a warmer or colder thermostat setting, then adjust accordingly.

Opening windows or doors

Who needs to use central HVAC systems when the weather outside is great and there are windows and doors where you can let that great weather in? So open up the doors and windows and let the outside come in.

Blinds for windows

Some areas in the office have lots of windows and it gets hot in the summer because of direct sunlight, have sunshades installed on your windows if not yet done. This will decrease the amount of heat from the sun that enters your office so you don't have to crank up the AC. Plus, there are blinds that still let light in, so you don't have to compensate by turning on more lights.

Layer up

If you get cold easily, bring more layers to work. Just because you are wired colder than most, does not mean the office will crank up the heat just for you. Layering up is a great solution.

Water management

Water is a valuable resource and should be used responsibly. It can also be costly to consume. There are a few tricks to help offices conserve water resources.

Don't turn the water on full blast

When washing dishes or our hands it is often the case that we turn the water on full blast even though we don't need that much water pressure to do the job. Try turning the water on just a little bit. You will find that you can still wash that dish and your hands with just a little bit of water.

Food

Lunchtime, breakfast meetings, coffee drinking… We must fuel our bodies while we are at work. There are best practices we can try and adhere to in order to create healthy environments in our bodies, in our office and in our wallets. Below are a few tips that can help.

Bring lunch

On average, going out to lunch can cost AED 15 - 30 a day on the low end. Plus, it is harder to control the ingredients that you put in your body when you go out to eat. By bringing your lunch to work you can save a ton of money and have complete control over your diet. You can help promote organic local farms by shopping local and organic too.

Bring reusable utensils

By bringing re-usable utensils you don't have to throw away plastic utensils every day, which costs money and creates unnecessary waste.

Don't let things go bad in the fridge

The fridge at work can get nasty if it does not get cleaned out. Make sure to eat the things you put in the fridge so they don't get wasted and start smelling bad. Plus, when food goes bad, you have to replace it by bringing in more food or going out to eat, which can cost you.

Buying food with less packaging

When you are buying food to bring into the office, try to buy food that has less packaging. For instance, rather than buy individually packaged salads, buy the produce and make a salad at home. More packaging means more resources being unnecessarily wasted.

Transportation

Getting to work can take a lot of energy, in the form of consuming fossil fuel, in the form of mental energy and in the form of spending money. There are ways to help reduce the energy spent commuting to and from work, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions, keeping more money in your wallet and promoting happiness.

Carpooling

If you must drive to work, see if you can carpool with a friend who works nearby or a coworker. Your new travel companion can help split the cost of gas and tolls. Plus you get a new buddy to chat with. Everyone wins.

Biking or Walking

If you live close-by, biking or walking to work makes your commute free without emitting any carbon into the atmosphere. You can feel good about your commitment to reduce the effects of climate change and about being physically active and getting in shape. Plus you save a ton of money on commuting costs.

Public transportation

If you have access to public transportation, this is cheaper than driving and you can sit back and relax while someone else gets you to work. Enjoy a book, the people watching and the scenery as you ride through the landscape.

Manage Waste Consumption Responsibly

Waste generated in the office is relatively high due to poor consumption habits. The general rule of thumb is that it is always best to prevent waste then opt for other options of reusing and recycling. We can all achieve this by

Printing only when needed

Before deciding to send a job to print, determine whether it is necessary to have a hard copy or if the document can be reviewed on screen instead. Replacing disposables with recyclable/reusable products: Instead of grabbing a foam or plastic cup from the kitchen, have your own sets of glasses, cups and mugs. Replace the use of plastic utensils with your own set of utensils or use those provided by the office. Dispose of your waste in its appropriate waste stream bin: The office will be introducing a new waste bin system to include recycling of paper, plastics and tin cans. Dispose of your waste smartly and correctly. All contaminated waste as described in previous sections are to be disposed of into the general waste bins.

Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology's Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE), in collaboration with Purdue University have unveiled a new efficient, recyclable organic solar cell made from trees or, more specifically, from a substrate that can be sourced not only from trees but from other plants as well. These efficient polymer solar cells are then fabricated on cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) substrates to create a more sustainable solar cell that can be quickly recycled in room-temperature water.

While this is far from the first organic solar cell to be developed, it is believed to be the first that is truly recyclable, and potentially sustainable. To date organic solar cells have, as Georgia Tech explains, largely been fabricated on glass or plastic, while others have used petroleum substrates. Professor Bernard Kippelen of the Georgia Institute of Technology led the study. Describing the research, he emphasized the importance of the team's work: "organic solar cells must be recyclable. Otherwise we are simply solving one problem, less dependence on fossil fuels, while creating another, a technology that produces energy from renewable sources but is not disposable at the end of its lifecycle."

The CNC substrate onto which the solar cells are fabricated are "optically transparent (like a leaf) which lets light pass through before it's absorbed by a very thin layer of an organic semiconductor," explains Forbes. While the current conversion efficiency rate for the tree-based solar cells might appear underwhelming, 2.7 percent, the team describes it as "unprecedented" for "cells on substrates derived from renewable raw materials." With a provisional patent filed, the team at COPE plan to next work on reaching "power conversion efficiency over 10 percent, levels similar to solar cells fabricated on glass or petroleum-based substrates."

UPCOMING EVENTS

World EcoConstruction Summit
ADNEC - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
April 22nd - 26th

SUSTAINABILITY TIP

Reduce vampire energy (those that consume energy even when appliances are off or on stand-by) by plugging your electrical appliances into power strips and turning the strips off when not in use. Not only will this save energy, it will save you money.

For the 5th year running, Dewan Architects & Engineers was featured in the prestigious UK publication Building Design Magazine's "The World Architecture Top 100" 2013 issue.

The World Architecture Top 100 has been an exclusive source of information about the top 100 architectural practices in the world for over 10 years and has become a must-have resource for top professionals in the architectural, construction and property industries across the world.

The summary of Dewan ranking this year is as follows:

1. World Top 100 List: No. 49
2. Middle East Ranking: No. 2
3. Hospitality Ranking: No. 2
4. Masterplanning Ranking: No. 8
5. Heritage Ranking: No. 2
6. Urban Design Ranking: No. 9

Site works are well in progress for this strategically located business hotel near Abu Dhabi airport. The project is composed of two parts, the Premier Inn hotel that is 87% finished with the MEP works still ongoing. For the second part, which is the extension of the retail corridors, foundation works and retaining walls are mostly completed, while the concrete works are ongoing  in lower and upper ground floor.

Premier Inn is positioned on one of the busiest locations of the ADIA precinct, just across the street from the Terminal 3. The Design of this building is the outcome of a careful mix of hotel functions displayed in simple and clean architectural masses seeking distinguishable presence in the surroundings.

Sustainable design is yet another feature of the project. The building will be constructed to carry an Estidama Sustainable compliance credential demonstrating the efforts done by the stakeholders to share the environmental responsibilities towards the surroundings and beyond.

Site works are well in progress on these 3 schools, expected to be completed in June 2013. The project "Abu Dhabi Future School Program Phase-3" comprises of 3 Schools located in Abu Dhabi. It is part of the project launched by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) as part of their strategic initiative to upgrade the education infrastructure of the Emirate. The Schools having a capacity of approximately 1250 students are designed for cycle 2 & 3 (Grade 6 to Grade 12) students. Each school of 2 floors has a Built up area of 20306 sqm.

The design comprises of 10 learning communities of 5 classrooms each with a central breakout space. The Schools have been designed to provide the latest and most modern technologies and facilities like design & technology workshops, science labs, computer labs, library, art room, music room, gymnasium, swimming pool, auditorium and cafeteria. Outdoor recreational facilities like volley ball courts has been provided for the girls school at Al Shawamekh and football field for the boys schools at Al Shamkha & Baniyas. The design encourages the use of different parts of the School by the community after school hours for educational and recreational activities.

The Schools have been designed to meet the 3 pearls in the Estidama rating system. Special care has been taken in design for the inclusion of students with special needs. The design adheres to the requirements of the client provided in the Design Manual in terms of aesthetics, functionality, durability, cost effectiveness and sustainability.

Building Completion Certificate is issued for this project in Abu Dhabi, and the project is handed over successfully and occupied.The project is composed of three buildings: Al-Yahar KG, Zakher KG And Al-Jimi KG

The three buildings have a total built-up area of around 4,800 m² with a service block of around 90 m² each. Each building is composed of three main break out area with different finishing and 18 classrooms, main administration area, Library and Multipurpose Hall.

The buildings were executed with high quality finishing, and have been designed and executed according Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (Estidama Requirements).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints building in Abu Dhabi was completed and handed over successfully. The Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has obtained this site from His Highness the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi with the intent of building a meetinghouse for worshiping services.

The site is located on Al Musaffah in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On this site, the Meetinghouse is designed to recognize the sacred and solemn nature of its structure with emphasis on the appropriateness of its use as a spiritual setting by its patrons. The Meetinghouse main building comprised of approximately 1,257 sqm of program space. The suggested program elements includes G + 3 Floors.

Site works are progressing on this project in Abu Dhabi.  Repton Foundation School consists of a two story main building which contains classrooms on the ground floor for KG 1&2 and 12 classrooms on the first floor for Grade 1, as well as a service block. It is located on a 6,867 sq.m plot in a prime location on the developing Reem Island which is accessible via bridges linking it to Abu Dhabi, Sowwah and Saadiyat Islands.

The site, as well as most surrounding plots, is owned by Sorouh. The school is operated by Evolvence and all areas on the site are designed for private use by students, parents and staff only. The site is gated and contains a single controlled entry and exit point in order to ensure that only designated individuals are allowed access to the school grounds.

This vibrant retail project in the heart of Jumeira - Dubai, was successfully completed and is currently under testing and commissioning phase. The Avenue Retail Development by Dubai-based real estate firm Meraas Development is situated in a prime residential neighborhood in Jumeira.

The Avenue encompasses 57 retail units, including a well-known branded anchor supermarket, various restaurants and coffee shops, as well as a healthcare clinic. Covering a total built-up area of 12,800 m² on a plot of an approximately 53,000 m², the project boasts extensive and attractive landscaping, water features and green spaces, resulting in an urban retail and leisure destination for the Jumeira community.

After a work suspension period, Site works are now resumed and progressing on The One Tower, a prestigious commercial tower of G+47 floors with four basement floors. Concrete work has been completed and finishing with aluminium cladding already finished up to 32nd floor. The percentage of completion reached around 82%, and the expected completion date will be end of 2013.

The project has a distinctive architectural design that responds to the unique urban context envisaged by the master-planners of the TECOM Zone C District. Influenced by the industrious pace of commerce. The One Tower showcases a dynamic mix of functions displayed in a simple and clean architectural design. State of the art commercial units and retail showrooms dominate the tower, while the top two floors are dedicated to a self-contained owner's duplex penthouse.

It enjoys one of the finest locations in TECOM, facing Dubai's busiest street, Sheikh Zayed Road, the energy of which has inspired the design of this striking tower. The contemporary design visually appears as two dominating masses held together by a series of decorative steel truss elements, which symbolizes the perpetual state of activity associated with modern day business in the Emirates.

Dewan's Riyadh office is supervising the construction of the prestigious Al Reziza Tower in Al Khobar. The concrete pile works have been completed. 75% of the total excavation work have been completed (up to formation level which is -9.5 to -12.0 m out of the total excavation which is 20,000 m3). Dewatering is going on to keep the area dry for work.

The commercial building has a total built-up area of 18,000 sqm and consists of retail outlets on the ground and mezzanine floors, parking on two basements and four upper mezzanine podium floors and 28 storeys of premier commercial office space. Conveniently located on the Khobar-Dammam road, Al Reziza Tower is envisaged to be an architectural landmark of the region.

Site works are progressing on this project in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Malathak project consists of two towers. One of the towers is residential, composed of 18 floors 10 flats each. In addition to two swimming pools and a gym on the 18th floor, and the parking that accommodates 750 parking spaces.

The second tower is dedicated to office spaces on 29 typical floors in addition to one mechanical floor. Concrete works for the basement raft are completed for the first tower, while in the second tower, concrete works for the basement ceiling slab are completed.

Futurism Movement

The thought of futurism became important in Italian architecture before World War One because in that time architects were influenced by Industrial Revolution and Modernism , Fillipo Tommaso Marineti was the first architect who expressed his ideas about Futurism. He studied in Sorbonne University of Paris, he published his paper about futurism in one of the most famous newspapers (Le Figaro newspaper) in Paris, then this movement spread to Italy.

Antonio Sant'Elia Career

He opened a design office in Milan in 1912 and became involved with the Futurist Movement. Between 1912 and 1914, influenced by industrial cities of the United States and the Viennese architects Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos, he began a series of design drawings for a futurist Città Nuova ("New City") that was conceived a symbol of a new age. Many of these drawings were displayed at the only exhibition of the Nuove Tendenze group (of which he was a member) exhibition in May/June 1914 at the "Famiglia Artistica" gallery. Today, some of these drawings are on permanent display at Como's art gallery (Pinacoteca). (They used to be in the Villa Olmo) The manifesto Futurist Architecture was published in August 1914, supposedly by Sant'Elia.

The Manifesto Futurist Architecture

In this manifesto Antonio Sant'Elia says : We don't feel any more we are the men of huge churches and palaces. We are the men of huge hotels, terminals, highways, ports, straight roads and suitable demolish. Also he says we should design our futurist cities like an enormous huge Shipyards which is dynamic, active and full of details. The house of futurism should be like a giant machine, the elevators shouldn't be like worm holes hidden by the stairs. Even the staircases because of being useless should be removed. The elevators should be made of metal and glass and be on the surface of our buildings. We shouldn't use statues or the other kind of ornament for our buildings, as we gonna use roughness of concrete, linear design and playing with colored raw materials.

Some components of Sant'Elia's Futuristic City:

1 - The obsession with circulation:

A striking aspect of Sant'Elia's design is his de-emphasis on the autonomy of buildings. That is, his design choices for the Citta Nuova implicitly reflect on the futurist philosophy of beauty in motion, and correspondingly seek to promote the unfettered circulation of objects – people, automobiles, trains, etc. – through what Rayner Banham calls a "knot"-like design in city planning: each structure is connected to its neighbors by a "network of multi-level circulation at their feet.

In his images we can see how this circulation is working, as he said in his manifesto we should move out the elevators to the outside of the buildings, as we can see in his illustration. Then in the bottom of the image we can see some straight ways like railways as he considers these ways in his manifesto . This huge complex is connected to its environment and surrounded urban design, there are some rail-ways, walk-ways, high-ways, in addition to the other buildings.

In Saarinen's work like T.W.A terminal also we can see Antonio Sant'Elia's influences, interms of the circulation inside and out of this terminal, which is reminding us by Elia's circulation of his complex, we have walk-ways under the wings of the terminal and also rail-ways, about the inside of terminal, as Antonio Sant'Elia envisioned we don't have any thing like staircases but we have some beautiful ramps which work s as staircases.

2 - Bridges and connections on high levels

Antonio Sant'Elia believed that bridges can help us not just to connect some roads together, but they can connect buildings to each other, as he said we need to connect to our neighborhood to improve circulation, and believed that we need more space to build and use and we need good circulation to avoid wasting time.

In these images we can see connections on different levels (Elia's own sketches):

3 - Underground Circulations

According Sant Elia, we can have layers of cities not just on the ground skin of earth. He believed that if we want to go a little further, we can consider the underground as another layer to construct.

Most of Sant Elia's Ideas realized later although some of his ideas are not completed yet!