#RIBA_Gulf #September #2018 #newsletter

1. SEPTEMBER
2018
Newsletter

2. THE COMMITTEE
MEMBERS
The committee was elected to serve and would love to hear what you have to say
or what you would like it to address. Contact them on our social media platforms:
RIBA Gulf Chapter RIBA Gulf @RIBAGulf RIBA_Gulf
Sumaya Dabbagh Dubai, UAE Honorary Chair
Jonathan French Dubai, UAE Honorary Secretary
Andrew Mowat Dubai, UAE Honorary Treasurer
Mohamad Al-Dah Dubai UAE Member
May Al Hinai Oman Magazine and Media Co-Editor
Dr. Hasim Altan Dubai, UAE Education Representative
Jonathan Ashmore Dubai, UAE Member
Mohammed El Arabi Dubai, UAE Social Media Coordinator
Kim Nielsen Dubai, UAE Events Planner
Mary Jane Rooney Dubai, UAE Education Representative
Paolo Testolini Dubai, UAE Events Coordinator
Sarah Abdulla Bahrain Chapter Representative – Bahrain
Jasbir Bhamra Qatar Chapter Representative- Qatar
Amy Lam Jeddah, KSA Chapter Representative - Jeddah, KSA
Magazine and Media Co-Editor
Shahad Al Azzaz Riyadh, KSA Chapter Representative - Riyadh, KSA
Natalia Naber Castillo Jordan Chapter Representative-Jordan
Ian Purser Kuwait Chapter Representative – Kuwait
Rohan Thotabaduge Oman Chapter Representative – Oman
THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS2

3. Guest Editor’s Note 4
PROJECTS Projects The Avenues Phase IV 5
Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre 7
Wind Tower 9
Private Villa 11
RECENT
EVENTS RIBA President’s Medals Exhibition in Kuwait 13
NEWS Cityscape 14
UPCOMING 24
EVENTS Calender 15
Polycentric Cities 16
CONTENTS
CONTENTS3

4. Dear Members,
• This edition of the Newsletter has a
special focus on Kuwait where the
pace of development across sectors
continues to deliver architecture of
the highest quality.
• Government investment in
healthcare, higher education,
and transport projects has been
well documented, but the recent
opening of the Sheikh Abdullah
Al Salem Cultural Centre by SSH,
and the most recent phase of The
Avenues mega mall by Pace, both
featured here, demonstrate the
level of public and private sector
investment in social infrastructure
projects and the commitment
to quality and design innovation
commissioning bodies have shown.
• In the incredibly harsh environment
of Kuwait, with over 170 days
of airborne dust each year and
temperatures regularly exceeding
50 degrees in the summer months,
these projects have innovated with
generous indoor public spaces as
organising forms; at The Avenues,
the ability to walk for over 5km
through airy indoor streets offers a
new paradigm for public realm and
social interaction.
• Kuwaiti practices are also
demonstrating their skill and
creativity in the burgeoning
residential sector. Both Sarah
Sadeq’s villa for a private client
and AGI’s apartment building for
an investor, play further with the
concept of multi-layered courtyards
and open spaces to successfully
address the climate at a private
scale.
• TheCollegeofArchitectureatKuwait
University joined Dar al-Athar al-
Islamiyyah, and Pace I Architecture,
Engineering + Planning, to co-
host the RIBA President’s Medals
Exhibition with a very successful
event running through May and
June. Bringing together academia,
private practice, and the wider
creative and commissioning bodies
across the industry has always been
at the heart of the RIBA’s mission,
furthering social betterment
through urban improvement.
Ian Purser
RIBA Gulf, Kuwait Representative
GUEST
EDITOR’S
NOTE
GUEST EDITOR’S NOTE4

5. The Avenues Mall is one of the largest shopping
and leisure centres in the GCC region, standing
as a symbol of growth and advancement towards
to the future.
The mall has increased in size and scope,
increasing its range of facilities via a series of
expansions over the years since its inauguration
in 2007. In their continuing efforts to further
enrich the unique shopping and entertainment
experience at The Avenues; project owner,
Mabanee, commissioned Pace to deliver the
design, construction and delivery of the new
mega expansion for the mall – referred to as
Phase IV which was opened on 22 March 2018.
The construction and supervision of Avenues
Phase IV lasted three years.
With a retail built-up area of over 130,000sqm,
and a total leasable area of 100,000sqm, the
expansion of Phase IV is valued at total of
approximately US $ 900 million. This brings the
total cost of The Avenues project to well over US
$2 billion. Every year, the mall attracts more than
50 million visitors and total business exceeds US
$1 billion.
The Avenues Phase IV takes its design inspiration
from world architecture, taking notes from
famous shopping hubs from across the planet
to blend a mixture of old world, traditional, and
contemporary designs in a kaleidoscope of
complimentary styles. The underlying objective
of this approach was to give the real sense of
an indoor town. The whole project is roofed in a
combination of glass and ETFE membranes. The
roofing required a specialised design to deliver
the feeling of outdoor indoor via environmentally
controlled surroundings that are suitable for year-
round occupation within the harsh climate as well
as providing appropriate natural lighting.
Several spectacular domes are also featured
throughout the project including the grand
stainless steel dome featured in the Prestige
district. The dome features PVD coated stainless
steel featuring its own lighting system.
The exterior of the project is also a blend of
numerous materials and styles, which together
with attractive soft landscaping, mean that this
massive development is far from monolithic.
PROJECTS:
THE AVENUES PHASE IV
PACE|ARCHITECTURE,ENGINEERING+PLANNING
PROJECTS5

6. The extension to The Avenues offers a range of
new destinations:
• The Grand Plaza, a new public square located
at the end of Grand Avenue, is inspired by
civic squares around the world. Crowning
the 640m promenade is a spectacular ceiling
structure with gigantic chrome cowlings
• The Electra district is inspired by the bright
lights and state-of-the-art technology found
in Hong Kong’s Kowloon and Tokyo’s Ginza
districts and offers an immersive digital retail
experience. Interactive features and vibrant
technological facades populate the districts
walkways
• The Arcades will welcome guests into small
scale enclosed luxury boutiques, consisting
of three distinct architectural styles – minimal,
diffused and interplay
• The Grand Avenue creates a new high-street
shopping experience for Kuwait with a well
synchronised blend of elements from regional,
Western and contemporary architecture for
the facades and interiors
• Prestige is a district of elegance and luxury,
with inimitable architectural designs reflected
in the use of copper and the rare ‘Portoro’
stone, imported from the mountains of Italy
• The Gardens provides ‘outdoor’ dining
experiencesofthehighestquality.Abeautifully
curved translucent roof soars above a
collection of immaculately landscaped green
courtyard spaces
• The Forum which takes architectural
inspiration from the iconic architecture of
London’s Regent Street, set underneath a
mega dome and providing shopping over
three levels. At 70m diameter, the dome is
one of the most spectacular in the region.
• The Cinemas district features a distinctive
external appearance, featuring three-
dimensional sphere forms, incorporating
external LED lighting and high resolution
screens as an iconic addition to the
architecture of The Avenues.
• Both a four-star Hilton Garden Inn and a
luxury five-star Waldorf Astoria hotel will
be developed as part of the new extension,
featuring world-class rooms and suites,
complemented by meeting rooms, leisure
and spa facilities.
A multitude of industry leading technologies are
being employed across the project, including
LED screens, Building Management Systems,
Vehicle Guidance Systems, Hydroponic Planting
and Living Green Walls. Also, intricate CNC
cut patterns on titanium coated surfaces and
supersized composite panels with metallic
coatings that incorporate feature lighting.
Furthermore, project’s design and build has
recently received international recognition in
being shortlisted for the World Architecture
Festival Awards 2018 in the ‘Completed Buildings
– Shopping’ category taking place in November
2018 in Amsterdam.
PROJECTS6

7. PROJECTS7
SSH is one of the leading master planning,
infrastructure, building design and construction
supervision firms in the Middle East and appointed
to design and manage the construction of the
Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre (ASCC), a
new world-class museum district within Kuwait City.
Together with the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural
Centre (JACC), and recently restored Al Salam Palace,
also SSH projects, it will form Kuwait’s new national
cultural district, fulfilling the Kuwaiti Amiri Diwan’s
vision to elevate the country’s cultural landscape.
Opening its doors to the public in March this year, the
ASCC is a celebration of the rich diversity of mankind’s
scientific and cultural achievements, while honouring
Kuwaiti, Islamic and Arab culture and history. Visitors
can enjoy six distinct experiences, each housed within
their own buildings.
• The Natural History Museum features seven
galleries from Arabian Landscapes to Prehistoric
Life, giving visitors an insight into the natural
world.
• The Science and Technology Museum allows
visitors to meet and play with robots, test and
engineer inventions, and travel through the
PROJECTS:
SHEIKH ABDULLAH AL SALEM CULTURAL CENTRE
SSH
human body fighting germs.
• The Space Museum tells the story of our planet
and the universe, and allows visitors to explore
the wonders of space right here on earth.
• The Islamic Museum guides visitors through 1,000
years of Islamic influence on the arts and sciences,
demonstrating its impact on the world today with
interactive installations and valuable artefacts.
• The complex’s Fine Arts Centre and separate
Theatre round up the exciting offering visitors can
experience at ASCC.
The complex is tied together by its central ‘street’;
a covered thoroughfare forming ASCC’s spine that
evokes walking down a traditional, busy Kuwaiti
street. Meandering through the district beneath the
spine’s technologically advanced canopy is a journey
of surprises, offering stunning views deep into each
museum building.
Comprising 2,000 glass-reinforced plastic shingles,
each with integrated LED lighting, the 200 m-long
solar shade canopy offers passive, sustainable shading
and partial climate control. This enables it to provide
a comfortable external space and reduces heat gain
on glazed elements of the complex, reducing daytime
cooling loads, while providing scintillating computer-

8. PROJECTS8
controlled light shows at night.
The buildings, designed as flexible spaces to allow
for future reinvention as the needs of the building,
community, and future exhibits develop, create a
unique environment specific to the distinct functions
of the complex. Islamic geometric patterns have been
merged with a contemporary aesthetic to produce a
design that evokes the traditional with the futuristic.
Covering a total area of 13 ha, ASCC is the largest
museums project of its kind in the world and was
named Public Building of the Year at the prestigious
ABB LEAF Awards 2017.

9. AGi Architects is an international design firm founded
by two architects educated who met at Harvard
University, Joaquín Pérez-Goicoechea and Nasser
B. Abulhasan. The studio’s architecture is based on
four founding pillars: innovation, an inherent life
component, ecological and social interventions and
research.
In 2014, AGi was appointed by Wafra Real Estate Co.
to design a new concept for urban living that adapts
to the evolving lifestyle of those in 21st century Kuwait.
The “Wind Tower’ or ‘Wafra Vertical Housing’ project
reacts to how increasing demand for land in the city
is placing a necessity on the transformation of single
family dwelling typologies, where tenants should be
able to enjoy privacy as well as benefit from vertical
solution amenities and a prime location.
Understanding and reinterpreting local environmental
techniques is one of the main targets of the design.
The services core of the building is located on the
southern wing in order to minimise sun exposure
and consequently reduce energy consumption. This
acts as a thermal barrier to the rest of the building.
Furthermore, minimum openings are placed on the
aforementioned façade, while on the other hand
the building opens to the north, facing the sea and
enjoying its privileged views.
Optimal opportunities for natural lighting and cross
ventilation are an essential driving force for the design,
providing the tower its character and determining
its final orientation. Taking the idea of the traditional
middle-eastern courtyard typology and developing
it volumetrically, the initial concept manifests itself
in the form of the tower. The courtyard is no longer
constrained to the core of the building; instead, it
borrows light and ventilation from the façade, funnels
it through the pool area and flows through all levels
finding its way out through the opposite façade.
Granite stone is chosen for the façade, in order to
give the tower an aspect of a monolithic sculpture
that is carved by the wind, in contrast with the smooth
surfaces of the interior courtyard that are rendered in
white plaster.
Functionally and geometrically, the tower is raised on a
plinth that comprises two levels, where public spaces –
including swimming pool and gym area – are located.
The apartments rise up organically and allow for
light and ventilation to penetrate through. Full tower
PROJECTS:
WIND TOWER
AGI ARCHITECTS
PROJECTS9

10. height is 13 levels, where 12 duplex apartments are
piled in order to preserve privacy. An extra penthouse
crowns the building, including rooftop gardens and
terraces that are advantageously profited.
The project has won a number of accolades including
the ‘Sustainable Project of the Year’ at the Middle
East Architect Awards 2017, Silver A’Design Award
at the A’Design Awards 2012, ‘Residential Complex
Winner’ in the ‘Architecture, Building and Structure
Design’ category’ at the International Property
Awards (IPA) 2011 and was ‘Highly Commended’ at
Arabian Residential Property Awards in the ‘High Rise
Architecture’ category.
PROJECTS10

11. SarahSadeqArchitectsaboutiquemultidisciplinary
consulting firm based in Kuwait founded in 2011
by architect Sarah Sadeq, specialising in interior
design, landscape architecture and lighting
design.
The firm was appointed to design a private villa
on a limited and challenging 375m2 plot size
to create a diatomic massing in a culture that is
used to building on bigger plots. The main focus
of the concept was to create a design that offers
an abundance of open space, to nurture a strong
and consistent connection for the family, whilst
keeping in mind the privacy of its occupants.
The double volume ground living room is
connected with an overlooking pathway from the
first floor, creating openness between both floors
with customised statement lighting to enhance
the feeling. Lighting design and use of natural
light was a key element to ensure the villa stood
out as a statement within its neighbourhood.
The second floor features a swimming pool
with a view from the adjacent bedroom and the
family living area to enhance the luxury identity
of the small plot. The addition on the pool onto
the second floor terrace also adds life to an area
which is often culturally considered an inactive
zone.
The main entrance of the house is one of its
great design statements, creating a welcoming
and grand first impression for a plot of that size,
mirroring the harmonies of its landscaping with
the architectural rhythm its design.
Within the interior of the property an aquarium is
utilised to create a statement wall which separates
the open plan of the ground floor. The aquarium
itself creates a dynamic feeling of continuous
movement and added luxury whilst providing an
iconic separation of the spaces it serves.
The private villa has gained widespread
recognition as a project that has challenged the
idea of the potential of building on small plots
in Kuwaiti culture and in within the GCC region
in general by creating a clear example of a
fully utilised residential space with six spacious
bedrooms, great ground living rooms and the full
services that any Kuwaiti family aims for.
PROJECTS:
PRIVATE VILLA
SARAH SADEQ ARCHITECTS
PROJECTS11

12. PROJECTS12

13. RECENT EVENTS: RIBA
PRESIDENT’S MEDALS
EXHIBITION IN KUWAIT
RECENT EVENTS13
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award the
RIBA President’s Medals annually as a way to celebrate and
promote excellence in the study of architecture, reward
talent and encourage architectural debate. An international
jury of distinguished architects, designers and artists select
the winners from the most outstanding design portfolios of
work submitted by schools of architecture worldwide.
Over 370 schools of architecture, from 70 countries were
invited to apply by the RIBA in 2017 and for the past decade,
the President’s Medals exhibitions have toured to venues
throughout the globe. This year, the exhibition visited Kuwait
from the 24th April to 30th June 2018.
RIBA in partnership with the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah,
Kuwait University and Pace | Architecture, Engineering
+ Planning hosted an evening reception to launch the
exhibition on the 24th April at Kuwait’s prestigious Amricani
Cultural Centre.
The event focused on the concepts of Kuwait and Britain’s
lasting trade relationship as well as fostering architectural
excellence in Kuwait and the wider Middle East region
through first-class education. Speakers including HMA
Michael Davenport, British Ambassador to Kuwait, Ian Purser,
RIBA Gulf Committee Member for Kuwait and Dr Omar
Khattab, Dean - College of Architecture at Kuwait University
welcomed a packed audience of industry, educational and
governmental stakeholders.
The event concluded with a tour of the exhibition for
those who attended through the gallery to view the works
including:
• Daniel Hall from The Cooper Union who was
awarded the RIBA Silver Medal for the best design project
produced at RIBA Part 2 or post graduate equivalent for
his project ‘Cycles of Toolmaking: An Optic, Tactile, Haptic,
Material, Scalar and Pedagogic Study’, proposing a learning
centre for the ceramics town of Mashiko in Japan, to replace
a school damaged by the Tohoku Earthquake in 2011.
• Kangli Zheng from the University of Nottingham
who was awarded with the Bronze Medal for best RIBA Part
1 undergraduate design project for his project ‘Castle in
the Sky’, an alternative model for responding to London’s
current housing crisis.
The exhibition and opening event have continued to
generate considerable interest in the RIBA in Kuwait and
should serve as a platform for the RIBA to generate improved
visibility amongst the architectural community furthering the
links between the College of Architecture and practice.
The exhibition itself has attracted a considerable number
of visitors to the gallery throughout its two-month run,
showcasing the passion, creativity and accomplished
technique in the work of the graduates on display. The
demonstrable ambition in their work shines a light on the
important role that architecture plays in social betterment
and urban improvement.
Including work by emerging architectural talent from 22
nationalities, the exhibition covered topics as diverse as the
history and theory of architecture, landscape and urban
design, building systems design, vernacular, adaptive reuse
and sustainability projects, right through to parametric design
and the contemporary polemics of digital architecture, the
architecture of gaming, simulation and virtual realities.
These themes and studies are as relevant to the context of
the significant developments taking place in Kuwait as they
are to any country or region. This year’s Silver Medal winner
and the commendations awarded to students from regional
universities including Sharjah, demonstrate the reach and
influence of the RIBA beyond schools accredited by the
Institute and the ability of the RIBA to link architectural
communities around the world with a wider agenda of
thought leadership across our profession.

14. NEWS: CITYSCAPE
NEWS14
Ben Derbyshire, RIBA President and Alan
Vallance, RIBA CEO will join other RIBA staff
and members at Cityscape Global, Dubai
this October. The President will be giving
a keynote speech during the Cityscape
Conference on 1st October on the topic of
How effective design can foster wellbeing
and happiness. There will be opportunities
for our members to meet both Alan and Ben.
In collaboration with DIT, the RIBA will
be hosting a networking reception on 1st
October 2018 at the British Embassy. Chapter
members are very welcomed to attend,
invitations will be sent on 12 September.
So come and find RIBA Colleagues during
Cityscape Global Exhibition Show – 2nd to
4th October – we will be located in Hall 4 in
Dubai World Trade Centre, our stand number
is 4G35. We would be very happy to answer
any questions. Or please feel free to contact
us to set up a time to meet and learn how
to become an RIBA Chartered Practice based
outside of the UK.
Ben Derbyshire, RIBA President Alan Vallance, RIBA CEO

15. UPCOMING
EVENTS
Kuwait
18 October RIBA plan of work CPD , Kuwait
18 October RIBA MEAP route to professional membership, Kuwait
For further information contact
Ian Purser Ian.Purser@pace-me.com
United Arab Emirates
25 September RIBA Gulf Event: Polycentric Cities, Dubai
1 October Cityscape
2-4 October Cityscape Global Exhibition
20-25 October CTBUH 2018 Conference: Polycentric Cities, Dubai & Abu Dhabi
13-16 November Downtown Design (TBA) Dubai
26-29 November Big 5 Architecture Talks, Dubai
For further information contact
Rachell Bonanza Rachell.Bonanza@woodsbagot.com
Saudi Arabia
24-25 September RIBA UK DIT Trade mission visit, Jeddah KSA
26-27 September RIBA UK DIT Trade mission visit, Riyadh KSA
For further information contact
Amy Lam Amy@alamcreative.com
UPCOMING EVENTS15

16. UPCOMING EVENTS16
25D-Academy Warehouse 44, Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai
To secure your place rsvp to:
Rachell.Bonanza@woodsbagot.com
SEPTEMBER
A designer’s sensibility
Regional Leader - Masterplanning, WOODS BAGOT
Director, DWTC
Group Design Director, CRACKNELL
19:00PAOLO TESTOLINI
GURJIT SINGH
ROBERT SHAKESPEARE
2025
World population forecasted to reach
8,141,661,000
2030
Flying cars hit the road, and the air
2035
Majority of vehicles contain vehicle-to-vehicle
(V2V) communications to transmit information
about speed, heading, brake status
2040
A new generation of hi-tech super carriers
2050
Toyota stops selling gasoline cars
Chapter event featuring:
Sponsored by: Supported by:
The profession of an urban designer is an adventurous one. For decades, it has tried to
achieve a balance between science, art and the psychology of space. This process has
always been right at the edge of the borders of invention and memory.
People need places to eat, work, live and play but not only for pure functional reasons;
this process of creation must take into consideration higher values such as the creation
of happy places, places that encourage people’s wellbeing, environments that stimulate
connections with the natural world and different human needs. As cities become more
populated, space will be limited, the verticality of cities presents incredible challenges
that must be resolved as a holistic approach. It is perhaps today more than ever that
we should attempt to predict the future of cities in order to mitigate potential global
risks ahead.
With more than 9 billion people living in cities by 2050, planning of cities will have
to go through major changes; the high-density environment will present a series of
challenges that need careful consideration. Mobility, permeability, equality, security
and global population are key topics that should be explored in order to envisage the
polycentric city of the future.
Predicting
the Future
Polycentric
Cities

17. THA NK YOU
RIBA Gulf would like to thank our sponsors
Mapei, Technal, Dyson and collaborators for
their support. These include:
• The British Council
• The Big 5 Architecture Talks
• Cityscape Global
• Department of International Trade
• Design MENA Summit
• D.Academy by YADP
• Technal Middle East
• Mapei
• Dyson