Designed to Deliver

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Stretching over 40 hectares of landscaped gardens, the development is designed to resemble a traditional Arabian town. The flagship hotels Jumeirah Al Qasr, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam and Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf remain among the most sought a er destinations
in the region and the souks, restaurants and bars within the development are consistently popular with both residents and tourists.

Since completion of the Madinat Jumeirah, DSA has established itself as one of the leading Lead Consultants and Architects in the region. As DSA has grown, their design approach has also evolved to suit the client’s specific requirements. DSA are in a unique position of being able to o er clients a range of architectural approaches and tailored multi-disciplinary services. Following on from the legacy of the Madinat Jumeriah, DSA has gone on to design and deliver many of the region’s other best-known landmarks including the Royal Mirage, Park Hyatt, One&Only The Palm, Nikki Beach Resort, Old Town Dubai and Four Seasons Resort, and the Jumeirah Royal Saray in Bahrain. Whilst examples like the Madinat Jumeriah, have been inspired by a traditional vernacular, over the years DSA’s architectural approach has evolved and expanded. More recently their highest profile and award-winning projects have covered a range of architectural styles; some more traditional and some contemporary depending on their clients’ specific requirements.

Lee Ton, Senior Associate at DSA, with over 20 years of international design experience, gained
in Australia, UK and the UAE, has led a diverse list
of projects including large-scale luxury hotels and resorts, high-end residential and commercial o ices. “At DSA our role as designers is to create architecture that continues to shape the environment and create unique experiences,” Lee says. “Design is an evolving process that reflects the clients’ aspirations through innovation and creativity.” DSA are continuing their legacy, built on two decades of consistently delivering high-quality developments and this has led to DSA’s geographical reach expanding further throughout the region, most recently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

Glen Beresford, Associate at DSA with over 20 years design and construction experience, 15 of which have been in the Middle East, heads up DSA’s Design Management team. “We are privileged to have been awarded several projects in KSA,” Glen says. “KSA is an exciting and evolving market, and one we are very proud to be a part of. KSA has a clear vision for the future, and the projects planned promise to create world-class destinations. Given our experience of successfully delivering these types of developments, we are ideally placed to play a key role in Saudi Arabia’s ambitious growth.”

A TRULY INTEGRATED WAY OF WORKING

The firm wins such prestigious projects for a number of reasons, but one aspect that enables DSA to o er their clients’ a truly integrated service is their long established and dedicated Design Management team.

Glen explains: “What sets us apart from other lead consultants is that we have a dedicated, in-house Design Management team made up of skilled and experienced professionals, many of whom come from architectural backgrounds. The team facilitates the design process, information flow, programme and deliverables, and drives progress. By providing this support, our architects can fully focus on design.”

Glen adds: “One of the key responsibilities we have as a Design Management team is to ensure the client’s vision is maintained. On a complex project that can mean managing and coordinating twenty or more sub-consultants and disciplines, which is a challenge, but one, as experienced professionals, we relish.”

SUSTAINABILITY – THE SMART WAY

Fellow Associate at DSA, Estelle Besson, who specialises in medium to large-scale projects, has seen sustainability become more and more important when delivering projects in the region.

“We achieve sustainability by considering the onsite conditions and constraints. These can include the use of solar energy and other sustainable sources to reduce our carbon footprint. We endeavour to utilise new technologies for monitoring
energy consumption, which in turn helps ensure sustainably is achieved throughout operation.”

“We also make use of various tools to create e iciency usage,” continues Estelle, who has led the design and technical aspects of various architectural projects throughout the design process.

“We also design considering the environment, in terms of solar orientation, prevailing winds, and how best to reduce energy consumption. We can recover and recycle water that has been used for the irrigation system and the condensation water from air conditioning systems for example.”

Maher Fleifel, a Senior Associate at DSA and a creative designer experienced in leading design and production teams over a broad range of building types, agrees, adding: “DSA’s commitment towards safeguarding the environment is demonstrated through sustainable design. We apply basic sustainability principles as standard practice.”

EMPOWERED THROUGH INNOVATION

BIM standards are also of critical importance to the successful operation of DSA. Vinoj Velappan, an Associate, with over 15 years of experience in medium to large-scale projects, leads the design production team, overseeing the documentation process and quality from concept through to construction drawings. In addition, Vinoj has been closely involved in developing and implementing o ice documentation and BIM standards.

“The first project we delivered in Revit was the Hilton Dead Sea in Jordan back in 2009,”
says Vinoj. “A er its successful completion, all projects therea er were produced on Revit.
We take a lot of pride in the quality of detail design documentation we produce. This is because of the experienced and high-quality sta we have. Most of the staff have been with us for 10 years or more and have embraced the change (from AutoCAD to Revit) and developed their skills over the years.

The further introduction of BIM 360 design has helped us to better coordinate and work with our global partners.” Indeed, DSA works closely with all stakeholders, as Saher Shah, Associate at DSA with 20 years design experience, 5 of which have been as part of DSA’s Design Management team underlines: “We work closely with clients, contractors and consultants. As lead consultants we literally lead the project and manage the design process. We carry out the progress reporting for the client. We coordinate scope delivery between all disciplines and consultants so that it becomes a seamless process. We ensure that the project is delivered to the highest standard and the client’s vision is always maintained, the project is feasible cost-wise, and delivered on time.” By connecting the focus of its work with its deep commitment to the environment and respect of the local culture, DSA brings a unique insight into every project it undertakes. This results in buildings and structures that help to inspire both clients and guests and realise extraordinary spaces.

ACCOLADES ACHIEVED

• 2019 LUX Life Magazine Awards – Most Outstanding Architectural Practice in the UAE
• 2018 MEA Markets South African Business Awards – Best International Architects
• 2016 Top Architect of the Year Award – No. 1 Architectural Consultant in the United Arab Emirates
• 2009 Middle East Architect Award – Architecture Firm of the Year: Vernacular