Index tower ... handover this year.
Smart work
The 80-storey Index tower is not just another addition to Dubai’s skyline. Set to be the destination of choice for top executives, it is the first of a new era of smart buildings designed with sustainability in mind.
01 May 2010
AN EYE-CATCHING development, bearing the hallmarks of distinctive design by the London-based architectural firm Foster and Partners, is now receiving its finishing touches in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) district.
The 80-storey Index building – the latest addition to Sheikh Zayed Road’s striking skyline – is now being readied for handover later this year by Union Properties, its developer.
Described as the first of a new era of ‘intelligent buildings’ that are destined to be the skyscrapers of the future, the 328-m-tall mixed-use development is among the trendsetting developments in the region that have been designed with certain principles of sustainability intrinsic in their form.
The building is orientated to maximise views north over the DIFC and south to Burj Khalifa. This orientation also reduces solar gain, with the building core mass absorbing heat to reduce cooling and mechanical ventilation loads.
The more exposed southern elevation has an additional sunshade system to shield the interior apartments and offices from the sun.
The eco-friendly nature of the building makes as much use of natural light as possible and also includes features to provide a natural cooling effect.
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The project comprises eight levels of car parking and two podium levels of retail, a three-level-high main lobby, 25 levels of office space, service levels located on floors 31 and 72, transfer and amenities floors between the 29 and 30 floors and 47 levels of residential apartments, ranging from one, two and three-bedroom layouts to penthouse options of four and five-bedroom layouts.
“Index building is a prestigious office, residential and retail development right in the heart of Dubai’s new business district,” says a spokesman for Union Properties. “It will be the destination of choice for the international financial institutions and high-powered executives seeking to operate from Dubai. The project provides an integrated environment for living, working and relaxing right in the heart of the emirate.”
The design of Index reinforces urban density by creating a multi-function tower combining living, working and entertainment spaces as opposed to the increasingly outmoded mono-functional projects, he adds.
The office space on the lower 25 levels is separated from the residential floors by a glazed triple-height sky lobby featuring recreational facilities like a swimming pool, gymnasium and food and beverage outlets.
The residential floors above the office levels feature 520 high-end apartments including 264 one-bedroom, 208 two-bedroom, 36 three-bedroom and 12 penthouses (eight duplex and four triplex).
The development rises above a landscaped podium and its entrance opens onto a ‘dramatic’ quadruple-height foyer. This height renders a ‘floating’ effect to the entrance lobby, which is further accentuated by the positioning of sculpted pools of water below.
“The entrance lobby has been designed as a large open space sitting below the belly of the building. This space is intended to impress through the generous quality of the volume, its scale and quality of light. Walkways that pass through the space appear to float on pools of water. The pools are detailed in order to enhance the impression of floating walkways. Lighting and reflection will also give a feeling of space,” says the spokesperson.
The foyer of the building contains the reception and security areas as well as the main elevator cores located to the east and west to provide access to the office levels.
There is also a small central elevator core to take apartment residents to the sky lobby. The sky lobby will then have another elevator to transfer them to their apartments for more security and privacy.
Sixteen passenger lifts service the 25 office floors while four high-speed residential passenger shuttle lifts, provide access to the sky lobby. There are four residential passenger lifts from the sky lobby level to the residential floors. In addition, there are two goods lifts, one each for the office and residential levels.
The podium provides car-parking space for more than 2,400 vehicles with separate entrances provided for residential and commercial areas. It also features retail outlets and restaurants on two levels.
Office space
The office levels feature flexible letting configurations and are designed to have no internal columns within the floor plates, ensuring flexibility for design and fit-out.
“The typical office floor plans are just over 2,000 sq m. Each office floor plate comprises of three 27 m by 27 m column-free bays. These long-span structures allow maximum flexibility for space planning, making them particularly appealing for large international financial corporations. They can also be subdivided for multiple tenancies,” he says.
The sky lobby is located on level 30 between the offices and residential levels.
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Aesthetic design ... the tower will have water features on three sides of the building. |
“The 47 floors of residential apartments are located in the upper part of the structure to maximise views over the city. The 520 luxury apartments have been planned to achieve a wide variety of types and combinations of space. The top seven floors accommodate 12 unique penthouses, which clearly command the utmost value because of their privileged position,” the spokesman says.
Commenting on the main features of the project, he says: “The building is strategically designed to accentuate the metropolitan view of DIFC on the north side and the Dubai cityscape on the south. The landscape concept at podium level aims to provide an integrated layout comprising formal boulevards and open spaces as public and pedestrian links to the DIFC masterplan. Expansive, elegant pools of water at the entrance level, together with planting and shaded areas are adopted to create a comfortable and calming environment. Integrated into the landscaping will be areas providing high-quality restaurants, bars and cafes for both the office-goers and residents during and after office hours.”
Among the highlights of the project is a water feature on three sides of the tower – which is about 250 m in length and 9 m in height – the15-m-high entrance lobby and the bridges over pools for access to lobbies at the main entrance from the drop-off areas. The building also features a 6-m-high transfer beam.
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Work on the foundation started in December 2005 with the superstructure work having commenced in August 2006.
The project sits on a raft foundation. “Four large tapering A-frame fins at 27 m centres, which are buttressed at the east and west elevations, form the basis of the building structure,” says the spokesman.
The superstructure comprises core and shear walls for the office levels and core and reinforced concrete columns for the residential levels.
The flooring is Bondek for the office floors and post-tensioned slabs for the residential levels.
“It is not a conventional slab system but the floor plate/slab is built between the shear wall,” the spokesman points out.
External facades feature double-glazed units and precast panels for the core and shear walls. Finishes include granite floors and walls, tiled walls for wet areas, plaster and paint in plant rooms, drylined walls and paint for residential floors and provision for raised access flooring in the office levels.
Commenting on the construction technique including the formwork used to build the superstructure, he says: “We utilised the jump form systems, custom-built by cantilever, for the core and shear walls. The transfer floor with strand jacked steel beams provided the shutter support.”
The concrete used on the project varied from Grade C50 for the raft foundation to Grade C80/C90 for the transfer beams, shear walls, core walls and lift walls.
BK Gulf was the mechanical and electrical contractor and the various systems specified for the project included a building management system (BMS) for controlling, managing the fire and security alarms and monitoring the building services. All the apartments/penthouses are fitted with smoke/heat detectors with sounder bases for fire detection/alerting the tenants and sprinkler heads for fire protection. Three generators are provided for life and safety purposes and there are provisions for 15 back-up gensets for office tenants at dedicated floors.
The project has numerous types of lighting systems such as water feature lighting, façade lighting, sky-trackers, and lighting for lobbies, corridors and car-parks.
The CCTV system will incorporate high-resolution colour PTZ cameras, digital video recorders, switching matrix, a video management system and high-resolution colour monitors.
The security system has been designed to provide security alarm monitoring system for all apartments.
The SMATV system incorporates a HFC (hybrid fiber coaxial)-based distribution network, as an infrastructure for receiving and distributing satellite feeds, in L-Band (IF Form) from the dish farm. The intercom system incorporates a specialised audio/video intercom system for the apartments/penthouses.
The access control system incorporates IP-based access controllers with card reader to all lobby doors leading to the residential lift lobbies at the lower levels as well as at transfer level 30. All basement entrance car barriers will be integrated with the access control card reader and all exit car-barriers will be via induction loop for auto-close and safety.
A structural cabling system provides data (internet)/voice (telephone) services of both Etisalat and Du depending on the choice of the tenants. Cooling is provided via a district cooling system (chilled water) connected to air handling/fan coil units located in plant rooms adjacent to the area served. Treated fresh air at 20 to 21 deg C is ducted to the vicinity of each air handling/fan coil unit.
Smoke extract systems are provided to support smoke extraction from fire escape corridors in case of a fire. Garbage chutes are installed to serve residential floors (32 up to 77) straight down to the third basement level (garbage room).
The developer
Union Properties, set up in 1987, is one of the UAE’s leading property investment developers. Celebrating more than 20 years of growth, innovation and attention to detail, the firm is reputed for its professionalism and integrity throughout the UAE, serving public institutions, multinational corporations, the business community and the private sector. Today, it boasts an annual turnover of more than $800 million and projects under construction valued at $5.5 billion.
The company’s comprehensive range of services include properties investment and development, project management, interior design and fit-out, property management, facilities management and mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) contracting tailored to specific needs through its business associates and subsidiary companies. Its subsidiary companies include Dubai Autodrome, F1-X themed park, The Fitout, Edara, ServeU, Thermo, Gmamco and Emicool and associates comprise Regus, Marriott Executive Apartments and Courtyard by Marriott.
Its portfolio of more than 24 projects includes iconic commercial, residential and leisure developments, ranging from high-rises to multi-use complexes, hotels and theme parks, such as Green Community, Green Community West, Uptown Mirdiff, Net.community, Index, Limestone House and MotorCity.
“The success of Union Properties is reflected in the company’s steady growth accomplished by the commitment and support of more than 17,000 employees in all fields. This success is built upon six basic principles forming the company’s ethical code: quality, service, innovation, care, trust and diversity,” says the spokesman.
The company is currently also developing MotorCity, a development based on a unique automobile and motor sport theme that includes residential, business, sports and leisure opportunities. It is ‘a city within a city’ with five project components – Business Park MotorCity, Dubai Autodrome, F1-X Dubai themed park, Green Community MotorCity and Uptown MotorCity – spread over an area of 38 million sq ft along Emirates Road.
