With views of living and working environments radically transformed by the Coronavirus pandemic, the industry and investors are catching up with his views on sustainable and smart engineering for residential and commercial spaces.
Obermair talks to CEO Middle East about the trends and positive changes shaping the industry, and how Expo 2020 is helping to transform a sector already in a state of flux.
Drivers of change for the construction industry
The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has had a major impact on the real estate sector. This genuine Black Swan event has radically altered the perspective for governments, businesses and consumers worldwide, with wellbeing and healthy living now viewed as key elements for quality of life.
As an architect and builder, I already held a strong belief in the restorative powers of the places where we live, work and play, long before enforced lockdowns entered our lives. With the pandemic now bringing in a paradigm shift in thinking around the living and working environment, the construction industry has a genuine responsibility, not just an opportunity, to design, create and develop healthy and sustainable habitats for people to thrive.
Governments and some businesses were already buying into this idea of sustainability and quality of life before the pandemic, with a focus on the development of smart cities and their potential for more efficient management of assets, resources and services through data.
The 2020 edition of the Big5, the construction industry exhibition and trade fair, had identified prefabrication and modular construction as one of its top key industry trends along with sustainability, while energy efficiency and sustainability was highlighted as key focus areas for governments.
Sustainable and healthy living environments are a driver of change and transformation for the entire industry. With wellbeing-focussed developments becoming more appealing and marketable, this should be viewed as a real opportunity not solely for developers and investors, but right across the world’s largest business ecosystem.
Prefabrication and modular construction fit into this worldview, as a sustainable and energy efficient alternative with a low environmental impact which feeds into the increased demand for housing and tallies with key aspects of government agendas and future building codes as well as customer expectation.
If we take the example of certain European modular and off-site projects, the benefits compared to traditional building solutions include on the long-term lower costs, accelerated project timelines, improved productivity and predictability on cost and time, improved quality, efficiency and sustainability and extended asset longevity. The potential to move the majority of building activity offsite also resolves a quality control issue by overcoming a scarcity of skilled labour through seamless monitoring and quality management.
The potential for the region is enormous. With 85 percent of the GCC’s population living in cities and that figure projected to grow to 90 percent by 2050, there is a real opportunity for developers to use a more sustainable and efficient method going forward for the construction of new projects across the GCC and wider MENA region as they seek to improve productivity and eliminate waste and accelerate delivery with minimal disruption of surrounding communities and the environment.
Expo is an example of genuine progress
Since 1851, World Expos have gathered nations to find solutions to the pressing challenges of our time and to highlight our aspirations and the scientific, technological, economic, and social progress being made around the world. As large-scale platforms they serve as an important bridge between governments, international organisations, business, and citizens.
With 192 countries gathered for Expo 2020 in Dubai from October 1 2021 through to March 31 2022, the UAE will be leading the global conversation on innovation and the three key themes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability. These conversations will also include the transformation of how we live, work, play and move – important areas which are shaping the fundamental views of the construction industry.
“There is a real opportunity for developers to use a more sustainable method going forward.”
— Michael Obermair, CEO of Wolf System
The Expo 2020 site itself is an example of progress with the use of sustainable materials and commitment to environmentally and socially responsible suppliers. The proposed transformation of the site into ‘District 2020’ will further highlight its legacy as it ensures the advancement of smart technology and infrastructure, wellness and sustainability to inspire future generations long after Expo 2020 is finished.
Personally, I think Dubai’s Expo 2020 can be seen as a continuation of the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE and a driving force well known for his commitment to future generations and the environment, 50 years after the formation of the country.
From the use of clean and renewable energies and sustainable building materials, through to efforts to minimise carbon footprints and ensure a holistic circular economy approach, leaders in the region are walking the walk and not just talking the talk in their commitment to environment and quality of life for future generations.
Saudi taking the lead with NEOM project
The recently announced Line development in NEOM, the $500bn flagship business and tourism development on the Red Sea coast is a prime example of progressive thinking in the region.
Across the different regions in Neom, the major urban development designed with people and sustainability in mind rather than transport, the Line project will be defined by the ease of access to all essential daily services including schools, medical centres and green spaces.
The Line, and Neom itself, are being delivered in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and its mandate to reduce the country’s dependence on oil, diversify the economy, increase the quality of life and to better develop its public service sectors.
Key priorities of the project include environmental sustainability and wellbeing, and the construction sector has the opportunity to thrive through the proposed development of vibrant, healthy and inclusive communities.
Industry leaders must listen to this masterplan and follow its lead by developing best practices that will set new benchmarks regionally and globally, by moving towards digitisation and innovative building systems.
There is an opportunity to embrace forward-thinking concepts such as modular off-site manufactured construction technologies as they can enhance a business ecosystem’s productivity, profitability, and resilience, delivering new urban developments and sustainable and wellbeing-focussed concepts.