IMAD
KRISTELLE
ABDALLAH
TATIANA
ARWA
ALEXANDER
BALSAM
American University of Beirut Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management
Final Internship Report Imad Gemayel Architects Kristelle Boulos September 4th, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENT
I. INTRODUCTION II.
THE TEAM
III.
CONNECTION WITH CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE
IV.
WORST EXPERIENCE
V.
BEST EXPERIENCE
VI.
FAVORITE PERSON
VII.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
VIII.
PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
IX.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
X.
INTERACTION WITH CLIENTS
XI.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS ACQUIRED
XII.
REFLECTION
XIII.
NEXT STEPS
WORD COUNT: 4647
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I GA 4
I.
INTRODUCTION
IGA (Imad Gemayel Architects) is a relatively small architecture and landscape design firm founded in late 2003 and located in Ashrafieh, Beirut. The firm gets involved in major projects in Lebanon and the Middle East, varying from private domains to classified National Heritage sites and to large-scale public spaces. As the design quality and environmental conditions are the main principles, the projects are wisely selected. The firm’s vision of design and architecture is a fusion of exterior and interior spaces, creating a harmonious sustainable living environment. The team’s approach is an interaction between contrasts: global yet detailed, wide yet focused, from large public spaces to individual convivial spaces. IGA describes all of these ethics through its design language: serenity, purity and neatness. Since the end of 2006, IGA is a regional representative and sub-consultant of the British landscape firm Gustafson and Porter, as well as the American architecture and urban design firm Machado and Silvetti, on most of their Middle Eastern projects. Some of the projects in which IGA is involved include: Khan Antoun Bay 2012– BCD, Lebanon Bassel Fleihan Memorial 2012– BCD, Lebanon Hazmieh Pubs 2012– Hazmieh, Lebanon Port D’Amour 2012– Damour, Lebanon BankMed Headquarter 2011– Beirut, Lebanon Roman Baths & Omar Daouk 2011– BCD, Lebanon Adlieh Development 2011– Adlieh, Lebanon Project 991 2010 – Achrafieh, Lebanon City Wall & Moat 2010 – BCD, Lebanon Sursock Gardens 2009 – Ashrafieh, Lebanon Mazroui Private Villa 2009 – Abu Dhabi, UAE Masdar City 2008 – a zero CO2 emissions city – Abu Dhabi, UAE Qasr Al Muwaiji Gardens 2008 – Al Ain Harbour Square 2008- BCD, Lebanon Drousha Private Residences 2007 – Damascus, Syria Mezyad Fort and Jabal Hafit Natural Reserve 2007 – Al Ain, UAE Sidawi Garden 2007 – Dubai, UAE Abdel Wahab Residential Tower 2007 – Ashrafieh, Lebanon Jeddah NDC Metropolitan Park, 2006 – 7 Jeddah, KSA Shoreline Walk Project, 2005 – 6 Beirut, Lebanon Khorfakkan Commercial and Residential Complex, 2005 Sharja, UAE Garden of Forgiveness, 2005 Beirut, Lebanon Al Maktoum Palace, 2005 Dubai, UAE Hazmieh Sector, 2004 Beirut, Lebanon Casa Lina Residential Building, 2004 Beirut, Lebanon Bab el Serail Square of Saida’s Old Town, 2004 Saida, Lebanon Abi Khalil Residence, 2003 Reyfoun, Lebanon Freedom Park, Museum and Memorial, 2003 Pretoria, South Africa
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II.
THE TEAM
Imad Gemayel was born in Lebanon. He studied architecture at the ‘Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts - Alba’ to which he returned after 10 years for a Master in ‘Aménagement du Paysage’. He enriched his studies with an early professional involvement. In addition to the diversity of the projects he worked on, from urban planning to architecture, interior design, rehabilitation and national heritage classified sites, Imad developed his interest towards landscaping with a long experience and a close collaboration with local and international specialized firms. Imad Gemayel’s approach is based primordially on a meticulous site analysis and a study of each project in its context and surrounding with an emphasis on a strong dialogue with nature and a pertinent use of its elements. In addition to his work, he invests some of his time to universities: He gives few lectures on different occasions at the AUB and ALBA, he teaches a design class at ALBA, at the architectural school and landscape-planning institute. He also serves as an adviser and jury member for final year projects. Alexander Zahn was born in Germany. He studied architecture at the University of Applied Sciences in Stuttgart where he received his diploma in 2004. He is a registered architect in Germany. He moved to Lebanon to join IGA in January 2009. Alexander’s valuable diversified skills are critical to the success of projects, competitions and studies. Abdallah Hajj got his diploma in architecture from the Lebanese University. Soon after, he joined the American University of Beirut to pursue a Masters in Urban Design. He joined IGA in June 2008. Abdallah’s meticulous work and attention for the details while preserving the broader concept in addition to his teamwork spirit and pleasure in cooperating with professionals from different backgrounds made his involvement a must. Rita Abou Samra got her diploma in landscape design and ecosystem management at the American University of Beirut. She joined IGA in August 2012, right after she got her diploma. Rita’s ability to stay calm even under pressure and her bubbly personality are hardly appreciated in the office.
Imad Gemayel
6
Alexander Zahn
Abdallah Hajj
Rita Abou Samra
Fig. 1 Firm Hierarchy
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III.
CONNECTION WITH CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE
One of the first tasks at IGA was to come up with a list of plants to be used in the Grand Lycee Franco-Libanais project. The horticulture & plant biology classes as well as the professional practice class were put to practice, through using the various plant Ids and creating volumes containing different characteristics about landscape elements such as hardscape, soft-scape, lighting, outdoor furniture, etc. In addition, this class was important since it provided a lot of information regarding the professional aspect of the landscape architecture field. Another class that was extremely beneficial was the computer-aided class, since most of the work had to be done using this software. In fact, there is a gap between the idealistic approach in the design classes and the realistic approach that is present at work. It was a challenge to design and be creative and at the same time to be realistic because of the limited experience in real life project executions. For instance, by redesigning a water feature for the AUT project; a design that originally looked simple happened to be actually hiding a very complex execution method that was not apparent initially. The professional practice class was a good base to introduce professional life. All the material learned in that class was actually put to practice. In fact, this class should remain in the Spring semester just before the summer internships rather than in the Fourth year, because it contains necessary information that is useful for the internships, such as: the hierarchy and relationship of the various actors/stakeholders (contractors, developers, client, ..), important phases of the projects, time sheets, professional e-mail writing, preparing a proper BOQ, etc. For instance, at IGA part of the assignments included sending e-mails to clients, filling in time sheets, preparing BOQs, and so on.
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UNPAID LEAVE
SPECIAL LEAVE
SICK LEAVE
ANNUAL LEAVE
PUBLIC HOLIDAY
TIME OUT
LUNCH BREAK
TIME IN
Fig. 2 June Time Sheet
(SIGNATURE)
AWAITING PENDING ISSUES
IG GENERAL
BUSINESS PROMOTION, CLIENT LIAISON, ETC
RESEARCH
TRAINING
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
LYCEE BEIRUT PROJECT AUT HAZMIEH PUBS
PROJECT NAME
OVERTIME HOURS AUTHORISED FOR PAYMENT NOTES DESCRIPTION TIME SHEET CERTIFIED BY
TOTAL HOURS
TOTAL WORKING HOURS NOTES LEAVE STATUS
WORKING HOURS
OFFICE ACTIVITIES
PROJECT NUMBER
NAME
MONTHLY TIME SHEET
9
0.00
10
6.50
6:30
12:00
6.50 6.25
JUNE 14
6.00
6.25
17:00 18:15
12:00 12:00
5.00 1.00
13
(SIGNATURE)
5.00
18:00
1:00
5.00
MONTH 11 12
0.00
15
0.00
16
6.00
18
1:30
7.50
19
9:00
2.00 1.50
20
6.00
6.00
7.50
3.50
18:00 18:00 20:00 12:30
12:00 12:10
3.00 3.00
17
5.75
5:45
12:00
5.00 0.75
21
0.00
22
0.00
23
7.75
25
5.00
26
5.50
27
6.75
28
6.00
7.75
5.00
5.50
6.75
12:00 12:00 13:00 12:00 11:00 0.15 18:00 19:45 18:00 17:30 18:00
6.00
24
0.00
29
0.00
30
83.50
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
83.50
16.50 10.25 54.50 2.25 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTAL HOURS
YEAR 2013
IGA
UNPAID LEAVE
SPECIAL LEAVE
SICK LEAVE
ANNUAL LEAVE
PUBLIC HOLIDAY
TIME OUT
LUNCH BREAK
TIME IN
Fig. 3 July Time Sheet
(SIGNATURE)
AWAITING PENDING ISSUES
IG GENERAL
BUSINESS PROMOTION, CLIENT LIAISON, ETC
RESEARCH
TRAINING
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
AUT ROMAN BATHS BANK MED HEADQUARTERS INDUSTRIAL ZONE HAZMIEH
PROJECT NAME
OVERTIME HOURS AUTHORISED FOR PAYMENT NOTES DESCRIPTION TIME SHEET CERTIFIED BY
TOTAL HOURS
TOTAL WORKING HOURS NOTES LEAVE STATUS
WORKING HOURS
OFFICE ACTIVITIES
PROJECT NUMBER
NAME
MONTHLY TIME SHEET
10
6.00
2
5.25
6.00
11.30 12.00 1.00 5.45 6.00
5.25
1
0.00
3
5.00 3.75
5
6.00
8.75
18.00 20.45
12.00 12.00
6.00
4
0.00
0.00
MONTH 6 7
6.00
9
8.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
10.00 12.00
2.00
6.00
8
0.00
10
7.00
0.75
12
6.50
6.30
0.00
13
(SIGNATURE)
7.75
7.45
12.00 12.00
6.50
11
0.00
JULY 14
5.00
16
6.50
17
5.00
6.00
5.00
6.00
6.50
7.00
12.00 12.00 1.30
5.00
15
0.00
18
6.50
6.00
11.30
6.00
0.50
19
0.00
20
0.00
21
8.00
8.00 2.00 6.00
8.00
22
0.00
23
0.00
24
9.50
26
6.50
9.50
11.00 8.30 1.30 0.30 6.00 6.00
6.50
25
0.00
27
0.00
28
6.00
30
7.00
31
6.00
6.00
6.00
5.00
7.00
6.00
12.00 11.00 11.00
6.00
29
120.25
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
120.25
34.50 5.00 5.75 62.00 13.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
TOTAL HOURS
YEAR 2013
IGA
UNPAID LEAVE
SPECIAL LEAVE
SICK LEAVE
ANNUAL LEAVE
PUBLIC HOLIDAY
TIME OUT
LUNCH BREAK
TIME IN
Fig.4
August Time Sheet
(SIGNATURE)
AWAITING PENDING ISSUES
IG GENERAL
BUSINESS PROMOTION, CLIENT LIAISON, ETC
RESEARCH
TRAINING
MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
RACHANA IGA PARTY SADD SQUARE
PROJECT NAME
OVERTIME HOURS AUTHORISED FOR PAYMENT NOTES DESCRIPTION TIME SHEET CERTIFIED BY
TOTAL HOURS
TOTAL WORKING HOURS NOTES LEAVE STATUS
WORKING HOURS
OFFICE ACTIVITIES
PROJECT NUMBER
NAME
MONTHLY TIME SHEET
11
12
2
6.5
12
11:00 11:00 0:30 6:00 11:00
6.5
1
0
3
0
4
5.5
5
MONTH 6 7
6
5.5
5
10:00 11:00 11:00 2:00 0:30 1:00 6:00 6:00 6:00
6
5
8
8
8
7
10:30 0.5 6:00
7
9
0
10
0
11
0
13
(SIGNATURE)
0
12
0
0
AUGUST 14 15
0
16
0
17
0
18
0
19
0
20
0
21
0
22
0
23
0
24
0
25
0
26
0
27
0
28
0
29
0
30
0
31
50
8 0 0 0 0
42
23.5 12 6.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
TOTAL HOURS
YEAR 2013
IGA
IV.
WORST EXPERIENCE
The worst experience at IGA was the day the server containing all the files of the firm was accidentally destroyed; although clear guidelines were provided on the way of turning off the server before leaving the office through a webpage requiring a single click on the “shut down” button and making sure it gets switched off. As a result, overtime presence was required to finish an InDesign presentation about the Industrial Zone, upload it to Dropbox and finally send it to the client. Yoga classes and some meditation were needed in order to cope with the gravity of the situation. I was surprised to see that everyone was very relaxed; they were even blaming the IT officer because he was not clear from the beginning about all the risks related to the server and he never prepared them to face such problems (like proposing a second back-up for security purposes). Imad was even making jokes about it by saying it’s a sign of destiny and that maybe he is going to end up as a bartender in Hawaii instead.
V.
BEST EXPERIENCE
One of the best experiences was the day of discovering a water feature in Saifi village that was similar to the one that Imad designed for the AUT project. A picture was taken and sent on the spot to Imad, who requested an immediate visit there, where pictures of the details were taken as well as some notes on the positive and negative aspects of this water feature. It was a great experience showing how a sense of observation outside the office could be put to practice for job assignments. Another intersesting experience was on the day of office photo-shoot, where Imad asked a photographer (Roland Ragi) to take pictures of the team as a souvenir. It actually felt like a family picture.
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VI.
FAVORITE PERSON
The team composed of Rita, Abdallah, Alex and Imad is remarkable due to the complementarities between them while the four are completely different from one another. Rita is a very entertaining person to be with and makes the environment at work very relaxed and fun. Alex has outstanding rendering skills and musical taste but he is a workaholic person. A lot of interesting discussions, especially about technical details were exchanged with Abdallah and he knows how to find a good balance between fun time and work time. As for Imad, behind his cold appearance he has a very warm heart and is actually shy and has difficulties communicating with people so it was interesting to know him better and to discover his uncommon sense of humor.
VII.
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Among the notable strengths was giving opinion on matters without feeling shy or hesitant, especially at InDesign presentations. Another strength is the speed and neatness in the preparation for presentations. Time management and organization at the office were additional advantages that were welcomed by Imad, who said “I forgot my desk was brown”, after having organized all the papers and books at the office including Imad’s desk. An additional strength was the ability to help finish quickly and competently the work in high-pressured situations. Indeed, Imad said “your position at the office is head of the squad unit”. In parallel, a main weakness was the limitation in the ability to design things because of the lack of knowledge and experience in the execution of projects. Another weakness is writing and correcting a text appropriately, especially that it is a necessary tool for presentations. An additional weakness is the fact of taking a lot of things personally (like for the server incident), which could affect productivity.
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VIII.
PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
IGA GRAND LYCÉE FRANÇAIS FRANCO-LIBANAIS Working with: Abdallah Hajj Time worked on: 16 hours Location: Beirut, Lebanon Client: Grand Lycée Français Franco-Libanais Scope of work: Design of the old/new extention of Lycée and of the Stade de Chayla Consultants: Architecture: Atelier Tabet (foreign firm) Urbi (local representator) Landscape architecture: IGA BEIRUT PROJECT Working with: Time worked on: Location:
Rouba Bakour 10 hours Beirut, Lebanon
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Working with Rita Abou Samra Time worked on: 90 hours Location: Jbeil, Lebanon Client: American University of Technology Scope of work: Design and supervision of the 4000 m2 outdoor spaces and playgrounds Consultants: Landscape architecture: IGA BANK MED HEADQUARTERS Working with: Imad Gemayel Time worked on: 6 hours Location: Beirut, Lebanon Client: Bank Med Scope of work: Design and supervision of the outdoor/indoor green spaces and roof terraces Consultants: Architecture: JRA (John Robertson Architects) Landscape architecture: IGA INDUSTRIAL ZONE Working with: Time worked on: Location:
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Alexander Zahn 62 hours Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
Client: Scope of work: Consultants:
Confidential Master planning and guidelines Landscape architecture: IGA
HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS Working with: Imad Gemayel Time worked on: 15 hours Location: Hazmieh, Lebanon Client: Ventures Owner: Consortium of investors Scope of work: Design + supervision of outdoor spaces (terraces and rooftops) Consultants: Architecture: BMA (Bernard Mallat Architects) Landscape architecture: IGA RACHANA ECO-VILLAGE Working with: Rita Abou Salma Time worked on: 24 hours Location: Rachana, Lebanon Client: Rachana Foundation Owner: Public Domain Scope of work: Consultancy for sustainability development and guidelines + master planning Consultants: Landscape architecture: IGA
SOLIDERE BLOCK 63 OMAR DAOUK SQUARE SI-QORTOBA LOT 800 LOT 1365.
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IX.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
AT IGA Grand LycÊe Français Franco-Libanais Working on this project was a natural choice since GLFL used to be my school so there was a personal attachment to it and it was easier to visualize the changes. The project is about unifying the school and identifying the different zones, configuring the circulation system, creating spaces with strong character, giving a coherent image of the school and making it as sustainable as possible. Four A3 sheets representing the planting scheme had to produced, including materials selections and image references that would respond to the project, taking into consideration the limited budget of the school. These sheets were presented at the meeting that was held with Habib Debs (urban planner at Urbi), Tony Kradeh (architect at Urbi) and Imad Gemayel himself. The meeting was about the material selection for the ground (stamped concrete) and issues such as how dirty it gets, how to clean it (water, acid, etc.), how the material looks when it ages, its safety for children, its cost, the thickness of the material (which affects significantly the cost), etc.. The budget was set for the material at 25$/m2, which is a challenge because it is difficult to have something impressive with this cost limitation. Another discussion was about the Gabarit, which prevents the presence of a wall just next to the sidewalk: a setback was requested (maybe by creating terraces?) which would result in a smaller site. REFERENCE IMAGES
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Material
Material
Material
Material
Material
Material
Outdoor furniture and Material
Material
Material
Outdoor furniture and Material
Fig.5
Reference Images
MATERIAL SCHEME TYPES OF MATERIALS
Concrete Bound Gravel Fine Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel Coarse Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel CoarseTexture
Concrete Bound Gravel Fine Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel Coarse Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel CoarseTexture
Concrete Bound Gravel Coarse Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel Mixed Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel Fine Texture
Concrete Bound Gravel Fine Smooth Texture
Holm Oak Quercus ilex Height: 20m Canopy: 10m
Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis Height: 6m Canopy: 3.6m
Leyland Cypress Cupressocyparis leylandii Height: 20m Canopy: 4m
Coral Tree Erythrina caffra Height: 10m Canopy: 18m
West Indian Jasmin Plumeria alba Height: 10m Canopy: 10m
Golden Shower Tree Cassia fistula Height: 15m Canopy: 10m
Fig.6
Material selection
PLANTING SCHEME: TREES EVERGREEN TREES
Carob Tree Ceratonia siliqua Height: 6m Canopy: 5m
Palestinian Live Oak Quercus calliprinos Height: 6m Canopy: 10m
DECIDUOUS TREES
Judas Tree Cercis siliquastrum Height: 12m Canopy: 10m
Blue Trumpet Tree Jacaranda mimosifolia Height: 18m Canopy: 10m
Fig. 7 Planting selection
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Beirut Project This is a personal research project that Imad Gemayel is working on in parallel with his work. It is about being involved with communities and proposing a different approach for the development of vehicular flow in Beirut. In order to propose alternative solutions, studies and research need to be conducted. “Why come to Beirut?� is a question he would like to ask everyone, in order to understand the necessity for different groups to drive to Beirut. The project aims to understand the needs and functional requirements of the public, rethink the whole system of public transportation in Beirut and finally, whenever possible, recover the green spaces that have been removed by the streets/highways. Four different surveys were planned, targeting different groups: (i) office users, (ii) people driving out of Beirut, (iii) people driving into Beirut and (iv) students. The questionnaire targeting students was spread through Internet, and over 100 answers were collected. The remaining surveys were not launched yet as higher priority projects had to be handled first.
Fig. 8 Survey made on google docs and spread over the internet
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Fig. 9 Results of the surrvey
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American University of Technology Located near Jbeil, the American University of Technology (AUT), is a private university established in Lebanon in 1998. Providing education opportunities to qualified students located between Beirut and Tripoli, AUT currently ranks among the top 10 universities in the country. The university is currently subject to a landscape design for an area of 5,316m2 located South-East of the AUT site, and divided between 4,620m2 of soft landscapes, 680m2 of hardscape and 16m2 of water feature. This area will accommodate the different activities that take place in the university such as the end-of-year ceremony, plays, concerts, etc. and will respond to the need for green spaces. The due date for completion of the project is set on the 1st of September. The first task consisted in thinking of an alternative design for a water feature. It was a great challenge since water features were not covered by design classes at AUB and any design would run the risk of not being feasible to implement. With the help of Imad and Rita and a lot of sketching, a very simple design was put together, consisting of an infinity water basin overlooking the sea with a bench stretched at the back. The design was subject to a lot of modifications due to several factors such as the budget, planting issues, existing elements on site that were not clearly represented on the plan, missing levels from the survey, new ideas, etc. The work was done simultaneously by exchanging drawings via the server. It was an interesting process and a learning experience about ways of representing elements in detailed sections and lighting plans, which were items that were not learnt in class. Lighting fixtures were chosen from the Ayanian catalogue (that AUT requested) and a lighting plan was produced based on the selected elements. In addition, a meeting was attended at AUT with Imad during Rita’s annual leave where a “minutes of meeting” report was drafted. To do list: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
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Site Plan | Rita & Kristelle Rendered Plan | Kristelle Setting out Plan | Rita Leveling Plan | Rita Softscape Plan | Rita & Kristelle Hardscape Plan | Rita & Kristelle Lighting Plan | Balsam & Kristelle 3 Sections | 2 Rita & 1 Kristelle 3 Detailed Sections (water feature, bench, mechanical room) | 2 Rita & 1 Kristelle 3 Mood Boards (ambiance, planting and material) | Kristelle BOQ | Kristelle Specs | Abdallah
PHASE 1 Ref. 1 2 3 4
Element Bougainvillea glabra Cassia nodosa Jacaranda mimosifolia Elaeagnus
Unit Qty. piece 8 piece 10 piece 8 piece 24
PHASE 2 Ref. Element 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19
Compacted Gravel Concrete-‐bound Gravel (Pathways) Concrete (Water Feature) Concrete (Benches) Paspalum Grass Thymus Serpyllum Ground Cover Bougainvillea glabra Cassia nodosa Delonix regia Schinus therebentifolia Grevillea robusta Quercus cerris Laurus nobilis Pinus pinea Pittosporum Tobira Olea Europaea Irrigation system Concrete works Mechanical works Lighting Design Fees
Unit sqm sqm sqm lm sqm sqm unit unit unit unit unit unit unit unit Unit Unit L.S. L.S. L.S. L.S. L.S.
Qty. 1430 1680 43 12 1,560 1,400 9 11 4 6 20 19 23 4 22 40 1 1 1 1 1
Price in L.L./Unit Total 35,000 280,000 800,000 8,000,000 450,000 3,600,000 55,000 1,320,000 13,200,000
Price in Total L.L./Unit 30,000 42900000 90,000 151200000 1500 64500 1500 18000 12,000 18720000 15,000 21000000 35,000 315000 800,000 8800000 450,000 1800000 600,000 3600000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 248,417,500
Fig. 10 Bill of Quantities
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IGA
s.a.r.l
ARCHITECTURE & LANDSCAPE DESIGN
th
8 of July 2013
American University of Technology, AUT Landscape Design Action Tracker - IGA The below list summarizes the discussed points and the pending issues that require action from the AUT project’s concerned parties in order to progress. Introduction th The meeting was held at AUT on Thursday the 8 of July 2013. The different parties are: AUT: Ghada Hinan (GH), Salim Hanna (SH) IGA: Imad Gemayel (IG), Kristelle Boulos (KB) Project Manager: Saad Sfeir (SS) (absent) Item 1 1.1
1.2 1.3
1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
1.8 1.9 1.10
Construction Update and Pending Issues Progress Meeting Project Manager It was proposed that Mr. Saad Sfeir will be the project manager dealing with the nominated contractors. Mr. Sfeir will also get his team involved for the works where no contractor is yet appointed. Schedule of Work and Payment Mr. Saad Sfeir will be handling the schedule of work along with the one of payments. Design Fees IGA can now get their first payment given that they have finished their design. IGA to check with their accountant if the invoice can be issued without the VAT till AUT gets registered. Lighting Plan IGA explained that they have selected the lighting fixtures according to Ayannian’s catalog. Electro-Mechanical Irrigation IGA will review the irrigation design once shop drawings are provided by the contractor. Water Tank The water tank should be more detailed. It should be able to contain 100 m3 but not be visible on the surface. Mechanical Room The location of the mechanical room, preferably next to the water tank (for practicality reasons), should be clearly shown on the drawings, with details of the access hatch from top in order to keep it discreet while solving the run-off problems. The ventilation will be provided through shafts or windows. Stairs Relocation Relocate the stairs that are behind the memorial to the side of the building. (phase II) Link to Amphitheatre A design of the connection with the amphitheatre is to be proposed. Area at the Right of the Building Plant only groundcovers and trees in containers temporarily on the slope where works are scheduled for Phase II.
Action
By (Date)
IGA/SS
Info
SS
Info
IGA
Info
-
Info
IGA
Info
IGA
Info
IGA
Info
IGA
Info
IGA
Info
IGA
Info
Minutes were recorded by KB. Please contact the undersigned for any comments or discrepancies.
Youssef Sursock Street, Jammal Building, Ground Floor, Ashrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon Tel/Fax: 00 961 1 448844 Mob: 00 961 3 241909 Web: www.imadgemayel.com
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Fig. 11 Minutes of Meeting written by me
.
Fig. 12 Old Plan
Fig. 13 New Plan
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Fig. 14 Rendering Plan
Fig. 15 Section
Fig. 16 Detailed Section of the water feature
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Bank Med Headquarters The Bank Med Headquarters is located in Clemenceau, Beirut. The project consists in designing green rooftop terraces and an entrance. Tatiana had to design the entrance and what had to be done was to produce a booklet for Bank Med Headquarter and present it to the client including mood boards, planting and hard surface materials, and all the related plans.
Hazmieh Restaurants The Hazmieh Restaurants project is located in Hazmieh next to Solidere’s project. It is a congregation of several pubs and restaurants along an edgy path (similar to Uruguay street or Zeitounay bay). Every pub or restaurant has its own terrace on a different level. What had to be done was a research about the plants, the hard surfaces and the water features selection and a presentation in a well-designed booklet including the most up to date plans and Arwa’s rendered plan.
Industrial Zone It is a confidential project, so limited information can be shared. The project is located in Ras al Khaimah, UAE and hence consists of four different zones: 1. Permanent Exhibition Center 2. Industrial Zone (The administration of the industrial zone, providing office space for management, acts as a buffer zone for the nearby residential area) 3. Storage Zone 4. Desalination Plant (It is designed to meet the needs of the industrial zone and any potential growth generated by that zone) A presentation had to be done on InDesign in order to convince investors that it is a beneficial project for them. A great amount of e-mails were exchanged between IGA and the client in order to run some modifications and update the presentation before sending it to the investors. It was challenging because unlike at the university, the purpose is to show economic benefits and not only ecological impacts and in a limited amount of time.
Rachana The Rachana Foundation has the intention of developing the village of Rachana, which is known for its artistic character thanks to the Basbous brothers’ sculptures. The purpose of this project is to strengthen Rachana’s identity by highlighting its heritage as well as transforming it into a sustainable village. Since the project is a non-profitable one, interns are mostly assigned to work on it. The work done by the different interns had to be combined in a clear presentation offering sustainable guidelines as well as different plan proposals for the different areas of the master plan. 25
A02
A03
GROUND FLOOR SECTIONS
SCULPTURAL GARDEN ZOOM-IN
AA’
GROUND FLOOR PLAN BB’
A01
ZOOM-IN 1
6(&7,21 $$·
SECTION 1
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*Please refer to the mood board A10 for additional images
ZOOM-IN 2 BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
A04
EIGHTH FLOOR PLAN
A07
ROOF TERRACES REFERENCES
BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
A05
FOURTEENTH FLOOR PLAN
A08
ROOF TERRACE 14TH FLOOR REFERENCES
BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
A02 022' %2$5'
HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
Jacaranda mimosifolia
Lagerstroemia indica
BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
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HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
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BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
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ROOF TERRACE 8TH FLOOR REFERENCES
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BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
Fig. 17 Bank Med presentation - moodboards and layout done by me
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PLANTING REFERENCES
BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
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BANK MED HEADQUARTER IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS | 05.07.13
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HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
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Quecus calliprinos
Gardenia jasminoides
Lavendula angustifolia
Rosmarinus officinalis
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Myrtus communis
Vitex agnus castus
Thymus vulgaris
Salvia apiana
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Erythrina caffra
Callistemon viminalis
Delonix regia
Albizia julibrissin
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HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
Fig. 18 Hazmieh Restaurants presentation - Layout, moodboards, materials and plant selection done by me
26
HAZMIEH RESTAURANTS IMAD GEMAYEL ARCHITECTS I 19.07.2013
RAS AL-KHAIMAH
GENERAL OVERVIEW
Population: 263,217 (2012) Area: 1,684 km2 Density: 137 inhabitants / km2 Time Zone: UAE standard time (UTC+4) Coordinates: 25°47’N 55°57’E
Introduction
Oman
Average Temperature in January: 24.8 °C Average Temperature in July: 42.7 °C
Ras Al-Khaimah is one of seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), situated on the eastern side of the Arabic Gulf. Its name means “Top of the Tent” in arabic.
Russia Europe
The capital city and home of most residents is also called Ras Al-Khaimah. It has two main sections, Old Ras Al-Khaimah and Nakheel, on both sides of a creek. The city is accessed by the Ras Al-Khaimah International Airport.
Ras Al-Khaimah
Turkey China Egypt
Umm al-Quwain
Fujairah
Ajman
Sharjah Fujairah
Dubai
The emirate in general consists of a northern part (where the city of Ras Al-Khaimah is situated), a large exclave in the south (near Hatta), and a few small islands in the Arabic Gulf.
Ras Al Khaimah UAE
Not being a producer of oil, Ras Al-Khaimah has focused on developing its industrial sector. Today, the emirate is home to many national institutions, government agencies, and international companies. Its ever-growing business community has been recognized globally, regionally and nationally, while the emirate is rapidly emerging as an investment destination. Geographical Location China
Abu Dhabi
Ras Al-Khaimah is located in the northern part of the United Arab Emirates, a strategic location at the entrance of the Arabic Gulf extending between latitudes 25° - 26° and longitudes 55° - 60°. It lies at about 40 minutes from Dubai; and throughout historywas considered to be a link between the Arabian Gulf and Asia. Ras AlKhaimah has a time zone of Greenwich + 4 hours.
Oman
FREE ZONES
DISTANCES FROM RAS AL-KHAIMAH
Free zones, now spreading all over the globe, provide a strategic location to cater for investments. In addition to major networking facilities (Ports, highways, airports), the zone provides the investor with the following: 1- Political, economic and legal stability 2- Strategic location –Geographic links and network 3- Utilities, infrastructure, security and business services (banks, offices, warehouses, staff etc.) Additionally the project will provide all kind of necessary activities to include permanent exhibition, industrial zones, warehousing facilities, staff & labour accommodations and utility facilities 4- Price/cost and diversity of services and the freedom of determining them 5- Easiness (Simple and easy single window processing for licensing as well as visa formalities., minimum bureaucracy-licenses, permits), open, transfer in/out of capital, funds, personnel (residence, passport etc.). Clear development master plan
Iran
km 125
150
km
Iran
km
- Easiness of different forms of incorporation - 100% foreign ownership - Freedom from all types of personal and corporate taxes - Exemption of import duties on all imports (machines, equipment, spare parts and raw material etc.) - Trade Licenses to be issued within short periods; Investors to have 24 hours accessibility to their offices without any complications or security procedures - The allowance of short, medium and long term leases and property contracts - No minimum capital required if you are setting up a branch of a foreign / local company - No restrictions on ratio of foreign employees - The certification “Made in UAE” to be granted to products containing a certain components ratio of UAE origin
50
km
75
100
km
Major Investment Advantanges
25
km
Oman
Ras Al-Khaimah
Umm al-Quwain
Fujairah
Ajman
Fujairah
BENEFITS There are numerous aspects that can be considered as benefits to the project including: - The political stability of the United Arab Emirates - The competitive nature of the rendered services’ prices - The stable trade in authority within the Emirates (this applies to the political stability taxation and legal stability, as well as litigation system) - The privilege of benefiting from international treaties and agreements to ensure that investments are far from all non-economic threats as well as provided with preferential diverse markets. China can be considered the most qualified country to play a main role in contributing to the development of the Emirates from one side and take advantage of investment opportunities on the other, through the points discussed above. The trade policy in the UAE explains it further:
MOBILITY - Being part of the United Arab Emirates which is a member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), Ras Al-Khaimah is exempted from customs unions, and is free to establish commercial activities and other features.
The project is an attempt to creating a modern urbanised area that is free of privately-owned vehicles.
300m / 5min. Walking Distance
Without the need for personal vehicles, the residential area has the opportunity of operating on a model that avoids carbon dioxide emissions, noxious gases, and provides a safer pedestrian and human-friendly environment while reducing resident carbon footprint which contribute to global warming.
- Being part of the Arab world allows it to have special trade agreements with other Arab countries, thus giving it access to the open Arab markets.
The principle behind the transportation strategy is designing a city around people’s needs and not around the need of cars as many modern cities do. Therefore, promoting walking as the primary mode of movement and also creating a human-friendly and safe environment are this city’s necessity.
- Alongside to the GCC, Ras Al-Khaimah has negotiated bilateral trade agreements with countries including the European Union (as a single trading bloc), Turkey, China, Australia, as well as the United States.
Principles
- The UAE also passed on to Ras Al-Khaimah the privilege of double tax treaties with Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, China, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Venezuela.
P
150m / 2-3min. Walking Distance
Public Park
Car Parking
1- Ban the entrance of all external vehicles to the residential area. 2- Replace them with an emission-free and carbon-neutral transport system. (electric shuttle buses) 3- Keep the walking distances short. 4- Provide high quality streetscapes with various means of shading. 5- Private parking locations within the green belt boundary. (shaded palm
Playground
Shops
grove parkings)
Public Green Space
School
Trade Policy in the UAE and RAK - The UAE, being a contracting party of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), makes it that the traditional laws and regulations governing licensing, agency requirements and UAE majority ownership in the country and in Ras Al-Khaimah in particular are completely eliminated, creating dynamic business environments.
Shuttle Buses Sport Facility
Work Places
WASTE MANAGEMENT
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Industries are a great source of hazardous waste, which should be carefully regulated in order to prevent unsafe and illegal disposal of hazardous waste on land.
We propose solar and wind energy as part of the renewable energy as they happen to respond to the context.
Principles
b. Chemical Methods: converting hazardous chemicals into harmless chemicals by using Cyclodextrin or Nanomagnets c. Biological Methods: cleaning-up some types of toxic waste by using the bacteria bioremediation or using another approach called phytoremediation which involves using natural or genetically engineered plants to remove pollutants from the soil
Relying on solar energy is a necessity and one of the basic elements when we talk about sustainability, especially in sunny deserts where the sun is omni-
MOST FAVOURED OPTION
present. We can get renewable solar energy either directly or indirectly.
REDUCE
Lowering the amount of wate produced
WIND ENERGY RECYCLE
RECOVERY
Wind energy is now the cheapest and most non-polluting way to produce electricity as efficiently as possible, once its low environmental costs are included. According to energy analysts, wind power has more benefits and fewer serious drawbacks than any other renewable energy resource.
Recovering energy from waste
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE OVER 3000x OUR CURRENT ENERGY NEEDS
Energy resources of the world WIND: 200 X BIOMASS: 20 X TIDE: 2 X
HYDRO: 1 X GEOTHERMAL: 5 X
RE
d. Incineration: heating hazardous waste to high temperatures (up to 2000ºC); the disadvantage of incineration is that it produces highly toxic ash, which must be stored in a landfill designed for hazardous waste e. Plasma Touch: It is used to incinerate the toxic waste at high temperatures. It can decompose liquid or solid hazardous organic material into ions and atoms that can be converted into simple molecules that are cleaned up, and released as a gas. It can also convert the inorganic material into a molten glassy material that can be used to encapsulate toxic metals.
Using materials repeatedly
WA NE
a. Physical Methods: using charcoal or resins to filter out solids, distilling liquid mixtures to remove harmful chemicals; and precipitating such chemicals from the solution in order to detoxify hazardous wastes. Deadly waste can be encapsulated in glass, cement or ceramics and then put in secure storage sites
NERGY TECH BLE E NIQ UE S
SOLAR ENERGY
1- Produce less hazardous waste
LANDFILL
Safe disposal of waste to landfill
SOLAR: 2850 X
LEAST FAVOURED OPTION
Waste Management Hierarchy
2- Recycle the waste 3- Reuse the waste
Fig. 19 Industrial Zone presentation - Layout and graphics done by me * This is only a small part of the 30-pages presentation, the rest was omitted for confidenciality purposes.
27
AT SOLIDERE Block 63 A briefing material needed to be prepared for the concerned consultants following meetings with urban planners from Solidere (Mazen and Mostapha) where the discussion was about finding a solution for a concrete boundary that was separating a private lot from an open public space. In the public domain, it is permitted to build any wall while in the private domain, it is not allowed to build a wall facing the public domain. Since this construction was not permitted by law, one of the solutions was to create a very low wall and to build behind it a green wall so that it doesn’t create a sudden cut with the open public space while at the same time it would provide some privacy to the private lot. Qortoba For the Solidere International (S.I) project “Qortoba”, a workshop took place with the presence of Bödeker Partners (Christoph Dankers and Ulrich Rederer), Khatib&Alami and the architect Nabil Gholam. Bödeker Partners presented a PowerPoint Presentation explaining their concept and design that was mainly developed around water. The main concept was a “natural oasis” where all its borders get blended within the city; for example, from a very green alleyway to a boulevard they tried to push gradually the greenery out in the urban areas. The further you get away from the “oasis” the more the planting becomes formal. The plants used are a mix of tropical and local trees. Outside the site they used desert plants. As for the lighting, they tried to integrate it as much as possible with the plants and direct it towards outdoor furnitures in order to reduce lighting pollution. They talked about the importance of including large shading trees throughout the campus in order to encourage outdoor seating, as well as the design of flood areas where water can be collected during the wet seasons. They also mentioned that cascading water is not recommended because it increases the water evaporation. Instead, in order to use water efficiently, it is suggested to include still water and add some fountains in order to oxygenate it. All in all, 900 m3/day of water would be needed for irrigation. Lot 1365 The work consisted in writing down observations during a construction site visit where the department manager was running a control on the executed works. For example, the report included notes on a manhole that needed to be relocated because it is placed between the sidewalk and the road. Lot 800 For the lot 800 (the path behind the Elie Saab building), the assignment consisted in helping to design a secure temporary passageway for inhabitants of the building, taking into consideration the construction works behind the plot and the presence of workers, especially during night time. Panoramic pictures were taken and a photomontage was prepared with potential spots for light bulbs in order to light the street as much as possible. Detailed measurements of the paths were taken and the AutoCAD plan was updated with the actual measurements, following which, the path was extended to the other side of the building and a BOQ of the surface area was prepared.
* No graphics could be taken from Solidere
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X.
INTERACTION WITH CLIENTS
Most of interactions with clients were via e-mails especially for the Industrial Zone, since it is located abroad. Generally, the process included sending e-mails to clients, waiting for their feedback, updating the presentation and sending it back. In addition to e-mails, meeting the client takes an essential role, as a lot of discussions happen around a drawing with the help of a pen. At the meeting for the Grand LycÊe Français Franco Libanais project, interacting was easier because it was in French and it was about my previous school, as it is also the case for Habib Debs (urban planner at Urbi). An important part of the discussion was about giving personal opinions about the school and how it can be improved.
Fig. 20 Example of an e-mail exchange between the clients and me
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XI.
LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS ACQUIRED
During the internship at Solidere last summer, a lot was learned about the mechanism of operations at such a large firm: the hierarchy of the staff, the communication between the different departments and even different companies, and the internal organization. Valuable insight into the field of landscape management was gained which is something completely different from what is learnt in the design studios: rather than designing, it was more about supervision, making sure that everything is working well. Another important element is the variety of projects they work on, which gave an idea of the different aspects of the profession. It becomes clearer that the profession is beyond sitting behind a desk and working on an autoCAD drawing. It is about communicating as clearly as possible ideas and comments, discussing, meeting people from around the world, working on site for supervision, looking for solutions, keeping notes of potential materials or plants or furniture that could be used in a project and much more. During the internship at IGA, much was learned about the mechanism of operations of a small firm: the relationship between the personnel, the role of each of them and how they are able to handle a large amount of projects. Each person works at a specific pace and is responsible for whatever he or she is doing, hence, there is no tense atmosphere in the office. In addition, working with the team helped to understand how to do sections on AutoCAD, and understand levels and coordinates and pay attention to details rather than the design itself. There could be a simple rectangle viewed from top on a plan, but there are so many ways in which it can be more impressive only by working on the details. Experience at IGA showed how important it is to work in teams and to switch projects when there is an impasse in a specific project instead of having one specific project to work on till the end. In fact, it is the complete opposite, in the sense that each project has a bit of input of each of the employees; in the end, it is a combination of everyone’s effort and everyone can proudly say that he or she worked on this project. It is no different than a group project.
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XII.
REFLECTION
Having worked at large firms such as Solidere and Dar al Handasah before working at a small firm such as IGA, the following could be drawn:
Experience at IGA
Experience at Solidere/Dar al Handasah
Informal dealings between team members.
Formal and somewhat cold dealings between team members.
Comfortable set-up including couches, homey kitchen, garden and mini bar.
Formal office set-up.
Care about the environment: trash is recycled, printing is only on scratch paper. Most of the personnel commutes by bike, limited use of A/C and lamps.
Main concern is delivering on budget and time.
Direct implication of interns in most projects on hand where they get responsibility for the tasks assigned to them.
Limited implication of interns who are not given any responsibility in the tasks to be accomplished.
Direct contact and dealing with end clients .
No direct contact with end client.
Interns are given temporary e-mail addresses using the firm’s main website (kboulos@imadgemayel.com).
Interns are not expected to communicate through their own e-mails, hence no company e-mail addresses are provided.
Continuous follow-up by the firm’s owner with everyone in general including interns.
No interaction with the firm’s owners.
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XIII.
NEXT STEPS
After having acquired some experience in a small firm (IGA) and at larger firms (Solidere and Dar al Handasah) a clearer idea is formed about what to expect in professional life. Perhaps starting in a large firm can be more enriching than starting in a small firm in the sense that there is more exposure to different aspects of a project and to different people. On the other hand, working in a small firm allows having more direct input in multiple projects under execution. However, having completed these various internships, it would be more beneficial to start working in a large firm to strengthen the knowledge in a wide variety of projects from small scale to large scale. Such an experience will give a chance to get a view of various sections of the project process: from the preliminary architecture drawings, to engineering plans to landscape designs and having to deal with various constraints due to the feasibility of executing the landscaped sections of the projects. After acquiring sufficient experience at a large firm (this could extend from one to three years), partnering with one or more landscape architects in a small firm would be possible, benefitting from a pool of projects extending from the design stage up to the execution. Following graduation, since I am a U.S citizen, I am considering moving to Miami and look up for a job at a relatively large firm, following which a master’s degree could be eventually considered.
MIAMI
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BEIRUT