| VERTICAL
UPDATE
High-Rise News & Updates
for Las Vegas
| Dubai—City of
Dreams |
by: Brenda Calvin,
The Calvin Group, LLC
|
 Last
month, I had the opportunity to speak at the 8th World Congress
for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat in Dubai,
UAE. The delegates were a literal “who’s who”
of tall building developers, architects, engineers and general
contractors. I was completely honored to be among the delegates
from 42 nations and address them on my topic of Selling Luxury
High-Rise; Pre-sales Through Completion. The entire experience
was extraordinary, as this group, committed to sharing information
and knowledge, is one of the most professional organizations
I’ve ever been involved with and I am exceedingly proud
to be a member.
The Congress delegates
were addressed by many high-level officials, including HE
Mohamed Ali Alabbar, Director General of Economic Development,
Government of Dubai, a member of the Dubai Executive Council
and Chairman of Emaar Properties, one of the largest Real
Estate companies in the world. Emaar is developing the Downtown
Burj Dubai, which includes the tower, Burj Dubai, which will
be the tallest building in the world upon completion. The
construction of Burj Dubai tower is currently on floor 160
and still climbing.
 What
makes this property unique other than its tremendous height?
For the first time, the building that will be the tallest
in the world has a residential component. Think about it:
All of the former buildings that held this esteemed title
where commercial office buildings: Empire State Building,
Sears Tower, Petronas Towers, and Taipei 101. Burj Dubai will
include an Armani Hotel on lower floors, residential suites
at mid levels and office space at the very top. You may be
wondering how tall the building will be when complete. Of
course, this was the question that the 51 members of the international
press attending the Congress wanted to know. At least for
now, this remains a mystery as Emaar is keeping the finished
height a secret. We also had the opportunity to hear a talk
by the famed architect of Burj Dubai, Adrian Smith and many
other extraordinary professionals who were involved in making
this tower an incredible reality.
This is not to discount
the other estimated 60 high-rise buildings under construction
in Downtown Burj Dubai. Think of this as a very large master-planned
community, only with enormous high-rise buildings. Then picture
a number of other high-rise master-planned communities, just
like this, all under construction simultaneously. Add to this
the roads and infrastructure rapidly being improved all over
the city, as well as the light rail that is being constructed;
it’s hard to believe your eyes.
Prior to the trip, I had
read numerous articles showing the many tower cranes being
used in Dubai. In the photographs, there were so many cranes
that they appeared to be obstructing one another’s progress.
Therefore, I expected to see an inordinate amount of construction,
but even so, I was not prepared for the sheer magnitude of
high-rise buildings underway. In the Dubai Marina area alone,
there are 200 high-rise buildings underway.
For those of you not familiar
with Dubai, it is located on the eastern coast of the Arabian
Peninsula, on the Persian Gulf. Dubai is one of seven Emirates
to make up the United Arab Emirates. Dubai, the city, has
been the subject of a number of recent documentaries on their
innovative construction projects such as the man-made islands
in the shape of palms—The Palm-Jumeirah, The Palm-Jebel
Ali, and The Palm-Deira—by developer, Nakheel Properties.
Perhaps the most unique is The World, a series of 300 man-made
islands created in the shape of the continents of the world.
The simple fact was that Dubai geographically had a limited
coastline and wanted to create more valuable beachfront property.
You may be wondering how
this is possible to create islands. They are comprised of
completely natural materials: large rocks, boulders and sand.
Marine sand is dredged by special floating machinery and then
propelled under pressure into the water to create the islands.
Using global positioning, the construction teams are able
to precisely place the sand where it is needed, to create
the desired topography. This is an absolute engineering marvel,
to say the least. I was able to actually drive on the main
road—or trunk—of The Palm-Jumeirah to see the
many homes and villas now under construction on the fronds.
There will eventually be 20 or so destination resorts, including
Atlantis Dubai and the Trump Hotel and Residence Tower on
The Palm-Jemeirah. What a unique and beautiful setting.
 An
iconic building that I have long admired, Burj Al Arab, is
a sail-shaped building in Dubai. It is reportedly the most
luxurious hotel in the world with a seven-star tagline. Now
I understand why. First of all, if you are staying there,
you are customarily scooped up at the airport in nothing less
than a white Rolls Royce. The main entry to the hotel is quite
dramatic, including the small bridge from the mainland. As
you enter the hotel, you are greeted with rose water which
is poured from a beautiful container into your hands in celebration.
As you take an escalator up to the next level from the entry,
you are entertained by dancing waters on one side and entranced
by one of the tallest atriums in the world above you, soaring
180 meters, or 590 feet. As you arrive at the mezzanine level,
in every direction you look is a work of art.
I had dinner at the world-famous,
Al Muntaha (which means The Ultimate), located on the cantilevered
27th floor of Burj Al Arab. It was definitely a peak experience.
Additionally, as part of the World Congress, we attended a
welcome reception lawn party at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, literally
in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab. The special treat was that
as night falls, the Burj Al Arab changes color every 30 minutes.
It literally glows with color. This is because the sail section
of the hotel is made of a heavy fabric or material called
Dyneon; hence the illusion of “glowing from within.”
I would be remiss if I
didn’t mention the theme of the Congress: Tall and Green:
Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future. Therefore, the focus
was on creating sustainable tall buildings. In fact, it is
important to note that every delegate’s miles flown
to attend the Congress were calculated as carbon emissions.
Offsets were purchased through a company called Climate Care
(www.climatecare.org) to accomplish a zero-carbon footprint
for the Congress. Even the handy conference bags given out
at the Congress were made of jute, a sustainable and biodegradable
product. The bag fasteners were made of coconut shell, which
is also sustainable. Happily, this level of eco-consciousness
is contagious. Delegates from 42 countries experienced the
Council’s commitment to this world-wide cause.
All in all, I saw
many parallels between our city of Las Vegas and the city
of Dubai. They are both desert climates, they are both popular
tourist destinations, they both have over-the-top shopping
facilities, they both have had a surge of high-rise construction
(although Dubai wins overwhelmingly on volume), they both
have an international audience and they both have a propensity
for the dramatic.
Dubai! (Thank you, in Arabic.)
Until next time, here’s
wishing you “elevated” sales!
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Brenda
Calvin is the Broker of The Calvin Group, LLC, and has
a 20-year successful track record of selling high-rise
and mid-rise condominiums in multiple states. The Calvin
Group is a boutique brokerage specializing the innovative
sales, marketing and developer consulting of residential
high-rise properties. To contact Brenda, you may phone
(702) 939-5638 or e-mail Brenda@TheCalvinGroup.com.
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