Social projects in the spotlight for MEED Awards 2013

08 November 2012

As regional governments increasingly prioritise public amenity schemes, MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2013 will select and honour the best quality social project of the year

The provision of public amenities that improve the quality of life for local communities is becoming a higher priority for GCC governments.

These amenities take the form of social housing, healthcare and education services but can also include the development of parks and public spaces. The importance of these projects guarantees the highest standards of project management, architectural and engineering work.

In 2012, national winners of the Social Project of the Year awards included the UAE’s Saadiyat Construction Village and Qatar’s Barwa Village.

The Saadiyat scheme, which was commissioned by Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) and was completed by Leighton Contracting (Abu Dhabi), also won the GCC award in the same category.

The Social Project of the Year award will recognise the best public amenities across the region and those responsible for their conception and completion.

Criteria

  • Projects that can be nominated in this category include:
  • Parks, public spaces and municipal leisure facilities;
  • Public-private partnerships in the provision of social projects;
  • Social housing and affordable developments;
  • Hospitals, medical centres and other healthcare facilities;
  • Schools, universities and education facilities;
  • Public service projects including law enforcement and emergency services.

New category

The 2013 MEED Quality Awards for Projects will for the first time include a category honouring the best small project of the year.

Schemes entered into this category must have a maximum value of $35m. They can cover any industry sector but must have been completed during 2012.

Testimonials

“It was a pleasure to work towards providing industry best-practice accommodation for workers in the region to achieve TDIC’s vision. It was also rewarding to deliver a sustainable facility and a quality product that has been recognised as a GCC winner in the MEED Quality Awards for Projects.” David Sharpe, project leader, Saadiyat Construction Village

“TDIC is delighted that Saadiyat Construction Village was selected as a GCC winner. This shows the village is a model of best practice for labourer accommodation in the region.” Sultan Mohamed al-Mahmood, executive director of strategic performance, TDIC

Entering the MEED Quality Awards for Projects 2013

Projects completed from January 2011 to December 2012 can be submitted for consideration. The awards programme is designed to ensure the entry process is as efficient as possible for nominees. All information supplied is confidential and only the award winners’ names will be published by MEED.

Interested parties can register online at www.meedawards.com, where they can also download an entry form.

Judging panel update

UAE delegate chosen for MEED Quality Awards for Projects judging panel

Engineer Rashad Bukhash, director of the architectural heritage department at Dubai Municipality, has been appointed the UAE representative on this year’s judging panel.

Bukhash has 23 years’ experience planning, directing, managing and supervising modern architectural projects, conserving historic buildings, designing and managing museums and landscaping projects. He has overseen the conservation of more than 145 historic buildings in the UAE, including Dubai Museum, Sheikh Saeed al-Maktoum House, the Heritage House and Al-Ahmadiya School.

Bukhash has also supervised the design and execution of more than 200 modern buildings, spanning universities, colleges, public buildings, parks and community facilities. He has overseen the design and execution of 12 museums in Dubai, including the camel and horse museums and the Museum of Traditional Architecture.

The engineer has also written or been cited in more than 33 books on architecture, history and the traditions of the UAE.

Key information

Entries open – NOW
Entry deadline – 31 January 2013
National winners announced – March 2013
Awards dinner – May 2013
For entries: Tel: (+971) 4 433 1425; email: info@meedawards.com
For sponsorship: Tel: (+971) 50 559 0713; email: becky.crayman@meed.com

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