Arc Middle East 2018

Synopsis

This presentation will provide an overview of the demand fundamentals driving each of the real estate markets within the GCC – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The demand fundamentals assessed will include population, demographics, economics and tourism indicators. This presentation will then go on to identify real estate investment and development activity within the GCC’s tourism and hospitality, residential, retail and office markets. This presentation will conclude by reviewing emerging risks within the GCC’s real estate market, with an overall view on investment activity and risk-reward profiles.

Synopsis

As designers of the built environment, we all believe in and understand the importance and the power of the built environment. In that environment there exist influencing factors that can range in impact from negative, or pathogenic, to positive, or salutogenic. In a space or building in which true wellbeing is possible, our work as designers will fall on a scale of environmental impact wholly beyond the point at which we “do no harm”. But do we truly understand where this point lies? When we reach the true pinnacle of wellbeing design, we will be creating spaces which foster self-actualization, with a deep and profound sense of meaning. The environment will connect with the needs of a wide variety of occupants, interconnecting them in a place which visually and figuratively communicates and promotes feelings of comfort, community and inspiration. Let’s start the conversation on providing spaces that do more than just function efficiently, which start to find ways to regenerate and elevate the body and spirit. Let’s use the environment to care for people.

Synopsis

The session will focus attention on two key questions that leaders at all levels need to consider.

First:
“Why would anyone want to follow me?”

The thrust here is to examine leadership behaviours that inspire others to respond positively towards enhancing performance at all levels.

The second question is:
“Why would anyone want me in their team?”

No matter how high we are in an organization, there are usually stakeholders above us that require us to perform well. The focus upon followership is to reflect on the behaviours that enhance team performance at all levels and to identify the characteristics of different types of follower. In turn, a deeper understanding of followership components will enable the leader to select better courses of action to deal with leadership and organizational challenges. Put simply, an effective follower and an effective leader are two sides of the same coin.

Synopsis

1.Role of Architecture

The main and most fundamental purpose of architecture is a means to define ourselves. Architecture gives form to our experiences that create meaning. It contains the collective acts that forge community. It allows for the evolution of civilizations.

2. The reality of our Gulf Cities

What our architecture in our cities failed to do is to allow us to have the seamless experience of who we are in any given day. What the outer mirrors to the inner, what we have projected, is a fragmented sense of self as well as community.

We have created cities that are made up of stand-alone objects that are disconnected and are only in relationship with other objects such as the car. We have created cities that are made up of a series of disjointed spaces. The type of experience that is created as result of this is flat, disorientating as well as alienating.

3. Understanding Context

Creating meaningful experiences through architecture comes from an understanding of the place, the people that it is addressing, from understanding context.

4. Case Study of Contextual Architecture

Mleiha Archeological Centre, in Sharjah UAE.