Window & Facade Magazine Middle East, March-April 2020

Volume 2 | Issue 4 March - April 2020

FACE TO FACE Firas Hnoosh, Managing Director, Nordic Office Architects

TRENDING TECHNOLOGIES IN ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE INDUSTRY Experts’ views on the current trends and technologies in architectural hardware

INDUSTRY SPEAKS Richard Lee, Managing Director, Brital Limited, Dubai

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PREFACE Dear Readers, We hope you are doing well and staying safe, passing through these unusual difficult times.

COVID-19 has hit the whole world and the economy is also affected by this pandemic. As a result of the implications on the economy, the construction sector has also been shaken as the work on construction projects has slowed down. It has been also declared by the officials that the Dubai Expo 2020 could be postponed to next year, which has also put a brake on the construction work happening on its sites.

In UAE, the project promoters are insisting on the contractors to negotiate the price of the awarded projects. To control the current situation in the construction sector, banks in the region have taken an initiative to lead the position to ensure the funds flow through the construction sector smoothly.

It is a tough time but this too shall pass and everything will be back on track soon.

For the buildings, we majorly focus on its façade, doors, windows, roofs, interiors, etc., but the architectural hardware plays an equally important role. The scenario of the architectural hardware industry has changed a lot over the years. The technology in architectural hardware has evolved. To make the building’s fire-safe, the selection, and installation of handles, locks, closers, hinges, and related products also get reviewed under the codes and guidelines. Along with the use of technology, the design of the hardware has also evolved over these years.

This edition has the cover story on architectural hardware and for this, we have interviewed a few experts from the industry in the Middle East. These experts have shared their opinions on the current technological trends in the architectural hardware products, specifications and norms to choose the products, how the architectural hardware industry has evolved, etc. The magazine also has some recent updates of the industry in the Buzz section, interview of the well-known architect Firas Hnoosh Managing Director, Nordic Office Architects in Face to Face section, articles authored by the experts from the façade & fenestration industry, etc.

You can write to us to share your feedback and suggestions at editorial@wfmmedia.com. Your feedback is highly appreciated and will help us to improve for the better.

Until then, stay safe and stay healthy.

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CONTENTS Avoiding Façade Warranty Problems

Mohamed Merchant, Associate Director, TÜV SÜD Dunbar Boardman

8

Trends in Architectural Hardware in the Middle East Rolf Manuel, Project Sales Manager, Al Marafi Architectural Products FZCO

Testing Methods for Better Acoustic Performance Mike Carrick, Head of Acoustics, SIDERISE Group

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Trending Technologies and Specifications in Architectural Hardware Industry

11

Discussion on the current trends, technologies, and norms in the architectural hardware industry

Face to Face

Interview with Firas Hnoosh, Managing Director, Nordic Office Architects

42

4

37

Industry Speaks

Richard Lee, Managing Director, Brital Limited, Dubai

Project Watch

Wasl Tower - One of the World’s Tallest Ceramic Façades Ben van Berkel, Founder/Principal Architect, UNStudio and UNSense

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Design & Concept by: Prashant Kumar

Shefali Bisht shefali@wfm.co.in DISCLAIMER: With regret we wish to say that publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for error or omission contained in this publication. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek expert advice before acting on any information contained in this publication which are very generic in nature. The Magazine does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of claims made by advertisers. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced in any form or context without the permission of publishers in writing.

UN-4-76-SGEP Unitised curtain wall system.

Zebian Aluminium & Glass Industries LLC RMJM, Dubai.

Al Sahel Contracting Co LLC.

System Used: Faรงade Contractor: Consultant: Main Contractor:

Zebian Industries L.L.C. Sharjah

Fax: +971 6 536 9787

Tel: +971 6 512 4000

Innovation Hub, Internet City, Dubai, UAE.

UAE:

www.brital.co.uk

Tel: +971 4 3267325

P.O. Box 341185 Dubai UAE

Brital Ltd

FAÇADE WARRANTY Avoiding Façade Warranty Problems

Mohamed Merchant Associate Director, TÜV SÜD Dunbar Boardman About the Author: Mohamed Merchant is an Associate Director at TÜV SÜD Dunbar Boardman, Europe’s leading elevator, escalator and access consultancy. Operating throughout Europe, the Middle East and India, TÜV SÜD Dunbar Boardman is part of TÜV SÜD, one of the world’s leading technical service providers, which has more than 24,000 employees located across over 1,000 locations. He has 20 years’ experience in mechanical engineering, including 17 years in the façade access industry. During this time, he has designed and delivered façade access strategies and systems for major developments within the UK, Europe and the Middle East, including high-rise residential and commercial office developments, retail centres, refurbishment projects, hotels, hospitals and historic buildings.

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The building envelope typically has a greater footprint than the actual building which it protects and therefore accounts for 25-40 percent of the building cost. It can be fabricated using a broad range of options, including traditional fully sealed and modern pressure-equalised cladding panels, curtain walling and structural glazing systems. To add to this complexity, it can also be designed in combination with precast panels, terracotta or traditional brick.

In addition to aesthetics being a key driver when selecting façade material, the choice of glazing systems (including materials and surrounds) should also be influenced by: • Suitable and safe access for cleaning, including consideration of any possible inconvenience caused to the building occupants • Maintainability within the annual budget. For example, maintaining coated products is similar

to keeping a car clean. Over time, with exposure to the elements, surfaces may show signs of weathering such as loss of gloss, colour change, etc. A regular clean will minimise the effects of weathering and will remove dirt, grime and other build-ups detrimental to finishes.

• The ease and cost of materials replacement, such as façade panels.

• The ongoing cleaning and maintenance cost.

Façade contractors will specify the cleaning regime and frequency, to comply with the manufacturer’s warranty terms. The frequency of such cleaning will depend on many factors including: • The geographical location of the building • The environment surrounding the building, i.e., marine, swimming pool, industrial, or a combination of these environments

A façade system must be maintained as per the supplier’s manual

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• Levels of atmospheric pollution • Prevailing wind • Protection of the building by other buildings • Possibility of airborne debris (e.g. sand/dust etc.) causing erosive wear of the coating • If the environmental circumstances change during the lifetime of the building (e.g. rural becomes industrial) The frequency of cleaning depends, in part on, the standard of appearance that is required. The requirement to remove deposits will also impact cleaning regularity, as during prolonged contact they can cause damage. For example, sheltered areas can be more at risk of coating degradation than exposed areas. This is because wind-blown salt and other pollutants may adhere to the surface and will not be cleaned away with rainfall. Tall buildings are also at greater risk than low-rise buildings, owing to their direct exposure to rain and ultraviolet radiation, which causes a greater rate and intensity of deterioration. It is therefore likely that these buildings will need to be inspected and cleaned on a more regular basis.

Records of all cleaning schedules and frequencies should be kept and maintained and made available to the façade contractor and manufacturer if requested. Failure to comply with the recommended cleaning schedule will nullify any warranties.

Despite façade material and construction complexity, in simple terms the cladding on a building’s façade is expected to “keep the weather out” and it must cope with a range of elemental forces, thermal loss, and solar gain. The reality is that the integrity of some element of a façade is likely to fail and this must be proactively recognised and addressed.

Failure is said to have occurred when a system component does not function with design intent.

Therefore, when applied to cladding, design intent parameters should encompass an element of time and cost to allow for failures. The design of buildings and the method to access individual units must take into consideration facilities for ease of access when replacing units. Adequate lifting equipment in the form of a roof-mounted BMU, hoist or mobile crane (if access is available),

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should, therefore, be provided and precautions are taken to avoid damage or injury from falling debris. Replacement components should be fabricated from site measurements and not original production drawings, to suit as-built site dimensions.

When a failure is experienced, the warranty comes into play. Depending on the façade material used, a manufacturer will normally offer a five to 10year warranty, which is covered by the insuranceappointed specialist façade contractor. However, warranties are conditional and full of exclusions, such as negligence, wear and tear, failure to handle and incorrect installation.

Warranties will not provide a remedy for any damage, wholly or partially, if building owners fail to comply. This means that the building owner is responsible for adhering to the clauses within the warranty contract, and the façade system must be maintained as per the supplier’s manual.

The façade access strategy must, therefore, be incontrovertible and include back-up solutions to ensure that cleaning and maintenance cycles are unaffected.

As all glazing systems are subject to some degradation over time by the action of the elements and building movement, periodic inspection (direct hands-on, close-up examination) and maintenance works should be carried out systematically. For example, a thorough evaluation will include surveying the condition of the various gaskets and seals, to ascertain if the framing components are admitting water into the curtain wall system, as well as evaluating the thermal insulation capabilities of the vision and insulating panels of the system.

The inspection regime should not impair the integrity and performance of the façade system, and the frequency of maintenance and inspection will depend on the nature of the glazing material, its levels of exposure and the building’s location.

Poor and improper building maintenance will amplify problems and cause more damage and ultimately necessitate costly repair works.

This data should be made available to the façade access specialist during the concept/schematic design stages, to help them specify the most suitable types of façade access equipment.

This will also allow the number of systems to

be established, which will offer clarity in terms of spatial demands to accommodate multiple façade access systems on the roof and at ground level.

building due to interior components. This, of course, defeats the object of having internal glazing in the first place.

However, very often buildings are designed with little or no thought to the façade access strategy and maintenance crews find themselves having to work around inappropriate planning decisions.

Also, challenging scenarios are exposed when the cladding fails post-construction. A cladding system’s inability to be dismantled to facilitate repairs is normally a result of a lack of coordination between other key construction disciplines, such as landscaping and vertical transportation. For example, we have come across situations where a glazing detail has not been thought through in terms of how the glass might be replaced. It is very common to find an internally glazed building where the glass cannot be brought into the finished

Inefficient access, such as strategies relying on extended reach and wash poles, may also invalidate warranties. It is therefore important to define the access options at the early stages of building design so that the cleaning and maintenance strategies can be developed as part of the entire build programme.

Periodic inspection and maintenance works should be carried out systematically

To ensure that façade warranties are maintained, the façade access designer must consider an array of interlinking elements and should involve all interested parties, including the building owner, cleaning company, cladding manufacturer and structural engineer. Factors that need to be considered when deciding on façade access equipment include building height, façade geometry, industry codes, and standards.

Without full and thorough consideration of everything that may impact the warranty validity, any failure in a façade’s material could prove to be extremely costly.

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ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE Trends in Architectural Hardware in the Middle East

Rolf Manuel Project Sales Manager, Al Marafi Architectural Products FZCO

About the Author: Rolf Manuel is working as a Project Sales Manager at Al Marafi Architectural Products FZCO. He has spent a career span of 13 years in the architectural hardware industry in the Middle East market and is a 2nd level certified holder from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers. Manuel has worked with some of the reputed manufacturers and suppliers in the region while directly being involved in creating the specifications, hardware schedules or direct execution and also on a consultancy basis.

He has seen the changing dynamics in the architectural Hardware industry and claims that the future holds nothing less than a very competitive and accelerating future ahead.

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Door hardware makes up a relatively small investment cost relative to the overall estimated cost of a project. But then again door hardware has an impact on the facility out of proportion to their cost.

The appearance and function of the doors and door hardware are scrutinised daily by the building occupants and visitors. Having spent several years in this industry, I have always kept along with me the famous quote which says “The lever handle on the door is the first handshake you make before entering a building�. Projects are nowadays mostly won on the selection of a designer handle that pleases the end clients taste towards aesthetics and finishes.

Thus, the revolution of architectural door hardware has evolved over a period of time in both regulations and standards and design-wise.

We will not go into the life-cycle testing and fire and safety directives of the hardware but will concentrate more on what are the changing trends towards architectural hardware in the Middle East.

I do remember distinctly when I entered the threshold

Antique door hardware

of my career in architectural door hardware when aesthetics was not much thought of and only stainless steel finishes or polished stainless steel played a major role in the supply of 80 percent of projects, mechanical hardware made up for 90 percent of the project with 10 percent going to electromechanical hardware for the vicinity. All hardware installed in areas, whether the front of the house or back of the house areas, were all uniform. Certifications on fire ratings and life safety regulations or cycle testing of hardware items were not much of an emphasis applied upon.

As the Middle East construction market started to grow at a rapid pace it left a disarray among architectural hardware manufacturers and suppliers to get their act together.

We started to see more stringent fire and life safety regulations being put into force as the towers kept rising, it is not that the regulations and codes were not existent, they were but not very familiar with, this made way for BS EN (British Standard & European Norms) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute) regulations to come into force bringing in quality and aesthetics along the course.

Concealed hinges

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Matt black finish

Lockcase introduced in the 1851 Expo

Today, the architectural hardware used in the Middle East has paved the way for the world to follow in terms of solutions and aesthetics.

Today, the trend has changed from more mechanical to electro-mechanical as the world turns to a more digitalised age the transformation in architectural hardware has kept up with the pace and has transformed itself to cater to the requirements and solutions of comfort to the client’s requirements, the change from only mechanical to electro-mechanical is still moving the future could see a 50/50 ratio in the coming future.

The designs and finishes have moved into contemporary whilst not forgetting the heritage and culture which can still be seen today. The finishes of the hardware have moved on from the normal stainless steel finishes to PVD (Gold both polished and matt), black matt, antique bronze, brass.

Today, different areas (front of the house and back of the house in case of hotel projects) or school, hospital, commercial buildings, banks, malls have different designs and finishes to complement the

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Brass handle with 24k gold plating

interior design or door finishes.

The current trending finish in the Middle East is ‘Matt Black� and the demand seems to keep growing making manufacturers and suppliers offer the same within their complete range of products with regards to the designs the hardware items have become sleeker and squared from being circular.

With having some of the tallest and best-designed towers here in the Middle East, it has been a boon for architectural hardware manufacturers and suppliers to go beyond designs and customisation for the project requirements thus raising the bar for architectural hardware manufacturers around the world.

The architectural hardware industry is not dormant as it keeps changing at a rapid pace concerning new designer hardware, solutions, finishes and regulations, and codes.

The future seems nothing less to what is unfolding today in the architectural hardware industry.

ACOUSTICS Testing Methods for Better Acoustic Performance

Mike Carrick, Head of Acoustics, SIDERISE Group About the Author: Mike Carrick is the SIDERISE Group Head of Acoustics. He has worked for the SIDERISE Group for over 30 years. He is one of the three qualified acoustic engineers within the group and is a member of the Institute of Acoustics. He works closely with noise consultants and architects at the design stage to ensure that robust compliant solutions are developed to meet the project criteria and particularly enjoys complex acoustic challenges. During his time with SIDERISE, he helped to develop innovative acoustic solutions which have been used on some of the most prestigious projects in both the UK and overseas including 2012 Olympic Athletes Village, The Warner Brothers Studios, and One Hyde Park.

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Lightweight aluminium curtain walling have become the façade of choice across the globe, however, they can present specifiers with a host of internal sound transmission issues that need to be addressed to ensure the well-being, happiness and productivity of building occupants.

The acoustic performance between these chambers is very high, at least 10dB at all frequencies higher than the test specimen and therefore any sound energy that passes from one chamber to the other is considered to have travelled through the test specimen (Direct Sound Transmission).

With the extensive use of specialist criteria, complex jargon and the many ways of referring to the humble ‘decibel’ - Rw, Dnf,w, DnT,w, Dnc,w to name but a few, the world of acoustics can be confusing to those who are not involved in the subject. This can lead to misunderstandings, or worse, the misapplication of materials needed to achieve good acoustic standards or to solve sound transmission issues.

Dnf,w - A LABORATORY TESTED VALUE FOR A SYSTEM (Figure 2)

When considering the vertical transmission of airborne sound energy (floor-to-floor), the applicable criteria (regulatory or otherwise), will usually be in ‘dB’ in one of the following forms: DnT,w - A FINAL SITE MEASURED VALUE A DnT,w is a final site measured value and will be controlled by both the ‘Rw’ value of the floor slab (direct sound transmission) and the Dnf,w value of the façade (flanking sound transmission).

Rw - A LABORATORY TESTED VALUE FOR A COMPONENT (Figure 1) An Rw value is a laboratory test value for a component or construction, such as a concrete floor slab, partition, window, door etc.

The laboratory comprises of two fully isolated chambers, defined as the source room and receiving room, with an aperture between these 2 rooms. The sample material or construction is fitted into the aperture and the test is carried out.

Figure 1

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A Dnf,w value is a laboratory test value for a system, such as a curtain wall system, raised access floor or suspended ceiling system.

As with the laboratory configuration for the aperture testing, it comprises of two fully isolated chambers, but the apertures are adjacent to each other, rather than opposing. The sample construction is fitted across both apertures and the test is carried out.

The acoustic performance between these chambers is very high, at least 10dB at all frequencies higher than the test specimen and therefore any sound energy that passes from one chamber to the other is considered to have travelled through the test specimen (Direct Sound Transmission).

It is essential to understand the important and significant differences between these to validate or otherwise prove potential compliance. In general, site measured values cannot match those recorded in a sound laboratory.

The difference will vary depending on the method of test and actual performance levels, but as a guideline, 5-10dB minimum practical difference is commonly quoted.

THE 5 COMMON FLANKING PATHS FOR A STANDARD ‘STICK CURTAIN WALLING SYSTEM’ The Dnf,w value is a total flanking sound transmission

Figure 2

of the façade system. It does, however, comprise several individual sound transmission paths with the 5 main path elements being: a) the glazing element, b) the transoms, c) the structural element of the mullion, d) the hollow of the mullion and e) the movement zone.

Several factors directly affect the overall performance, including the span between the mullions and transom, the stiffness, number of façade brackets, type of glass, glass orientation, twin or single mullion or transom designs and importantly the use of façade acoustic enhancement products.

The Glazing Element: This transmission path occurs when sound energy in the source room hits the glass and becomes structure-borne by inducing vibrations in the glass. These vibrations travel into the gasket of the transom, into the transom itself, and then back into the spandrel panel via the second gasket. They then travel into the next transom (based on a twin transom design) and into the glass area which is remote from the source, finally re-radiating into the adjacent room.

Positive Factors • Twin transom design • Split transom • High-performance glass

Image 3: Glass path

Image 4: Transom path

Negative Factors • Single transom design • Un-split transom • Low-performance glass Transoms: This transmission path occurs when sound energy in the source room hits the transom, travels through the frame into the spandrel zone, past the floor slab. It then travels through the next transom (based on a twin transom design) into the adjacent room above or below. Single transom designs are generally significantly lower performing than twin transom designs. Use of high mass materials in-between the transoms, which can be incorporated into the fire seal specification, or use of specialist acoustic inserts inside the transoms can be particularly effective in reducing sound transmission via this path.

Positive Factors • Twin transom design • High mass treatments • High-performance fire seal Negative Factors • Single transom design • Lightweight hollow aluminium • Poor performing fire seals

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Image 5: Structure of mullion path

The Structural Element of the Mullion: This transmission path occurs when sound energy in the source room hits the mullion and becomes structureborne by inducing vibrations in the aluminium. These vibrations travel easily up or down the façade and then re-radiates into the adjacent rooms. Test data suggests that this causes the most issues in the 500Hz - 1000Hz range of frequencies, which is also where the human ear is most sensitive. Continuous mullions past the floor slab are one of the main potential ‘Performance Limiting Factors’ in façade design. The splitting and then re-joining of mullions with a joining spigot at the floor line show a large increase in potential overall performance, while fully decoupled mullions/framing at floor line show further improvement.

Positive Factors • Decoupled framing • Split mullions • Damping materials Negative Factors • Fully connected framing • Continuous mullions The Hollow of the Mullion: This transmission path occurs when sound energy in the source room hits the mullion, passes through into the hollow of the mullion, a highly reverberant area, then travels up or down the building and breaking back out again into adjacent rooms above or below. Use of specialist

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Image 6: Hollow of mullion path

acoustic baffles, either thin baffles based on high mass materials or purely absorption with a greater depth can be particularly effective reducing sound transmission via this path.

Positive Factors • Baffles in the mullion at the floor line Negative Factors • Hollow section • Continuous The Movement Zone: The movement cavity is a potential weak point when considering floor to floor performance and is often not included when façade Image 7: Fire stop path

OVERALL PERFORMANCE The overall performance is a combination of all these path elements and can only be established by full façade testing in an accredited laboratory, which can be time-consuming and very expensive. A project noise consultant can look at specific project details at the slab edge, compare the design with known library data and assess the possible overall performance. However, this would not necessarily offer any guarantee of compliance.

Image 8: All path

testing is carried out in laboratories. Quite rightly, system manufacturers are there to test their system and not a proprietary fire stop, but when designing buildings these cavities are included and therefore It is important to recognise the potential for this to reduce the overall Dnf,w performance of the façade.

Commonly, interior linings, such as plasterboard ceilings, steel plates, floor screeds, raised access floor systems, are present and provide the additional mass required, but where ‘acoustic holes’ are present, such as roller blinds, air ventilation systems, recessed lights, lightweight suspended ceilings, lightweight aluminium closure plates etc., then the acoustic properties of the fire seal and acoustic upgrades are important.

When assessing any design, it is important to understand that the overall performance would be wholly controlled by the weakest path element, referred to as the ‘Performance Limiting Factor’ and therefore any design change or acoustic enhancement should only be considered if all other path elements are capable of meeting the same value or being upgraded to meet the value.

For example, if a continuous mullion (Path ‘C’ above) is only able to achieve a maximum of 48dB Dnf,w then there is little point in improving the performance of ‘Path B’ to 55dB as, overall, it would still only be 48dB due to ‘Path C’ being the ‘Performance Limiting Factor’. Therefore, unless an improvement can be made additionally to Path B, for example, by splitting the mullion, there would be no benefit in upgrading any other path elements to above 48dB. Performance criteria for commercial developments generally range between 40dB Dnf,w to 53dB Dnf,w, whereas residential developments range between 55dB Dnf,w to 65dB Dnf,w. Sometimes, however, for

Image 9A: CW single transom, Image 9B: CW single transom treated

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Image 10A: CW T treated, Image 10B: CW both T treated

various reasons, values outside these ranges may be required. As such, it is essential to establish the precise project requirements and determine if +Ctr is applicable. This can usually be found in the project acoustic report.

LIBRARY DATA TRANSMISSION)

(VERTICAL

SOUND

Test data from various system manufacturers can help in understanding likely performance limiting factors.

The values given below are based on library data and are for guidance. However, project-specific details should always be assessed individually and designs approved by the project noise consultant based on actual laboratory data or assessment by an acoustic engineer.

Single transom, continuous mullion values range from 35dB Dnf,w (un-treated) to 46dB Dnf,w (with acoustic enhancements). This type of detail is generally not ideal for residential developments but may be acceptable for commercial developments.

Image 11A: CW broken with spigot and bracket, Image 11B: CW broken with spigot and bracket both T treated

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Image 12A: CW broken, Image 12B: CW broken both T treated

Twin transom, continuous mullion values range from 42dB Dnf,w (un-treated) to 46dB Dnf,w (with acoustic enhancements). Overall performance is being linked by the continuous mullion. This type of detail is generally not ideal for residential developments but may be acceptable for commercial developments.

Twin transom, split mullion re-joined with a joining spigot, values range from 50dB Dnfw (un-treated) to 55dB Dnf,w (with acoustic enhancements). Overall performance has increased due to the mullion being split. This type of enhanced detail is likely to be acceptable for residential developments and may be acceptable for commercial developments without enhancement.

Twin transom, split mullion, fully decoupled frame, values range from 50dB Dnf,w (untreated) to 65dB Dnf,w (with acoustic enhancements). Overall performance has increased significantly due to the fully decoupled frame. This type of detail enhanced is likely to be acceptable for almost all residential developments.

LIBRARY DATA TRANSMISSION)

(HORIZONTAL

SOUND

The values below are for guidance only.

Twin Mullion configuration, partially boxed in,

Image 13A: 14 CW Horizontal double mullion boxed in, Image 13B: 15 CW horizontal double mullion partially boxed in, Image 13C: 16 CW horizontal double mullion partially boxed in with MI

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Image 14A: CW horizontal single, Image 14B: CW horizontal single treated

fully-boxed in, partially boxed in with acoustic mullion inserts values range from 50dB Dnf,w (un-treated) to 65dB Dnfw (with acoustic enhancements). This type of detail enhanced

is likely acceptable for almost all residential developments.

Single Mullion configuration, untreated/empty,

Image 15A: CW FS only, Image 15B: CW FS

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Image 16A: MI5 mullion, Image 16B: MI6 mullion

treated/acoustically enhanced, values range from 44dB Dnf,w (un-treated) to 53dB Dnf,w (with acoustic enhancements). This type of enhanced detail is possibly acceptable for residential developments, but if empty it is unlikely to be acceptable for commercial or residential TWIN TRANSOM DESIGNS SIDERISE MI6 mullion/transom inserts in a twin transom design can increase the potential performance when high mass floors and ceiling abut the transoms, without the need to enhance the slab edge fire seal.

SINGLE TRANSOM DESIGNS Use of the SIDERISE MI6 mullion/transom inserts in a single transom design can increase the potential performance from circa 35dB Dnf,w to

the maximum possible, 46-50dB Dnfw depending on the precise detail.

MULLIONS (CENTRAL TO THE ROOM) Site test data suggests the use of the SIDERISE MI5 foam baffle in mullions central to the room can increase the site measured values by a potential of 2 - 4dB overall.

SINGLE MULLIONS (ABUTTING PARTITIONS) The installation of the SIDERISE MI6 mullion/ transom inserts in a single mullion design can increase the potential performance from circa 44dB Dnfw to the maximum possible, 51-53dB Dnfw depending on the precise detail. The detailed product between the partition and the mullion is the SIDERISE FIP panel, with a performance of 46dB Rw and up to 1-hour rating.

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Image 17A: MI6 transom, Image 17B: MI6 transoms

PERIMETER BARRIER FIRE SEAL There are many the seal products available claiming compliance to common the standards.

However, other equally important characteristics and properties of the seal should be considered when selecting the product: sound transmission performance, ability to expand and contract with the façade’s cyclic movement, a proven the performance (both integrity and insulation) when abutting deforming structures, provision of an effective smoke seal, resistance to moisture/water and ability to provide a flexible closure limiting possible flanking transmission.

PERIMETER BARRIER FIRE SEAL (ACOUSTIC ENHANCEMENTS) In addition to the fully tested acoustic properties of the SIDERISE CW-FS system, the SIDERISE CW-

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AB acoustic overlay and SIDERISE CVR/C10 lower barrier is fully tested with exceptionally high performances suitable for almost any criteria.

In a world where we are experiencing increasing noise levels, occupant complaints and dissatisfied clients, the acoustics in the built environment has become a concern to society and a challenge to designers. It is all too common when considering the specification of the seal between the slab edge and the façade, for product selection to be based exclusively in terms of compliance to the relevant the regulations. For façade engineers, architects and their clients, it is essential that due consideration is given to both the acoustic implications and performance of the closure arrangement, ensuring any potential weak point in curtain walled buildings is controlled. The use of performance-enhancing products will mitigate these issues.

COVER STORY Trending Technologies and Specifications in Architectural Hardware Industry Architectural hardware like hinges, locks, catches, knobs, and handles are especially included within the basis of any house. They are known to serve very important and practical functions in your doors and windows, but also help in achieving decorative motives and improves the aesthetics of your room, home, or building.

Architectural hardware is required for opening, closing, and locking the doors and windows. Besides these functions, they also play very important role in keeping the occupants safe. Every infrastructure, whether it is a residential or commercial building, is incomplete without the hardware products.

There are lots of things that should be considered while choosing hardware products for your doors and windows. In this cover story, we interviewed the architectural hardware industry experts to bring you the in-depth knowledge of the industry and to keep you updated with the norms and specifications that play a key role in the selection of the hardware for your projects.

Hardware product manufacturers should aim for products to perform, be durable, and have aesthetic finish, all balanced together

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SELECTION CRITERIA OF ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE FOR FAÇADES & FENESTRATIONS

Mohammed Salim Specifications Team Leader, Middle East & Africa, Allegion International AG

Architectural hardware is becoming increasingly design-oriented. Any architectural hardware selected needs to provide the highest level of performance, security, and safety without compromising on the aesthetics, says Mohammed Salim, Specifications Team Leader, Middle East & Africa, Allegion International AG. Hardware used for façades and fenestrations can influence the overall look of any project and Dubai Airport is one such example.

According to him, architectural hardware for façades & fenestrations needs to be selected based on their aesthetic value, with the least structural interference. A façade being the exterior face of a building makes it crucial to select visually appealing hardware which also compliments the overall character and nature of the building. Façade designs are also based on contextual climatic conditions and need supporting hardware. Each of the hardware selected must meet access requirements, fire ratings for rated paths of egress, sight, and sound separation.

Tabish Khan, Sales Director, EuroArt (Middle East) FZCO, believes that the selection criteria of architectural hardware should be based on a level of performance which means satisfactory operations and durability.

Secondly, the visual appeal of hardware.

Tabish Khan Sales Director, EuroArt (Middle East) FZCO

The transparent building trend has taken over in metropolitan areas over the past few decades. Designer’s interests continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with lighter support structures, taller unsupported façades, and fewer hardware/connection points. This has necessitated the push towards less hardware and automation as far as possible.

Ideally, hardware product manufacturers should aim for products to perform, be durable, and have aesthetic finish, all balanced together.

Overall quality of hardware matters because whether concealed or visible, sub-standard hardware fittings provide poor functionality and look cheap as well.

Daniel May Director, Consort Middle East LLC

To summarise, the standard criteria includes project location, project type, the finish of the product, type and location of the door, budget, general climatic conditions in the country, security level required, occupancy, client preference, and availability.

Daniel May, Director, Consort Middle East LLC, says, it is important that design intent and atmospheric conditions are considered, whilst also taking into account operational requirements, to ensure that the opening is fit for purpose and code compliant.

Rolf Manuel Project Sales Manager, Al Marafi Architectural Products FZCO

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Rolf Manuel, Project Sales Manager, Al Marafi Architectural Products FZCO believes that the selection of architectural hardware depends on its design along with its finishes that match the background to what it would be fixed against, fire ratings if the object being fixed to be fire-rated, the number of cycles it has been tested to or passed to withstand that many opening and closing cycles, the finish of the product to withstand any harsh climate or surrounding effects that may deter the finish of the product and the warranty of the product.

LATEST TECHNOLOGIES IN HARDWARE PRODUCTS Salim says that the UAE continues to adopt technologies at a fast pace, driven by the government's vision. It is expected that keyless technologies will eventually become standard rather than the exception. At a regional level, research states that the homeland and commercial security market in the Middle East, estimated at $12.2 billion, will more than double in four years to hit $25.3 billion.

The pace of urbanisation globally is unprecedented, and this trend is expected to continue in the future.

The United Nations predicted that nearly 66 percent of the world’s population would be living in urban areas by 2050. As the world is becoming far more urbanised and more digitally connected, the concept of smart cities has evolved to meet the demands and challenges of a denser and more active city life.

In recent years, building owners and contractors prefer using the electronic hardware in the building,

including electronic exit devices and biometric security solutions. It is also noted that the hardware is ADA (American Disability Act) compliant.

Salim adds, technologies such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cloud, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and miniaturisation are supporting enhanced security and seamless mobility. Being a global business

The late 19th century was more towards a beautiful look contemporary, classical look and gradually over the years moving to the modern outlook

It is important to consider the installation of automatic doors to ease the entry and exit process for people of determination

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that is focused on security and seamless access in places where people live, work, and visit, we at Allegion are witnessing the fast adoption of these trends.

materials. Brands are committed to investing in continuous design innovations and upgrading product technology to suit changing construction requirements.

Khan says, building technology is changing rapidly necessitating changes to be introduced by manufacturer’s supplying finished building

According to May, architectural hardware is always evolving in both electrified and mechanical solutions, striving to make each product as user

Various options of concealed hinges, door closers, and minimalistic furniture are just a few of the products that are continually being engineered to provide a simpler cleaner looking opening

ŠConsort Middle East LLC

Automation of lock parts

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©EuroArt

©EuroArt

Magnetic mortice lock

friendly as possible. Various options of concealed hinges, door closers, and minimalistic furniture are just a few of the products that are continually being engineered to provide a simpler cleaner looking opening.

With regards to electromechanical hardware which is gaining momentum of recent is the remote opening of the main door by the owner without the owner being physically present at the premises and may be away in another country and yet has all information of who entered the property or provide permissions to enter all on his mobile phone via an application, says Rolf.

He adds that matt black finishes of the complete range of hardware is the current trending finish.

Designer lever handles in brass, gold 24k and PVD with sleek designs are currently being asked for.

Unsprung bearing technology

to determine the door’s performance level. In the Middle East, it is also important to consider the installation of automatic doors to ease the entry and exit process for people of determination.

In the selection of hardware, safety and security are interchangeable which creates some confusion in the selection process.

Khan adds, it is important to note that security is of utmost importance and many times, a balance must be made between safety and security.

May says, it is paramount that fire legislation is

The Key Safety Factors Architectural Hardware

for

Choosing

KEY SAFETY PARAMETERS WHILE SELECTING HARDWARE

• No sharp edges.

Most building owners and contractors only look at the functionality and minimum code requirements during the selection phase, notes Salim. Owners should consider safety requirements for building occupants and also take into consideration the costs associated with maintaining what has been installed. Default or improperly functioning doors and door hardware can easily compromise building security and the safety of the occupants and also negatively impact a building’s energy use.

• Ease of operation for children and elderly persons

For most applications, these include fire safety, life-safety, emergency egress, loss prevention, and security for building occupants. Each of these factors should be examined for each application

• No Tripping hazards

• ADA compliant hardware for specially-abled persons • Speed of closing in case of automated doors • Vision panels in doors that are operated by people using it in both directions.

• Atmospheric pressure also plays an important role as variable pressures affect the proper operation of the doors.

Tabish Khan, Sales Director, EuroArt (Middle East) FZCO

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adhered to and that all hardware is independently third-party tested and certified to the appropriate number of minutes as well as being tested on the correct door and frame material, finally using a company with visible online certification ensures more clarity as PDF documents can be altered or out of date. This is one of the key issues within the industry at the moment and it has to be taken more seriously by both manufacturers and clients, too often people use cost as an excuse to cut corners.

TEST METHODS FOR DECIDING THE QUALITY OF DOOR & WINDOW HARDWARE Salim notes that the Middle East follows the ANSI/BHMA/NFPA & EN/BS standards in which the hardware products must undergo a series of rigorous tests to determine if they comply with the appropriate standards. The ANSI/BHMA test methods are very stringent and have become a

Rolf suggests the following points that should be considered while choosing architectural hardware: • If the door is fire-rated, the hardware would need to be fire tested and certified by a third-party testing body which is from a recognised fire testing firm and certificate to comply with the same should be produced.

• If the specific hardware is tested as per the regulatory standard it falls under BS EN or ANSI. • Whether the specific hardware being fixed is complying with the fire and life safety regulations in terms of fire or safe exits.

• If the hardware is not a threat to the elderly and children in terms of safely entering and exiting an opening to and from a door.

©Consort Middle East LLC

Internal testing machines

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gateway for market access to the Middle East and some other countries such as the U.S. and Canada. Retailers and wholesalers will not be able to sell their products if they cannot get the BHMA recognition.

Under fire resistance, products are assembled on a door and tested to certify them to X minutes of fire rating

Salim adds, Grade-1 hardware represents the highest level of performance and, according to BHMA, provides the highest level of durability and security with commercial hardware designed for repeated applications. Grade-1 hardware products are expected to meet the cycle test requirement for a certain number of times, having been tested under the most stringent requirements, they are good for commercial and institutional projects. The lower grades 2 and 3 have lesser cycle test requirements and are good for light commercial and residential applications.

Khan explains, under-performance tests are conducted to classify products according to category of use, several test cycles, test door size, fire ratings, safety, and corrosion resistance.

Under fire resistance, products are assembled on a door and tested to certify them to X minutes of fire rating. All products that meet certain performance criteria are standardised under a CE mark.

Khan says, generally, under the BS EN standards the quality of the hardware is tested for the following

BSEN standards and UL listing are the two standards commonly adopted throughout the Middle East. However, each country has its own standards but is not as universally accepted like the BSEN standards and UL listing.

• Performance • Fire resistance • Standardisation of similar products through CE marking

The Underwriters Laboratory from the US also conducts performance and fire test and issues what is called as UL labels on products.

It is important to mention here that almost all buildings in the Middle East adopt NFPA80 building standard code and therefore all ironmongery has to suit the requirements of NFPA80.

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May believes that the hardware shall be tested and listed/certified to the relevant national standards, depending on whether the project specification is North American or European (ANSI/BHMA – EN).

Talking about the fire tests, Rolf observes that hardware is usually tested on a door by a fire testing third party where a fire is lit and the door is made to burn under certain high temperatures and withstands the same durations for the number of hours the certification is requested for.

The other certificate is issued by a third-party testing firm that checks if the specific hardware is as per the standard requirements and sizes and also tested on several cycles where the hardware is made to do its normal movement, it has been required since then there is a load-bearing test where the hardware is made to bear a load it is mentioned to hold up for. These are the usual method but then again it would depend from hardware to hardware and its required function it is said to perform so there may be more or other test methods added.

CHALLENGES INDUSTRY

FACED

BY

THE

HARDWARE

According to Salim, the distribution networks are filled with cheap hardware material that is often of poor quality, and from a long-term perspective do not meet the protection and safety standards mandated today. Contractors, on the other hand, often select cheap materials to save on overall costs for building owners. This can pose a significant risk to the safety of individuals, as these products often do not withstand the fire and life safety standards required.

Khan notes that the construction methods have been constantly evolving and with that, all trades are also expected to keep pace. Safety, security, climate change, sustainability, price, and finishes are given a lot of credence along with aesthetics and traditional form of operating door and windows.

The hardware industry has been keeping abreast of all these challenges with constant improvements being made. Hardware specification for doors Performance tests are conducted to classify products according to category of use, several test cycles, test door size, fire ratings, safety, and corrosion resistance

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The usage of technology-enabled security system is beneficial to remotely control and monitor the access to a building

and windows is now a much specialised subject and we have multiple educational qualifications to train aspiring professionals on the nuances of the specification. GAI and AHC for European and American norms respectively, have more than three-year courses to get a professional certification that helps them aid consultants and contractors on the specification, installation, and compliance with various statutes that exist.

According to May, there are two major issues, one is a certification and the lack of understanding and respect people have for it, it really does ensure products are up to the mark and therefore saves lives. That said, all certification is not equal and some are far harder to pass and maintain. The second is people must understand that they get what they pay for. There is a difference between value engineering and blatant cost-cutting, and the latter will cost you money in the long term or something even worse.

Rolf believes that as the outsourcing of manufacturing takes place out from its source of origin, there could be a sharp decline in prices, which co-relates to quality, and this could lead to life safety aspects of hardware being vulnerable.

ROLE OF AUTOMATION IN THE HARDWARE INDUSTRY The rising adoption of smart grid technology is a key driving growth factor for the hardware industry.

The deadbolt lock, along with its matching brass key, was the gold standard of access control for many years, but now it has gone far beyond

old-fashioned locks and keys and is embracing cloud-based access control, Wi-Fi smart locks, BIM adoption and ZigBee network-enabled digital technology that offers myriad of benefits to make our home or building smart and secure, says Salim.

According to the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Worldwide Semi-annual Public Cloud Services Spending Guide, global spending on public cloud services and infrastructure in general, is expected to reach $210 billion in 2021, an increase of 23.8 percent over 2018. In an increasingly digital age, there is a growing need to protect a facility physically and electronically paired with the benefits that cloud-based solutions offer.

He adds that the usage of technology-enabled security system is beneficial to remotely control and monitor the access to a building and immediately notify about any threat providing enterprises or homeowners with the peace of mind that their systems are being monitored and managed around the clock, leaving them to focus on their core business.

Khan says, the Middle East is well known for experimenting with all technological advancements. "We have the first 3D printed villa already constructed. The use of cameras, mobiles to keep homes secure has become a way of life in the Middle East for more than a decade", he adds.

Contactless operation of doors with the aid of automation has not only been useful, but a great relief for older people, children, and differentlyabled persons.

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A few of the technology now available includes automatic door operators, hold open door holders, sensor has driven door operators, RFID has driven card readers to provide access. In fact, we now require mandatory maintenance of an electronic database of access points in public buildings.

May says “at the moment very little automation in production is seen compared to some industries, I am sure that will change as companies start to look at productivity savings. At our factories around the world, the productivity per person increases every year as more automation comes into the production and assembly lines. Huge steps have been made in this area over the last 5 years.”

Automation is playing a major role in changing the complete dynamics of mechanical hardware. It is not new to the hardware industry, but the requirements have become more in this ever-changing time and we could see a huge surge in automation as we are moving forwards in the coming years, says Rolf.

TESTING METHODS TO CHECK AIR FILTRATION AND WATER PENETRATION Khan says, “We would assume this has got more relevance to the structure of the façade or fenestrations rather than the hardware used on doors and windows. The only hardware components that can be discussed in response to this would be seals which would include perimeter seals, acoustic seals, teardrop seals, and intumescent packs.”

“We offer a large range of weather – energy sealing systems tested and certified to meet building code regulations, designed to prevent draughts, severe weather condition infiltration, and energy loss through external doors which can significantly improve the thermal efficiency of a building by preventing energy loss by up to 50 percent”, says May. According to Rolf, water on hardware should not be allowed and if so, the hardware should be of 316 marine grade stainless steel to bear any water on the surface preventing it from rusts. If there is penetration of water or air filtration then the door should have a proper door closer that is adjusted properly after fixing. To take note of the closing speed and latching force, the door should have a proper lock case with the latch to hold the door in place. The automatic drop-down seals and weather seals should be well checked all of the items mentioned here and should have certificates issued by a third party renowned testing agency proving

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Hardware should be of 316 marine grade stainless steel to bear any water on the surface preventing it from rusts

that all the requirements are met.

FIRE-SAFETY ASPECT IN THE ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE INDUSTRY Salim opines that the fire doors are a crucial component of a building’s compartmentalisation, providing the necessary breaks and barriers to prevent the spread of fire and combustion in buildings and the exterior environment. Passive fire protection systems in a building are vitally important and, in many cases, are the silent unsung heroes protecting people and the built environment.

Maintenance and compliance schedule of fire and smoke doors, as part of passive protection in buildings, should be considered crucial to ensure the passive protection built into remains effective for its entire life. And alterations to the building’s active or passive fire protection must be done under a building consent.

Salim adds, if a fire door is propped open or does not close securely, it cannot prevent the spread of fire leading to extensive damage and more importantly, raise a possibility of injury and even loss of life.

This is an all too common occurrence, with studies showing that over 70 percent of decision-makers in education facilities and 72 percent of health experts have seen fire doors propped open in their respective facilities.

Doors act as barriers to the spread of smoke and fire. Ironmongery on doors is an important component to ensure the effectiveness of the operation of the barrier, says Khan. Self-closing mechanisms, positive latching intumescent pack behind mechanical items on timber doors to limit the spread of fire and seals to prevent the spread of smoke. There are third-party certification bodies who test the products on doors and guidelines issued by international bodies to ensure conformity to the guidelines.

Fire life safety is critical when it comes to doors and hardware. Correctly specified fire-rated openings reduce the spread of fire and smoke and provide a protected pathway out of the building, says May. Rolf believes fire-safety is the most important aspect in the hardware industry today and even more in the Middle East as the higher the towers rise the more the importance of fire-safety has adhered. During a fire, most causalities are due to the smoke that rises from the fire than fire by itself, hence besides the door and hardware being

fire-rated they should be able to keep out smoke from moving from one area to another.

FUTURE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE INDUSTRY The global architectural hardware market size was valued at $15,960 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $23,271 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.8 percent from 2019 to 2026.

Salim believes that the global architectural hardware market is projected to gain high momentum in near future supported by the economic growth of various developing nations and the rise in infrastructural investments. Increased investment in the real estate sector boosts the demand for door and window accessories and other architectural components.

Subsequently, the government initiative toward the development of airports, educational buildings, hospitals, parks, and other public spaces, is anticipated to create substantial lucrative business opportunities for the market players in the architectural hardware market.

Self-closing mechanisms, positive latching intumescent pack behind mechanical items on timber doors limit the spread of fire and seals to prevent the spread of smoke

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According to Khan, the future is bright with a lot of exciting changes to the traditional ways of operating doors and windows. The late 19th century was more towards a beautiful contemporary, classical look and gradually over the years moving to the modern outlook. The current generation of architects is looking for more concealed and minimalistic options.

Rolf believes that the future of the architectural hardware industry is promising and a lot of electromechanical hardware will be introduced as we will move into the digitalised segment of the century.

The finish preference has moved from an initial aluminium finish, followed by brass look, to twotone finish, and then stainless steel finish. The current trend is more of colours - black, rose gold, copper, and so on. A lot of attention is being given to concepts like anti-microbial coated hardware and using this as a method to prevent the spread of the virus.

The role of hardware for façade and fenestration is not limited to give the aesthetics or help in closing and opening of the doors only, but they also play an important role in fire-safety aspects. The firerated door window hardware products plays their role in reducing the spread of fire and smoke in the buildings.

Mechanical keys followed by master keyed groups were the norm until early 2000. Mechanical keys are now giving way to access control and contactless systems. “I think we all will see a huge move towards electronic hardware over the next ten years but it will take time.

Software such as BIM and others will play a huge role in how information flows through the project, including the decisions on what to use in the first place�, quotes May.

CONCLUSION

In this era when everything is going digital, the architectural hardware products have been also touched by the digital technologies that makes them smarter and more efficient. There is a huge trend of digital locks and handles that gives an extra sense security to its occupants.

The future of the architectural hardware is growing in a right path with the industry adopting new technologies that are expanding the roles of the hardware making it more efficient for the buildings.

The images are taken from Shutterstock

A lot of attention is being given to concepts like anti-microbial coated hardware and using this as a method to prevent the spread of the virus

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"Architectural Hardware is Shifting from Mechanical to Electromechanical in the Middle East" George Philip Deputy Vice President - Strategic Projects MENA, The Middle East, dormakaba

standards. Every piece of hardware that comes on the door, has a particular standard, which calls for several criteria to be ticked before its selected.

For example, a door closer needs to pass almost 8 criteria-from durability (cycle test) to corrosion tests-before it can conform to the standards.

What are the latest technologies in hardware products?

I must say that the industry has not seen a lot of mechanical innovations, but there has been a lot of developments in the electronic front. Some of the

Anti-bacterial coating

ŠOGRO

What are the criteria for the selection of architectural hardware for façades & fenestrations?

Hardware contributes to less than 1.5% of the value of the project, but is contributing to 95% of the problems when it is not installed correctly. In addition, a user who enters the building does not touch the walls, neither the ceilings nor the floors.

The only element of the building he/she touches is the lever handles and the pull handles. I keep repeating this, because, these are items that are finalised in the finishing stages of the project when the budgets are finished, the main objective at that stage is to somehow fit something and close the doors. It is no surprise that within a couple of months, you see the hardware falling off. Now that I have highlighted the concerns, let me focus on the selection. A good specifier will select hardware such that the user finds it intuitive when he approaches the door. A manual sliding door needs to have an offset pull handle, with a directional sign to slide to the side. A swing door needs to have a pull handle on the pull side and a push plate on the pull side. That is intuitiveness. Once this logic is clear, next comes the function. Some doors are locked from one side, and always free to exit from the other side. Others have sensors to open the door automatically to exit or enter.

For deciding the function, the use of the door is paramount question to ask and it is also important to know that how the user will use it. Once you have selected the function, next is conformance to the

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mechanical innovations have been the classroom function that changed after the Colorado school shootings. Earlier, under emergency conditions, the teacher had to go outside the door, put the key into the lock and lock the lever handle, to prevent anyone from entering the classroom, and then run back in, to shut the door. This action could jeopardise the teacher‘s life and the students she is trying to protect. Now the new classroom function has a feature such that when the teacher inserts the key from the inside of the room (avoiding going outside), the outside lever handle gets rigid and locked, preventing anyone from coming inside.

Advancement of hardware, is more on the software side, from connectivity to smart homes, to cloudbased systems. The customer does not have to pay upfront the full amount of the locks and the system, but just pay the rental charges of the system. This has financial advantages, as there is

no addition of assets, avoiding blocking of funds and reservation of depreciation every year. The customer also gets software updates immediately and hence uses the latest product advantages.

What are the key safety parameters to look for while selecting hardware?

Some of the basic steps to follow is to insist on certified products that meet the relevant standards. Also, while minimum standards are what is prescribed, try to go for the higher grades within the standards, as this will prolong the proper use of the door. In the meanwhile, many new criteria has come in. One of them is making the hardware suitable for people who are differently challenged.

This will reflect on features like the door closing devices requiring a force less than 5 lbs to open.

Lever handles that are not having sharp edges, and a backbend return to prevent the lever handles from slipping, when they are used. There are also antibacterial coating to prevent germs from spreading.

dormakaba ED 250 swing door operator

Dubai-Frame, Dubai

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ŠOGRO

in the evening, coming back from work, and lever handles will sense your identity and send a voice message from your wife (who has gone shopping!) that the dinner is in the fridge! It is not just always about the functions. With 3D printing now common, users can, in future, design and print their lever handle designs and fix it by modular means to the door lock. Currently, even the functional door closer is trying to be an architect’s darling, by opening up possibilities of mix and match of bodies and arms in different colours (like a Lego toy) to match other items on the door or room!

Germs elimination much faster with C+

What are the test methods for deciding the quality of the hardware used in windows and doors in the Middle East?

The Middle East region has corrosive weather conditions. This means that the hardware, especially the ones installed on exterior doors, needs to withstand corrosion. The hardware can be PVD coated to help resist deterioration due to weather conditions. The other common problem is the high wind conditions that are prevalent at some times of the year. This can be mitigated by using a product that has successfully passed high wind conditions. The examples which include closers that have high closing forces (without compromising on the maximum force to open the door) are a good fit in such a scenario.

Tell us about the future of the architectural hardware industry?

With the stagnation of innovations in hardware, the focus of every company is to go towards electromechanical and software dominant applications. People do not want to use keys, and the mobile becomes the all-encompassing tool to open doors. This brings in digital hardware, that can be opened remotely, and also by cell phones.

Integration with smart devices in the home opens a lot of opportunities. Also with the cost of sensors dropping, everything on the door can be monitored, right from the cycles it has completed, to even sagging of doors, etc. So dream of the day that the doors can send signals back asking for maintenance, or predicting that the hinges need to be oiled. Still better is when you open the door,

What are the challenges faced by the hardware industry in the Middle East?

The current challenge is lack of quality projects due to the tough time the real estate is going through.

This means fewer projects and more competition.

Yet looking back, it is been a satisfying couple of decades, where dormakaba raised the benchmark and created the market for quality hardware, and in the journey, created globally recognized applications. While new projects are limited, yet the huge amount of installed base, by itself, is a market that we have to service, backed up by one of the largest service teams in the region.

Renovations are also on the rise, especially in the hospitality sector, that needs to innovate/ renovate every 10 years to be relevant to the customer.

What role automation is playing in the hardware industry in the Middle East?

There is a major shift from mechanical hardware,

EXIVO access control in the cloud

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Architect’s darling - possibilities of mix and match of bodies and arms in different colours matching the ambience

to electromechanical hardware. Connectivity has brought many changes to openings – right from remote access, monitoring, flexibility of giving or taking back access, etc. With the shared economy taking over and disrupting many businesses, right from hospitality to transportation, we have taken a leap and launched Access Control As A Service (AaaS).

This means you don’t have to pay upfront for the equipment (no asset burden for the customer), but just pay a nominal rent for the equipment.

This also helps us to update the software to the customer and keep him updated with the latest technology. We also provide other services like remotely changing access rights, etc., for those who do not want to be bothered about the operational aspects of the system.

What is the importance of fire safety aspects of the architectural hardware industry?

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Every building has a primary function of protecting its occupants. As openings specialists, it translates into how openings can be designed to stop the fire from spreading into the building.

These doors must help people to escape without any prior knowledge of the function of the door or hardware on it. They should also intuitively guide people to use the right doors to escape and provide the signages of the door. The occupants in the hospital may not be in a physical and mental condition to escape and hence should be able to stay safely in their rooms till rescue comes in.

Thus here, in addition to fire, smoke plays a major role. People die of smoke than of fire. These doors then should have appropriate hardware like seals, to prevent smoke from infiltrating the openings. The hardware and door suppliers, at the design stage, needs to have key discussions with the architect and the fire consultant, before the right proposals can be specified.

FACE TO FACE “Middle Eastern Architects will Move Away from Importing Foreign Designs in the Future”

Firas Hnoosh Managing Director, Nordic Office Architects

About the Author: Firas Hnoosh has over 20 years of professional design experience. Recently, Hnoosh founded the architecture and design studio, Nordic Office Architects. Before founding NOA, he was the Principal and Design Director of Perkins+Will’s Dubai studio. Prior to Perkins+Will, he held the position of design director at the Abu Dhabi practice of the international architecture firm Gensler. His built works include The Lexicon Tower in Central London, Manhattan Loft Gardens in London’s Olympic Village, the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi, The Basaksehir Hospital Complex in Istanbul and several residential buildings and hotels in the Middle East region.

In conversation with the team of Window & Façade Magazine, he talked about his architectural journey, his USPs, the status of façade industry, and the future of architectural segment in the Middle East. Here are the excerpts…

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What inspired you to become an architect?

How is your journey so far since you started your career?

I have been interested in architecture since I was a little boy because of my uncle who is an architect. Every time we visited, I would sneak into his studio to admire the cardboard models with miniature figures and play with the drawing equipment. The idea of creating buildings for people fascinated me.

During my first semester in architecture school, I was confused and almost quit if it was not for architecture books that enticed me to stay and learn more about architecture.

My journey has been very colourful, full of surprises, often nothing went according to plan, but that is what made it so rich. I got to study in three different countries, practice in six countries around the globe and make many friends along the way.

You are a big name in the Middle East’s Architectural field. What is your key success mantra and USP? It is an honour to be recognised, though I never pursued it. I hope I can live up to this recognition.

Our profession is very demanding. A key to succeeding is structure and organisation. If you provide the right systems and structure your team the right way, put the right people in the right position with clear roles and remits, you would then have a successful team and you will produce successful projects. This frees you up to focus more on the creative process and push your design agenda.

As to our USP, we advocate and promote a design approach that creates holistic architecture by designing buildings as a response to their context in its multiple facets, urban, social, cultural and environmental. Our approach aims to create spaces and buildings that are inclusive, of-theirplace and -time and expressive of their brief and client aspirations.

Could you please tell us about some of your major projects?

I have worked on many projects, but only a few I value in my career and these are mainly built projects or under construction. Early in my career, I worked on the design of Villa M2 in Malmo, Sweden - a minimalist design that taught me a lot and won recognition. In London, I am grateful to have two projects built, both of them high rises:

Members Club, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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Manhattan Loft Gardens and The Lexicon. In the UAE, I have the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Mina Zayed, built in 2015/16. The under construction projects, I have the Movenpick Resort in Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, Al Khan Palace Hotel and Resort in Sharjah and the large Basaksehir Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey.

segment heading in the Middle East?

I believe there will be more focus on sustainability in the future, for both environmental and economic reasons. I also believe and hope that gradually Middle Eastern architects will move away from importing foreign designs that do not relate to their climate, culture, and place.

What future opportunities and trends do you see in the architectural segment in the Middle East?

I think modern architecture in the Middle East is yet to make a major evolution. Middle Eastern architecture is still exploring its true contemporary identity, it has some way to go to adopt modern building technology at a large scale and also some way to go in integrating and adopting sustainability into contemporary architecture and building design. These, in my view, are the key areas that present opportunities in our field.

Could you please tell us about the latest faรงade and cladding technologies and materials available in the UAE market and those you used in your project?

One of the most interesting cases is the use of carbon fibre elements in glazed faรงades. In the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal project, we used carbon fibre vertical fins to serve as lateral loading support for an 8-meter high glass faรงade - replacing an otherwise very heavy glass or steel fins - and providing a very slim profile. I think this innovation in materials is very interesting and should be explored more.

According to you, where is the architectural

Saudi Design Week Pavilion, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Could you please brief on the technological benefits of the well-managed Façades?

Needless to say that air and water-tightness are paramount to the success and function of any building envelope. If designed and built in the right way, façades can save energy, block excessive solar heat and moderate the internal climate.

They can also provide opportunities for natural ventilation if designed intelligently.

What are your views on the future of façade and fenestration technologies as well as materials?

I think we will see lighter weight materials to be used in façade construction. Breathing are another area where façades can reduce reliance on mechanical systems to help moderate the indoor climate through integrated ventilation features that can be automated using AI. Last but not least, I would be very interested to see the application of Artificial Intelligence, or AI, in façade design and fabrication and the impact it would have on building performance, user comfort, and architectural aesthetics.

How do you go about choosing the material of the façade and cladding?

There are many elements to consider. The immediate and wider context is of one the key aspects where we study local traditional materials being used, the dominant colour palette, the climate of the city where we build is another element as well as the function of the building and its desired performance among other things.

Last but not least, is the desired aesthetic and architectural expression that conveys our design intent.

As a well-known architect, what sustainability means to you and how do you ensure the sustainability aspects of your projects?

I believe architects and building design professionals have an obligation to educate their clients about sustainability. We need to demonstrate to them how tackling this challenge can help them make more money in the medium to long run with the added - yet essential - advantage of reducing our impact on the environment and helping the local economy in reducing pressure on its infrastructure. At the building level, as part of our design process, we adopt two environmental design strategies, passive and active, to reduce a building’s carbon footprint and energy needs.

Passive strategies are adopted in the initial concept stage to have an enduring impact on reducing the building’s carbon footprint and its energy loads. Its impact is not perceived directly, hence it is called passive. Passive strategies include optimising the building’s massing, orientation, façade design, materials, shading devices and solid to glazed ratios among other things. It is a one-off capital investment that has an enduring positive impact in reducing solar heat gain, associated cooling and energy loads, increasing thermal comfort in and around the building and providing shade in public spaces.

Ha’il Heights, Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

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Active strategies are technologies that are included in the building services and incur an additional capital investment as well as some operational maintenance costs, which are offset over the medium and long term of the building’s life. These include greywater recycling, water flow reducing taps and fixtures, sensors that manage lighting consumption based on occupancy, temperature and humidity sensors that manage air conditioning supply and ventilation. Systems that manage the use of elevators in the most efficient way to minimise the number of elevator rides and escalator sensors that control operation only when required. Furthermore, we now have access to power generation on-site using photovoltaic panels and wind turbines installed within the building to generate part of the building’s energy requirements.

Architectural hardware plays a very important role in any project. How do you go about selecting the right door and window hardware for your projects?

Architectural hardware should align with the overall

design intent of the building and support the design concept in terms of its form and finishes.

Door handles, sanitary ware, lighting fixtures all have to relate to each other and align with the design of the building.

What is your advice for young and upcoming architects?

Be adventurous in pursuing your passion. I highly recommend a lot of travel to explore what other architects - past and present - have built and not rely on the internet and Pinterest for educating yourself. More importantly, diversify your career and education, study abroad if you can or take a semester at a foreign university when possible. Push yourself outside your comfort zone by using your early career years to work for innovative practices with multinational staff to expose yourself to as much diversity and fresh ideas as possible. Later on, you will appreciate the vast knowledge and cultural capital you have accumulated and the network of people you have created which will undoubtedly shape your career and work.

The desired aesthetic and architectural expression conveys our design intent

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INDUSTRY SPEAKS “Increasing Demand for Higher Performance Façades Increases Our Contribution to Major Projects”

Richard Lee Managing Director, Brital Limited, Dubai

Richard Lee has spent the last 30 years working in the façade industry in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, during that time, he lived in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Amman, Tanzania, and the United Arab Emirates.

He worked as an independent consultant in the façade industry specialising in structurally glazed curtain walling systems and for the past twelve years, he has been the Managing Director of the façade systems company Brital Limited, based at Dubai. In addition to his working career in the façade industry, he has also been a guest lecturer on façades at Dubai Men’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology and is a Fellow of the Society of Façade Engineering professional industry body.

In a conversation with Window & Façade Magazine, Lee talked about Brital’s journey and its plans. He also discussed about the aluminium façade industry and its impact in the region. Excerpts…

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Please brief us about Brital’s journey.

Since being founded in the mid-1990s to serve the Gulf region markets, Brital systems have evolved to meet the regional market requirements and customer expectations, which has resulted in one of the most comprehensive ranges of façade systems available today.

Tell us about Brital’s product offerings? What benefits do they offer?

Brital systems are unique in that they have been specifically designed to suit the climatic and performance requirements of the Middle East region, they are not adapted systems originally designed for other markets. Having highly qualified and experienced design staff at our disposal enables us to offer practical technical

solutions to any type of façade requirement and to remain market led to suit our customers’ specific requirements.

Name some of the major projects in the Middle East in which your products have been used?

Al Hikma Tower, Dubai; Aramco North Park Offices, KSA; Sidra Tower Dubai; Al Bateen Towers, Dubai; CIB HQ, Kuwait; Al Khobar Gate Tower, KSA; HSBC HQ, Dubai; Palm Tower, Sharjah, etc.

The Middle Eastern façade industry is highly competitive, how do you stay ahead of the competition?

By continuing to offer a high level of technical support to our users and by designing and developing systems specifically for the regional

Innovation Hub project, Tecom, Dubai

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project requirements. As we only supply our systems to a network of approved fabricators, our customers’ success is reflected in our business accordingly.

What changes aluminium façade brought to the construction industry in the Middle East?

Aluminium has long been the material of choice for façade projects in the Middle East. The main changes we have seen in the last 20 years are at the level of expertise and skill of the fabricators.

20 years ago, the fabricators generally had a much lower level of skill and manufacturing capability than they do now and as a result, our products were designed to be manufactured within these capabilities. In recent years, most manufacturers have invested in advanced manufacturing equipment that has allowed designs to incorporate more advanced manufacturing techniques, such as pre-programmed CNC machining of components.

As the focus in the UAE has shifted from what was a fairly basic level of performance, façade systems have had to adapt to meet levels of performance that are now among the most stringent found anywhere.

The areas that have seen major changes in performance are: • Weather resistance: Increasing levels of performance for both air and water penetration.

• Thermal performance: Increasing levels of performance and the introduction of the Green Building Guide requirements.

• Fire resistance: Increasing awareness of the risks associated with certain materials (e.g.

ACP’s) and the introduction (in UAE) of the Fire and Life safety code

Mastercard Offices, Tecom, Dubai

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What are your expectations for the aluminium faรงade industry in the Middle East in the coming years? What changes do you foresee?

The changes that have happened in the UAE are likely to expand across the region to the other countries in the area with an ever-growing focus on environmental performance and safety aspects of the faรงades.

what could be significant changes in design. With regards to the weather performance of faรงades, the demands have been constantly increasing over the last few years resulting in more and more complex designs. We would question whether, in the context of the Middle East environment, these are necessary and if they are providing any real benefits to building developers and owners. While faรงades must perform satisfactorily in service, the use of European or US standards, which may not reflect the local conditions, is overestimating the requirements, particularly with regards to weather resistance.

What do you see as the main challenges faced by your industry?

As the levels of environmental requirements are raised, it will become ever more difficult to achieve improvements in performance, hence we will be in a situation of diminishing returns for

What are the major opportunities for your business in the Middle East?

The increasing demand for higher performance faรงades makes our contribution to major projects via locally and internationally provided technical support more and more relevant to aluminium

โ ข Reduction in the risk of falling from windows: Following concerns over falls from buildings the introduction (in UAE) of the Fire and Life safety code which limits the openings of the windows.

Huawei Offices, Tecom, Dubai

45 WFM | MARCH - APRIL 2020

faรงade contractors who cannot successfully execute such projects without major systems company support. Increasing our resources to support our customers in this way makes our service of increasing value to our customers. As this trend expands throughout the region, it will enable us to increase our geographical reach into new markets.

Paloma Park Offices, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

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What are your goals and plans for the next 4-5 years?

We aim to continue our high levels of technical support to our existing network of approved fabricators and to increase our network of approved fabricators throughout the region and to establish a presence in new geographical markets throughout the wider region.

PROJECT WATCH

©Els Zweerink

Wasl Tower - Reinventing Clay for High-Rise Façade

Ben van Berkel Founder/Principal Architect, UNStudio and UNSense

About the Author: Ben van Berkel studied architecture at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam and the Architectural Association in London, receiving the AA Diploma with Honours in 1987. In 1988, he and Caroline Bos set up UNStudio, an architectural practice in Amsterdam. Current projects include the Southbank mixeduse development in Melbourne, ‘Four’ a large-scale mixed-use project in Frankfurt and the Wasl Tower in Dubai. With UNStudio, he realised amongst others the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Arnhem Central Station in the Netherlands, the Raffles City mixed-use development in Hangzhou, the Canaletto Tower in London, a private villa up-state New York and the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

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A NEW KIND OF HIGH-RISE FOR DUBAI In 2013, UNStudio, in collaboration with Werner Sobek, was invited by the wasl Development Group to design a new kind of high-rise for the city of Dubai that would act as a benchmark for both the region and for the wasl Development Group itself.

©Methanoia

The project is located in an exceptional central position in Dubai’s network - along Sheikh Zayed

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Road, the main thoroughfare that connects the Emirates north to south - and directly opposite the Burj Khalifa and when completed will be one of the world’s tallest ceramic façades.

Dubai’s reputation as a transfer hub is rapidly transforming into one of a long stay destination, especially during the cooler winter months. The city also enjoys an impressive infrastructure.

When arriving at night by plane or car, it

wasl Tower, Dubai

resembles an ever-evolving organism in the dark desert - connecting places, people and culture.

The ambition for the wasl Tower is to create a timelessly crafted icon within Dubai’s skyline, that would match the city’s drive to develop a worldrenowned architecture that should be prepared for the new century and provide a benchmark for other projects in the region.

The design concept for wasl Tower - a slender 300-meter tall super-high-rise - is to partially share with the public a typically private architectural typology (that of the tower), at certain programmatic moments throughout the structure. This approach was informed by the Tower’s location, at one of the city’s key public transportation network junctions, that enjoys access to the metro line, pedestrian walkways to the city centre and connection vehicular routes.

The design of the tower reflects the notion of these connections. Adopting a classic ‘contrapposto’ movement, the mixed-use tower faces in almost

every direction, allowing the profile of the building to constantly change, regardless of where it is viewed in the city, while also offering public areas high up in the building.

The wasl Tower comprises a substantial mixeduse programme consisting of offices, residential spaces, and a hotel, in addition to public areas where the typologies overlap. These comprise four public lobby spaces: a ground floor lobby, a spa lobby that connects the tower and car parking, roof and pool area, a sky lobby at 130m and a rooftop lobby.

TAKING CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY, HEALTH AND INNOVATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL As the project strongly relates to and interconnects with Dubai’s urban experience, the aim is to make a visit to the wasl Tower as attractive and contemporary as possible. As such a dedicated concept of health, comfort and well-being throughout was developed for the building.

UNStudio - Wasl Tower, Concept

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UNStudio’s design is closely interlinked with the engineering and sustainability concept developed

by Werner Sobek. This close cooperation defines scale, light, building physics and materialisation.

Also, smart access, communication and security, provide a seamless technological base which integrates with the architecture.

Clean materials, interactive light levels, in addition to good acoustics are implemented in all spaces throughout the building. Particularly on the public levels, when combined with a specific food experience, hosting and aesthetics, they will result in a seductive activation of the human senses.

In consultation with the client, clay was chosen as a basic material, as such the façade fins will be manufactured as low-tech glazed ceramic elements.

The wasl Tower has a 360-degree façade that is built up in layers. To reduce the heat load, the outer zone

Wasl Tower’s ceramic solar shading system

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of the tower was developed with the orientation of the sun as a guiding principle. By adding a veiled skin around the façade, it became possible to include additional shading elements and reduce the cooling load by approximately 25% in relation to older high-rises in the city, and bring daylight deep into the building. This outer zone makes use of a local product and is clad in thousands of solar shading fins made of resilient clay fired ceramic tiles. The ceramic is glazed with a metallic finish to create a patina that can withstand 50-100 years of sun, wind, sand and salty humidity. However, to be used in a high-rise, this glazed clay had to be reinvented. The danger of chipping and falling, along with costs, were intensively researched with suppliers. Benchmarking was also carried out in other locations. For the fins, which sit on top of the façade in 3D, it was determined that only the face that is oriented to the outside should be used. The cavity created between the façade and the outside face ensures that the heat is absorbed by the clay and cooled down by the air around it. One side

©Plompmozes

Werner Sobek and UNStudio composed a protocol for the use of clean materials and finishes that enhances comfort and user experience throughout the project’s interior

of the fin also has an open aluminium grill which enhances this effect.

The sun substantially affects the appearance of the building. The sheen of the ceramic glaze causes the building to subtly change throughout the day, as the unitised façade is opaque and transparent depending on the orientation. With the façade engineer Werner Sobek, a shading pattern was established that enabled highly transparent glazing to be used throughout the tower. The inner zone of the façade provides a connection to all of the interiors.

The geometry of the tower achieved its holistic appearance using innovative parametric design and high-tech engineering. The available sustainable measures required in the broader region have been seamlessly implemented into the design. With the client, we defined additional measures for sustainability, such as the use of

district cooling, grey-water recycling and the use of PV, which is integrated into the parking building, to provide energy for the lighting of the façade. In addition to this, we concentrated on the health and well-being of the guests and residents.

Werner Sobek and UNStudio composed a protocol for the use of clean materials and finishes that enhances comfort and user experience throughout the project’s interior. With technology and a clear spatial setup, we also make sure that people can find their way throughout the project and orientate themselves easily. These measures, in addition to a precise planning of public levels and group amenities, make the project highly socially sustainable.

VERTICAL BOULEVARD The open seam that runs the full height of the tower forms a ‘vertical boulevard’, which is topped by infinity pools on the tower roof. This seam is

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created by a stacking of outdoor balconies and forms a green vein, which also affords a glimpse of the interior of the building. The boulevard connects the outdoor to the indoor and is a unique feature of the region.

The ceramic fins not only serve as a solar heat reflectance mechanism that shields the building façade against the harsh desert sun, but they also are the source of the LED lighting system, that was developed with Arup Lighting, and that will activate during the evening hours. The rhythmic, pulsating of the LED façade lighting system drew attention to the tower in an ephemeral manner without casting additional ambient light pollution into the already active skyline. This façade lighting is powered by the energy cube PV panels located on the car park building.

challenging core configuration. A smart structural concept - with three 300 metre high shear walls in the core that connect 4 large outriggers on strategic levels - gives the tower an almost free, highly efficient floorplate.

The inside of the tower is equally sustainable. The mixed-use programme, comprising offices, guest rooms, public areas, and apartments, presented a

Meanwhile, a vertical transport strategy is implemented to facilitate separate access to the various programmes. Three high-speed express

Adopting a classic ‘contrapposto’ movement, the mixed-use tower faces in almost every direction

UNStudio - Wasl Tower, Vertical Boulevards

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UNStudio - Wasl Tower_ Façade rationalisation

lifts connect the four main lobbies (ground/spa/ sky and rooftop) which contain most of the public programme and the main access to the hotel (at 150 metres). Four offices and four guestroom lifts share the same lift shaft, while the residential apartments on the higher levels have their designated lift-group,

Fact File Project Name: wasl Tower Location: Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE Client: wasl Asset Management Group Architect: UNStudio Other Consultants: Werner Sobek: Contractual Partner, Lead Consultant Engineering Materials used for façade & fenestration: Glass, ceramic, aluminium Commencement Date: 2014 Completion Date: 2021

making direct access via the basement parking possible. In total the building provides 17 lifts, of which 5 are service elevators.

The tower is supported by a low rise carpark building which, uniquely, also houses a large, column-free ballroom on the first floor.

Programming this element in this location provided the advantage that the ground floor lobby now spans the full premises and creates a ‘walled’ garden, providing shade and cooling, even during the summer months.

The roof of the car park building is a large outdoor pool deck and is connected to the spa lobby in the tower via a pedestrian bridge, which provides access for all guests and visitors.

Mandarin Oriental, one of the world’s top hospitality brands, will operate the full building and will establish its MO@Dubai hotel here, with 250+ luxury 5* guest rooms.

The construction started in 2016. The general contractor Arabtec was appointed to start the main works in 2017.

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54 WFM | MARCH - APRIL 2020

PRODUCT WATCH ASSA ABLOY HighSecurity Doors gets LPCB accreditation ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Middle East presents ASSA ABLOY ProSecure series of high-security doors.

ASSA ABLOY’s high-security doors were recently assessed by UK based independent certification body BRE Global and are one of the first door manufacturers in the Middle East to achieve LPS1175 Issue 8 Certification. They have attained security ratings B3 (SR2) and C5 (SR3) for ProSecure 2 and ProSecure 3 hinged security doorsets by LPCB. Independent certification body - BRE Global provides impartial, third-party certification services to businesses, manufacturers and service providers around the world, in areas including fire and security.

SR2 Certified ProSecure 2 doors are ideal for office buildings and small shops, as well as any business that stores items worth a few thousand Dirhams, located in heavily populated areas, in case if an unauthorised person tries to access the premises.

In case, if one needs a much higher security protection level or their business is likely to be targeted by intruders, ASSA ABLOY proposes SR3 certified ProSecure 3 Doors with external security features to make sure their premises are protected well.

To pass the strict requirements of SR3 classification procedure, the door should be able to withstand an attack that lasts up to 5 minutes each tool from the intruder that will typically bring large hand tools, such as crowbars, hacksaws, and hammers, as well as items such as cordless drills and gas torches. If this is the level of protection you are looking for, then the SR3 certified ProSecure 3 doors will go the extra mile to make sure your property is secured.

Various application areas are VIP houses, utility buildings, cashier rooms, currency exchanges, box

ProSecure door

offices, airports, shopping centers, embassies, municipal buildings, hospitals, defense, and stadiums, etc. as well as in many other security applications. ASSA ABLOY covers all needs for door opening solutions and service for institutional and commercial customers, as well as for the residential market. The Group has the largest installed base of locks and access solutions in the world, with a large share of sales in the stable aftermarket.

While in Middle East ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions offers a range of security doors for any environment from security doors for detention environments to such premises as commercial, education, residential or healthcare infrastructures.

ASSA ABLOY is a regional market leader in metal and wooden door technology based in the UAE. For more information, please visit: www. assaabloyopeningsolutions.ae or e-mail at infome@assaabloy.com

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BUZZ COVID-19 effect: UAE banks to ensure fund flow in the construction sector COVID-19 has affected the economy of the UAE that has created chaos in most industries. Looking at the present conditions, the banks in the UAE are going to take the lead position in ensuring the funds flow through the construction sector smoothly.

They will also allow contractors to overcome the constant problem of delayed payments wherever it is possible.

The new attitude on the part of banks come into being as part of the additional responsibilities on the sector following the COVID-19 outbreak and what it has meant for the economy.

Mohammed Khader Al Shouli, Executive VicePresident and Global Head of Contracting Finance, Mashreq Bank, said, “due to the present conditions, we know there will be delays in those payments. So, if we had discounted PPCs, and it is supposed to be paid within 30 days, we look at extending it based on the tenor of the payment from the client. We will not force the contractor to pay up.”

According to Al Shouli, easing contractors’ pain has become a high priority area for banks in Dubai even before the Central Bank directives.

Serba Dinamik bags RM7.71 billion construction project in Abu Dhabi Serba Dinamik International Ltd (SDIL) has won an RM7.71 billion construction contract in Abu Dhabi.

Serba Dinamik received a letter of award from Block 7 Investments, LLC to undertake the engineering, procurement, and construction of an innovation hub, academic campus, related facilities and information technology (IT) infrastructure in Abu Dhabi.

The innovation hub includes the development of offices, restaurants, exhibition centres and

IT centres, while the academic campus and accommodation include apartments and hotels over a total built-up area of 455,000 sq m.

The scope of work includes designing, engineering, procuring, supervising, managing, supplying, transporting, constructing, commissioning, and remedy any defects in connection with the project.

Serba Dinamik and Block 7 have agreed on the completion of the work within 1,460 days from May 14.

BUZZ GHD appoints Jason Pardesi as the technical director of façade engineering GHD has appointed Jason Pardesi as its Technical Director of Façade Engineering for UAE to boost its Façade engineering capabilities in the region. Jason holds more than 12 years of experience in the field and has been working on various projects in the Gulf for the last 7 years. He is involved in all phases of new build projects from strategic development through to handover and specialises in complex geometry façades and structures. He is also frequently called on to survey existing façade installations and undertake façade failure investigations.

Arabtec secures new contract worth Dh126 million in Abu Dhabi Arabtec Holding, a UAE-listed construction company, has won DH126 million contract for the construction of a new commercial building in Abu Dhabi.

The contract involves the construction of a 19-storey commercial building, Sunset Square, in Abu Dhabi. It will have a total built up area of about 27,000 square metres. The work on the project will take 30 months to complete.

In 2019, Arabtec won new contracts, including a Dh366m contract from Emaar Misr to build a residential project in Egypt.

Leading architects, designers, and engineers to take part in “Cool Abu Dhabi” contest Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport is organising “Cool Abu Dhabi” contest for leading designers, architects, engineers, and landscape architects to present their creative ideas on how to improve outdoor thermal comfort in public spaces. The prize money for the competition is $100,000.

Making people more comfortable allows them to enjoy and spend more time in outdoor spaces and be a part of a thriving city. Improved thermal comfort in public spaces not only results in less time spent indoors and consequently, reduced energy consumption but also valuable outcomes emerge such as wellness, enjoyment, and safety.

According to DMT, the Cool Abu Dhabi contest is open to all, but they are specifically looking for designers, architects, engineers, landscape architects, material scientists, educators, researchers, students, artists and/or interdisciplinary teams from across the

globe, to contribute.

The DMT, alongside industry-leading experts in sustainable design and architecture, will select 10 of the most original and innovative design ideas for public spaces that will help minimise the impact of climate change, or new design methodologies that attempt to reduce the urban heat island effect in a prototype public space in the Emirate.

The winning entries will represent the most original and innovative ideas that attempt to reduce heat island effect in a prototypical urban site in Abu Dhabi through design interventions or material and scientific innovations.

Entries are not limited to architectural design interventions and are encouraged to work across scales, technologies, systems, and materials and the submission deadline is May 12, 2020. For more details, visit www.coolabudhabi.com.

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