Gulf Construction Online - NDY delivers hi-spec MEP, lighting designs

Limestone House

Artist’s impressions of The Ritz-Carlton exterior and courtyard (below).

NDY delivers hi-spec MEP, lighting designs

01 April 2010

NORMAN Disney and Young’s (NDY) association with the Ritz-Carlton/Limestone House project dates back to 2004 when it was approached by the international architectural practice Gensler to work with it on a high-profile hotel project for Union Properties in Dubai.

The brief was concise: the development of a scheme design on a five-star project to be situated in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), an emerging area of Dubai that would form a centre for international and, in particular, Middle Eastern finance, according to George Balales, director of NDY, a leading firm of consulting engineers.
“The hotel was, therefore, required to be of a standard that would attract key financial sector companies and individuals of a high net-worth. The Ritz-Carlton was selected to be the operator and the design was to reflect its five-star corporate standard. Union Properties insisted on high standards and these had to be economically delivered to a tight programme,” says Balales.
The project, a 341-room hotel with 124 serviced and managed apartments, together with four levels of basement car-parking, also incorporated a prestigious shopping area which encompassed themed international restaurants and indoor/outdoor function and amenity spaces.

NDY’s scope covered mechanical and electrical services, vertical transportation, security and CCTV, hydraulics and specialist lighting design. “Our role was to work with Gensler (architects) and other members of the team to develop the design to a scheme level before handing over to local teams to expedite the construction. The scheme design defined servicing strategies, space planning and selecting equipment types and duties. Schematic and layout drawings were produced for all systems, together with functional specifications,” he says.
The scheme design was completed as excavation and piling work began on the project. The selected construction route was design and build with Gensler establishing a local office to oversee the works.
NDYLight, the specialist lighting practice within Norman Disney & Young, developed the lighting design for the external façades and landscaping as well as the glazed ‘internal street’ for the apartments. Its commission extended to working with US interior design practice Hirsch Bedner Associates on the lighting design for the interior public areas, including a number of themed restaurants, leisure and meeting spaces.
According to Balales, some of the challenges on the project have included:
• A requirement to connect the development to a district cooling system that was in itself under development;
• The basement connections to a multi-lane service tunnel, presenting a fire engineering and space planning challenge;
• The emerging standards and practices from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, which was faced with a very rapid development programme for Dubai;
• Localisation of The Ritz-Carlton’s standards;
• Servicing a multi-function building economically while still allowing a high degree of flexibility;
• Designing to a sometimes conflicting mixture of NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), British and local standards; and
• The high-specification finishes to all “front of house” areas.
Commenting on the development, he says: “The project is a good example of collaborative working by the client, Union Properties, and the project team members to deliver a truly world-class hotel and apartment complex that will provide a focal point to the DIFC.”