It's Not All About Going Big
"Most master developers are constructing residential units that are smaller and more efficient than in the past", says Ahmad Bukhash, Director of Urban Planning at the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA), as he reports on a new trend that is being driven by demand.
Buyer behaviour and specifications for advertised properties confirm this observation, with the average size of villas on offer continuing to shrink, and apartment buildings with more studios and 1-bed units attracting higher demand.
However, the shift extends beyond the size of individual units and is equally about affordability according to Burkhash who identifies the critical challenge for architects in Dubai as "understanding what affordable housing really means, so they can minimise the cost for developers", before observing:
"Going forward, we need to understand how to save on construction costs and how to use new technologies to speed up the construction process."
Building efficiently requires a combination of new regulations, building materials and guidelines that allow developers to use innovative technologies and implement prototypes.
Josine Heijmans, Portfolio Director of The Big 5 (the Middle East's largest construction event) acknowledges this when she says: "There's an unprecedented call for innovative technologies and efficient building solutions to come into play in Dubai's fast-paced construction industry".
About Ahmad Bukhash
Ahmad Bukhash is currently the Director of Urban Planning at the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority and responsible for reviewing and regulating iconic master plans that fall within the Jurisdiction of major master developers within the Emirate such as Dubai Holding and MERAAS. These iconic developments encompass prominent developments such as the Dubai Design District; Dubai Harbour; Dubai International Financial Center; Dubai Hills Estate and Dubai Creek Harbour Developments.
A graduate in architecture from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston (2002), Burkash was also a recipient of the prestigious monbukagakusho scholarship from the Japanese Government in collaboration with the UAE ministry of higher education and continued his architectural studies at master's level at the Kyoto Institute of Technology (receiving a master's degree in 2006).
Bukhash returned to the UAE in 2007 and was employed by the Dubai Properties Group as Director of Urban Planning and Design until 2014. During his work career, he identified the need for developments to reflect the identity of their own culture and embody the spirit of place through modern abstractions and reinterpretations of traditional archetypes. This instigated him to establish his own architectural design practice in 2009 named ARCHIDENTITY. The main purpose behind the firm's establishment was to define a unique architectural identity suited to the present age in line with the Emirati traditions and customs.
Bukhash was awarded the Sheikh Rashid Award for Academic Excellence in 2010 and remains heavily engaged in the field of Architectural Education as a Member of the Dubai Advisory Committee for the Architectural Program Development at the American University of Dubai.
