< PreviousFEATURE 68 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2020 an opportunity for the industry to “bounce back quicker and stronger than before”. “Developers will continue to clamp down on inefficiencies and will be actively seeking ways to improve productivity levels to mitigate any construction delays,” “By reducing the resources required to complete a project, costs and budgets can be managed more effectively. We see modular construction as an opportunity for the industry to bounce back quicker and stronger than before.” Machin adds. “Losberger De Boer embraces lean principles, eliminating waste of both time and materials. For example, off- site manufacturing enables manpower to be decreased as overlapping tasks are eliminated.” “We can also offer these savings in remote areas, as modular structures can be transported directly to the site, minimising costs and risks. By reducing the resources required to complete a project, costs and budgets can be managed more effectively.” In terms of impact for Ramboll, Sweeney said that the firm has been fortunate in the respect that COVID-19 has had a minimal effect on its modular projects, with just one start date being postponed until restrictions WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Roken Al Khalig Development LLC’s plan is to construct a modular residential tower and a hotel tower of 130m and 138m respectively on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, which will accommodate car parking; retail and amenities. Also speaking to Construction Week about the growing demands in modular construction is Losberger De Boer Middle East’s senior sales manager Paul Machin, who said plug-and-play temporary solutions have grown significantly over the last decade. “Driving the growth for plug-and-play temporary solutions today is the demand for bigger projects to be delivered faster than ever before, in line with UAE Vision 2021, Saudi Vision 2030 and the region's mega and gigaprojects,” Machin told Construction Week. “We have witnessed the requirement for turnkey solutions increase across a diverse range of sectors, including residential, commercial, entertainment and leisure, education, healthcare and hospitality.” Discussing the current challenges of today, Machin adds that Losberger De Boer has a proven track record in anticipating and responding to ever-changing market conditions and sees modular construction as Losberger De Boer has conducted works for Saudi Arabian gigaproject Qiddiya Photo courtesy: Losberger De Boer Losberger De Boer Middle East's senior sales manager Paul MachinJUNE 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 69 FEATURE are relaxed. “We believe that COVID-19 will have a profound impact on how businesses are run in the future. One of the main impacts will be a need to drastically reduce the need for large numbers of workers to be working in close proximity with one another,” Sweeney adds. “Consequently, the opportunity for PPVC is clear as the ‘norm’ shifts from dependence on large numbers of low skilled workers in a relatively uncontrolled environment to a small number of skilled workers working in a controlled factory environment.” But while COVID-19 has only been the first obstacle to overcome for the industry, governmental laws to flatten the curve of the pandemic include 24 hour curfews, as well as Saudi Arabia increasing the value-added tax rate (VAT) from 5% to 15%, which has added to the built environment’s worries. Responding to the curfew and VAT hike, Machin said the firm would continue to work with its clients to deliver solutions that meet not only their requirements but also their budgets. “The increase to 15% VAT is now in line with Europe. So, while this may have been a quick and significant increase, this is something we are used to across most of our global business units,” Machin explained. “While the increase in VAT may lead to price inflation in the short term. In the longer term, it will help the market to stabilise and mature.” He adds that Losberger De Boer can react to measures such as curfews and restrictions with quick and calculated efficiency. “It is our flexibility that enables us to prevail and respond effectively to market changes. Once restrictions are lifted, we are well-positioned to deliver a solution that can be erected and operational within weeks or even days. “Ultimately, progress will slow down, but this is a small price to pay to keep everyone safe.” Looking ahead to modular construction's future potential, Sweeney believed the benefits that modular construction can offer are simply too great to ignore any longer. “The UAE in particular, well renowned for being a forward-thinking nation, is WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM ready for such a shift in construction methodologies,” said Sweeney. “The aspects of modular construction, including; it’s long term economic advantages, it’s environmental benefits, it’s non-reliance on high volumes of low skilled labour and it’s suitability for affordable housing align with the visions for the future outlined by the UAE.” While, Machin concluded that the adoption of new technologies is shaping how they approach turnkey projects in the Middle East. “Innovation continues to impact the way Losberger De Boer designs and delivers structures, but we don't see the value in innovation for innovation's sake. Our advances are always borne out of necessity or our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Machin. “Our experience tells us that what worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Therefore, we work very closely with our clients to fully understand what their requirements are, so we can deliver a bespoke solution rather than simply installing a structure.” " I think the benefits that modular construction can offer are simply too great to ignore any longer," says Sweeney Photo courtesy: © Ramboll Samana Greens is "a one-shift operation" WORDS BY RANJU WARRIER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMANA DEVELOPERS Construction Week toured the site of Dubai-based Samana Developers’ flagship project Samana Greens in Arjan, Dubailand, and spoke to the group’s general manager, Alan James Gammon, about the single-structure development’s construction, finance and payment model, as well as the location SITE VISIT 70 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COMFOLLOW CONSTRUCTION WEEK @CWMIDDLEEAST JUNE 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 71WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM SITE VISITLocated in Arjan, Dubailand, Samana Greens is Samana Developers’ rst real estate project. The four-storey single-building project, which is valued at $20.4m (AED75m) is on-track to be delivered in June 2020. Speaking to Construction Week during an exclusive site tour to the development, general manager of Samana Developers, Alan James Gammon says: “Arjan Dubailand was an area where we had a number of plots over the years. It is the most important area of town, due to its proximity to tourist attractions like Miracle Garden and Butter y Garden, along with ve international schools, and the recently opened Mediclinic Parkview Hospital.” “This was a natural area for us. This is where the end-user or the investor would be interested in living,” he adds. Sitting across the table in a site- of ce at the Samana Greens site, Gammon, excitedly tells Construction Week: “The name Samana Greens came about due to the location as well as the company’s commitment to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint. All of these things together go with the green-theme.” Samana Greens sits on a total built- up area of 13,000m². The property has 122 units comprising studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, six retail spaces, and features a leisure deck that is home to facilities including a swimming pool and jacuzzi, landscaped terrace as well as a gymnasium with sauna and steam room. The project features a parking bay on the ground level, with one bay each for every unit. Gammon adds that the only facilities on the ground level are six retail spaces and the reception area. “All other facilities are on the rst oor. It is a common theme across all of our projects. We don’t have basements.” Samana Developers’ projects are self-funded, and the developer does not rely on bank borrowings. Speaking about the self- nanced model, Gammon, notes: “Historically, it has been very important for the group to deliver on its promises. The only way you could do that is when you have the nancial muscle-back behind you in order to ensure that contractors, subcontracts, and suppliers are paid on-time, so that the project could move ahead at the right pace.” The tender for Samana Greens was issued in January 2018 and the construction started in April. Conforce Arabia Contracting is the main contractor of Samana Greens development. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works have been implemented by Ever Safe Contracting that is acting as the MEP contractor. Emsquare Engineering Consultant is providing lead designer, architect of record, and project management services. In addition, the rm is also the main and MEP consultant for Samana Greens. When it comes to MEP works, for Samana Greens these are at “a more advanced” stage than the construction itself, according to Gammon. This is because the MEP contract wasn’t tendered. “It [MEP works] is not reliant on the construct to a point, and MEP is always moving. Tiling can only be done once the waterproo ng has been completed. Similarly, painting can only be done after frames are installed at the windows. “Everything has a patterned ow, and there is a very stringent build phase, where the contractor has to make sure the building is managed appropriately,” he explains. The general manager says that the developer did not face any logistical challenges. “We tried to bring Samana Greens is located in Arjan, Dubailand in close proximity to Miracle Garden SITE VISIT 72 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COMSamana Greens features a swimming pool, jacuzzi, and landscaped areas at the deck on the rst oor equipment and products on the site as and when it is required to be installed.” “One of the main reasons being the security on-site. There are always issues with site security, however good you are at it. We have additional security and cameras in place. Our main warehouse in Al Quoz has a storage facility that suppliers have been using to hold their products.” Samana Greens has a whole range of suppliers, starting with Jebel Ali Cement that has supplied cement; glass comes from Float Glass Manufacturers & Suppliers; Alia Wooden Manufacturer has provided wood, while ooring is by RAK Ceramics. Norwegian paints and coatings giant Jotun is the paints supplier. Meanwhile, steel has been supplied by both Ghantoot Building Materials Trading and Seven Seas Steel Industries; and aluminium comes from UFQ Al Aqsa Aluminium Factory. The MEP systems — particularly air conditioning units — have been sourced from LG Gulf Electronics. Currently 150 workers have been deployed at the site of Samana Greens, who have together recorded 5,200 Lost Time Injury-free (LTI) man-hours. “All the workers had to go through a health and safety programme prior to coming to the site. There is a health including contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers are the rst ones to feel the pinch. Samana Developers is ensuring that none of its projects face such challenges. Gammon says: “Main contractors can be very thin on the ground nancially, because they over-extend by working on too many different projects. They are always trying to balance that part of money around all the sites. It is dif cult for us because we are self- funded, so we have the money readily available.” “We are paying directly now to subcontractors to ensure that the site is nished on-time.” While Samana Greens is nearing its delivery deadline, the developer is also working on another community- style project Samana Hills, which was launched last year, and the 233-unit Samana Golf Avenue. “The last two to three months of the project is usually the busiest time, because everyone is working with each other on the site and all of the subcontractors are trying to get their work nished,” Gammon concludes. “Everybody has to work in sync, and that is when it is most important for the project management team to work closely with all of the subcontractors, and the main contractor.” The project comprises 122 apartments divided between studios and one- and two-bedroom units and safety manager on site at all times. Their [workers] safety remains of utmost importance to us as a group,” Gammon af rms. The Samana Greens site operates at day-time. Gammon tells Construction Week: “It is a one-shift operation.” While payment delays continue to loom, construction stakeholders JUNE 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 73WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM SITE VISITEXPO EXCLUSIVE 74 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM Construction Week’s Ranju Warrier speaks to Justin McGowan, commissioner- general of Australia at Expo 2020 Dubai, about the one-year delay of the World Expo, construction of the Aussie pavilion, and worker welfare, in a virtual sit-down PARTICIPATING IN THE WORLD EXPO WAS A “STRAIGHT FORWARD DECISION” The Australia Pavilion will be located within Expo 2020 Dubai’s Mobility District [image: Supplied] For Australia, the decision to participate in World Expos is not one to be taken lightly. The last World Expo that Australia participated in was the Expo 2010 Shanghai in China. “We missed the World Expo in 2015, but this one [Expo 2020 Dubai] had a very compelling business case. It was a straight-forward decision for Australia to participate at the World Expo,” says Justin McGowan, commissioner- general of Australia at the Expo 2020 Dubai, while speaking to Construction Week in a virtual interview. He continues: “This will be the largest ever participated expo, which is fantastic. The visitor profile is compelling, and it is truly a global event with 70% of the visitors expected to come from outside the UAE, which is not typical for expo.” According to McGowan, the hub nature of Dubai makes it the “perfect location” for the World Expo. “The financial, logistics, and the ideation hub, that is Dubai, is really a place where the world comes together, so it was a natural fit for Australia.” Based on the theme ‘Blue Sky Dreaming’, the Australian Pavilion is located within the Mobility District at the World Expo’s 4.38km2 site in Dubai South. “The theme of the Australian Pavilion talks about an ambitious, optimistic, and young nation that has grown on 60,000 years of civilisation in terms of innovation, indigenous connection to land, sea, and sky,” explains McGowan. He continues: “What you’ll see from the Australian Pavilion is innovation, and research and development (R&D) that we have in a whole range of sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, and space industry.” In May 2020, it was confirmed that Expo 2020 Dubai will run from 1 October, 2021 to 31 March, 2022, instead of its previous timeline, 20 October, 2020 to 10 April, 2021. The change in dates was announced after a two-thirds majority of the Bureau International des Expositions’ (BIE) Justin McGowan, commissioner-general of Australia at Expo 2020 Dubai [image: Supplied]Bait Al Naboodah Museum is one of Sharjah’s notable heritage architecture projects [© ITP Media Group]. Overall construction including the visitor experience, the shell and core, as well as furniture installation is 50% complete at the pavilion [image: Supplied] EXPO EXCLUSIVE JUNE 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 75WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM member states voted in favour of postponing the World Expo by a year, as a way for participating nations to cope with the impact of COVID-19 that has left an unprecedented effect on global economies. Speaking about the delay and what it means for Australia, McGowan says that the proposed one year delay doesn’t affect the work at the pavilion “so much”. “We are on-track, even if the event was to open in October 2020, and not October 2021. We are in a very strong position to finish the pavilion on-time.” Currently, Australia is reviewing its budget for its participation at the World Expo in light of a one-year postponement. McGowan notes: “Things like utility costs and putting the pavilion into a hibernated state for a period of time will inevitably have additional costs that we need to manage.” Talking about the funding model of the Australian Pavilion, McGowan says: “It is 100% by the public money, with additional events and activations being funded through sponsorships and partnerships with the private sector.” A three-storey structure, the Australia Pavilion is being built on a 3,500m2 plot. “The peak of the building will be about 21m-high and the usable floor area within the building will be between 2,700m2 to 3,000m2,” McGowan says. “That is a good size in terms of managing up to 15,000 visitors a day coming to the pavilion.” Brisbane-based architects bureau proberts have designed the pavilion, with UK’s Turner & Townsend being appointed as the design consultant for the project. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) has also picked TVG to operate the pavilion. A cultural programme is curated by Jacqui Bonner Marketing + Management (JBMM), with the pavilion’s visitor journey being planned by Melbourne-based Accolade. The tender to construct the Aussie Pavilion was issued at the end of October 2018. In May 2019, the contract was awarded to Dubai-based contractor, ASGC, with the ground on the pavilion being broken in July. Foundation works on the pavilion commenced in September. ASGC is working with its subsidiary, Al Shafar Interiors (ASI) on the pavilion. “At this stage we are very impressed with the work they are doing,” McGowan says, commenting on the contractor’s work. He continues: “A contract for the decommissioning of the pavilion has already been issued, and it is also through ASGC.” Explaining about various materials used at the pavilion, McGowan says: “The entire cloud structure is made of aluminium sheets — 90% of which comes from Australian products — that have been produced off-site and manufactured in the UAE. These aluminium sheets will go back to a company called Gulf Extrusions — the flagship company of the Al Ghurair Group of Companies — which is lending the material for the pavilion.” Meanwhile, Hemal Group, a family- owned company from Tasmania has supplied hardwood cross laminated timber for the terrain. SMI (Steel Masters International), a UAE-based company, which has “a connection to Australia”, has provided the middle decking of the pavilion. Another Aussie firm, Design Conference, which is also located in Abu Dhabi, did all the fire and safety elements, with cloud lighting design being done by Skyelume. Additionally, all the bathroom accessories at the pavilion have been supplied by Caroma, which enables real-time tracking of water usage throughout the building. The Blue Sky Dreaming-themed Australian Pavilion has completed over 60,000 safe man-hours on-site. As of April 2020, Australia has deployed around 70 to 80 workers on-site, and during peak construction period, the number goes up to between 100 to 120. McGowan says: “We take the health and safety of our workers incredibly seriously. Regardless of the schedule and timeline, the safety of workers is paramount to Australia. Our worker healthcare and safety standards have been exemplary to-date; and we have had no injuries or accidents.” He adds: “We are on-track and it is an accelerated process. However, this is one of those unique projects where the deadline is truly moveable.” Overall construction including the visitor experience, the shell and core, as well as furniture installation is 50% complete at the pavilion. Meanwhile, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) works have commenced at the pavilion, and it is being carried out by Abu Dhabi-based electrical and mechanical engineering and contracting firm, Lasco. “We have a really strong design in terms of MEP, but you need to think about — now that the delay is occurring — on how to structure the warranties and the durability periods. “However, we will still continue with the installation, testing, and commissioning, and we will put the pavilion into an hibernated state, until we are ready, closer to the time of the opening next year,” McGowan affirms. The commissioner-general concludes: “If you come to the Australian Pavilion, we would love to have you as our guest, but be prepared, it is going to be something that is really compelling. We are looking forward to bringing that to the world.” INTERVIEW 76 CONSTRUCTION WEEK JUNE 2020WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM What is Honeywell Building Technologies’ (HBT) role in ongoing projects in the Middle East and the GCC region? The UAE has been at the forefront when it comes to driving sustainability in the region, and it has been made a key priority and objective set out in the UAE Energy Strategy 2050. As a result, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are planning and developing several smart sustainable cities. As the government continues to focus on achieving its sustainability and smart city visions, we expect to see an acceleration of sustainable smart building and infrastructure development. It is a sector that we are both proud and excited to be contributing to, through advanced technology, expertise and local partnership. For example, during a pilot at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) in Dubai, our Honeywell Forge Energy Optimisation solution demonstrated an initial 10% in energy savings, after being integrated with a competitor’s solution. As an accredited smart university founded on innovation, HBMSU was looking for ways to explore Internet- of-Things (IoT) solutions to drive optimisation and energy efficiency across its facility. Energy Optimisation was applied to HBMSU’s Honeywell Forge existing building management system that uses a third-party, non-Honeywell technology The vice president and general manager for Honeywell Building Technologies - META, George Bou Mitri, speaks to CW’s deputy editor Anup Oommen about integrated building technologies, smart cities of the future, and sustainable building solutions BUILDING COGNITIVE, AND “CONSCIOUS BUILDINGS” THAT ARE “HIGHLY INTUITIVE” AND SUSTAINABLE George Bou Mitri Vice president & GM for HBT META [Photo courtesy: HBT] which is supported by the platform’s open architecture and hardware-agnostic capabilities. The additional energy savings are significant as HBMSU is regarded as a highly smart, energy-efficient building with fully connected lighting, cooling, building management, power and efficiency control that is optimised based on real-time occupancy. Thanks to digitalisation and integration, we were able to achieve significant additional improvements. We’re also helping occupants become more productive by connecting buildings and protecting people like never before. With emerging technology such as smart edge devices, advanced analytics, facial recognition, and machine learning, our first-of-its-kind technology integration with Intel is enabling new AI capabilities in our connected security platform. Enhanced capabilities such as this will drive cost and time savings by significantly reducing false alarms, and will meet compliance requirements such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through identity anonymisation. In terms of other projects, we’re helping ensure that security remains a central component of the future smart city infrastructure – from both a physical and a digital perspective. We are incredibly proud to play a key role in supporting Egypt’s smart city vision, providing cutting-edge smart city solutions for the New Administrative Capital. How will HBT technology be used in future smart cities? Our technologies are helping to shape the future development of smart buildings and cities; and improving the safety, security, and energy efficiency of urban areas around the world.JUNE 2020 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 77 INTERVIEW WWW.CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM intuitive, ambient intelligence that is built with quiet sensing, analytics and AI-ML algorithms that deliver experiences around people, who occupy manage, design and build these buildings. These buildings will become part of connect ecosystems, forming humane as well as smart communities and cities. - Conscious: As the climate crisis becomes a reality, government regulations and public opinion will drive how urban environments are built. Conscious buildings will not only optimise resource consumption, but will also contribute to the environment by generating, harvesting, storing, and managing resources like energy, air and water. - Quantified: As buildings get connected with intelligent edge and sensing, they collect multifaceted data. This data, with advanced machine learning and AI algorithms will transform buildings into highly intuitive and anticipatory entities. Over time, an analysis of the accumulation of this data can help assess structural improvements and optimise operations. - Gen-Z: The incoming workforce has untraditional expectations when it comes to work. For example, Gen-Z workers want enterprise systems as intuitive and polished as the consumer platforms they grew up with. They increasingly expect employers to champion green technologies and they want a tailored occupant experience as personalised as their Spotify playlist. Pivoted around socio-cultural shifts, these buildings will look, feel and behave like Gen-Z. In Egypt, we are collaborating with the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) to deploy city- wide surveillance systems across the New Administrative Capital. This is the largest smart city project in the world, and will cover 700km2, making it about the size of Singapore. The surveillance systems will be integrated into a single point of control, called the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). The ICCC will integrate advanced IoT software and hardware solutions onto one common platform for a holistic city view that provides unified public safety services, coordinating security response units, city police and medical dispatch. Honeywell technology will also power advanced management systems for smart parking and smart utility services for electricity, water, and gas, including street lighting, smart metering, smart grid monitoring services, and integration with smart digital signage management, billing, and financial systems. In March 2020, we launched Honeywell Forge Energy Optimisation, a cloud-based, closed-loop, machine learning solution that continuously studies a building’s energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts to optimal energy saving settings without compromising occupant comfort levels. It is the first autonomous building solution focused on decreasing energy consumption, which can deliver double- digit energy savings, decrease a building’s carbon footprint, and can be implemented without significant upfront capital expenses or changes to a building’s current operational processes. Through Honeywell Forge, we’re creating a platform that has an open architecture and hardware-agonistic capabilities that uses the latest self-learning algorithms coupled with autonomous control. The result is that we can aggregate data from disparate systems so customers can make better decisions to help improve their bottom line. From an energy management standpoint, Honeywell Forge Energy Optimisation can help building owners save millions of dollars in costs, and will ultimately even help reduce the amount of energy used by buildings globally. Beyond the energy savings, our technology can help building owners save on maintenance costs as well. What are the sustainability trends to watch out for in 2020? Sustainability and energy efficiency are complex issues that touch every aspect of a building and present many simultaneous challenges — energy costs, occupant comfort, and energy security and reliability, to name a few. However, these also present opportunities for construction stakeholders to leverage using a responsible and sustainable approach – one that is grounded in data. From our perspective, there are some key trends which the buildings of tomorrow will need to focus on in 2020, and beyond. Buildings will need to be - Cognitive: They will need to possess “In Egypt, we are collaborating with the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) to deploy city-wide surveillance systems across the New Administrative Capital” [Photo courtesy: Honeywell Building Technologies]Next >