Sky-high luxury living
In March 2014, AECOM was contracted to provide architect of record, construction supervision and project management services including design peer reviews for DAMAC Heights in Downtown Dubai.
Branded by Fendi, the luxury Italian fashion house, DAMAC Heights comprises 96 floors, making it the fifth tallest building in Dubai Marina.
Construction for the now-iconic tall tower was completed in early 2016, with the last concrete tower slab cast at a height of 310 meters. The remainder of the structural steel roof feature continues for an additional 30 meters. The tower has claimed the spot of the seventh tallest residential building in the world.
Primarily a luxury residential tower, the building boasts 641 units of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments, of which 357 are standard apartments and the other 284 Fendi branded. The building is supported by 709 car parking spaces and two retail outlets.
Safety first
Upon completion, the project had achieved 16.5 million hours without a lost time incident for the entire duration of AECOM’s engagement. During construction, the site was used by Dubai Civil Defence for high-rise firefighting training to test operational readiness to fight fires on active high-rise construction sites.
Providing sewage treatment for more than half of Dubai’s 2.1 million population, the Jebel Ali Sewage Treatment Plant was expanded to meet the emirate’s ambitious growth plans.
Phase 2 forms part of a determined vision by the client, Dubai Municipality, to build an ultimate treatment facility with a daily capacity of 1,050,000 cubic meters, serving the Jebel Ali industrial area and Dubai South, which includes the Dubai Expo 2020 site. Our scope included the design and construction supervision of wastewater treatments, civil structures, and mechanical and electrical components.
The project also involved the integration of several systems for physical and biological liquid processes including inlet works (screening with fine screens), aerated grit removal, activated sludge reactors, effluent disinfection and UV treatment.
To accelerate delivery and elevate industry standards, a new slip-form construction technique was used to build the anaerobic digesters. The method allowed a continuous pouring of concrete to construct six, 22.5-meter-high concrete digester tanks, each measuring 7,500 cubic meters, in only five days each. This was the first time this method had been used in the UAE for water retaining structures.
Completed in May 2019, the average daily plant capacity has improved from 300,000 cubic meters to 675,000 cubic meters. This additional daily capacity is equivalent to the wastewater generated by 1.35 million people.
Phase 2 has also improved water conservation. The plant now allows for a reduction in costly desalinated seawater for non-potable use by up to 700 million liters per day through several reuse techniques.
Al Khail Road is a major arterial highway in Dubai spanning over 15 kilometers in length and comprising 12 major junctions. The road passes through the rapidly expanding and developing outer parts of Dubai.
AECOM was commissioned by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to undertake the design work and construction supervision for the project.
Our team provided design and supervision consultancy throughout the four-year road improvement project that provides an alternative to Sheikh Zayed Road/Emirates Road for motorists travelling between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Improvements for the road included: transforming roundabouts into flyover interchanges, increasing the number of lanes from four to six in both directions, expanding the road by 15 kilometers including all utility improvements and securing free traffic flow in all directions.
The first hospital to open in Dubai Healthcare City, The City Hospital is a 210-bed facility that can accommodate patients with a vast range of needs. Designed by Ellerbe Becket, an AECOM Company, the hospital is designed to provide the highest quality of care now and in the future with centers in cardiology, radiology, gynecology, trauma and endocrinology.
A public atrium organizes all the planning blocks (inpatient, outpatient, parking, service) to create a comprehensive building. Clinics are adjacent to the atrium for ease of access, orientation and wayfinding. The typical inpatient floor is planned for staff efficiency, operational flexibility, and patient and family privacy, as well as access to natural light and views.
The project is unique in its blending of healthcare and hospitality. It offers patients and families access to facilities typically found in luxury hotels: a heated indoor swimming pool, spa, sauna, Jacuzzi and gym.
Another unique aspect of the project is the hospital’s VIP floor. With a separate entrance, elevators and valet service, this floor consists of 12 suites that are designed and furnished to provide the highest levels of comfort.
Awards
2009 – Best Interior Design Award – Built, Hospital Build Middle East awards program