FOUNDATION work is currently under way at Qasr Sabah, a Dh400 million ($108 million) residential project located in Dubai’s International Media Production Zone (IMPZ).

Developed by RSG International, Qasr Sabah residential development will comprise three buildings: Qasr Sabah One, Two and Three. Each of the building, including ground, podium plus six floors, will house 402 apartments in total (384 one-bedroom apartments and 18 studio apartments). The buildings will feature recreational and lifestyle facilities on the terrace such as swimming pools, gymnasiums, full-size tennis courts and children’s play areas.

The ground floor of Qasr Sabah Two will have retail shops, while the ground floor of Qasr Sabah One and Three will accommodate the entrance lobbies, elevators, service rooms such as electrical rooms, enclosed garbage chutes, telephone rooms and parking spaces. The podium level is for parking, providing slots for 500 vehicles, complete with CCTV coverage and access control.

The total site area is 166,100 sq ft, with a built-up area around 425,000 sq ft.

Describing the project, Raj Sahni, founder and chairperson of RSG, said: “Blending visually appealing Mediterranean and Arabic elements with much finesse, Qasr Sabah emanates understated luxury. The development’s brilliant white façade with special crack-resistant GRC cladding exudes freshness and solidity.”

The design of the buildings is compliant with the 2013 Seismic Design Code for Dubai. High-quality construction materials and procedures complying with Dubai Municipality’s Green Building Codes and strict standards in earthquake safety and readiness have been employed, all of which ensure a secure environment and substantial energy savings, Sahni said.

These include thermal blocks for the outer walls of the buildings and double glazing to reduce the heat transmission.

Commenting on the concept of the project, he said: “Our aim was to make compact apartments with a very clever usage of space, to match the taste and capabilities of our target customers.”

The development sits on raft foundation, laid on replaced soil to enhance the stress limit of the soil. The superstructure is a concrete skeleton and post-tensioned slabs designed to provide the required spans and to keep a reasonable slab thickness.

“We have already laid out post-tensioned slabs following which the challenge will be to cast these huge slabs in one piece to avoid the structure joints,” Sahni commented.

The mobilisation of materials at the Qasr Sabah site started in January with work on the excavation and foundation launched a month later. The project is scheduled for completion in 14 months, by the third quarter of 2015. The consultant on the project is Al Asri Engineering Consultants. Al Shafar National Contracting is the main contractor and MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) sub-contractor is Akar Technical Services while the elevator systems are from Al Yousef Lifts company.