and the needs that service those populations whether
that’s based around resale, food and beverage, or different
social activities.”
Cengiz referred back to the UK’s strategy of “integrating,
not segregating,” which the country achieves by ensuring
that mixed residential developments dedicate a small part of
their land to social housing. He noted that in the long-term,
similar inducements could be offered to the residential mar-
kets in the UAE to create greater diversity and richness in its
collective activities and way of life.
“Growth and advancement of the UAE’s cities in a cultur-
ally diverse form is a goal shared by many, and to realise
these ambitions, urban integration in a socially sustainable
approach needs greater consideration,” he explained.
Salehi pointed out that architects can still positively con-
tribute to wider urban debate and residential development,
by retaining their roles as advisors to clients and advocates
of good practice.
“Often the initial vision is provided by the developer; how-
ever, the intricacies of sustainable communal integration
and guidance through the process of design is a function of
the lead consultants,” Salehi said.
As the lead design architect for the Habtoor City Residen-
tial towers, Salehi highlighted the value in maintaining a
close partnership and dialogue between the developer and
consultant.
Written by Rima Alsammarae
Images courtesy of LWK+Partners“Architects should play a more engaging and informa-
tive role when working with client teams in order to deliver
the initial vision and the long-term goals of the project,” he
said. “A whole range of social amenities are incorporated in
the Habtoor residences, which are about place-making and
enriching the living experience, addressing the long-term
needs and requirements of the tenants and all the stakehold-
ers. That level of participation on behalf of architects in gen-
erating content, advising and learning from successful de-
velopments around the world where creation of sustainable
communities is at the forefront of design ethos.”Oriental Bund in Foshan, ChinaSavannah in Tseung Kwan O, Hong KongWhitesands in Lantau Island, Hong KongSPECIAL REPORT / 31