A desert scrubland in the heart of Bahrain is now being transformed into an oasis of greenery and tranquillity in the shape of a world class golf and leisure residential development that is due for overall completion by mid-2009.

Riffa Views Signature Estates, a green gated community, is speedily growing over a sprawling 270-hectare site adjacent to Awali. The project marked a major milestone last month (July) when the first of the homes on the stunning new development were handed over to the developer by the building contractor.
Over the next few months, the project expects to cross other key milestones including the opening of its school next month (September) and the golf course in November.
In fact, the first residents are expected to move in this month when the teaching staff for the school – the Riffa Views International School – arrive in mid-August. The school has initially taken up 16 townhouses to accommodate its teaching staff.
The Riffa Views project is being developed by Riffa Views Signature Estates, a joint venture between Arcapita and Bahrain International Golf Company (BIGC) and is the first golf residential development in Bahrain. A core team comprising Richard Browning (CEO), Steve Russell-Rayner (project director), Abdulhakim Abdulmalik (finance director) and Hugh O’Shea (sales and marketing director), supported by an administrative team, is spearheading the project to ensure that the vision of the project and its high-quality standards are maintained.
The stunning new property development is masterplanned by EDAW, the leading international architects whose award-winning designs supported London’s successful Olympic bid. Mace International is the project manager, reporting directly to Russell-Rayner.
Speaking to Gulf Construction, Russell-Rayner says the developer’s vision for the project is close to being realised. “We are providing something unique, which will be the first green gated community in Bahrain. The golf course takes up around one-third of the whole development area. The level of landscaping is unmatched in the country with some 70 per cent of the site landscaped with green areas, water bodies and natural environmental features. The villas are of high quality and spacious with good-sized gardens.
“We are now putting into place the vision that was foreseen for the project and I can confidently say it is being realised. In fact, in certain cases we are pleasantly surprised to see certain small aspects take shape which were not noticeable on the plan.”
The BD280 million ($750 million) project features 1,053 top-quality fitted homes woven around a new 18-hole championship golf course designed by renowned golfer and course designer, Colin Montgomerie. These villas and townhouses, which have an approximate built-up area of 526,000 sq m, occupy 39 per cent of the expansive site, which spans 5 km from one end to the other.
Other components of the project include: • An international standard golf and country club, which includes facilities such as a golf shop, lounge, a members’ lounge and restaurants that will be open to visitors. The country club will feature a landscaped garden area with a swimming pool and multipurpose tennis courts. The fitness centre includes gymnasiums for men and women, steam and sauna areas, and a multi-functional room for aerobics. The 15,000 sq m facility will offer residents and members indoor and outdoor sporting facilities;
• A golf academy with state-of-the-art facilities;
• A nine-hole executive course, a short course ideal for practice;
• Riffa Views International School (RVIS), a world-class international school managed by International School Systems (ISS), a global operator of educational facilities based in Virginia, US;
• A tennis academy, which is located within the grounds of RVIS, being developed in association with tennis legend Boris Becker;
 • Two mosques, one of which can accommodate up to 410 worshippers and the other up to 150. A third mosque has been proposed for the project; and
• Comprehensive outdoor leisure activities for families and children including walking, hiking and bike trails along with picnic areas.
The development features three signature gated estates – secure and 24/7 manned – whose names are evocative of their landscaping themes – The Lagoons, The Oasis and The Park. These residential estates are set in extensive landscaping that combines arid desert scenes with emerald parklands and lagoons.
“Some $25 million has been invested on public landscaping covering 72 hectares which includes walkways, park areas, play areas, roads and lakes,” says Russell-Rayner. “In addition, there are three lakes and a number of smaller water features which will hold over 560 million litres of water in total.”
“We have been very careful to retain the existing topography of the site, by accentuating the natural features, particularly along the eastern area. In addition, we have created a number of water bodies and redeveloped numerous existing wadis. The enhanced environment is already attracting its own bird life,” he points out.
Access within the development is facilitated by around 15 km of roads.
The project will also feature a 66 kV primary substation that Riffa Views has built for Bahrain’s electric authority as well as 42 secondary substations around the site; a sewage treatment plant; an irrigation system; and a reverse osmosis (RO) plant.
In addition, a fibre optic network is being installed to provide a comprehensive data/telecom distribution system to every home within the development.
Freehold ownership of the villas and townhouses in these estates is available for all nationalities. 

Residential estates
The development combines 1,053 residences in seven standard designs reflecting an architectural fusion of Middle Eastern and contemporary themes using materials that reflect environmental concerns and are suitable for Bahrain’s climate and cultural heritage. These villas are well fitted out (apart from loose furniture) and range from two-bedroom townhouses to six-bedroom villas.
The residences within the three distinct signature estates are available on plot sizes varying from 200 sq m to more than 5,500 sq m, with built-up areas ranging from 193 sq m to 850 sq m for the standard villas and up to 2,200 sq m for the extra large villas. 
Two of its signature estates, namely The Lagoons and The Oasis, are being built with landscaped settings around the perimeter of the 18-hole golf course, whilst The Park Estate is set back in Mediterranean surrounds.
The Oasis Estate has been designed to combine the rocky beauty and tranquillity of a riverbed oasis. It is set in the northern part of the site, which has natural valleys with steep rocky sides, which are used as the “backbone” of this landscape theme. The Oasis takes its inspiration from Arab architecture and Bahrain’s natural environment combining the tranquil desert with the calming cool of shaded, green areas. It has two- and three-bedroom townhouses and all five styles of villas, and features communal open spaces and views over the golf course.
The Lagoons Estate is set in a tropical backdrop of azure waters incorporating rock falls, water features and lakes that meander through this contemporary architectural setting. The modern exteriors of the villas give them a sleek look and the wide open indoor space give a feeling of vast expanse. It features a water-shaped landscape with lakes and is typified by richer, more exotic planting. The network of paths winding through The Lagoons crosses the wadi and pools with simple footbridges.
The Park Estate is a secluded enclave offset from the 18 hole golf course, featuring a Mediterranean architectural style and a landscape comprising shady tree lined avenues with communal floral gardens. All the residences in The Park Estate feature pitched roofs, old-style courtyards and balconies constructed using traditional designs. To be landscaped with parks and palm-tree-lined avenues, the estate also features bike and walking trails.
The overall development also features two village areas, each of which will have small retail facilities.
“The quality of build, superior materials and fine craftsmanship combine with large open spaces, truly amazing landscapes and a myriad of existing and planned leisure and sporting facilities to produce a lifestyle highly sought after by discerning buyers,” says Browning.
Some of the finishes of the townhouses and villas include ceramic tile and parquet flooring, double-glazed windows and doors in high-quality powder-coated aluminium profiles in the main spaces; top quality built-in cabinets and fittings in the kitchens that complement the overall design theme; and ceramic-tiled flooring and walls, custom-designed mirrors and vanities and European-style fittings in the bathrooms.
Externally, the townhouses and villas have painted walls with façade highlights in wood and stone.
The residences feature, cold and hot water pressurised distribution systems with roof-mounted pumps and ducted air-conditioning systems or mounted mini-split air-conditioning units in all rooms.

Riffa Views International School
ISS is developing the world-class 560-student school within the Riffa Views development, following an agreement reached in March 2006.
The school, located between The Oasis and The Lagoons estates and with a built-up area of 18,000 sq m, plans to offer education from pre-kindergarten all the way through to high school level.
Initially, the RVIS will admit students from ages four (pre kindergarten) to 10 (fifth grade), with additional grade levels added each year thereafter. ISS will ensure the highest international education standards by overseeing the certification, development, registration and operation of the school. Students graduating from RVIS will be awarded an American matriculation or an International Baccalaureate (IB) qualification.
The school, open to both residents and non-residents, will receive 280 pupils in its Junior school in the academic year starting next month (in subsequent years, as the school adds older grades, the capacity will increase to 560 students).
Attached to the school is the tennis academy, which includes six outdoor and one indoor tennis courts.

Golf course
The focal feature of the project is the 18-hole Montgomerie championship golf course, which is unique in the region having been modelled on the concept of a links course with rough sea grass, rather than the manicured types that are common in the region. The course covers 90 hectares with a golf academy.
The designs of the 18-hole tournament golf course and nine-hole short course have been prepared by Colin Montgomerie, in association with European Golf Design, a joint venture design company of the European Tour and IMG. The last nine holes of the tournament golf course will be floodlit as will be the nine-hole par 3 course.

Golf and Country Club
The Golf and Country Club project includes a large underground parking area and involves a facelift as well as provision of extensions to the existing clubhouse. The project also entails construction of a circular building – known as the ‘forum’ building, which will be used as a multi-purpose area – and new buildings to house the country club section and the golf academy.

Construction
What started off as a compact golf course surrounded by scrubland is shaping up as a championship golf course covering an area that is almost three times the size of the original course and surrounded by luxury residential units.
While the project was launched in December 2005 when Riffa Views began selling the first 81 houses on the development, the first tenders on the development, for enabling works, were issued early 2006.
Two individual show homes were readied for public viewing by September 2006, making Riffa Views the first property development in Bahrain to provide such a service. This enabled potential customers to have a first-hand opportunity to see, feel and experience the quality of build, room spaces, lighting and finishes available. The housing units have been tastefully designed by top Bahrain architects Gulf House Engineering and Mohamed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau (MSCEB), with interior designs by Horizon Interiors, creating individuality for each home.
The developer has looked for local and international contractors to ensure the success of the project.
 “We have selected contractors who could provide the level of quality we desire and have the resources to manage a project of this type and scale. In trying to achieve our objectives we have also looked outside Bahrain and have selected carefully,” says Russell-Rayner. “So our team of contractors includes a mix of international and local companies such as PCC-Terna, GPZ-Sembawang, Projects Construction, Cybarco, Cyprus Building and Road Construction (Cybroc) and Tabet.
“Also, we have chosen to award a number of packages rather than opt for one contractor for the entire development – a decision that has held us in good stead, considering the current market conditions in which contractors are facing serious problems because of shortages of resources and materials.”
Work on the golf course began in August 2006 and has been going full steam ahead since the appointment of BGD/Nass, a JV between Braemar Golf Development and Nass Group, as the main contractor for the 27-hole golf facility in December 2006. The golf course is expected to be completed in time for its opening in November.
Infrastructure work on the property was launched in January last year, with the signing of a BD24.9 million ($69 million) contract with Cybroc, a subsidiary of Cybarco of Cyprus.  Under the contract, Cybroc, in a joint venture with Tabet Enterprises, is undertaking one of Bahrain’s largest infrastructure projects, entailing construction of roads and installation of telecommunications cabling, electricity and water supplies for the luxury residential development.
The size and complexity of the development has required the laying of more than 160 km of underground electric cabling as well as almost 14 km of rainwater drainage piping, 26 km of potable water piping, 69 km of telephone network cabling, 32 km of streetlight cabling and 18 km of roads.
“The construction of infrastructure facilities for a project of this magnitude is a colossal undertaking. Getting this essential stage right is key to the success of the whole project and ensures that, when handed the keys to his new home in Riffa Views, the owner can quite rightly expect a fully functioning home with everything working at the turn of a tap or the flick of a switch,” says Browning.
Construction work on the first of the Riffa Views estates, The Oasis, began in June last year, after Riffa Views Signature Estates appointed PCC-Terna as the contractor for the estate. PCC-Terna has just handed over the first of the villas in this estate last month.
Work was also launched in the same month on the RVIS project, with the award of the BD8.2 million construction contract to Cybroc. Construction on the school is being implemented on a fast-track basis to ensure that the first phase, which includes the junior school and the administration areas are ready for the opening next month. The second and final phase is expected to see completion by the year-end.
Meanwhile, work on the second of the signature estates, The Lagoons was launched in July last year with the award of the construction contract to GPZ-Sembawang, a joint venture between local contractor GPZ and Singaporean engineering and construction giant Sembawang. The Lagoons Estate will be completed by mid-2009.
The Park Estate was officially launched last October and is also expected to be completed in mid-2009. Construction of the estate is being carried out by contractors Poullaides Construction Company and Projects Construction Company.
Work on the golf and country club is being undertaken by Cybroc on a fast-track basis since last November and is expected to be completed by October.
Riffa Views marked a major milestone in March this year, when a key piece of infrastructure – the main electrical substation was completed on target. The 66 kV facility – costing BD6 million – will supply power to the entire development through a network of underground cables.
Detailed feasibility studies were carried out over a 10-month period to identify the ideal location for the substation which has been built in accordance with the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) standards. The facility has a control and switchgear room which boasts the latest equipment, helping engineers restore power more quickly in the event of a fault. Areva provided the transformers and switchgear, and local company M&I Construction carried out all the civil work.
Among other developments, Bahrain-based Seatech – which installed the existing reverse osmosis (RO) plant on site – undertook the work on upgrading of RO plant, which will treat groundwater from four wells around the site. The treated water is being pumped into the lakes to provide water for irrigation.
 “Following the handover of the first of the 1,053 villas currently under construction, the remaining residences will be handed over in phases. Meanwhile, the 66 kV primary substation will be energised shortly,” Russell-Rayner says.
Work is currently in progress on lining the third of the three large lakes on the project with geotextile membranes. The two other lakes have already been completed and are currently being filled with water.
A sewage treatment plant (STP) is being set up under a contract with Metito, which has already installed a temporary facility that treats waste water from Awali. The treated water from the STP will be used to irrigate the golf course and the landscaped areas.  Currently, the treated water is being used to fill the lakes during the night while 70 per cent is used to irrigate the course.
The crucial landscaping contract is being handled by Nass Landscapes under a BD25 million contract, which was awarded last October. Under this contract, the company is responsible for all the landscaping, apart from the golf course, including the parks, walkways, soft and hard landscaping.
“Currently we are sourcing a lot of trees and shrubs, which would be new to Bahrain but which would thrive in the country. We are conducting an intensive exercise to ensure that these plants – sourced from Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, Dubai and Egypt – will survive under local conditions. For example, some 500 to 600 palms are coming in from Thailand by the end of next month and will be kept in a nursery to get acclimatised before they are transported to site,” says Russell-Rayner.
Nass Landscapes has begun mobilisation work on its contract by building the nursery in Hamala. It has also carried out the landscaping for the first few villas that have been handed over by the contractor.
Work is scheduled to start by the end of this month on the tennis academy, the contract for which has been awarded to Cybarco. Work is also due to commence soon on the “extra large” villas.
Work is expected to commence shortly on two of the mosques on the project, while a decision is yet to be made on going ahead with the third mosque.

Challenges
Russell-Rayner arrived on the project in March last year when work on the golf course had barely started and has actually seen the project rise above the ground and gain momentum. Today around 850 villas are under construction with work due to start shortly on the remaining villas, the school is nearly complete and the golf course is substantially ready.
“Considering the various problems encountered to date including the current difficult market conditions in Bahrain, we are doing reasonably well,” he says.
Commenting on some of the difficulties faced on the project, Russell-Rayner says: “As with other projects in the region, the major difficulties faced on the project have been due to a shortage of materials and cost escalation, which we expect will continue. Hence, we have been working with the contractors to sort out crucial issues as well as monitor the supply of materials to the project. MSCEB has engineers on site, who are assessing the situation and keeping control of the project.”
Most of the buildings are constructed using blockwork and in-situ concrete with precast elements used for the floor slabs. Structural steelwork has been used for the school gymnasium while the golf and country club also features a steel roof.
Being an advocate of advanced construction techniques, Russell-Rayner rues the fact that the project has not been able to take advantage of these techniques, however, he believes that given the current market scenario, it was the best direction to go.
“As there are only three precast concrete manufacturers in Bahrain, we would have faced problems if we had gone down that route as work would have stopped, considering the volume of work currently being handled by these manufacturers,” he says.
Yet another challenge was the fast-track nature of the project. He elaborates: “We did not have the luxury of building the infrastructure first before moving ahead with work on the villas. Since both works are being undertaken simultaneously, access in certain areas is extremely difficult. Also, the weather conditions have not been favourable, with the dust haze conditions that are magnified tenfold on site in Riffa compared to those in town.”
He comments: “The dust is fine and saline and has been settling on the grass of the golf course. It has also been difficult to establish a good grass cover, considering the short window that we have had to grow it. Our next challenge will be to get the golf course tidy and ready for the golfers.”
Riffa Views Signature Estates has also set in motion moves to ensure that the upkeep of the project is in capable hands. Dalkia, Europe’s leading energy services company, has been appointed on a five-year contract as facilities manager on the project. The company has already begun mobilising on the project to ensure the services are in place when the first residents move in.

MILESTONES
Dec 2005: Initiation of the project
June 2006:  Work starts on construction of electrical substation
Aug 2006:  Work starts on the golf course and lakes
June 2007: Work begins on the Riffa Views International School
Dec 2007:  Work starts on country club and golf academy
March 2008:  Electrical substation commissioned
June 2008:  Filling of lakes
July 2008:  First home handed over by PCC-Terna
Sept 2008:  Opening of Riffa Views International School, Phase One
Nov 2008:  New 18-hole signature championship golf course and clubhouse to be opened
June 2009:  Total project completion

FACTS & FIGURES
Workers on site: 6,000
Steel used: 80,000 tonnes
Blocks: 20,000 per day.
Total area: 270 hectares extending 5 km across
Total number of villas: 1,053
Total length of roads: 15 km
Length of boundary wall: 9 km