Strong foundations

The structure will offer 20,000m² of office space and be home to the five-star "Hyatt at Capital Centre" - Hyatt Hotels and Resorts' first hotel in Abu Dhabi.

ADNEC chief executive Simon Horgan says Capital Gate will "honour the past and celebrate the future, providing Abu Dhabi with one of the world's greatest commercial mega-structures".

"This award is a tribute to the government's support throughout the design and development of Capital Gate," he says.

"It also acknowledges the dedication of the development team and partners."

The building's distinctive 18° incline was made possible with an innovative "slanting core" concept that has never been used before, according to ADNEC.

Big rigs

Morris Architects, a US-based firm with an upcoming hotel project in the UAE, have hit on a multi-award-winning concept to refit abandoned oil rigs and turn the Gulf of Mexico into "America's Dubai".

The Oil Rig Resort, Spa and Aquatic Adventure project is pitched as a self-sufficient, eco-friendly, high-end resort and leisure experience.

The resort will offer more than 300 guest rooms and luxury suites, conference and event facilities, a helipad, high-end shopping, nightly entertainment, under-sea excursions and a host of water-based activities.

Director of design Douglas Oliver explains: "In a twist on the symbol of oil dependence, the rig is transformed from obsolete industrial infrastructure into a vibrant component of the biosphere's ecosystem and a destination for discerning travellers."

In addition to attracting adventurers and luxury travellers, the destination resort also pitches itself at conferences, business retreats and a port of call for cruise ship itineraries.

The concept won grand prize in the Radical Innovation in Hospitality international design competition and also received the SARA National Design Award of Excellence - awarded by the Society for American Registered Architects.

Tilted towers

Architectonics International has expanded its consumer and retail focus to create the vision for Z10 Towers on the man-made Dana Island in Ras Al Khaimah.

The design concept comprises a seven-star hotel, luxury residential apartments and satellite offices for business travellers and residents.

The engineering requirements for the project are ambitious, to say the least. Z10's angled towers will require counter-balanced foundations; all vertical transportation is inclined or tilted. The outer skins of the buildings will be thermal protected and the towers will offer 360º views of the Gulf.

Raised walkways will extend throughout the project and public spaces will include sunrise and sunset parks; private elevators and party terraces; and pool areas.

Green light

Implementing environmentally-friendly measures at the design stage will save money and reduce utility bills, according to Marafeq Facilities Management general manager Mick Dalton.

DEWA's new Green Building regulations require properties to install low energy light bulbs, solar panels, energy saving modules for air conditioning units, low-flow taps and dual flush water systems.

Dalton says that to ensure sustainability goals are met, there must be a collaborative approach by management, technical and general staff - beginning in the initial planning stages of all new hotel projects.

"I believe it is essential that facilities management experts are consulted at the building design stage to increase the lifecycle of the building and present a better return on investment for the building owner," says Dalton.

"Savings on utility bills alone can more than cover the installation and maintenance costs over a period of time and in that sense they are self-financing.

"All too often the knee-jerk reaction to additional expenses in the past has been simply to put up service fee - this is not an option anymore."

Louisa Theobald of Streamline Marketing Group, organisers of the upcoming FM Expo, adds that facilities management costs can be more than five times those of initial building costs - making it crucial for owners and designers to take a long-term perspective on regulatory issues.

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