smart living magazine issue02 | september 2015

Jonathan Douglasperspective on architectural

design trends

The ultimate smartsolutions for hoteliers

and developers

Smooth Lineswith HI-MACS®

Solid surface

DubaiSmart City

ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY DESIGN COVER STORY

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148

SMARTWORDS

SMA

RTS

TAF

FDigital Director: Trong Domepanandorn Art Director: Nichawan WongpitaksiriContributor: Praparat Intaratip Graphic Designers: Trong Domepanandorn, Nichawan WongpitaksiriOffice Administrator: Suthipa NuchthanormAccount Executives: Thikamporn Kitpaisansak, Aroon Phomlee, Wisanu Suwanwong Advertising: [email protected] • [email protected]

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DUBAISMART CITY

ROSEWOOD

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SMART CONTENTS

Maria-Amaya FerrariEditor-In-Chief

Continuing our journey to discover the most innovative architectural design and the ultimate smart building technologies, we set down in the United Arab Emirates, the most important and eclectic business hub of the Middle East.

The country has undergone a hyperbolic expansion, and deep and intimate transformation, from a quiet backwater to a modern capital with a high and trendy standard of living.

Dubai has set it’s sights on becoming a dynamic incubator of smart innovation and world’s most popular city tourism destination by 2020, moving further up in its intriguing luxury hospitality portfolio. Discover at page 18 the smart initiatives and projects that are pampering Dubai’s pipeline, to become the globe’s smartest city to emulate.

The wandering soul of Smart Living, led us to discover the beauty of the Rosewood Abu Dhabi at page 8

While, at page 30 we talk with Illario Vuan, founder and CEO of VDA Group, to glimpse at the ultimate smart solutions for Hoteliers and Developers.

At page 14 we catch up with Johnatan Douglas and get his perspective on architectural design trends for Hospitality and Mixed-use projects.

We are thrilled to deliver this unparalleled set of contents for you to enjoy and have a privileged insight of this amazing industry. We are look to meet you online or in the next issue with more smart insights.

Read, Watch, Share, Enjoy the Smart Living Experience!

The United Arab Emirates,A Smart Gem in the Desert.

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SMARTEDITOR’S NOTE

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DESIGNTRENDSSmart Living Magazine is published and produced on behalf of VDA Group by VDA Asia Pacific Co. Ltd.Smart Living makes every effort to provide true, complete, current and accurate information and cannot be held responsible for any loss, inconvenience, injury or damage resulting from any changes made to the photographs and copy submitted. The opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of VDA Group.

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GUESTEDITOR

INDUSTRYINSIDER

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ROSEWOODAbu Dhabi

SMART PROJECT

Continuing exploring the architectural design behind some of the most well designed projects, we stop at Abu Dhabi, the capital of the lavish nation of the Emirates.

Photos Courtesy of Rosewood Abu Dabi

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Since his opening, Rosewood Abu Dhabi has marked the first presence of the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts brand in the United Arab Emirates. Defining new

standards, this five-star hotel offers locals and tourists a distinct and personalized luxury lifestyle experience in the heart of city. Featuring 154 spacious guestrooms and 35 suites, the iconic tower also includes 131 serviced residences, all with access to world-class services.

The inspiration for the Handel Architects-designed tower is derived from the glistening Arabian Gulf and the vast desert that surrounds Abu Dhabi city. The 34-story hotel is a dramatic modern structure covered with reflective glass, which was chosen for its daytime shimmer and its nighttime luminescence. The curvilinear architecture of the 470-foot-tall building is designed to suggest the movement in this vibrant city and the inspiration for the interiors of the hotel comes from the meeting of land and sea, desert and sky.

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Rosewood Abu Dhabi’s interior, designed by the award-winning firm HOK former BBG-BBGM, warmly welcomes guests. The lobby is bordered, on one side, with

a flowing water feature and, on the other, with a dramatic wall of art to draw guests into the space with warm tones, clean lines and sleek materials.

The sophisticated design is juxtaposed with comfortable furnishings and flowing fabrics in warm colors reminiscent of a local souk, an open-air marketplace. The interiors have an air of understated elegance, with exquisite materials such as Italian marbles, Vitrum touch panels and the advanced room management technology by VDA.

Throughout the hotel, traditional Middle Eastern textiles and details are complemented with modern lines and sleek architectural elements. The hotel design is a study in contrasts and sets the standard for luxury design in Abu Dhabi.

Offering 9 restaurants, superb shopping and stunning views of the water, the hotel complex provides a sophisticated environment for both business and leisure. As with every hotel in the collection, Rosewood Abu Dhabi encompasses Rosewood’s A Sense of Place® philosophy by reflecting the culture, history and geography of its location.

Architects : Handle ArchitectsDesigners : HOK formed BBG-BBMLights : Lasvit & Preciosa Lighting

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Rosewood Deluxe Room

Rosewood Deluxe Room

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SMART WORDS

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The Hospitality industry faces new challenges with a rapidly growing market. The new demands and

expectations from consumers are forcing the Hospitali ty operators to differentiate themselves from their varied competitors.

New trends inMixed-Use Projects

JonathanDouglas

VOA

To better understand how Architectural Design can help address these business challenges, we have asked Jonathan F. Douglas, AIA, Managing Principal at VOA International Architectural Design firm, for his perspective.

Mr. Douglas has more than 30 years of experience with the Hospitality, Resorts and Casinos sectors. Widely regarded as an industry expert he has also written a variety of articles for business and trade publications including Urban Land Magazine, Hospitality Design, and Casino Design.

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DREC AL MINA OFFICE DEVELOPMENT, DUBAI

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Mr. Douglas, in your opinion, what phase is the Hospitality Industry going through?

We see continued growth in the development of new brand hospitality at every level of the market. What this means is continued segmentation into more targeted and focused demographics as well as more and more companies deciding that hospitality is an important way to engage their customer. Let’s say you operate a museum, own a line of boutique retail store, or a string of car dealerships. Today you will now consider a hotel, restaurant or entertainment venue as an important step in building more brand awareness and loyaltywith your customers.

From a designer’s perspective, having the opportunity to work with what may be non-traditional hospitality owners is exciting and fun since there are many more ideas being put forward about what this experience could be. We are able to focus on our client’s business objectives and create unique solutions to engage their customers in unexpected ways. We are finding interesting combinations of mixed use destinations that increasingly are about telling stories that inform and engage the guest.

What is the impact of the new Building technologies in the development of a new project?

Beyond the obvious benefits of better visualization, modeling, coordination, and implementation I think what is also happening is the ability to continue to exceed our client’s expectations and our team by collaborating deeply, interacting openly and honestly, and intelligently using Lean principles.

We are starting to be able to collect enough data that we can know create realistic measurable goals for each project and then know whether or not we are meeting them through the use of real-time dashboard that give a snapshot of all aspects of the project. This can be typical metrics such as quality, on-schedule, or under-target cost delivery of the project but more importantly can start to look at things like guest experience-For example: Are we meeting our design goals by

programming enough opportunity for the guests to interact with the brand? Are we supporting or exceeding the guest expectations. Can we create something even better from an experience perspective? These are the new areas where we are starting to use Building Information Technology in a much more meaningful way to our clients.

Sustainability is part of your design philosophy. How does VOA contribute to minimize the environmental impact?

In everything that we do, we are conscious of the contribution a high- performance building will have on reducing overall energy usage. It starts with very simplebroad scale approach such as attention to overall building orientation to more complex systems such as building envelope and systems. We are able to model energy usage quite effectively at an early stage of the design process and use that as one of many tools to help guide the design process. Internally we use a dashboard to not only monitor how well our projects perform but how well are we doing ourselves in terms of simple things like recycling. It helps us stay more connected to our sustainability goals by checking our progress each step along the way.

“Today you will now consider

a hotel, res-taurant or entertain-ment venue as an impor-

tant step in building more brand awareness

and loyalty with your

customers.

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DREC AL MINAOFFICE DEVELOPMENT,

DUBAI

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THE BRITISH COLONIAL HOTEL AT THE AL MINA RESORT - UAE

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SMART CITY

Dubai developed his flamboyant image of modern and vibrant city with iconic skyscrapers, city-sized malls and extravagant attractions, framed by a deep blue sea and white beaches.

Its vivid business, cultural and art activities have rapidly placed Dubai as one of the leading leisure and business destination globally.

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Dubai is a dream city to experience, live and enjoy. The Burj Khalifa, the city

most renewed iconic landmark, is the world’s tallest building standing fierce at 828 meters and offers a spectacular express elevator featuring the longest travel distance world-wide as well as a breath taking view of the rising landscape through glass outdoor observation deck.

Dubai has experienced a booming of the Tourism industry and growing changes in the past decades, beginning the region’s dynamic hub.

Strongly believe in becoming the leading global Smart City both to please its residents with unparalleled living standard as well as aiming to find a sustainable balance with the surrounding environment. In support of this initiative, dozens of smart city projects have been launched to evolve to a “Smart City”, by connecting smart solutions and providing its residents and visitors many benefits.

Mohammed bin Rashid City, MBR City by Dubai Holding Emaar Properties

meydansobha.com

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SMART CITY

A key instrument to reach its challenging target in becoming the leading global Smart City, is the Building

Information Modeling. This articulated model encompass and analyses all the key variables involved in the Real Estate engineering and development and provides specific guidelines to reach top efficiency while implementing the best technologies available to minimize the waste of the precious and limited natural resources.

The first integrated smart city project – “Silicon Park”, which is worth 1.1 billion DHS has been entirely built in the hub of the Dubai Silicon Oasis. This area spans an area of 150,000 m2. It includes 71,000 m2 of office space, 25,000 m2 of commercial space and 46,000 m2 of residential area. Additionally 115 business hotels and various value-added facilities are being included.

The residents would enjoy fitness centers, running tracks, cycling trails and the shopping centers would include facilities to allow worship of Allah’ and his kindness in prayer rooms. As well, the parking area for around 2,500 cars will be situated in an underground area along the side road, and would not be visible.

On the sustainable mobili ty, Dubai has significantly invested in a number of charging stations for electric vehicles and rechargeable bikes including charging docks for smart gadgets wil l be deployed across the project. Solar panels of the “Smart Grid project” will be installed on the rooftops of houses to reduce the consumption of power, while the “Smart Meter” will allow monitoring of power and water in real time.

As the green model for roof building towers represent the unique concept of this project, the use of particular plant species requiring less water have been selected to both assist in the overall protection and rally against the heat and the strong light from the bright and intense sunshine. This will minimize electric power demands of the building. Additionally, the water required throughout the project will be supplied from recycling systems for use at both homes, building and for irrigation systems. This project is expected to be completed by Q4 in 2017.

Bluewaters I s land by Meraas Deve lopment i s a m i x e d - u s e deve lopment loca ted o f f the coas t o f Dubai , tha t w i l l fea ture re ta i l , res ident ia l , hosp i ta l i t y and en ter ta inment zones . I t w i l l a l so house Dubai - I , the wor ld ’s la rges t fe r r i s whee l .

Serv ing as the centrepiece of the is land project , the 210-meter Ferris wheel will offer breath-taking views of Dubai’s exotic coastline and iconic landmarks such as Burj Al Arab, Palm Jumeirah and Burj Khalifa.

Design and construction are undertaken by Hyundai Contracting and Starneth Engineering, while Jumeirah will operate the Venu Bluewaters Island Hotel and adjoining serviced residences, which will function under the Venu Living brand.

Mohammed bin Rashid City, MBR City by Dubai Holding Emaar Properties

meydansobha.com

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Integrated transportation systems utilizing

smart solutions for both private and public transport have also been provided. Information on the availability of parking spaces will be delivered to the driver, screens at major bus stations, through live data, which will inform people of the arrival time of the next bus. People may also access the internet to check the real time schedule and time table for public transport. The traffic control system will be able to detect accidents, control traffic lights on major roads and track urban congestion.

For the World Expo in 2020 with the fascinating theme: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future“, Dubai is planning a faster roll out of all its Smart Projects to welcome the more than 25m expected visitors with a direct and immersive experience of its fully blown “Smart City” concept, environment and features.

The very core of the World Dubai Expo 2020 would be the iconic photovoltaic fabric structure, which tile up by the solar grids generating at least half of event’s power demand while architecturally connecting the 3 main district zones of the city.

This trilling event will further boost the city roadmap and investments to accomplish the full paradigm of becoming the global leading Smart City welcoming its residents and visitors in a natural, desirable, sustainable, innovative and enjoyable environment.

Bulgari Residences Dubai is part of the 1.7 million sq ft Bulgari Resort and Residences that is taking shape on the Jumeira Bay Island. Comprising 165 apartments, eight penthouses and 15 mansions entirely designed by the renowned Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia V ie l and Pa r tne r s . The mas te r development, Bulgari Resort and Residences Dubai, is scheduled for completion in 2017.

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SMART CITY

Dubai’s Meydan One record-breaking development in Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City is a 39,514,000 sq ft mixed-use destination that will host the world’s tallest residential tower, the largest sports facility, the world’s longest indoor ski slope, the largest ever dancing fountain and a 100-berth marina.The luxury mansions of District One will feature stunning views of Dubai’s iconic skyline and will have their own ‘beachfront’ on what will become the world’s largest ‘Crystal Lagoon’*,a 7 km water body creating an idyllic manmade beach in the heart of the city surrounded by lush green landscaping.The project also features several signature Mansions and premium luxury villas which range from 1,650 square metres up to 3,250 square metres.Is one of the lowest density villa developments in the heart of any international city. With a total land size of 4.3million square metres, surrounded by over 2.5 square kilometres of glorious green natural surroundings, District One dedicates 60 per cent of its area to open spaces; with parks, lawns, green corridors, recreational parks, as well as landscaped walkways.Meydan current projects include Mohammed Bin Rashid City – District One, Meydan Business Park, Meydan Heights, Racecourse Villas and the Meydan Tower, a 112-storeyed building which include 200 standard and 244 serviced apartments, as well as a 112-keys hotel managed by the Meydan Hospitality. AE7 is the design consultants of the project and Buro Happold is the supervision consultant. The completion of the project is scheduled by Q2 2018.

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Nakheel’s Deira Islands, a 15.3 square kilometre tourism, retail and residential hub in Dubai, will feature five hotels, including a 500-keys Avani Hotel in JV with Thailand’s Minor Hotel Group and Dubai’s first four star all inclusive beachfront Resort under a joint venture with Spain’s RIU Hotels and Resorts. Nakheel is also developing hotels at Dragon City and Ibn Battuta Mall, and the five star Palm Tower, a 504 luxury units housed in the 50-storey landmark development on Palm Jumeirah. The Palm Tower, due for completion in 2016, also includes a five star, 290-room hotel with an array of dining and leisure facilities, including a rooftop restaurant, viewing tower and infinity pool – all of which are available to people living in the Palm Tower Residences. The hotel rooms will occupy the first 18 floors of the tower. The Palm Tower will be Nakheel’s flagship hotel, under the company’s expansion into the hospitality and leisure sector.

The Royal Estate by SRK is a joint venture project between the Bollywood Star Shah Rukh Khan (SRK), PAL Developments, Aristrocrat and Pacific Ventures, featuring two-, four-, and five-bedroom townhouses, apartments, office units, retail outlets and a luxury hotel spread over 2.3 million-square-foot in Dubai Investments Park.

The project, designed by award-winning architect Tony Ashai and world-class designer Gauri Khan, wil l have 2,000 units and it would be completed in three phases by 2018. Phase one of the project comprising of 400 units will be delivered by first quarter of 2016.

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The Opus is an extravagant building designed by the world-famous architect Dame Zaha Hadid, recently awarded Riba’s royal gold medal for architecture, making her the first woman to be awarded prestigious Riba. This 100,000m2 mixed-use building by Omniyat, accomodate the first ME Hotel brand in the Middle East, of the famous Spanish Hotel Chain Melia, a retail area, offices and serviced apartments. The hotel and the serviced apartments are expected to be completed in 2017. Brookfield Multiplex is the main contractor, while BSBG were appointed Lead Consultant for the project and Clarke Samadhin Associates to lead the MEP Engineering.

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SMART CITY

The Sterling by Omniyat, is a truly sustainable project, comprising two towers, The East House with 139 apartments in 52,000 sq. ft., and The West House with 137 apartments in 51,100 sq. ft. Both of these apartment towers have ground plus 25 storeys and a pool deck in the level 4. and offers fantastic views of Burj Khalifa, Mohammed Bin Rashid City and The Creek. The concept design is by the award-winning australian FHSI Architects, while Buro Happold is leading the sustainability design, and the world-renowned interior designer and architect Steve Leung is the mastermind behind The Sterling interiors.

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SMART

Dubai Silicon Park is the first integrated Smart City project to be built in DSO spanning an area of 150,000 square metres.

This project is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to transform Dubai into the smartest city in the world over the course of the next three years.

The Silicon Park project comprises 97,000 sq mts of office space, 25,000 sq mts of commercial space, 20,000 sq mts of residential area, and a 115 rooms business hotel in addition to value-added facilities that suit contemporary living, and will be completed by Q4 of 2017.

This is an exciting year for the whole of the hospitality industry in the Middle East with massive development across all of the Emirates, GCC and wider regions totaling 453 hotel projects and 134,217 rooms. The UAE currently leads hotel construction with Abu Dhabi and Dubai featuring as strong markets, and Saudi Arabia and Turkey following closely behind.

Christine Davidson,Group Event Director DMG Events

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SMART CITYSMART CITY

DAMAC Towers by Paramount Hotels & Resorts is a hotel and residential complex located in the heart of the stylish Burj area, Dubai. This four tower development comprising circa 1,200 luxury serviced hotel apartments in three towers, will offer sumptuous living with a Hollywood flavour. A fourth tower will house the world’s first Paramount Hotel and Paramount Residences and is already under construction, with completion scheduled for Q3 2019.

Bulgari Residences Dubai is part of the 1.7 million sq ft Bulgari Resort and Residences that is taking shape on the Jumeira Bay Island. Comprising 165 apartments, eight penthouses and 15 mansions entirely designed by the renowned Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners. The master development, Bulgari Resort and Residences Dubai, is scheduled for completion in 2017.

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Midtown by Deyaar is a 1.2 million sq ft development at International Me-dia Production Zone (IMPZ). Will fea-ture 27 buildings with 5,000 square feet of dedicated day-care facilities and sports amenities such as tennis courts, basketball courts, lap pool, family pools, jogging track and trav-erse climbing walls.Deyaar has appointed Hyder, a mul-tinational design and engineering consultancy, as Lead Consultant and U+A Architects, an international multidisciplinary office for contem-porary architecture, planning and interior design as Lead Architect for Midtown. Construction is scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2015.

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Montrose by Deyaar is located at Barsha South at the extension of Umm Suqeim towards Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. The two residential towers feature one-bedroom up to four-bedroom apartments. The hotel apartment tower pairs urban elegance with the latest smart home technolo-gy and has been designed to host 88 studios, as well as 68 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom units.

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Dubai Creek Harbour is a joint venture project between Emaar Properties and Dubai Holding, that will be both a financially viable and ecologically responsible city, using every innovation to minimise its environmental impact. Dubai Creek Harbour project sits abreast of Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, which has sheltered around 450 animal species within its 620 hectares for a quarter-century.The project involves construction of a mixed used development consisting of 6 residential high rise towers sit on a podium encircled on the banks of the Dubai Creek. The project will also feature the Vida Hotel and Residences, a new brand of Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality & leisure subsidiary of property developer Emaar Properties. Dubai Creek Harbour at The Lagoons is master planned by the US- based architectural practice RTKL.

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Dubai Sustainable City by Diamond Developers will be the first residential community of its kind in Dubai and is expected to meet the highest environmental standards by adopting a sustainable approach in its quest to become a regional leader in eco-tourism and global environmental protection. The inspiring architectural designs take into consideration the natural aspects of sunlight, wind and orientation in order to create cleaner air and lower temperatures for a cooler city microclimate. The Sustainable City in Dubai provides owners with unique and highly attractive benefits. It demonstrates that luxury housing is possible while following sustainability standards. The City will generate much of its own electricity through city-wide and rooftop solar panels. The Development promotes the idea of urban agriculture with the inclusion of a 3 hectare farm running across the City’s central spine. This community farm accommodates 38,000 sqft (3,500 sqm) of Biodome Greenhouses dedicated to the growing of fruits, herbs and vegetables allowing residents to enjoy local year round healthy food. Phase 1 of the City comprises five 100-villa residential clusters, a community mall, a central ‘green spine’ an equestrian centre, horse, bicycle, walking and jogging tracks, and all infrastructural works.

Phase 2, meanwhile, will include the construction of an eco-resort, a country club, a green school, a science museum, and The Sustainability Centre of Excellence. The project is expected to be completed before the end of 2016.

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MICHAELYOUNG

was born in 1966 in Sunderland, a small industrial city in the North-East of England, and graduated from Kingston University in 1992. The following year, he founded the Michael Young Studio with the aim of providing exclusive, quality design services across an eclectic range of markets - from interiors to technology.

Over the past 20 years Michael Young has established himself as one of the leading international figures in his field.

The unique nature of his work stems from his constant questioning of typologies and habits, combined with his innate passion for technology and his driving desire to discover new ways to reinterpret space.

Michael Young quickly came to the attention of revered retailers and institutions such as the Conran shop and the Pompidou Museum. He became known in the industry as a sophisticated minimalist acclaimed for his elegant, pared-down aesthetic design, which was in direct opposition to the elaborate style dominating London at the time.

After nearly a decade working across the UK and Iceland, Michael was enticed to Asia by his passion for pioneering technology, and in 2006 set up a studio in Hong Kong. Today the Michael Young studio is considered to be one of the most exciting and formidable design companies, responsible for designing icons for its clients that last a lifetime, have won awards and are presented in museums globally.

Michael Young continues to push the boundaries of experimental design. The result is work that transcends design by harnessing some of the highest and most innovative manufacturing skills to create Industrial Art.

Michael Young’s vibrant imagination and his continued ability to innovate and take a fresh approach to a seamless blending of east and west is what keeps his work relevant and increasingly sought-after across all continents.

“It is Design as Industrial Art that interests me, not just as a limited edition, but on a scale of mass production.”

It is Design as Industrial Art that interests me,not just as a limited edition, but on a scale of mass production.

INTER

IOR

TECH

NO

LOG

Y

Hacker Watch

DiamondFilter

HomuneTable

Dub Light 9 Dub Light 4

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SMARTGUEST EDITOR’S PICKS

Today’s hoteliers are striving to gain back the “tech” leadership versus their guests.

Consumer electronics through smart gadgets, like smartphones and tablets, have significantly shortened and accelerated.

Technology has become a normal day-to-day component in our life making it increasingly challenging for the hotel managers to create a “wow” effect for their concept and smart solutions.

THE INSIDER

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SMART INDUSTRY INSIDER

Mr. Illario Vuan, founder and chairman of the VDA, a leading Italian group in the development of Room and Building Automation, innovative IPTV solutions and Smart Switches for the Residential and Hospitality industry, will assist us in investigating how upcoming automation technologies will play a key role in the crafting the development of future Smart Solution for Hotels.

Mr. Vuan, Smart Cities, like Dubai, are increasingly looking at implementing and embracing new automation and smart technologies to better interact with their residents, manage the core processes and enhance their overall value proposition. Can you expand on this?

Through the implementation of upcoming technologies, Smart Cities can now effectively reach two key objectives at the same time: create significant additional value for their integrated master plan projects while enhancing the real estate asset value and residents’ living experience. In addition this increases the quality of life of the Smart Cities leading to a better market positioning while differentiating their global value proposition in respect to traditional metropolitan conglomerates.

From a Hotel Developer perspective, what are the core advantages in implementing these technologies?

For Real Estate Investors and Developers, the adoption of innovative technologies, is key to optimize their time to market, enhance the value proposition of their projects, as well as delivering a better product in terms of energy efficiency and security. This process leads to a higher intrinsic value of the property, reduced management costs and maintenance costs and a much lower impact on the environment.I strongly believe that a project that approaches green building materials and smart technologies from the initial design and concept phase, has a higher potential to deliver a more solid las ting value proposition while providing an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach.

© Aaron Saunders

Hub Premier Inn, LondonSS. Maria Theresa Luxury Ship by Uniworld - Red Carnation Hotels

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To give developers the highest grade of flexibility, we widened our product portfolio with both wired and wireless automation solutions, based on ModBus, KNX and Z-Wave solutions. They all deliver the same solid and effective results. However, in deciding which system to adopt, every project needs to be analyzed in-depth, so as to understand it’s core objectives and then to tailor the optimal solution.

According to your vision, what are the key drivers to deliver outstanding guest experiences?

VDA mission since its incorporation has been focused in delivering the best solution for the hotel in-room automation. Throughout the years we have developed an in-depth knowledge of this industry. This has allowed us to be the key driver of success in our R&D and new product releases. I believe that this can be applied even to the Hospitality approach. Keep updated on new technologies and systems, never forgetting the design trends, can help to develop stunning projects. Consider, for example, the case of Vitrum Smart Switches: the combination of a design vision with smart technologies has led a great success.

The meaning of ‘Hospitality’ itself has significantly changed widened its scope over the years mainly driven by an exponential growth in technology and guest expectations. We have been one of the pioneers of sensing this innovation and we launched in the early 90’s our first solution for what we would call today, Infotainment. This intuition leads the group to become a global leader in the IPTV panorama.

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SMART INDUSTRY INSIDER

Recently we have been focusing all our R&D effort in analyzing all the opportunities related to the in-room technology convergence and we have crafted a seamless integrated cloud based solution that blends together IPTV box and box-less universe, the ultimate In-Room Automation, smart and BYOD device control, cross platform guest content streaming, real time front and back end hotel management and an innovative and proactive upselling solution. Our new approach will deliver unparalleled value to the hotel managers and a stunning range of features for the guests to enjoy with ease of use and a cool and bold design.

Do you see any convergence between the Hospitality and the Residential industries?

If we look at what has happened in the past, we will notice that for a substantial period the Hotel industry has lead the technological and design innovation. In recent years though, this has been drastically inverted and residential projects now often feature very high end and innovative solutions both in terms of technologies and architecture an interiors.

All this has lead to a deeper technological knowledge of the general public and therefore hotel guests. This process has unleashed the creativity of the Hotel Industry architects, consultants and managers, who are not afraid anymore in using new technologies, but now look at all opportunities that arise alongside their full implementation, stretching from energy efficiency to all-round guest satisfaction. This is a more balanced environmental policy, that does not comprise their quality standards. We are thrilled about the various synergies that will drive these industries over the next 5 to 10 years and that the VDA group will be leading this innovation.

Eccleston Square Hotel, London

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SMOOTHLINES

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SMART DESIGN TRENDS

Hi-Macs by LG Hausys is a new generation of acrylic stone that bring versatility and purity to a multitude of projects.

Smooth lines and seamless transitions reflects the latest trends in interior design, creating an attractively soft visual effect and a stylish final result.

Hi-Macs allow interior designers to create harmoniously unified ensembles for new interpretation of modern environments by breaking down barriers integrating both architectural and furniture into a single continuous structure and adding an organic- looking with a strong visual impact.

HI-MACS adapts to many ideas, is able to shape even the most ambitious projects, and is able to provide additional passion to designs with highly emotional effects.

Hotel Silken Puerta America - by Zaha Hadid

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SMART48

28-30 SEPTEMBER 2015DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

EXPERIENCE 100% HOSPITALITY AT THE LARGEST EVENT FOR NETWORKING, SOURCING AND LEARNING

Co-located withExclusive Official Publication Organised by Strategic Partner TV Partner

theLeisureShow

IPOD HORN is a new hand-made art piece designed

by the renowned Korean architect Shi-hyung Jeon from Jeon Associates, created reproducing the extraordinary smooth curved shape of the Horn.

VITRUM The smooth and clean lines of the new collection

Vitrum Sense, showcase how nature can inspire smart technologies.

KARAN Sinuous silhouettes and an entirely innovative ergonomic design for

the Karim Rashid’s Karan kitchen by Aran CucineHI-MACS® curved shapes

sweep upwards to meet very functional horizontal surfaces in this kitchen designed to show the material benefits of HI-MACS® by LG Hausys.

SMART DESIGN TRENDS

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28-30 SEPTEMBER 2015DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

EXPERIENCE 100% HOSPITALITY AT THE LARGEST EVENT FOR NETWORKING, SOURCING AND LEARNING

Co-located withExclusive Official Publication Organised by Strategic Partner TV Partner

theLeisureShow

casa dela floraKhao Lak

Long stretches of unspoiled beach, crystal clear blue sea

and tropical rain forest allow Khao Lak to be the heaven for relaxation, particularly attractive to discerning tourists looking for a peaceful vacation in the Land of Smiles.

Located closely to Similan Islands, one of the most beautiful, top ten diving spots in the world, Khao Lak is the nearest land point to the small archipelago, well known for the world class reefs and crystal clear waters.

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Nestled within the Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, this striking contemporary resort takes the guests on a special voyage of discovery, where modern architecture and luxury blend with the simple pleasures and beauty of nature, such as feeling the sultry sand beneath your toes.

The organic, timeless quality of the monolithic villas of Casa de La Flora, blend naturally with the surrounding rocks and landscape, which appear to stand as sentinels over the secluded beachfront.

Looming above the billowing white roofs of the beachfront decking, the cubist, glass-fronted facades of Casa de la Flora, stare impassively over the crystal blue waters of the Andaman Sea. The fierce lines and raw colors of the resort highlight the dazzling blue of the sky, the lush green of the trees and the golden sands of the beach.

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To help achieve and blend with the surrounding aesthetic, the rooms use smart room systems by VDA (with the luxury Italian design of Vitrum Smart Switches), superior Thai amenities and private pools.

Outside the room, the resort offers an exclusive spa, open-air sea view restaurant, chic lounge bar and private mangrove vegetation areas to explore. This fusion of high aesthetic, cutting-edge facilities and beauty of the surrounding landscape, combine to make Casa de La Flora the ideal getaway for the highly discerning.

“I really didn’t want to follow the same philosophy of other resorts,” explains Khun Sompong Dowpiset, owner and mastermind behind the Casa de La Flora project. “I am really focused on offering the customer what they want on holiday. That they are welcome to our exclusive resort to relax, release their emotions and arouse romance.”

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In-room check-inIPod docking stationWi-Fi Internet access

Espresso machine

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Armed with these concepts, and a great deal of faith, Khun Sompong identified leading Thai Architecture firm VasLAB Studio, to help turn his vision into reality. They were charged with creating a bold looking resort that still managed to express the natural warmth implied by the name ‘flora’ or flower, while considering that guests would require the very highest level of amenities, personalized services and privacy.

“Many people kept asking me why are you doing this, why are you being so daring? It’s very expensive, very costly, the architecture and the amenities. But I believed, that you have to make the investment and to take the risk. To achieve the desired results required Khun Sompong and the architecture team, to carefully ensure the entire interior, conceptual, structural and lighting elements blended together into a beautiful ensemble.

The patience and perseverance of Khun Sompong and his team, are their real own special love song to the region of Khao Lak, and allows them to be bold and committed to Thai hospitality, design and architecture.

I don’t care about getting a high occupancy, I care that everyone who comes here has a unique experience and

wants to come back.

Sompong Dowpiset, Owner

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Date : Sep 23 – 26, 2015Venue : Grand Hall, Olympia LondonOrganizer : Media 10 Limited

www.100percentdesign.co.uk

Date : Sep 28 - 30, 2015Venue : Dubai World Trade CentreOrganizer : DMG Events

www.thehotelshow.com

Date : Oct 8 – 10, 2015Venue : Rimini Expo CentreOrganizer : Rimini Fiera SpA

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28 08The UK’s largest design trade event and award-winning lay out; serving the section of Interiors, Workplace, Kitchens & Bathrooms and Design & Build. This year it will take over 2 floors of the OlympiaLondon with the “Design in Colour” theme, partner up with the top branding agency WGSN. The visitors will be inspired and led by the top picked 12 colour trends for year 2016, under the natural light shine through the hall roof.

The largest and integrated platform for hospitality industry in the Middle East and Africa. Over 1,000 global brands by 600 exhibitors from 45 countries meet the decision makers across the segments - Technology/Security, Facilities Manage-ment, Interiors/Lighting/Design, Kitchen and Bathrooms, HORECA/Food Services, Operating Equipment/Supplies, Retail Franchise, Hotel Services, Hotel Build; creating an active atmosphere of compre-hensive trading. Trend and network building with professional hotelier are all there.

The long history international hospitality exhibition, specialized for hospitality field focusing on hotel supply chains – management system, trend, interior design, architecture, decorative items, furniture, and exclusive training of business management and marketing. Visit this 64 edition event, it will be conjugated exhibit with another 2 events - TTG Incontri, Italy’s largest B2B fair for tourism; and Sun, the top B2B exhibition for the outdoor world.

SepEngland United Arab Emirates Italy

Sep Oct

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Date : Oct 22, 2015Venue : Cassia Ballroom, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, SingaporeOrganizer : Questex Asia Ltd.

www.hotelmanagement.net

Singapore

22Oct

Date : Oct 20 – 21, 2015Venue : Olympia West, LondonOrganizer : Rategain Travel Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

www.independenthotelshow.co.uk

England

20Inspiring and informative, the Independent Hotel Show is the UK’s only forum bringing together the luxury, boutique and independent hotel sector.

A must-attend event for independent hoteliers and industry professionals, the show presents a diverse collection of the UK’s most inno-vative suppliers together with expert insight from our Business Sessions.

Oct

Date : Mar 10 - 13, 2016Venue : Singapore Expo, Halls 1-6Organizer : International Furniture Fair Singapore Pte Ltd

www.thedecorshow.com.sg

Singapore

10The latest design and trend showcase for home decorative accessories, held in conjunction with the International Furniture Fair Singapore and the ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS) making it as a comprehensive the “Asia’s Premier Sourcing Platform” by the industry.

Mar

The conference which offer speakers from the leading hotel and expert IT provider share their real experiences and case studies on how existing and brand new technology support and grow further revenue sources, improve operational efficiency as well as enhance customer service standards. The CIOs, CTOs, Information Officers including E-commerce Directors from across Asia could build up new relationships and able to experience “Hotel Management Singapore Summit” – the colocation platform for hotel operation and management.

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10 - 13 MARCH 2016 SINGAPORE EXPO

Design,Elevated.Alongside the International Furniture Fair Singapore, with 33 years of proven track record, a 60,000sqm exhibition space, 487 exhibitors, 18,836 buyers, and 102 countries participation – The Décor Show shines on its own this year. As a design-led exhibition that serves as the gateway to Asia, be immersed in a showcase of the latest trends and designs in soft furnishings and home décor: from the finest art and décor, to carpets, rugs, lighting and accessories, handicrafts, as well as outdoor furniture and fittings.

Register for your COMPLIMENTARY admission pass today at www.thedecorshow.com.sg. Online registration closes 28 Feb 2016.

For enquiries, please contact [email protected].

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Smart Room Control

Real time CMS, Analytics and Reports

Guest Media Streaming

BYOD iOS and Android App

Ultimate Cloud Based IPTV

Hotel Core Process Management

Hotel Services Upsell

Fully Custom Guest User Interface

Multilingual Interface

Guest Communications

Custom VOD Content

www.powertvonair.com

Check-in/out

Room controls

Room service

Concierge andhousekeeping services

Hotel facilities, mapsand more...

A more intuitive way for your guests to access information and services.

[email protected]/priscilla

smart living magazine issue02 | september 2015

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