Green bathrooms

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The GCC interior contracting and fit-out sector, including kitchen and bathroom fittings, has witnessed steady growth.

Projects completed in the first five months of 2011, from January to May, accrued $1.49bn worth of revenue, according to Ventures Middle East’s GCC Construction Overview, published in June 2011.

Bathrooms are an important facet of commercial spaces, with the US-based Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and the Dubai-based INDEX Kitchen and Bathroom generating a large audience. “Bathrooms before used to be dirty rooms in the corner.

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Today it is almost a part of the living area,” said Jacob Sardini business development manager Tomas Hoog. “This trend is slowly entering the UAE. People are starting to understand bathrooms are very important.”

The INDEX Kitchen & Bathroom show is taking place from 22 to 25 October at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The exhibition will address the demand for top-end kitchen and bathroom products. It is designed specifically to cater for the specific needs of the kitchen and sanitaryware sector.

“The K&B industry is driven by the latest developments. There are three core areas that generally need to be considered when designing a kitchen or a bathroom for any small- or largescale project, namely innovation and trends, sustainability and water conservation,” said INDEX Kitchen & Bathroom Muhammed Kazi.

Sustainability is of vital importance to the region, as Abu Dhabi recorded the highest per capita water consumption rate in the world in 2010 at 525 to 600 gallons a day. The emirate‘s total consumption of water resources exceeds its natural recharge capacity by 24 times, it has been reported.

This increasing water consumption across the Middle East leads to the extensive use of desalination, and the high costs and energy requirements associated with the process. MENA energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are set to double by 2030, mainly from water desalination and power generation.

Hansgrohe AG, a leading manufacturer of bathroom fittings and showerheads, has launched an on-line savings calculator that demonstrates the environmental benefits and cost-savings offered by its pioneering EcoSmart technology.

Mixers and showerheads fitted with EcoSmart consume up to 60% less water than conventional products, without any loss of comfort. Lower hot water consumption also means a reduced energy requirement, resulting in reduced emissions and costs.

Simple to use, the new tool displays water, energy and carbon dioxide savings, and helps customers integrate care for the environment into everyday life. For sanitation, heating and air-con professionals, it can be used to demonstrate the cost-saving potential offered by EcoSmart technology.

As part of its Green Mosque campaign, and in coordination with the Ministry of Waqf in the Syrian capital of Damascus, GROHE has replaced 50 mixers in the Great Umayyad Mosque with Contropress and Contromix self-closing taps so to minimise water wastage during ablution. The new mixers were replaced in the ablution rooms and in the central courtyard area to ensure the economic, ecological and safe use of water.

The Green Mosque initiative, launched in the Middle East in 2009, is part of GROHE’s global WaterCare campaign, which seeks to increase public awareness about water conservation techniques, and to secure the future of this precious natural resource.

The Great Umayyad Mosque was selected as the beneficiary of this initiative in Syria because it is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world, and is considered the fourth holiest place in Islam.

It is also the destination for thousands of worshippers and tourists every day, and hence this water-conservation initiative will have a great impact in preserving water and saving public funds.

“GROHE is dedicated to using its advanced technological resources, first-class materials and design innovation to ensure water efficiency,” said Ziad Saasaa, the country manager of GROHE in Syria.

“It is this combination of factors that directly equates to reduced water consumption and products that deliver the best possible experience and which last a lifetime.”

The new mixers were ordered from GROHE headquarters in Germany, where the company designed 29 Contromix mixers especially for the Umayyad Mosque’s male and female ablution rooms, in addition to another 21 Contrapress wall-mountable mixers in the central courtyard area.

The position and location of each mixer was set to ensure maximum comfort during all stages of the ablution. After the installation process, representatives from GROHE trained the Mosque’s technical team on how to set up and use the new mixers.

GROHE installed five water meters inside the ablution rooms and central courtyard to monitor water usage for a month, before and after the mixers were installed.