The Al Bateen Wharf is designed as a five-star business hotel and high-rise condominium in Abu Dhabi. In addition to the main hotel and apartments, there are extensive five-star amenities such as restaurants and coffee shops. The facility also includes a large conference center, banquet hall, health club, and spa. There are a number of water features and swimming pools along with several sidewalk cafes on the waterfront promenade. The design opts for simple volumes wrapped with a fluid and transparent veil-like screen. While maintaining visual transparency, the screen creates a sustainable building through the use of diffused natural lighting, façade elements to achieve energy savings by passive cooling, and shielding from intense sun. The design also carefully considers natural and local materials in relation with marine life.
Regions: International
Dubai Creekside Redevelopment
With our collaborating partners, we have led an international design and technical team tasked with planning and designing a cultural and heritage destination comprising both sides of Dubai Creek for 1 ½ miles through the historical center of Dubai. The project consists of 143 separate buildings to include retail, residential, hospitality, cultural, and entertainment uses, connected by a network of public spaces, covered “souks,” and marinas.
Parking garages, parking access, and vertical circulation have been designed to accommodate 12,000 cars in 2 levels for the entire length of the redevelopment. In January 2008, the government mandated that all future buildings will achieve U.S.G.B.C. LEED Gold certification, and we were selected for this separate contract and to assist the United Arab Emirates to draft the “Emirates Green Building Council” documents, establishing the local criteria for LEED status. In 2008, Dubai Creek Redevelopment was considered the world’s largest LEED certification project.
Jinan Olympic Park
Jinan Olympic Park is the result of a design competition won in November of 2007. Adjacent to the Jinan Olympic venue, the 6 tower Olympic Park complex is comprised of 6 signature office buildings. The tallest building, 55 stories, is made up of both office and a 5-star business hotel. The buildings form an urban garden at the surface, with 2 underground levels of urban shopping and parking.
Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual
The far-reaching “Plan Abu Dhabi 2030” envisions transforming Abu Dhabi into a leading example of a walkable, sustainable Arab city within 20 years. The Urban Planning Council appointed Otak to develop an Urban Street Design Manual that reflects the principles of the plan, and serve as the design guide for all urban streets in the Emirate. Approved in 2010, the manual puts pedestrians first and defines a street design process for enhancing street network connectivity and capacity. It creates a new street typology system and recommends streetscape enhancements, native, drought-tolerant landscaping and “shadeways” that will encourage walking, bicycling and enhanced access to transit.
Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transportation Plan
Otak is working in Vientiane, Laos, as a subconsultant to Oriental Consulting Global (Japan) to support the development and launch of the country’s first Bus Rapid Transit project. Otak is providing advice based on our expertise in public transport management and Bus Rapid Transit operations, having worked closely with C-TRAN (Clark County, Washington’s transport agency) to plan and launch the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA metro region’s first Bus Rapid Transit project in 2017. The project also includes providing legal/institutional recommendations for establishing an entity for managing traffic, parking, and public transportation in Vientiane as well as developing a capacity building and training program for staffing the new entity. Otak is also providing a gender specialist who is advising on gender equality and social equity for the program. The project is technical assistance, funded by Asia Development Bank under the Vientiane Sustainable Urban Transport Project.
Georgia Livable Urban Area Planning
In collaboration with local stakeholders and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Integrated Urban Development Plans (IUDPs) were prepared for four urban economic clusters in Georgia.
Integrated Urban Development Plans to Drive Economic Growth
With their own unique challenges and opportunities, each cluster had the common focus of capitalizing on tourism opportunities to drive economic growth. The development of IUDPs followed a participatory approach with stakeholder consultations at all key phases, ensuring collaborative and locally driven outputs. The IUDPs include a vision and long term strategy and are accompanied by an integrated Investment Plan, covering infrastructure, services, and business development initiatives. The effective combination of strategic action and investment planning will make it possible for these regions to maintain a balance among its cultural and physical environments, while ensuring equitable economic growth in response to emerging opportunities.
Indonesia Green City Action Plans
The development of four Green City Action Plans (GCAPs) across Indonesia focus on short and medium term actions and investments. These strategic plans aim to bring about sustainable and thriving economies, resilient to the impacts of climate change, disasters and other stresses.
Strategic Plans that Capture a City’s Vision of Sustainability and Livability
For Medan, Kendari, Malang, and Batam, livability was a key driver in prioritization of actions for inclusion into the GCAPs which fulfill each city’s own green ‘vision’. The GCAPs are not just infrastructure investment plans but include policy development, institutional restructuring, capacity development and training, technical studies, and actions related to funding, financing, and implementing projects. The action plans were developed using a participatory approach by establishing a Green Team in each City. Project prioritization was undertaken using a simple, bespoke multi criteria analysis tool developed for the project – this tool was used by the Green Team made up of local public servants (with guidance form consultants).
Papua New Guinea Water Supply Feasibility Study
Working as a sub-consultant to HunterH2O, Australia, Otak undertook water resources assessments for water supply in three towns in Papua New Guinea. The assessments included installation of hydro-logical monitoring systems and hydro-geological assessments (pumping tests and groundwater modelling) to confirm the most suitable water source, or combination of sources, to meet demand projections, with due consideration for climate change. Otak also prepared an outline environment management plan and social impact assessments for each water supply system, requiring household surveys and focus group discussions.
Nepal Economic Corridor Urban Planning
A complex planning project in close collaboration with Nepal’s Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC, Ministry of Urban Development) consists of four components. A regional development plan, structural plan, and an integrated investment plan for the Birgunj-Simara Urban economic corridor, which is an industrial hub and the primary trading hub at the Indian border, were prepared to chart a path for future growth.
Integrated Assessments and Development Planning for an Urban Economic Corridor
Among other things, planning required an integrated assessment of regional demographics, economics and trade, transport, infrastructure needs, spatial development, and disaster risk. The result would develop the capacity of the DUDBC to manage, review and approve City Development strategies, with a focus on 10 Cities during the project implementation period. A national Utility Arrangement Guideline document for standardizing the coordination and placement of buried utilities within the public right of way was prepared in accordance with the urban road design standards. To tie everything together, a business plan was established for DUDBC to implement the recently adopted National Urban Development Strategy.
Palau Urban Development Strategy Baoldebab
An integrated Urban Development Strategy and Action Plan (UDSAP) would focus on a long-term, sustainable future for Koror and Babeldaob, the economic and administrative centers of Palau. The effective combination of strategic action and investment planning makes it possible for Palau to maintain a balance among its economic, cultural, and physical environments, while at the same time optimizing the use of scarce existing resources in response to emerging opportunities, with a focus on tourism.
A Development and Investment Strategy for Emerging Opportunity and Climate Resilience
The development of UDSAP will follow a participatory approach with stakeholder forums at key phases. Key stakeholders include Ministry of Finance (MOF); Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Industries, and Commerce (MPIIC); Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Tourism (MNRET) Palau Public Utilities Corporation (PPUC). The USDAP includes a vision and long-term strategy, accompanied by an integrated Capital Investment Plan, covering all infrastructure and other sectors/projects. Palau is highly vulnerable to natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, consideration of these threats will lead to sustainable planning.