'Existing infrastructure' is new attractor

Jebel Ali Racecourse is an example of a

Undeveloped land adjacent or close to existing infrastructure is likely to be the next hotspot for development, says Ivar Krasinski, design principal at Burt, Hill. “A lot of tall buildings started to pop up in the middle of the desert because it seemed a good idea to just drag the entire infrastructure out there,” says Krasinski.

Now developers are likely to leverage land adjacent to already developed land, with master planning tending to focus on existing infrastructure. “That is going to become the area where development should happen. I am not sure what this spells for the future of Dubai, but it is very likely you will see development along the coast again,” comments Krasinski.

An example of such a “highly logical” development is the Jebel Ali Racecourse, which is next to a significant number of high-rises in Dubai Marina. Developers are now confronted with a serious decision, says Krasinski: “Are you willing to absorb the extra expense of having to deal with all the infrastructure needs, or do you leverage the existing infrastructure?”

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Krasinski’s answer is simple: “My assumption is that developers, for the most part – unless there is a really heavy political agenda behind it – will want to leverage the land that has already got the entire infrastructure. And in the past that was not even a consideration. It was a totally different agenda.”

Commenting on the mooted demise of the high-rise tower in Dubai’s developmental future, Krasinski concurs that low- to medium-rise is likely to be the focus: “In terms of the viability of a building, if you are going too far above 20 storeys, you are doing it for reasons other than the financial feasibility of that particular building.”

However, Krasinski says that ‘going tall’ can be motivated: “In terms of the super-tall buildings we have seen in Dubai, the argument was that, by creating a focal sculptural element in the middle of a development, like the Burj Dubai, the value of the land around it becomes much higher. Now you have a focus; so while the building itself may not be financially feasible, the entire development benefits from its presence due to the heightened profile of the project, and so you definitely make your returns.” Krasinski says though there is a slim chance of having the future luxury of an attractor like Burj Dubai. “We will definitely see more and more buildings under 20 storeys,” he predicts.

Read an interview with Ivar Krasinski

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