DSA Digest Issue 10

DSA Digest Q4 2017 | DSA DIGEST | ISSUE 10

DSA APPOINTED FOR LUXURY ATHAIBA BEACH CLUB Resort, MUSCAT, OMAN DSA are delighted to announce that we have been appointed for full design, site supervision and design management services on the prestigious Athaiba Beach Club project, which is being developed by the Royal Omani Police and will be operated by one of the World’s leading Hotelier’s.

Situated along the Muscat Coast on 18 November Street close to Muscat International Airport, the development will comprise 174 ocean-facing guestrooms and suites set amongst luscious greenery and wrapped around a lagoon pool across the 36,000m² beachfront site.

As the ROP’s first resort property in Oman, luxury facilities will include a specialty seafront restaurant, all-day-dining, conferencing and banqueting areas, spa with 4 treatment rooms and 2 treatment suites, fitness centre and a host of water features and relaxation areas. The property will also feature valet parking, concierge, 24-hour room service, laundry and day cleaning, as well as state of the art smart card access and wi-fi systems.

The five-star deluxe property is scheduled to start welcoming guests in 2020.

Peter Davison, Project Director commented: ‘It is a great honour for DSA to be working on this prestigious project and we are extremely appreciative of the confidence entrusted in us by the Royal Oman Police to deliver what will be a magnificent development and a major asset to the Oman tourism market.’

In this issue: • Welcome from the MD

• Road To Mongomo

• Onwards & Upwards

• Chedi, Khor Fakkan

• DSA Draw Winner

• Marasi View, Business Bay

• Interview with the Interns

• Golf Apartments, Dubai Hills Estate

• Ahead Design Awards Success

• Social Media – ‘Sharing is Social’

• One to One with Lee Ton

• Project Update - Casino (South Africa)

• Year End Party

WELCOME TO DSA DIGEST I am delighted to welcome you to the tenth edition of DSA DIGEST which also provides an excellent opportunity to reflect on the last twelve months for DSA Architects International, as we bid farewell to a productive 2017.

We began the year on an extremely positive and proud note by being awarded the Emirates Magazine ‘Top UAE Architectural Consultant’, which was testimony to the hard work from all our team in the Middle East office, which is very much appreciated by myself and all of the Directors. When one considers our ongoing projects, such as the Marriott RAK Resort, Jawaher Saadiyat Villas, Abu Dhabi, the Al Zahia Residential, Sharjah and the Raffles Hotel & Residences, Jeddah to name just four; it is clear that our passion for cutting edge architectural design is recognized, not only amongst our peers, but crucially by our clients.

This is significantly reflected in the new projects we have been awarded throughout this year, where we have forged or rekindled new and existing relationships on developments such as the Upscale Water Canal Hotel with the Engineer’s Office, the Athaiba Beach Club Resort for the Omani ROP, Burj Square Central Residences with Nshama and a recently awarded residential project on the up and coming Dubai Hills Estate with Emaar. This augurs very well for the coming year and beyond and underlines our position as a significant player in a competitive marketplace.

Our strength in depth as a team helps to foster strong performance and results and it is relevant to note that in 2017, twelve members of staff celebrated a decade of service with DSA. Such longevity and continuity is a major asset for DSA and further inspires loyalty and confidence from our clients. Complementary to this, our current

DSA DRAW WINNER Congratulations to Babu Ramanand, winner of the ‘DSA Draw’ featured in the last edition of DSA DIGEST. A total of 24 correct entries were submitted and we thank everyone who took part.

team of University interns demonstrated the high quality of emerging architectural talent, which DSA place a major emphasis on fostering, by playing a central role in our winning design competition entry for a prestigious residential development in Bahrain. (See page 3) DSA’s support of aspiring architects and young people goes to the heart of our corporate philosophy. Giving back to the community and the industry from which we belong is crucial to us and supports our CSR initiatives. In line with our ‘DSA Cares’ programme throughout the year, we were very proud to help raise awareness of the fight against cancer and also to actively support the Rashid Centre for Disabled in Dubai. 2017 was designated the ‘Year of Giving’ for the United Arab Emirates and it epitomised the DSA spirit when money was donated by our staff to buy care packages for workers based in Sharjah.

The team spirit we have developed within the company is a source of pride for me and this was once again clearly evident at our recent team building event, as part of the End of Year Celebrations at the Le Meridien Mina Seyahi beach in Dubai.

On behalf of all the directors of DSA, I would like to thank everybody for all your dedication and hard work this year and I wish you and your families, loved ones and all our valued clients, partners and friends, an enjoyable festive season and health and happiness in 2018.

Best wishes, Steve Kelshaw, MD Middle East

Onwards & Upwards Congratulations on More than 8 years service to: MAHER BOUSSAD PRO, joined on 17th October 2007 (10 years) SHERNAN MAYOYO Architect Inspector, joined on 7th October 2008 (9 years)

Babu is pictured here receiving the prize cheque for $250 from Steve Kelshaw (MD) and Peter Davison (Director)

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FLORIS J G SMITH Design Principal, joined 9 th November 2008 (9 years)

STEVE KELSHAW Director, joined 31st January 2008 (9 years) TIM GOODALL Director, joined 31st January 2008 (9 years) JUNEPHER CACPAL Office Assistant, joined 1st February (8 years)

DSA’s AWARD WINNING INTERNS… DSA DIGEST caught up with the Dubai office team of award winning interns and found out how life has been for them in gaining real life experience at a leading international architectural firm.

The focal point of discussion centered around the team’s recent success in winning a design project competition for Dheya Tawfiqi Engineering Consultancy Bureau (DTEB) and is essentially this client’s proposed development in Salmabad, Bahrain.

Having the opportunity to be involved in project designs from the start and to work across a number of different concepts, was for each team member, an outstanding factor when asked about the most memorable aspects of their time at DSA Architects. One of the other projects they have been engaged with during their time at DSA was the Upscale Hotel, Dubai Water Canal, for the Engineer’s Office.

Under the expert guidance of DSA’s Senior Associate, Lee Ton, (also interviewed in this edition – see page 4) each of the team felt they had learned many things that could only be found in a real world environment. Lee’s teachings on the importance of photography in architectural design being one such example. As far as each of the interns were concerned, working with design software tools such as SketchUp and V-Ray and having the benefit of Lee’s 24/7 mentoring have been priceless.

Irrespective of their status in the practice, each of our interns shared the opinion that DSA was a super friendly place to work,

Left to Right: Rasika Iyer – Kashish Pamnani – Jesney Lewis – Rashly Albuquerque – Abhijeet Singh – (Sreya Sugunan, not present)

with everyone having time for each other and offering support where required. A lasting memory will undoubtedly be the office party held in recognition of their aforementioned competition victory.

These future architects will now return to their universities, both in Dubai and India respectively and once qualified, will commence their architectural careers. When asked about what they will remember most about DSA Architects, the unanimous view was that they had all learnt something new every day and have been inspired to devote their professional careers to architectural design.

DSA thanks each of the team for their creativity, teamwork and dedication throughout their time with us so far and wishes them every future success.

AHEAD DESIGN AWARDS 2017 Winners!

AHEAD, the Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design revealed its winners in a glittering ceremony at The W Hotel, Al Habtoor City, Dubai.

Celebrating the most ambitious and innovative hotels from across the Middle East and Africa, winners included the DSA designed secluded lodge retreat in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

We are delighted to announce that DSA Architects International (Africa) received the award in the following category:

‘Lodges & Tented Camps’ – Belmond Eagle Island Lodge, Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Chairman of DSA Architects International, Mr Clive Shepherd, receiving the award.

www.dsa-arch.com

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One to One with ... Lee Ton Senior Associate – Dubai Office Lee’s career in Architecture was one born out of a fortuitous encounter. His original passion was in Graphic Design but a chance meeting with a friend in the late eighties, charted a different path to his career when he was introduced to Architecture.

Born in East Timor (Timor Leste),Lee spent his formative years in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1994. He graduated as an architect in the depth of a recession and was initially employed in his first position with the Sydney based firm Kann Finch, for graphic design works. It was Lee’s design skills that brought him firmly to the attention of the directors, when he won an office competition to design a twenty-storey commercial building in Sydney Central Business District. The project was commissioned and built.

Subsequently, he went on to design three other buildings in Sydney which have also been built and in his late-twenties, Lee’s career was launched, all under the watchful eye of Floris Smith (Design Principal, DSA Architects) who was also with Kann Finch at the time.

After four years with the firm, Lee decided to broaden his horizons and traveled to Europe to see and experience architecture.

The plan was to backpack through Europe for three months, but after this time he wasn’t ready to return home and ended up in London (still one of his favorite cities from an architectural perspective, Paris being No.1) and joined the interior design firm, Pringle Brandon. One year later, Lee went back to architecture and joined the prominent architectural firm Sheppard Robson where he spent the following nine years working on several high-profile projects for blue chip clients.

The Headquarters building in Surrey, UK, for pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, holds a special place in Lee’s career and that project also won a prestigious RIBA Gold Medal Award.

In 2007, Kann Finch approached Lee to join their Dubai office. The opportunity provided a step closer towards the return to Sydney, which persuaded him to leave London. He was 10 years overdue after all!

The global financial crisis was around the corner and the first five years in Dubai proved testing, as in most industry sectors. Despite the economic climate, Lee gained valuable experience as a Design Director and Senior Project Director on a wide range of projects, namely, Mastercard’s Dubai HQ, a 14-storey fit-out for Middle East Communication Network (MCN) and a major hotel and apartment development for Aldar Properties.

Attracted by DSA’s diverse portfolio of projects and the strong culture of constantly exploring new ideas and designs, Lee joined the firm in 2013. He particularly relishes some of the hospitality and residential projects and cites Al Zahia for MAF, Dubai Properties’ Culture Village Hotel and Al Futtaim’s Cairo Festival City, as prime examples.

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Education and continuous self-improvement were engrained into him from an early age. Lee credits his parents’ moving the family in 1981 from East Timor to Australia, in providing him with the opportunity to receive a solid education and pursue his career in architecture.

Whilst living in the UK, Lee completed a Chartered Architect Registration from the University of North London in 2001 and two years later added an Executive MBA from the University of Westminster to his qualifications. The investment in additional studies and skills development has subsequently proved invaluable to Lee, enabling a broader, all-round appreciation of project and business management practices. As a firm believer in the ‘hands-on’ approach to projects, this is a solid foundation from which to operate effectively.

These days, when he is not working, Lee is focused on family life with his wife Silvia and young son, Jonan.

Although he loves beach volleyball, he will have to wait for Jonan to join him before he plays again.

We wish Lee every future success with his DSA projects.

The Road To Mongomo Following the hugely successful inaugural DSA Architects ‘Road to Mongomo Qualifier’ Presented by Worldwide Golf at Al Badia Golf Club in Dubai last year, the 2017 event was staged at a new home on Thursday 21st September at the immaculately conditioned Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club.

The Road to Mongomo Qualifier presented by DSA is a unique event open to all professional players, which leads to a field comprising an intriguing blend of MENA Tour players and local club professionals.

In addition to playing for a small prize fund on the day, the main attraction is the unforgettable experience and opportunity bestowed upon the top three finishers.

These players will be flown, all-expenses paid, to compete in December’s Equatorial Guinea Golf Championship, the 3e Actuaries OPEN in Mongomo, for a prize fund of US$150,000 for men and US$100,000 for ladies, among a top class international field assembled from around the world.

Congratulations go to this year’s winner South Africa’s Tyler Hogarty (Pictured Centre) and joining him on the plane to Mongomo will be second placed Englishman Kyson Lloyd (Left) and fellow countryman Ben David (Right) who grabbed the third and final place on offer.

This tournament is one of the most exciting events on the region’s golfing calendar and provides a perfect promotional platform for DSA Architects whilst underling the firm’s commitment to supporting innovative sporting and social projects.

TEAM BUILDING – ON THE BEACH This year’s DSA Architects Year End Staff Party, staged at the Mina Seyahi Hotel complex in Dubai, adopted a team building theme.

With activities that included, Marshmallow Tower Building, Kayaking, Balloon Relay, Pass the Sponge and Tug of War, five teams vied for the coveted ‘Champion Team’ award. Competition throughout the day’s proceedings was good humoured, yet healthily fierce and with an additional prize on offer for the best named team, the Black Eyed Peas, Blue Bandits, Red Warriors, Snow White & The Rapid Dwarfs and Green Avengers had it all to play for!

The judges decided that the Blue Bandits were the best named team and coming out on top at the end of the event were the Black Eyed Peas team. We won’t make too much of the Green Avengers winning the Wooden Spoon award!!

This was a great occasion and thanks to everyone who took part and a huge thanks to all those involved behind the scenes in organising the day.

www.dsa-arch.com

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Reflection of Excellence CAP VERMELl COUNTRY CLUB, MALLORCA DSA are proud to have completed a spectacular new and exclusive Country Club on a greenfield site amid the lush landscape of Mallorca. The 2500 m2 Cap Vermell Country Club complements the nearby Park Hyatt Mallorca, also by DSA, completed a few months earlier in 2016.

The country club combines the facilities of a golf club house with those for spa, sports and leisure. Blending traditional materials and craftsmanship with clean unambiguously 21st century architecture, the building is a bright new jewel set against a green backdrop and the deep blue Mediterranean sky.

The complex features a 25 metre 5 lane indoor pool, outdoor pool, tennis courts, gyms, sauna, bar and restaurant. Relaxation, sitting areas and terraces have been created which combine together and overlap. As the day progresses indoor areas are joined or screened off from the outdoors. The design adapts to the changing atmosphere needed to cater for a diverse clientele. Courtyards, galleries, landscape, screens and terraces blur the distinction between indoors and outdoors.

The Cap Vermell Country Club raises the bar for sporting, recreational and hospitality provision on the Balearic Islands.

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NEW PROJECT AWARD THE CHEDI Resort & Spa, KHOR FAKKAN DSA Architects are delighted to be appointed as design architect and lead consultant on The Chedi project, located in Khor Fakkan is positioned in a prime and picturesque location on the coast of Sharjah near the Fujairah border, UAE. This mountain side Resort boasts ‘framed’ views of the Gulf of Oman with a backdrop of mountainous terrain and when blended with the Architectural character of The Chedi Brand, these 2 combined elements will mutually complement each other providing a unique Guest experience.

The Project consists of a 140 Guestrooms distributed between 2-storey clustered chalet’s in addition to a Fort entrance building with drop-off area, Spa, F+B areas inclusive of a Signature restaurant, a VIP Villa and numerous pools and water features, which will all interact with the luxurious natural Beachside Resort.

The site for the new Chedi, Khor Fakkan development

NEW PROJECT AWARD MARASI VIEWS PROJECT

NEW PROJECT AWARD GOLF APARTMENTS, DUBAI HILLS ESTATE

The Marasi Views Project is positioned in a prime and strategic location at the junction of Al Khaleej Al Tejari Street and Happiness Street, at the gateway into Business Bay from Sheikh Zayed Road and a short walk from the Business Bay Metro Station.

A community oriented development of four mixed use high quality residential towers (with retail on the ground floor / podium spaces) integrating both recreational and community services together. The project consists of 4 towers (G+ 3P+ 14 floors) with residential units towards the golf course, in order to let the facades come down to the street level. The buildings are strategically located with extensive views and connections to the vast expanse of golf course and to very high end residential gated villas. All buildings will have active ground floor along the main boulevard of the development ensuring a variety of destinations to serve the community.

The Project, which commenced on 5th October 2017, consists of a 1B + G + 2P + 14 floor residential development with retail and F&B at ground level and the apartments offer spectacular views towards Downtown Dubai and the Dubai Water Canal.

Currently in pre-concept stage, DSA’s scope of services will encompass multidisciplinary pre-concept and concept design services and delivery of sales and marketing package for the launch of this prestigious project for Emaar Properties.

We are delighted to have been appointed as design architect and lead consultant on this exciting new development in Dubai, for leading developer Dubai Properties.

www.dsa-arch.com

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SHARING IS SOCIAL… The benefits of sharing company posts and media content can be exponential.

Any DSA Architect colleague who is active on social media platforms will more than likely have hundreds, if not thousands of followers between all of their different accounts. It is also highly probable that your connections are like-minded, or in the same field of business, thus making your company’s content relevant to a far broader audience. It is simply too large a potential audience to ignore!

A little maths hints at the potential.

Suppose you’re a mid-sized company with a collective total of 5,000 followers across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Now, let’s say you have 100 employees, each with (a relatively modest) 250 followers of their own, for a total of 25,000 unique followers. By sharing messages, you can boost your corporate audience (in theory) from 5,000 to 30,000 instantly.

It isn’t just a numbers game, of course. Word-of-mouth messages from friends and colleagues are widely seen as more relevant and trustworthy than social media posts from corporate accounts. As a result, content shared by employees, by one recent measure, enjoys eight times more engagement than content shared by brand channels and is re-shared 25 times more frequently. Even more impressive is the fact that leads developed through employee social marketing, convert seven times more frequently than other leads. When employees share messages, companies not only expand their social media reach, they also get measurably better results.

Not all content DSA posts on social media will be relevant to all followers. Whatever the platform however, we can harness the power of our collective reach significantly if we all share content where relevancy exists and this will go a long way in improving the web traffic we enjoy and our performance in search engine optimisation (SEO).

This in turn improves the visibility we experience in organic search results as stakeholders and prospective clients conduct their online research.

Quite simply, sharing is good for building your own social presence and profile and very good practice for DSA Architects.

Remember to add the #DesignedtoDeliver and #GreenDSA hashtags to all your posts.

#PROJECTUPDATE TIME SQUARE, SUN INTERNATIONAL Located at Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, South Africa, Time Square is the latest project to be developed by Sun International Group. Representing the largest development in the hospitality, gaming and leisure industry since the construction of the GrandWest Casino in Cape Town in 2000 also a DSA Architects project.

Costing more than 4 Billion Rand, the development creates a venue for entertainment, gaming and upmarket accommodation. Time Square is the second largest Casino’s in South Africa, featuring 2000 slot machines and 60 gaming tables over two floors.

The architectural design has been driven by the need to create a large, high profile entertainment complex appropriately and sensitively, within the urban fabric of Menlyn Maine – in terms of both its visual impact as well as the impact due to the influx of large numbers of people and to ensure that the external aesthetics, together with the internal theming of the complex, are compatible with the overall aesthetics of Menlyn Maine, yet distinctive, exciting and attractive to the target market.

Time Square takes its place as the group’s flagship property, comprising a state of the art casino, luxury hotel, conference facilities, 14 restaurants, lounges and bars, upscale retail outlets and an 8000 seat Arena. Time Square hails the start of a new era in entertainment, events and conferencing for Pretoria, South Africa.

DSA Architects International (Middle East) address: tel: fax: mail: web:

Office 204, Convention Tower, Zabeel, Dubai, UAE +971 4 329 2288 +971 4 329 2289 dsa.dubai@dsa-arch.com www.dsa-arch.com @DSAarchitects DSA Architects International @dsaarchitectsintl

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