Designed in Style
The Dubai-based design practice is gaining a strong foothold in the regional market through its complete service.
01 December 2004
Style Consultant Engineers, a young Dubai-based practice, has found strong footholds in the fields of building design and renovation in the booming construction sector of the UAE, through providing clients with a complete package of designing and engineering services.
The company, which started off with a modest beginning in 1993, today has numerous successful projects to its credit.
The renovation of Dubai Immigration Department building, Sharjah Cable Factory, and the massive Hyundai office building and warehouse in Jebel Ali Free Zone are just a few in the long list of company’s successes over the past decade, says manager Maamoun Balaawi.
Besides servicing 60 individual clients across the emirates, Style Consultants is currently involved with a total of 70 projects of varying sizes and categories including residential, commercial and industrial building – 20 of which are at the design stage, he adds.
“The fact that we have plenty of projects at various stages in different parts of Dubai has kept our engineers pressed for time. They are working full-steam-ahead on the design to ensure timely completion. We are a cooperative team of creative designers and professional engineers, which is growing rapidly.”
Giving details of some of the more prestigious assignments the practice has taken up, Balaawi adds: “The state-of-the fire fighting and ventilation systems at the huge Hyundai warehouse facility are a unique feature of the building which keeps the spare parts inventory for the entire Middle East and North African Region (MENA).
“Now we have also under construction a Dh45 million ($12.26 million) residential project in Hor Al Anz Dubai which comprises 120 flats and offers facilities including a shopping area on the ground floor and basement parking in addition to a health club and swimming pool on roof.”
The company also has the distinction of masterminding the massive task of renovating the Immigration building. The task involved maintaining and renovating the original structure and incorporating a new facade, and imparting a touch of modernity to the two-decade-old building while retaining its aura.
“This is an international city and the Immigration department has always played a vital role in its development. It was a challenging assignment which we have executed successfully,” he says.
Prior to the renovation, the building had a central entrance, which opened into a wide reception area and led to the various sections within the building.
“We have altered the entrance by dividing it into smaller sections, thereby giving easier access to specific sections. This was done keeping in mind the growth in human traffic to the building. We have also changed the façade, giving the entire building a new skin and extended the ground floor as well,” he says.
Balaawi is also excited about an upcoming 600,000 sq ft residential project in Nahda area of Dubai that the company is handling. “This project will have a unique design all the way, which will be done in two phases. We have laid an emphasis on the facade and internal environment of the building. The project comprises a 13-storey (plus ground and basement levels) block of luxury flats with balconies.
“We are developing a garden courtyard and swimming pool in the middle of the building so that flats facing the inside can have a view of the pool and indoor garden,” he adds.
Dubai is an international city with a diverse skyline being punctuated by new buildings almost every day and architects from different backgrounds are contributing their bit in changing this skyline, he says.
However, the environment both outside and inside the buildings is something that has not been given enough attention.
“Clients have their preferences and give designers specific lines to design on. The cultural environment and the ambiance of a building are important aspects that need to be taken into consideration. Designers face a dilemma sometimes when developers ask them to follow the models of Europe and America,” he points out.
However, in recent times Dubai has seen a new generation of classic and traditional building designs. The best example is Madinat Jumeirah. “It’s a nice mix of light and shadow – a building design more close to our culture,” he concludes.
