Safe buildings save lives, says Geze Middle East

Charles Constantin, MD of Geze Middle East.
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Safe buildings can help save lives, says Geze Middle East MD Charles Constantin. A recent fire gutted a 25-storey residential tower in Sharjah, raising the issue of building safety.

New technologies allow for complete control of a building, such as centralised control panels which can open windows and close doors remotely in the event of a fire, pointed out Constantin.

This will contain the flames and heat produced in the event of any fire, and slow the spread of the resulting smoke, giving people inside more time to escape.

Constantin was speaking at the recent Supreme Building Technology 2012 conference in Doha organised by Geze Middle East to highlight innovative building safety systems and technologies.

The importance of building safety is growing on the national and regional agenda, as safety methodologies, systems and technologies need to be constantly updated and improved to meet the changes in the nature of potential accidents and risks.

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“Innovation and sustainability go together, and we are seeing new demand for innovative technologies that meet high safety and efficiency standards. We are focusing on transferring technologies that deliver just that.

“As Qatar continues to grow as one of the biggest business destinations in MENA, as a specialist service partner to many of the region's biggest developers, we are glad to see that the impetus is firmly on ensuring both sustainability of its urban infrastructure, as well as the presence of tested safety systems to protect lives.

"This has been accompanied by a definitive drive by the government of Qatar to ensure the highest level of safety systems are utilised in all new buildings," said Constantin.

Constantin added that safer buildings also mean more environment-friendly buildings. "Efficient modern ventilation systems can help reduce the amount of air-conditioning needed, and thereby reduce power consumption.

"The majority of building technologies can now be automated, such as lighting systems, which can be programmed to react to external light and switch themselves on when the natural light fades, or heating systems which can ensure constant indoor temperature by switching themselves on when the inside temperature drops.

"These systems require an initial investment by the building owner but will, in the long term, help save on additional costs, as well as reduce overall environmental impact,” said Constantin.