To end the semester....

although i am finding myself frequently overwhelmed by the challanges which i am confronted with whilst studying architecture/constuction management at deakin university, i am enjoying every step of the journey and i would not change a thing. to finalise my blog for SRT 151 i have left some links to some videos depicting the developements in dubai, i thought this would be appropriate because when ever i am feeling as though it is all just to much for me i look to great projects such as these for inspiration!

i mean just have a look at what is shown in some of these videos, imagine being able to say that you were apart of the design team! ..thats where i want to be!

just click on the squares! all the best and thanks to Jeremy Ham for a fantastic learning opportunity.....

Major Project

these are my two posters for the major project:

Major Project

Here is my CAD model which i created for the major project:

details - revisited



here are some more construction drawings based on the tutorial classes, i have tried to produce drawings which are an improvement on my previous drawings.

site visit #7

another commercial site in melbournes west, i have labelled a few of the buildings elements in the image below:

site visit #6

this is a commercial site which i visited in melbournes west. its a set of offices which is being constructed by means of pre cast concrete panel construction. this can be seen from the images as there is no floor slab anywhere which would have made tilt up concrete panel construction possible.

site visit #5


here are some images of a commercial building site in melbournes west which i visited. this particular project was nearing completion.

site visit #4



i was lucky to have the opportunity to watch a concrete slab being constructed at this commercial/industrial site in Melbourne's western suburbs. i found that you get a different perspective when you see some of the hard work behind the construction process, and it was just as exciting to watch as anything else.

here are some images of the end result, with a couple of the guys doing some work in relation to ensuring that the slab is properly cured:

research - melbourne


i just thought that the new developement of the melbourne convention centre would be something interesting to look at. construction of the project was awarded to multiplex constructions and it was begun at the end of 2006 and is expected to run through until the end of 2008. building works has been calculated to be a total of 480 million dollars, and this is to include the convention centre, a pedestrian bridge across the Yarra River and a 12-storey, five star hotel with 319 rooms. the new building will also be intedgrated with the existing exhibition centre.






























Australia’s newest icon emulates Melbourne
In revealing the design concept for Australia's newest icon, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre says its new convention centre will emulate its city namesake.
The new centre is part of a A$1.1 billion project between the Victorian Government and Plenary Group. It will revitalise the last crucial section of the Yarra River's edge, linking South Bank to Docklands.
As well as housing what will be Australia's largest combined convention and exhibition facility, the project includes a Hilton hotel, a new Maritime Museum, a lifestyle retail precinct and 60,000 m2 of shopping. It opens for business in 2009.
Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre chief executive Leigh Harry says the convention centre will be an important architectural landmark for Melbourne, and will emulate what the city stands for.
"Not only will it be visually striking, but it will leave those who enter the space feeling like they have experienced Melbourne, from its maritime history, to its art and culture and sporting ethos."
Plenary Group's architects on the convention centre project, Nik Karalis from Woods Bagot, and Hamish Lyon from NH Architecture, say they've done this in a variety of ways using wall motifs, Australian timber and making the plenary hall feel like a 'real' theatre experience.
And it doesn't end there - even the majority of the food and wine served at conferences is sourced from local specialised food producers and vineyards.
Hamish Lyon says the locality also offers a unique 'Melbourne' experience.
"Most convention centres are like being in a black box. In the new Melbourne convention centre, you can stand in front of an 18 metre glass façade looking out to the Yarra River and feel like you could touch the city - you're that close to the city centre."
Nik Karalis says another key feature of the design is the flexibility of the plenary hall. It will transform from full plenary, to grand theatre, to intimate theatres, to small conference, to cabaret, or to flat floor banquet.
"Put simply, the range of options for event organisers is unparalleled. The design is also particularly unique. It was designed as the 'spirit' of the building and will appear to glow to those looking in through the glass façade.
"Once inside any of its smaller configurations, you would never know it could possibly accommodate 5,000 people. Every theatre is an experience in itself and every service has been considered from the side walls to the ceiling."
Its fan shape design means all delegates will have an unobstructed view, no matter what the convention mode, something no other centre in the world can do.
He says the area around the plenary hall has also been carefully designed.
"It's an open, uncluttered space and oozes simplicity. When standing inside, you can see all aspects of the building, the stairs and meeting areas."
Hamish Lyon says the outside has not been overlooked either.
"There is no back side to the building, it will be equally attractive regardless which side of the building you are on.
"It's an uncomplicated, stunning building which will be the centrepiece of this new development for Melburnians and visitors alike."











this is a very large project which will surely have a significant impact on our city. when put into perspective from a financial point of view, federation square was a 355 million dollar project, which means this project is close to 130 million dollars more. hopefully this building will complement the existing exhibition centre, rather then just cast a shadow over it. i look foreward to seeing what is to come.

research - dubai


The Burj al-Arab is the world's tallest hotel. it contains 60 floors and reaches a height of 321 metres. it was compeleted between 1994 and 1999 and the artitectural firm which was involved in the project was Atkins Middle East.


here are some images of the building, including an image of the worlds tallest atrium:
















here is also an article which i have found, which describes the building in many ways:


[edit] Construction
Construction of Burj al-Arab began in 1994. It was built to resemble the sail of a dhow, a type of Arabian vessel. Two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast", while the space between them is enclosed in a massive atrium. Said architect Tom Wright, "The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera House, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the name of the country."[citations needed]
[edit] Features
Several features of the hotel required complex engineering feats to achieve. The hotel rests on an artificial island constructed 280 meters offshore. To secure a foundation, the builders drove 230 40-meter long concrete piles into the sand. The foundation is held in place not by bedrock, but by the friction of the sand and silt along the length of the piles.[2]
Engineers created a surface layer of large rocks, which is circled with a concrete honey-comb pattern, which serves to protect the foundation from erosion. It took three years to reclaim the land from the sea, and less than three years to construct the building itself. The building contains over 70,000 cubic meters of concrete and 9,000 tons of steel.[3]


The world's tallest atrium
Inside the building, the atrium is 180 meters (590 feet) tall. During the construction phase, to lower the interior temperature, the building was cooled by half-degree increments over a period of three to six months. This was to prevent large amounts of "condensation or in fact even a rain cloud from forming in the hotel during the period of construction." This task was accomplished by several cold air nozzles, which point down from the top of the ceiling, and blast a 1 meter cold air pocket down the inside of the sail. This creates a buffer zone, which controls the interior temperature without massive energy costs.[citations needed]
The hotel cost $650 million to build.[4]
Burj al-Arab characterizes itself as a "7-star" property, a designation considered by travel professionals to be hyperbole. All major travel guides and hotel rating systems have a 5-star maximum, which some hotels attempt to out-do by ascribing themselves "6-star" status. According to the hotel's official site, the Burj al Arab is a "5-star deluxe hotel".
[edit] Architecture


The Burj al Arab artificial island


Profile from the beach
The architect and engineering consultant for the project was Atkins, the UK's largest multidisciplinary consultancy. The hotel was built by South African construction contractor Murray & Roberts.[5]
[edit] Exterior
The building design features a steel exoskeleton wrapped around a reinforced concrete tower. Notably the building is shaped like the sail of a dhow, with two "wings" spread in a V to form a vast "mast".
The space between the wings is enclosed by a Teflon-coated fibreglass sail, curving across the front of the building and creating an atrium inside. The sail is made of a material called Dyneon, spanning over 161,000 square feet, consists of two layers, and is divided into twelve panels and installed vertically. The fabric is coated with DuPont Teflon to protect it from harsh desert heat, wind, and dirt; as a result, "the fabricators estimate that it will hold up for up to 50 years."[6]
During the day, the white fabric allows a soft, milky light inside the hotel, whereas a clear glass front would produce blinding amounts of glare and a constantly increasing temperature. At night, both inside and outside, the fabric is lit by color-changing lights. During the period of mourning following the death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum in January 2006, the light show and some water features were turned off.
It is the world's tallest structure with a membrane façade and the world's tallest hotel (not including buildings with mixed use) and was the first 5-star hotel to surpass 1000 ft (305 m) in height.
There was a considerable controversy regarding the claim that the structure looks like a huge Christian cross when viewed while sailing into city. Some locals claim that this was an intentional move on the part of the British architects. This issue is more ironic when one considers that the Tower of the Arabs is widely considered to be Dubai’s most important landmark.


A front on view of the Burj-al-Arab Hotel. The disk near the top of the tower is a helicopter landing pad.
Near the top of the building is a suspended helipad supported by a cantilever. The helipad has featured some of the hotel's notable publicity events. Irish singer Ronan Keating shot his music video Iris on the helipad. In March 2004, professional golfer Tiger Woods hit several golf balls from the helipad into the Persian Gulf, while in February 2005, professional tennis players Roger Federer and Andre Agassi played an unranked game on the helipad, which was temporarily converted into a grass tennis court, at a height of 211 meters. The helipad has no borders or fences on the edges and if a player hit a winner the tennis balls would plunge down to the ground.[7][8]
[edit] Interior


Looking down at the upper lobby
The interior was designed by Khuan Chew, Design Principal of KCA International. Other projects by Khuan Chew include the Sultan of Brunei's Palace, Dubai International Airport, Jumeirah Beach Resort Development, Madinat Resort and much more.
The Burj al-Arab features the tallest atrium lobby in the world, at 180 meters (590 feet). The atrium is formed between the building's V-shaped span. The atrium dominates the interior of the hotel, and takes up over one-third of interior space. It can accommodate the Dubai World Trade Center building, which, at 38 stories, was the tallest building in Dubai from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s.
While the exterior of the Burj al Arab is expressed in terms of ultra-modern sculptural design, the interior guest space is a compilation of lavish and luxurious architectural styles from both the east and the west. The hotel boasts 8,000 square meters of 22-carat gold leaf and 24,000 square meters of 30 different types of marble.


The base of the atrium with water fountain
In the mezzanine lobby, a fountain creates a "three-dimensional Islamic star pattern."[9] Pointed arches throughout, found in one of the hotel’s three restaurants, corridors between guest rooms, and at the top of the atrium recall a classic Arabian architectural design form.
[edit] Rooms and prices


One of the hotel suites
Despite its size, the Burj al-Arab holds only 28 double-storey floors which accommodate 202 bedroom suites. The smallest suite occupies an area of 169 square meters (1,819 square feet), the largest covers 780 square meters (8,396 square feet). It is one of the most expensive hotels in the world. The cost of staying in a suite begins at $1,000 per night and increases to over $15,000 per night; the Royal Suite is the most expensive, at $28,000 per night.[10]
Suites feature design details that juxtapose east and west. White Tuscan columns and a spiral staircase covered in marble with a wrought-iron gold leaf railing show influence from classicism and art nouveau. Spa-like bathrooms are accented by mosaic tile patterns on the floors and walls, with Arabian-influenced geometries, which are also found elsewhere in the building.
[edit] Restaurants
One of its restaurants, Al Muntaha (Arabic meaning "Highest" or "Ultimate"), is located 200 meters above the Persian Gulf, offering a view of Dubai. It is supported by a full cantilever that extends 27 meters from either side of the mast, and is accessed by a panoramic elevator.
Another restaurant, the Al Mahara (Arabic "The Oyster"), which is accessed via a simulated submarine voyage, features a large seawater aquarium, holding roughly 35,000 cubic feet (over one million liters) of water. The tank, made of acrylic glass in order to reduce the magnification effect, is about 18 cm (7.5 inches) thick. The restaurant was also voted among the top ten best restaurants of the world by Condé Nast Traveler.
[edit] Reviews by architecture critics


Close-up shot of the Burj al-Arab.
The Burj al Arab has attracted criticism as well as praise, described as “a contradiction of sorts, considering how well-designed and impressive the construction ultimately proves to be.”[11] The contradiction here seems to be related to the hotel’s extreme opulence. “This extraordinary investment in state-of-the-art construction technology stretches the limits of the ambitious urban imagination in an exercise that is largely due to the power of excessive wealth.” Another critic includes the city of Dubai as well: “both the hotel and the city, after all, are monuments to the triumph of money over practicality. Both elevate style over substance.”[12] Yet another: “Emulating the quality of palatial interiors, in an expression of wealth for the mainstream, a theater of opulence is created in Burj al Arab … The result is a baroque effect.”[13]

research - dubai


Burj dubai is a high rise development which is currently taking place in Dubai. the project was started on the 1st of September, 2004 and will be the highest building in the world when finished, reaching an estiemated height of 808 metres. it is estimated that the building will have 160 floors above ground and two below, taking up 344,000 square metres of space. the project is scheduled to be completed on the 30 of june, 2009.














here is some information which i have found about the Buj Dubai:

[edit] Height
[edit] Current Height
The Burj Dubai currently holds the record for the most floors in a skyscraper with 126 as of May 12, 2007. It has held this title since February 8, 2007 with the completion of the 111th floor, surpassing the former World Trade Center's 110 floors. The installation of the building's cladding has begun two weeks ahead of schedule by the joint venture of Arabian Aluminium and Far East Aluminium. As of May 12, 2007 Burj Dubai stands at a height of 452.1m, according to the Burj Dubai offical website.
[edit] Projected height
Its final height is officially being kept a secret due to competition; however, figures released by a contractor on the project have suggested a height of around 808 metres (2,651 feet).[1] Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors is expected to be around 162. However, on the project's official website, an interior graphic of an elevator panel shows floor numbers up to 195. A more recent article by building subcontractor Persian Gulf Extrusions states a final height "over 940 metres", or at least 3,084 feet,[2] but this has not yet been confirmed by Emaar. This new figure is 24 metres higher than the final height rumoured on burjdubaiskyscraper.com. Another source, from dubaimegaprojects.com reported an estimated final height of 1,011+ metres (3,317 ft.) and a floor count of 216+ floors.
In a recent interview [3]the project manager for Burj Dubai, Greg Sang, was asked directly about the rumour of a final height of 808m. He responded that he did not know the origin of that figure, and confirmed only that the height would be greater than 700m. When pressed for a more precise figure, he merely repeated that he was able only to guarentee that the final height would be higher than 700m, and it would be the world's tallest free-standing structure when completed. In fact, at more than 700m the Burj Dubai would be the tallest land-based structure of any kind to have ever been built throughout human history.
[edit] History of height increases
If all goes according to plan, Burj Dubai will soon become the tallest building, the tallest freestanding structure, and the world's tallest land based structure in the world, beating current title holders Taipei 101 in Taipei, the CN Tower in Toronto, and the guyed KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, respectively. The Burj Dubai will also be taller than other proposed skyscrapers such as the Freedom Tower at New York City's World Trade Center, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and Chicago's Spire. It will be nearly twice the height of the iconic Empire State Building.
Though unconfirmed, Burj Dubai has been rumored to have undergone several height increases since its inception. Originally proposed as a virtual clone of the 560 m (1,837 ft) Grollo Tower proposal from Melbourne, the tower was quickly redesigned with an original design by Skidmore Owings and Merrill seen above and discussed below. This design stood put it at approximately 705 metres (2,313 ft). Contradictory information abounds regarding the official height of the building, which is to be expected considering the building seeks to acquire the designation as the world's tallest structure upon completion in 2009. One website [4] mentions a rumored final height of 916 metres (3,005 ft) in a September 28, 2006 posting, but this is contradicted by a September 20, 2006 article listing a height over 940 metres (3,084 ft).[2]
The former SOM architect, Adrian Smith, felt that the upper-most section of the building did not culminate elegantly, so he sought and received approval to increase it to the currently planned height. It has been explicitly stated that this change did not include any added floors,[5], which is fitting with Smith's attempts to make the crown more slender. However, the top of the tower, from the 156th floor onward or from 585.7 meters (1,922 ft) to the top, will be a steel frame structure, unlike the lower portion's reinforced concrete. The developer, Emaar, has stated this steel section may be extended to beat any other tower to the title of tallest; however, once the tower is complete the height cannot be changed.
[edit] The Competition
Burj Dubai's main competitor is being planned at a location only 50 km (31 miles) away from the Burj Dubai site. This tower, Al Burj (originally planned for the center of Palm Jumeirah), is being developed by Nakheel Properties and is also keeping its final height tightly under wraps, but recently reported on the Al Burj website this tower is projected to be around 1,200 m (3,937 feet). It is said to be around 1,200 m (3,937 feet) tall with at least 200 floors, making it a formidable threat to Burj Dubai's status as world's tallest building. Also potentially competing with the Burj Dubai is a proposed 1,001 meter-high (3,284 feet) skyscraper to be erected in Kuwait as part of a new city development project called Madinat al-Hareer ("City of Silk"). However, the project is part of a massive redevelopment expected to take 25 years to complete, according to some reports.[6] The entire development incorporates an Olympic stadium, residences, hotels, and retail facilities.
[edit] Architecture and design


Cross-section plan of the Burj from the architectural firm SOM.
The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, who also designed the Sears Tower in Chicago and the Freedom Tower in New York City, among numerous other famous high-rises.
The design of Burj Dubai is ostensibly derived from the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiraling pattern, decreasing the cross section of the tower as it reaches toward the sky. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Persian Gulf.
The interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. An Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments on 64 floors (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of going on sale). Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor indoor/outdoor observation deck. The spire will also hold communications equipment. An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool will be located on the 78th floor of the tower.
It will also feature the world's fastest elevator, rising and descending at 18 m/s (65 km/h, 40 mph).[7] The world's current fastest elevator is in the Taipei 101 office tower in Taipei, travels at 16.83 m/s (60.6 km/h, 37.5 mph).
[edit] PurposeThe Burj Dubai has been designed to be the centrepiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that will include 30,000 homes, nine hotels such a
s the Burj Dubai Lake Hotel & Serviced Apartments, 2.5 hectares (6 acres) of parkland, at least 19 residential towers, the Dubai Mall, and the 12 hectare Burj Dubai Lake. The complete 500 acre development will cost about US$20 billion. Once completed, the tower will cover a total of two million m² (22 million ft²) of development.
The silvery glass-sheathed concrete building will restore the title of Earth's tallest structure to the Middle East — a title not held by the region since Lincoln Cathedral upset the four-millennia reign of Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza in 1311 AD.
The decision to build Burj Dubai and other skyscrapers is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from a trade-based (and oil-reliant) economy to one that is service- and tourism-oriented. Currently, Dubai has a population of 1.5 million, with many areas of it still being desert land (covering over 90% of the 4,114 km² (1,517 mile²) country),[8] or very sparsely populated. According to officials, it is necessary for projects like Burj Dubai to be built in the city, so that Dubai can get more recognition in the outside world. "He (Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum) wanted to put Dubai on the map with something really sensational," said Jacqui Josephson, Tourism and VIP delegations executive at Nakheel Properties.[9]
The triple-lobed footprint of the building is based on an abstracted desert flower native to the region.
A subtle reference to the onion domes of Islamic architecture can be found in the building's silhouette when looking up at the lobes from near the base.
The tower will be situated on a man-made lake which is designed to wrap around the tower and to provide dramatic views of it.
Engineers working on the design initially considered installing triple-decker elevators, which would have been the first in the world. The final building design calls for double-decker elevators.
The top of the building will contain a public observation deck and a private club above it.
Although the building's shape resembles the bundled tube concept of the Sears Tower, it is structurally very different and is technically not a tube structure.
The design by Skidmore Owings & Merrill replaces a plan to reuse the design for Grollo Tower, which was proposed in Melbourne a few years earlier.
Designed by Adrian D. Smith, FAIA, RIBA Design Partner at Skidmore Owings & Merrill LLP.
"Burj" is Arabic for "Tower".
Burj Dubai will become the world's tallest building, along with the world's tallest man-made structure, when it is completed.
The highest residential floor will be at level 109.
An observation deck will occupy the 124th floor.
The building was rotated 120 degrees to allow for less stress from the prevailing winds.
The building sits on a concrete and steel podium with 192 piles descending to a depth of more than 50 meters (164 feet).
A total of 45,000 cubic meters of concrete are used in the foundations with a weight in excess of 110,000 tonnes.
The exterior cladding is of reflective glazing with aluminum and textured stainless steel spandrel panels with vertical tubular fins of stainless steel.
The cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's extreme summer temperatures.

research - dubai


i have found some images of the construction process of the horizon tower, which have been taken over a three year period. the building is a large circular sky scraper, comprising mainly of glass, steel and concrete, which has been formed around a contral service core.
here are the images: