Premier Construction — How KPS lower costs and help save the planet

How KPS can lower costs and save the planet.

KPS is a Dubai-based, technology-led and design-focused interior contractor, who was responsible for the fit out of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. With strong Swedish roots, today KPS has offices in Egypt, France, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, with operational reach in the UK, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. Premier Hospitality looks at some of the company’s recent refurbishment projects in Dubai.

Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy is on track to hit its 2030 goal of reducing the emirate’s energy demand by thirty per cent. With seven years to go, the refurbishment of many of the city’s older buildings will help the emirate to reach this ambitious target. KPS is one of the region’s leading commercial interior contractors and has been successfully involved in many major refurbishment projects.

The environmental impact of building new

The extraction of raw materials, transportation and construction, account for up to fifty per cent of the total carbon emissions a building will generate in its lifetime. A significant share of this comes from the cement used in concrete, a key material in structural work. The cement industry is considered one of the world’s largest producers of CO2, with around 900 kg emitted for every ton of cement produced.

Refurbishment as an alternative to demolition

Structural elements often have a design life of one hundred years or more, and a building can be fully refurbished many times before it needs rebuilding. Refurbishing concrete structures is a good way to cut carbon emissions and reduce environmental impact. Aside from its direct environmental impact, refurbishment can also reduce operational costs. It requires less capital to refurbish buildings than to build new ones, and it can significantly improve project timelines. Large-scale refurbishments can be completed inside a year, while new builds can often take three times longer. Projects completed in a shorter time frame give a faster return on capital, not only through increased rental income but also from reduced energy consumption. The most immediate financial impact comes from energy saved with better insulation, smart building technology, and modern air conditioning. According to the Emirates Green Building Council, an NGO that promotes sustainability, retrofitting was already completed in over 8,000 UAE buildings.

Transforming spaces of opportunities

KPS brings commercial spaces to life and believes that every space holds the opportunity for something remarkable. As part of planned renovations, KPS was tasked to completely refurbish over 3,700 square metres of dining experience at the University of Sharjah, one of the UAE’s leading academic institutions. Far from your average canteen, the university wanted a new and dynamic space where students could not only eat and drink but also a place where they can study and socialise as well. The project needed more than just a refit – it needed a complete rethink. The kitchen now features a buffet-style layout, digital menus, and capacity to cater for hundreds of students at once. In the dining area, students now have a choice between formal and casual seating, with work booths dotted around the perimeter. Beyond the dining area is an amphitheatre, a space for students to collaborate, present and perform. All of this combines to make a previously ordinary space, extraordinary.

Refurbishing the towers in Dubai’s iconic skyline

Opened in 2010, Index Tower is an 80-storey Dubai skyscraper, a mix of offices, residential apartments and penthouses. The twenty-two common area washrooms are more than just another room in a building, they're a place of momentary solitude. A room to refresh, recuperate, and reset for the day ahead. KPS’ brief was to fully refurbish them, from demolition and waterproofing, to blockwork, fixtures and fittings. The main challenges were logistical: KPS had to complete the work without disrupting either the business tenants or residents in the building.

Completed in 2005, Al Thuraya Tower is a 28-storey office tower with ground floor retail outlets in Dubai Media City. The existing building was outdated and only twenty-five per cent was still occupied. It was KPS’ task to change that, and create a space as desirable as the location it is in. The building was still partially occupied, so the work had to be carried out without closing it. On top of that the project was budget driven, so the works had to be planned down to the smallest detail to help transform the building into a sought-after, high-end office building. With a new, landscaped area on the first-floor terrace, tenants now have access to an outdoor meeting space. Everything about the building is now smart, from the motion sensor lighting to intelligent elevators that minimise power usage. The newly refurbished tower has already attracted high levels of interest, with 18,000 square feet of office space being taken up by new tenants.

Dating from 1998 and at 32-storeys, Al Manal Tower is one of the older buildings on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road. This was a complex refurbishment project, including commercial and residential components, ground floor retail areas, lift lobbies and common areas, a business centre, and a top-floor fitness and recreation zone. The work was phased carefully to keep disruption to a minimum, and to ensure that the vast number of materials required on site could still be accessed. The works were structured to maximise revenue for the building’s owners and give them the least possible loss of rental income. In the apartments, bathrooms and sanitary fittings were renewed; kitchens and appliances were replaced; and new ceilings, interior wall finishes, and flooring was installed. A great effort was made to value engineer the project, so that every cent invested generated the maximum possible return for the landlord. Thanks to meticulous planning and KPS’ experience on projects of this kind, all the works were completed on time and in budget, with the minimum of disruption. The result, another highly desirable Dubai tower that is now leasing out again.

See it for yourself.