< Previous STANDARDS 30 September 2021www.fm-middleeast.com perpetual and ready-to-activate - and offers a rigorous, solid structure of measures, policies, protocols and relevant answers to help property developers and landlords achieve the resilience of a building. The Index is structured by the following seven modules: • Legislation, Governance and Compliance Measures • Exterior Measures for Building Accessibility • Outdoor Space De-densification • Building Receptions and Common Areas Prevention Measures • Office Area Prevention Measures • Restrooms Specific Prevention Measures • Facility Management Measures WHY SHOULD I DESIGN A BUILDING USING THE HEALTHY BY DESIGN APPROACH? Healthy by Design is a comprehensive playbook for helping developers and landlords to implement a coherent system for the built environment to withstand present and future health challenges and minimise their impact. Healthy by Design® is more than a proprietary, innovative concept, it is ultimately the real-estate industry’s response to a shift in the society’s culture, to a new mindset that emerged organically following the harsh impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Health has rightfully become one of the primary, fundamental concerns for companies, individuals and communities worldwide. As a direct consequence, it is now mandatory for developers to address this new reality by identifying and implementing overarching solutions to secure the health and safety levels of their developments. CAN I CERTIFY AN EXISTING BUILDING WITH THE IMMUNE BUILDING STANDARD? Yes! Upgrading existing buildings and facilities to become IMMUNE compliant is the short term objective. The process starts with an evaluation performed by an Assessor, an independent third-party company specialised in the field of sustainable building design, development, and certification. The Assessor is trained by the Accreditor to verify how the architectural engineering and design measures were implemented in the assessed building and how the Facility Management (FM) team is implementing the operational practices. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF IMPLEMENTING AND COMPLYING WITH THE IMMUNE BUILDING STANDARD? Health and safety requirements have become paramount for any development, especially following the structural economic and social changes generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to reach such desiderate, we strongly believe that every building will have to incorporate by design clear measures, technologies, policies and protocols to deliver and secure a safe environment to their tenants. This is more than a trend, but rather an element of “hygiene” that has become an absolute must-have in the industry. The objectives of the IMMUNE Building Standard are: • To implement a mandatory set of requirements in built environment focused on health and safety. • To offer a clear guide to ensure compliance with such measures, preventing risk and management of present and future health adversities as viral crises. • To instruct, educate, and prepare facility management teams to act with efficacy in case of a pandemic threat. • To efficiently protect visitors and building occupants, in the present and future. • To ensure a productive space for people, spaces where they conduct activities that are Healthy by Design®. • To promote widespread adoption at a time of global crisis by developing IMMUNE as a platform for buildings to model and implement. The platform invites collaboration, support, and contributions from a variety of experts and competent people to further update the criteria. WHAT TYPES OF BUILDINGS DOES THE IMMUNE BUILDING STANDARD COVER? IMMUNE was initially designed for offices and now has been extended to industrial and residential buildings. The standard is under constant development, with the aim to extend its outreach to other types of buildings, like retail, hospitality, healthcare or education in the future. The standard can be used and implemented by any international building assessment and certification entity to certify buildings and facilities at any stage of their life cycle, such as new, in-use, or regeneration projects. The IMMUNE standard self-cleaning touchpoint.STANDARDS September 2021 31www.fm-middleeast.com HOW WILL I BENEFIT FROM IMPLEMENTING THE IMMUNE BUILDING STANDARD IN MY BUILDING / FACILITY? The IMMUNE certification validates the resilience of a building or facility. It is a mark of its unique ability to efficiently prevent and fight against health risks, minimising the impact of potential bacteriological or toxicological threats. An IMMUNE label communicates vision and leadership in facilities operations and management, it builds a strong reputation in the industry by promoting market share and creating a best in class service and, most importantly, boosts confidence and trust among existing and future tenants and the broader community due to the secure health environment it nurtures. FEATURES OF AN IMMUNE RATED BUILDING As per the recommended engineering and design in the criteria, the workplace of the future could include, various unique features established by IMMUNE, such as: • IMMUNE Stewards would be deployed within each building to implement and monitor activities. • The IMMUNE Quarantine/Room – a specially designed, fully equipped, and ready to use area in case of an immediate need to isolate any exposed people. • The Emergency IMMUNE Warehouse – contriving a rapid and effective relief logistic system for pandemic-response, containing specific protective materials including PPE. The IMMUNE Steward will be responsible to maintain the stock materials and to distribute at building level all the necessary to ensure safety to all occupants. • IMMUNE Digital Twin – digital screens placed in receptions to display immunity-boosting indicators such as daily improvement of indoor air quality in comparison to outside air, water parameters vs. the water source received from the city network, and different measures imposed by the IMMUNE Steward, relevant information related to the good functioning of IMMUNE equipment throughout the building. OTHER ELEMENTS INCLUDE: • Built-in technologies to enhance the sanitisations of indoor spaces in the prevention of bacteria, viruses, and toxins spreading. • Bathrooms to be fully equipped with Bio Sanitisers – Urinal & WC Hygiene Flushing System. • UV lighting disinfection and air purification systems installed in the elevator shafts to ensure safe transportation between floors. • Hydrogen peroxide ions air disinfection installed in the ventilation system to keep the indoor environment as healthy as possible. • UV-C air disinfection system installed in the AHU unit. • Humidity Comfort Control System combined with the Extra filtration in the ventilation system to reduce health risks related to fine particles and air pollution. • High-class Water Purification system using the Reverse Osmosis technology designed to remove a large majority of contaminants. • Walls covered with antimicrobial paint proven to prevent bacteria as well as mould and mildew growth. • Rounded corners to minimise bacterial deposits in toilet cubicles, crowded areas such as meeting rooms. • High-class air filters across cafeterias and break out rooms. • Entry and exit for an IMMUNE building through touchless access control technology, while highly used areas like doors, elevator buttons or vending machines in the cafeteria are safer to use due to the self-cleaning technology placed on each surface. CASE STUDY 32 September 2021www.fm-middleeast.com Business transformation is a very popular concept among management consultants, but in reality, few organisations have UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS THAT INITIAL SAUDI GROUP UNDERTOOK FOR ITS BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY the vision, confidence and corporate strength to undergo a process that often involves making fundamental changes to their culture and to the way they conduct their business. Fortunately for Initial Saudi Group (ISG), the Board members, the founders of the company, had the necessary vision, confidence and strength to embark on such a journey. BUSINESS TRANSFORMATIONCASE STUDY September 2021 33www.fm-middleeast.com Initial Saudi Group is among a relatively small number of businesses that realised very early on that the KSA business landscape, driven in large part by the Vision 2030, was undergoing a transformation, and that to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities this changing environment presented, they also had to change. For the FM market this is particularly important, with the ever-growing portfolio of world class ultra-modern infrastructure projects demanding a dramatic move away from traditional manpower-driven service delivery methods and towards far more sophisticated FM solutions. It was decided that to remain amongst the leaders in the KSA FM market, Initial Saudi needed to change the way it operated. John Nolan was therefore brought in as chief executive officer, a seasoned leader with the energy, drive and necessary experience, to deliver the required Business Transformation Project. LAUNCHING THE TRANSFORMATION PROJECT The Initial Saudi Business Transformation Project was launched in October 2019 and, with support from the board, Nolan’s first objective was to restructure the company into three distinct business units, Facility Management, Manpower Support Services and Workforce Business, and to appoint senior experienced executives to lead each division. The next key step was to select a team of nine leaders to form the General Executive Leadership who would manage and lead the entire transformation process. The team included a Transformation Consultant who had valuable experience in managing similar projects. DEVELOPING THE PROJECT The General Executive Leadership’s first priority was to formalise a structured transformation process. This currently covers 13 transformation programs and over 350 projects across the company, and includes a detailed project schedule which is divided into four distinct phases: The Envision Phase: This involves the development of strategic blueprints for each of the 13 programs. The Engage Phase: This involves the development of the list of projects needed to achieve the goals of each program. It also includes the assignment of project managers and team members, and the development of project schedules and milestones. The Transform Phase: This is where individual projects are executed and includes regular status reports at both divisional and group-wide level. The Optimisation Phase: This is where additional areas for improvement can be identified. Each program enters this phase as they get close to completion of their transformation phase (round 80% completion). Business cases are made for each additional improvement, including costs, benefits and time schedules. The entire Initial Saudi Business Transformation Project is now more than 60% completed, with many of the key projects already completed and a number of programs having entered the Optimisation Phase. THE BENEFITS OF TRANSFORMATION The Business Transformation project at Initial Saudi has brought a number of cultural changes to the business as well as making some major changes to the way it operates. Importantly it has seen the company start its transformation into a truly process-driven business, supported by technology, automation and a solid ERP System. By monitoring and measuring the performance of key processes, the company is now able to identify both key drivers for success as well as key challenges. This enables it to highlight areas for improvement as well as develop more innovative solutions and, ultimately, enhance the performance of the business as a whole. Similarly, by managing individual and team performance, Initial Saudi is able to improve and reward employees and teams, which helps the company to attract and retain the best talent while delivering superior performance. For Initial Saudi’s clients, the primary benefits include having a service provider who is totally focused on quality, efficiency and continuous improvement. And of course, the ultimate benefit of the Transformation Process is ensuring the Initial Saudi Group maintains its position at the forefront of the burgeoning KSA FM market by having the tools to keep growing and developing its business, both in terms of size and capability, and always in step with the rapid growth and development of the KSA economy. John Nolan, CEO of ISG. The Business Transformation project at Initial Saudi has brought a number of cultural changes to the business as well as making some major changes to the way it operates.FORECAST 34 September 2021www.fm-middleeast.com From the end of employment as we know it to offi ce design on demand, Herman Miller reveals what the next generation of architects and designers are dreaming up for the offi ce of the future 1. MASTERING THE WORK/LIFE BALANCING ACT People and the organisations they work for will develop better boundaries between work and life to encourage deeper, more meaningful engagement with both. This means learning when to disconnect from tech, an end to multitasking, using analytics to understand when they are in prime condition to work and seeking out jobs that allow them to work during peak performance hours (which may not be 9–5). 2. MAKING TIME FOR FACE TIME The benefits of working at home – pyjamas, productivity – will only fulfil you for so long. Eventually, you’ll be drawn back to the in-person connections you can find in the office. Future Staters see the workplace of the future as a magnet that attracts and focuses energy in a world where a by-product of improving communications technology has a natural tendency to grow the divide between us. They’re pushing designs that promote face time (the non- iPhone variety) in spaces that accelerate authentic connection. 3. AN AMAZON APPROACH TO STAFFING Soon, the Amazon mindset of “give me what I need, the second I need it”, will apply to more than paper towels and prestige TV. This accelerating need for speed, coupled with a steep rise in the number of freelancers, could create a new way to staff companies. Organisations will be built and rebuilt project-by- project, by handpicking from a large pool of consultants. This post-employee model will let you expedite processes, get to market quicker, design better and faster and innovate productively, all by harnessing the industry’s top talent for the specific task at hand. 4. A BRAVE NEW ERA OF CLIENT FEEDBACK Future Staters dream of a smart device that could show a design team exactly how people respond to the music, furniture, lighting and general vibe of a space. Once a person’s watch captures the response and the data loads into an app, the app populates a Pinterest page, makes product suggestions and translates a good feeling – one that the client might have THE FUTURE OF WORKFORECAST September 2021 35www.fm-middleeast.com struggled to articulate – into tangible design inspiration. Between the watch and the app, you’ll get direct responses to the stimuli in the space and the information you need to act on it. 5. TRENDING TOWARDS TECHNO- OPTIMISM The designers dream that the impossibility of last-minute client requests – cutting half a million pounds from a budget, value engineering a 10-storey building to 8 – might soon be a thing of the past. Across our four events, we heard about robot contractors, next- level modelling software and automated on-demand furniture manufacturing. Despite some of the anxiety the designers tapped into about our personal relationships with tech, when it came to with an increasingly distributed workplace. The global HQ will be gone. In its place, you’ll find a series of Work Pods all over the world, where you can sign in and stay as long as you like. Herman Miller recently launched the Post-Pandemic Office Collection - OE1 Workspace Collection, the latest in a line of office products that embraces the unpredictability of the future of work by landing squarely at the crossroads of agility, functionality, and modularity. OE1 offers a wide range of items that can be used to create highly varied work settings yet are flexible enough to adapt to growth, new needs or desires, or even the unexpected—like a global pandemic. COVID-19 is certainly leaving an impression on how companies and individuals will work in the future. With vaccines rolling out globally, infection rates dropping, and local governments beginning to increase the occupancy of everything from local parks to restaurants, CEOs around the world are looking for new office solutions to fit the future of work. the promise of AI, big data and robotics for aiding the design process, the group was enthusiastic. 6. OFFICE DESIGN ON DEMAND Today, you hack your office so it better meets your needs (and ask for forgiveness later). What if tomorrow you not only get to influence, but control, a uniquely designed space based on the needs of the moment? Future Staters imagine a new kind of office design technology called Sensify. It’s an app that transforms tech- enhanced white walls in your space into whatever you want them to be. Need a space that inspires you? Program a view of the mountains and project it onto the walls. Boss in town? Reprogram to display the latest customer analytics. 7. THE DECENTRALISED OFFICE It’s great to work from anywhere, but anywhere doesn’t always have the best Wi-Fi or the tech you need to collaborate with partners across the globe. Future Staters see a chance to meet the needs of an increasingly distributed workforce FM CONFERENCE 2021 36 September 2021www.fm-middleeast.com FM contracts, worker welfare and training will be discussed at FM Conference 2021 T he Facilities Management Middle East Conference will be held on 29 September and will take place as a physical in-person event for the first time. The half-day event will bring together consultants, senior executives, government representatives and other experts from the facilities management industry in the Middle East. This iteration of FM Conference will focus on the ambiguity associated with FM tenders and the process of winning the right ones. Also, there is an intrinsic need for FM firms to have FM-specific contract templates. In addition to this, the conference will tackle the subject of THE GREAT DEBATEFM CONFERENCE 2021 September 2021 37www.fm-middleeast.com worker welfare and what it really means. The event, which will be held at the V Hotel Dubai, Al Habtoor City, will comprise three panels and three presentations. The speakers, so far (at the time of writing), include Jennifer Peltenburg, a facilities management consultant, David Carey, CEO of MET Consulting, and Tarek Nizameddin, senior executive director - commercial at Ejadah. Peltenburg is a highly accomplished global management professional offering over 20 years of experience operating in Facilities Management (FM), Real Estate and Aviation sectors in the Middle East, Europe, UK, and North America in Business Development. Focusing on innovation, Jennifer has a proven track record of turning around loss making businesses and driving a company’s revenue, profitability and long-term success, as well as developing and executing start-up companies and services in the GCC. Carey has had a varied, international career specialised in implementing and prestigious grade) member of the IWFM UAE Chapter and MEFMA Strategic Committee. Momtaz held senior executive positions with Khidmah (subsidiary of Aldar), QBG Facilities Management Group, Abu Dhabi National Hotels Compass (a joint venture Abu Dhabi National Hotels & Compass Group), Damac Holding and the Al Fara’a Group. The sponsors so far for the event are Ejadah as Platinum Sponsor, and Adeeb Group, Emirates National Facilities Management (EnFM) and YAEMCO as Silver Sponsors. For more on sponsorship opportunities, please get in touch with Vinay Ravindran, Group Sales Manager at vinay.ravindran@itp.com. Attendance is by invitation only, and is strictly managed to ensure all attendees are senior FM professionals. managing technology. Originally an underwater engineering and combat warfare specialist in the UK’s Royal Navy, he has been involved with asset management and planned maintenance for over forty-five years, around the globe, operating and maintaining mixed- use facilities of major corporate and public organisations. Nizameddin is leading Ejadah’s commercial division as the senior executive director – commercial, driving the business development and marketing of Ejadah’s SBU. In his capacity, Tarek is also overseeing the operations and service delivery of soft services, and manages Ejadah’s Abu Dhabi portfolio, in addition to leading the sustainability and energy management department. The moderator of the event will be Sara Momtaz. With over 20 years of experience, Momtaz is a recognised industry expert in the Facilities & Workplace Management, Property Management & Real Estate and Asset Management field. Renowned and qualified as a Fellow “FIWFM” (most The event, which will be held at the V Hotel Dubai, Al Habtoor City, will comprise three panel discussions and three presentations. The Facilities Management Middle East Conference 2021 will be a physical in-person event.www.fm-middleeast.com38 September 2021 SUPPLIER NEWS DISTRICT COOLING Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider has signed an acquisition agreement of Nakheel’s district cooling unit, with a total cooling capacity of 110,000 refrigeration tons (RT) and a total value of AED860m. The acquisition agreement stipulates that Empower will acquire all the assets of the Nakheel’s district cooling systems that serves more than 18,000 customers in 17 major urban projects through 19 plants across Dubai. Empower will also manage and operate them and carry out all the activities, functions, operations and obligations. HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, the Director General of the Dubai Ruler’s Court; CEO and Board Member of the Investment Corporation of Dubai, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nakheel, and His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Empower were also present at the signing of the agreement. The acquisition agreement was signed by Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, and Naaman Atallah, CEO of Nakheel. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, highlighted that Empower’s acquisition of the entire cooling systems of Nakheel reflects the booming business environment in Dubai and the growth in number and type of the acquisition deals. This indeed embodies the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This vision was further demonstrated by His Highness’ words a few days ago; “Everyone succeeds and wins in Dubai, and the next is always more beautiful and greater.” The deal also accentuates and adds to the position that Dubai occupies on the global sustainable development map. HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Chairman of Nakheel, commented that the sale is a strategic move that allows Nakheel to focus on its core business and enhance the services provided to investors, residents, business partners and customers at some of the biggest, most established communities and retail destinations in Dubai. HE Saeed Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Empower, said that the acquisition agreement is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainable development, and with Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2030, for which district cooling is one of its foundations. District cooling contributes to enhancing energy efficiency in Dubai. This agreement is a new bright milestone for Empower success and a consolidation of its local, regional and global leadership as a model of growth and prosperity of all industrial sectors in Dubai. These sectors are quite rich with investment opportunities and are definitely able to permanently develop and expand the scope of investment activities that relate to the present and future of the vital district cooling sector. “The positive implications of such partnerships far exceed their investment dimensions. We are keen that the deal would give thrust to improving the efficiency of the energy sector, achieving a qualitative breakthrough in the standards of meeting the growing demand for district cooling services, and nourishing the momentum of establishing environmentally sustainable communities across the Emirate”, HE said. Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, stated that the company’s acquisition of the Nakheel’s entire district cooling activities constitutes an important achievement for the company, which will serve some of the prestigious developments in Dubai. Empower has been consistently growing its portfolio of projects and addition of the Nakheel projects will further diversity Empower’s portfolio which will include, The Gardens, Nakheel Mall, Dragon Mart, Souk Al Marfa, Jumeirah Islands, Circle Mall, Al Khail Avenue and others. He explained that Empower has always focussed on investing in advanced district cooling infrastructure in line with requirements, and to provide seamless services to its customers and this strategy has helped Empower in achieving the leadership position in the industry. Empower will continue providing its world-class district cooling services to the new customers of Nakheel’s projects. Bin Shafar also added, that besides this deal, Empower is also exploring various other opportunities to acquire more district cooling assets. Bin Shafar also confirmed that the financing of this acquisition deal will be through a mix of company’s funds and finance from local and international banks with which Empower is having close strategic relations. The agreement stipulates that Empower will acquire all the assets of the Nakheel’s district cooling systems that serves more than 18,000 customers in 17 major urban projects Empower acquires 19 district cooling plants from Nakheel for AED860m Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.www.fm-middleeast.com SUPPLIER NEWS September 2021 39 GRID Through the research project KogniGrid, Kongsberg Digital has investigated how digital twins can be used to ensure optimal operation of power grids. As a result, Kongsberg Digital recently launched a digital twin for power grids, called Kognitwin Grid. BKK Nett has now signed an agreement on a six- month R&D project to further develop and test Kognitwin Grid. Based on the company's proprietary digital platform Kognifai, Kongsberg Digital has developed the SaaS product, Kognitwin Grid, in close collaboration with industry and research partners. This is a digital twin of the power grid, which provides insights and forecasts to identify grid bottlenecks, simulate grid scenarios and optimise grid investments. The focus has been to give operators the ability to foresee challenges to the grid infrastructure, automate alerts and complex processes, to ensure complete control and pave the way for the digitalised energy system of the future. “While an increasing part of the world's energy systems and the means of transport are becoming electric, the pressure is increasing on the power grid infrastructure, which is not built to handle the new complexity. One of the solutions is to keep building out grids for maximum capacity, resulting in more costly infrastructure and thus more expensive electricity for consumers. Digital twins enable precise and data-driven real-time insight so that operators can forecast specific needs, introduce measures to balance the network and prevent black- outs without building it out”, says Hege Skryseth, president of Kongsberg Digital and EVP KONGSBERG. Kognitwin Grid is a direct result of the KogniGrid project, launched in 2018, as a collaboration with BKK Nett, Tensio (NTE Nett), Statnett, Microsoft and SINTEF. BKK Nett has now signed a new six-month research project for further development and testing of Kognitwin Grid. ELECTRICITY High-voltage direct current cables which can efficiently transport electricity over long distances play a vital role in our electricity supply. Optimising their performance is therefore an important challenge. With that aim in mind, scientists from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, present a new insulation material up to three times less conductive, offering significant improvements to the properties and performance of such cables. High voltage direct current cables, or HVDC cables, are the most efficient means of transporting electricity over long distances. HVDC cables with an insulation layer can be buried underground or laid on the seabed, allowing for considerable expansion of networks, and many projects are currently underway to connect different parts of the world. In Europe, the NordLink project will connect southern Norway and Germany, and HVDC cable projects form a significant part of the energiewende, Germany's overarching plan to move to a more environmentally sustainable energy supply. “For us to handle the rapidly increasing global demand for electricity, efficient and safe HVDC cables are an essential component. The supply of renewable energy can fluctuate, so being able to transport electricity through long distance networks is a necessity for ensuring a steady and reliable distribution," says Christian Müller, leader of the research and professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology. During transport, as little energy as possible should be lost. One way to reduce transmission loss such as this is by increasing the direct current voltage level. The basis of the new material is polyethylene, which is already used for insulation in existing HVDC cables. Now, by adding very small amounts – 5 parts per million – of the conjugated polymer known as poly(3-hexylthiophene), the researchers were able to lower the electrical conductivity by up to three times The agreement with Tensio includes a six-month trial of Kognitwin Grid The basis of the new material is polyethylene, which is already used for insulation in existing HVDC cables BKK Nett one step closer to enabling the green transition of energy systems with Kognitwin Grid Scientists develop new insulation material for more effi cient electricity distribution Kognitwin Grid is a direct result of the KogniGrid project.. [representative image].Next >