SOME 3,000 labourers and craftsmen are currently on site shaping up the first components on the $3.2-billion Al Wa’ab City, one of the largest privately-owned real estate developments in Qatar.

This large number will, however, more than double to 8,000 at the peak of construction in mid-2009, when all the elements of this massive undertaking unfold.
Around 60 per cent of the villas on the mega mixed-use development are now under construction with the first villas expected to be handed over in the second half of this year and the final batch to be delivered by the end of 2010, Brian Meilleur, president and chief operations officer of Al Wa’ab City tells Gulf Construction.
“Work on the largest of the villas on the development – Al Lewan – and the medium-sized villas Hattan is about 40 per cent complete and expected to be finished by June,” he adds.
In addition, interior design firm H Deco has been engaged by the client to provide well-conceived layouts and quality fixtures for the units.
Also due to be handed over by June are the Salwa Road showrooms and offices, according to Meilleur.
Al Wa’ab City, set to be Doha’s first planned family-oriented and self-supporting community when substantially completed in 2011, is centrally located along Doha’s main arterial roads and in close proximity to many of the capital city’s major academic institutions and sport facilities. The project is being promoted by Nasser Bin Khaled Holding.
The development integrates a wide variety of housing styles and options, small and large-scale retail, low-rise offices and health facilities, comprising more than 2,000 residential units, 100,000 sq m of retail space including a unique boutique mall, 200,000 sq m of commercial accommodation, and a 200-room five-star luxury hotel, all fully maintained under a world-class facilities management service. Al Wa’ab City management has retained world-class facility manager SNC Lavalin ProFac to manage and operate the entire development, ensuring a quality experience for residents, tenants, shoppers and visitors to the Al Wa’ab City project.
The project will also feature an abundance of open space, lush landscapes and a stunning piazza known as Barahat Al Wa’ab at its heart, which will be the social, recreational and cultural open air centre of the city.
Work has started on the deep foundations for the Barahat Al Wa’ab, which is expected to be completed over the next two years.
“Barahat Al Wa’ab is gathering momentum as more workers arrive on site to keep up with the timelines,” says Meilleur.
The developer is now making preparations to launch tenders for the hardscaping for the roads, as well as for the Mezzen and Al Sennyar villas, which are the smaller villa developments on the project. Work on the road network for the project will commence once the utilities have been installed underneath the roadbed.
Al Wa’ab City will be home to approximately 8,000 people in over 2,000 residential units over an area of 1.25 million sq m, which will give it one of the lowest population density ratios of any new major development in the country with the added benefits of all the latest smart city capabilities, he says.
The name of the city is derived from the Arabic word for a spacious plot of land, says Meilleur. “Using this as an inspiration, over a fifth of the project will be devoted to extensive lush green landscaping,” he says.
As well as Barahat Al Wa’ab, Al Wa’ab City will also offer Doha numerous verdant park areas, pedestrian walkways, water features, and many play areas for children.

Residential units
The residential units consist of more than 400 villas and 1,450 apartments. The villas are offered in a number of configurations, the largest being the palatial Al Lewan Villas, of which there are 92 units. These 871 sq m units are available in three types/layouts and have five bedrooms, a three-car garage, private swimming pool and an internal elevator.
The mid-size Hattan villas – 185 units in total, each with a built-up area of approximately 480 sq m – are available in four types and feature four bedrooms and a two-car garage. The project also comprises 78 Mezzen Villas, available as two or three-storey units each with four bedrooms and a single-car garage; and 43 Al Sennyar townhouses, consisting of either three or four bedroom units. The Hattan, Mezzen and Sennyar units have access to neighborhood clubhouses and community swimming pools.
Elaborating on the design of the villas where spaciousness is a key element, Meilleur says: “The villas will feature high ceilings, which is a popular demand among residents, and are designed with strong, clean, cubist lines, with the interior architecture expressed through the exterior rectilinear shape of each structure. Wind towers will be a prominent feature of their architecture and add a strong vertical element, capped by a light concrete roof to lend an airy, open feeling to each residence. A balancing horizontal element is apparent on the exterior, expressed either in the handrails, reveals, or window sills of each villa.”
In addition to the villas, Al Wa’ab City offers more than 1,450 Azha, S’hayl, Al Y’ah and Merzam residential apartments to suit varied tastes. Some 400 of these apartments, in a choice of one, two or three bedroom units, will be set within green parks or overlooking Barahat Al Wa’ab while around 1,000 of them will be street-facing and available as single bedroom studios to four-bedroom options. All the apartments will be provided with underground parking areas.

Barahat Al Wa’ab
Barahat Al Wa’ab, a ‘first’ for Doha, is the heart of Al Wa’ab City and spreads over 44,000 sq m, providing extensive open air facilities for both the residents of Al Wa’ab City and the wider population of Doha. A large number of high-quality retail outlets will be incorporated within this area, which will be animated with cafes, restaurants, and outdoor markets. Shade structures, water features, lush landscaping, and gardens will encourage outdoor activity and breathe a refreshing new aspect into Doha. This area will incorporate the project’s five-star hotel as well as a large variety of first-class restaurants, cafes and myriad entertainment choices.

Design upgrades
According to the developer, there has been a vast interest in the project since it was launched. “We received a considerable amount of enquiries and suggestions, which we are trying to implement to improve the standard of living and to meet the market requirements. As a result, there has been a number of exciting and noteworthy developments on site to enhance the project,” says Meilleur.
Citing some of these design changes, he says: “The architectural firm, 5+ Design, from California, was asked to energise the design for the Barahat Al Wa’ab and have provided valuable details that not only enhance the appearance of the piazza but also improve its functionality, and maximise the retail experience. As a result of their recommendations, the amount of restaurant space has been nearly doubled and the centre of the Barahat Al Wa’ab has been better programmed to handle festive events and public activities.”
The Barahat Al Wa’ab will also host a suq-like retail area with medium- to high-end stores and food and beverage outlets, aiming to provide an outdoor feeling and experience. The health club area has been reviewed and expanded and the cinema has been relocated to provide operational excellence and easier access for residents and guests, he continues.
To cut dependency on electricity, synthesised natural gas will be supplied to restaurants, medium-rise buildings, and smaller villas on the project, for use in kitchens and for hot water heaters. “Work has progressed well in this regard. This not only provides a superior service to the project but also sets the trend towards use of natural gas in the city, of which Qatar has an abundance, rather than increasingly expensive electricity,” Meilleur points out, adding, however, that the large villas will not be on the natural gas network.
Moreover, details of the amenities and sports courts at each villa clubhouse have been reviewed and improved by Al Wa’ab City to meet market requirements, he says.

Amenities & utilities
Careful considerable has been given to energy efficiency. Apart from the use of natural gas, energy consumption will be optimised with the use of a building management system, which is linked to the central cooling plant.
“The plant will centrally monitor and control the amount of chilled water required in each building and provide the optimum flow via valves in the underground pipe network. Additionally, architectural features for each building include the use of low ‘e’ glass and thermally-efficient walls,” he explains.
The project will offer a host of amenities including a private health and fitness club, neighbourhood recreation centres and childcare facilities, central garden parks with pool, fountains, children playgrounds and exotic floral gardens and cycle paths and running tracks.
A strong focus is being maintained on ensuring a clean and safe environment which includes allocation of more than 10,700 off-road parking spaces throughout the development. Over 20 per cent of the total land area will be lush green landscaping.
Besides ample parking for more than 4,000 cars in controlled or underground parking, additional parking on the street will be possible at each villa location. Over-the-curb parking will be limited by the landscape treatment.
Progress
The 3,000-strong team of workers on site are supported by a convoy of equipment, which at present includes 31 concrete pumps, 190 mixers, 236 power shovels, 52 mobile cranes, 130 generators, three 50-m truss boom cranes, 78 compactors, 156 pumps, and large quantities of smaller tools.
A fourth 50-m truss boom cranes will be added shortly. In addition, there will be four smaller 30-m boom cranes eventually, one of which is currently being installed. These are required for the Barahat Al Wa’ab area.
 “The contract for the project is about 25 per cent complete. At Al Wa’ab City, we ensure that best quality construction materials are used in order to provide first-class, well-maintained residential, retail and commercial accommodation,” Meilleur says.
With rapid progress being made, the developer is gearing up to get the paperwork in place to ensure congruity within Barahat Al Wa’ab.
Al Wa’ab City Management has last month signed an agreement with Spinneys Qatar to open the first Spinneys store in Qatar. Spanning 6,585 sq m of space, the premier supermarket retailer will be located adjacent to the entrance of the Barahat Al Wa’ab.
“As tenants for the retail stores are being signed up, a tenant criteria manual will soon be available for their use as each tenant develops his design concept for the Barahat Al Wa’ab,” Meilleur says.
Commenting on when the project will reach its peak, he says: “By the middle of next year, we should hit the top of the building curve with full construction under way on Barahat Al Wa’ab, related high-rise apartments, some of the retail spaces, and the office buildings. Virtually 80 per cent of the entire project will be under some stage of construction at the same time, if we include the finishing and fit-out for the villas and the large chiller plant now being planned.”