IKEA...translates design into any language.
Corbu would be so proud.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Abu Dhabi Burning
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Flat out for a flat
I wanted to tell you this week about what it is like looking for a place to live in Abu Dhabi. In total it took me about 3 weeks to find a place and it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. So - 1) you start with the price range given in terms of yearly rent which is the standard - sometimes landlords will agree to two payments. Then, 2) of course how many bedrooms do you want?. At first I was looking for a 2 bedroom with a large living space or a three bedroom. 3) Villa or Apartment? Let's try villa...there are actually villas on the island of Abu Dhabi, connected to the mainland via bridges. The area near the bridges is called....we've been through this people...."Between the Two Bridges" (give it to the guy next to the palm tree). This is the first place the realtor took me to.
It was about a 15 minute drive from the area I work in the middle of town to the area "Between the Bridges." The landscape is pleasant enough, the scale is all 2 story villas - but there was really nothing around the first place she took me to. Still no trees really certainly no shops, markets, stores, cafes, restaurants or any conveniences. I am open minded - I realize it is a place of growth - I'm an architect - I have vision. I also realize my family may feel a little isolated out here but hey...I’ve got a Christopher Columbus mindset here.
So we go inside the villa which is being divvied up into apartments. the grand stair is now a central stair which takes you upstairs to where they are still putting up some final partitions and doors. I go inside...it's a big room 20x25, then the master bedroom 15x25, second bedroom 15x20. I'm thinking "ok...not bad...three big rooms...not enough hierarchy but maybe….. lets see the kitchen." She warned me in the car "it’s a small kitchen" but I was like hey - I am a city slicker I have lived with my fair share of galley kitchens - a house is a machine for living - efficiency is good. 54"x 66". There is a sink....base cabinets wall cabinets big column in the corner. No room for a fridge, no range.....What is this??? Are you joking? “I said it was small” Yes but - this isn't even a butler's pantry let alone a kitchen! I told her no...Good luck to the owner trying to rent this place out, this is impossible, but do let him know if he wants an architect to lay out the space so it works I'm available. So we leave. In the car ride she tells me “there’s nothing else sweetie….really…it’s awful, I just had a client pack up and leave to go home because it is so frustrating.” Not what I wanted to hear.
So new realtor – 2 bedrooms – villa…we walk in to a long skinny room – a window at the end, the sill at 42” AFF - the view? A water tank 3 feet away. Down the hall, a kitchen dining area - good size compared to the last place anyway. Bigger window this time view is a wall 5’ away 5’ tall. The next room master bedroom same window as the first room same view as the second. SO…..where is the living room? Oh….the Kitchen/Dining was actually Kitchen/Dining/Living???. “No. Let’s go.” I peek into the adjacent 1bedroom where there is a window looking out to the street…and no window in the bedroom. Can you do that?
Next Villa – same as the first – big rooms big windows and big price….where is the kitchen? “Well, we can put it on this side or on that side” she says as she motions to the two corners of the living room. “Whaaaaaaat? No. Let’s go.”
OK DONE WITH VILLAS! Forget this nonsense…I want to live in the city – around people and conveniences…oh yes….with widows and a kitchen please.
So the very first place I see is in a great area – near the corniche on the 17th floor. It’s an older building which 30 years ago was probably a luxury building. Dark lobby, under lit hallway…monochromatic finishes – strong cigarette odor and then this curious extension cord which we follow into the unit he is showing me where it is hard wired to the electric panel. I don’t ask – I don’t care. We walk in – white terrazzo floors – a bit beat up but not terrible – white walls nice windows and then the view…wow….I can see the water!
View on the other side is a park and mosque. Nice views. 
Bedrooms are all good sizes with big windows, closets. Bathrooms are a bit dark and funky colored from the 70’s/80’s and the master bedroom had small windows but….I can live with it…the master bathroom had issues…the fan coil unit in the ceiling is dripping through the ceiling. All bathroom and kitchen ceilings are typically 2x2 grid metal panels. There were a bunch of really weird details – a drippy ceiling – a really odd odor in the apartment I can’t quite make t out, but what a view. This may be it I think….I can deal with this but it I do have massive reservations. I take my colleague Chris from CRJA back to look at it and he doesn’t really say much – he was clearly unimpressed. We went through the whole “yes but you have this…and this isn’t bad….this is awful…but the view is good…they can fix that…you can cover that….” I take pictures and send them to my wife who approves based on the camera phone shots. Again – settling for sake of the view.” It is more than my price range and I would have to buy a lot of furniture but IKEA is here so…what the heck….I am sick of looking by this point. I did go and look at a slew of other places for a reference and without doubt, this place was the best.
Keep in mind – where am living with my CRJA colleagues Chris and Nick, is a nice partially serviced fully furnished apartment which meets our standards easily and are quite like what we are designing for the Marasy project. We enquire weekly as to whether there are any openings but get that startled look of complete disbelief that you even asked…”no sir” shaking her head with a big smile….
Done – I am taking the stinky drippy apartment with the view. I call the dude to tell him and guess what? GONE! “Noooooooooooooo!” I am so bummed – totally disappointed. My CRJA colleague tells me “I know it is upsetting but I am relieved for you.” Easy for you to say from your nicely appointed modern amenity rich pad buddy! I am sick and tired of looking by this point.
That night this realtor calls me at 9:30 as I am finishing up dinner with my colleague. “Mr. Sherif – I have a place to show you where are you? I tell him and he meets me in 10 minutes. I drag Chris with me. He motions us to his car – there is a guy in the car who I assume to be his partner. I jump into the car next to him and say hello – he looks at me strange…like “what the f&%k man?” and off we go. A minute into the drive, I find out that he too is a client looking for an apartment. So now what? We wrestle in the living room to see who gets it? Fortunately. Like everything else I had seen it was CRAP!
I am losing it by this point. I am happy to have made a new friend who happens to work at the Urban Planning Council studying pedestrian systems, a Middle Eastern Brit – we share a lot in common. Both Middle Eastern Expats with families looking at CRAP.
Next day…my buddy Haytham the realtor calls me again to tell me – “OK Mr. Sherif, I know what you want; I found a 3 bedroom apartment on the corniche – modern and clean.” (Thank you God…thank you…!) So I drive him (don’t ever use a realtor that you have to drive around by the way) to near the Rotana Hotel and we pick up another dude. I’m like…no way….just like last night? But no…he was another realtor from another company who has dibs on this place. They are basically going to split the 5%-7% fee. It is close to 10:30pm by this point.
We go upstairs….so far very similar to the stinky drippy apartment in terms of finish although the building looked a little newer from the outside. Kind of weird and quiet and office district-ish. Here I am walking into a building with two Egyptian dudes….inside I am a little freaked out thinking “what if the take me into this crazy den filled with a bunch of guys who slap me over the back of a couch and gang bang me….that would suck!”
Then we get upstairs and the other dude rings the doorbell. “Somebody lives here?” I ask. They look at each other – and shrug. Then this guy opens the door, three young boys behind him and he lets us in. He’s the tenant/owner…he invites us to sit in the living room. Two couches with sheets over it and a TV on a box. I am waiting for the man gang to come around the corner at this point.
Then we get up and tour the apartment – it is exactly like the smelly drippy apartment except it is laid out worse, slightly smaller and overpriced. I am not into it but I don’t want to insult the “owner.” So then we are invited to sit back down his son makes us Arabic coffee (Turkish…Greek…same stuff) and then we chat about the place he tells us how great it is blah blah blah…I throw back my coffee as soon as it arrives and off we go. I drive both guys to different destinations and tell them I will think about it. Which I didn’t. The apartment aside, the dude who lived there definitely wasn’t the owner and wasn’t making anywhere near what they were asking for in rent – not even half I bet – maybe ¼ of it…he’s a cop…expatriated form Jordan with a TV on a friggin’ box. It is illegal to sublet an apartment in Abu Dhabi as only locals can own real estate. Some people make exceptions if there is an agreement but this felt really sketchy.
So that’s it…I’ve done due diligence. I have seen everything…I too am toying with the idea of throwing in the towel and going home just like the first realtor told me about. Why can’t I find something like what I live in with Chris and Nick? Why? I tell May, the office manager about to go on a two week vacation to the Philippines…”May…I am screwed….what am I going to do without you?” She makes some calls I hear her say “Vision” over and over (the building I am in) and she reports “there may be an opening in your building…we will know at 12:30) I go to lunch – can’t believe what is happening…finally….in the building I was pining for…but 40% over my budget then I get the call “it’s available – go…go sign now…run!”
Needless to say we flew over there…I go up to the office and tell the lady (same one who smirked every time I asked) I am here to look at the apartment on the 17th floor that’s available. “no sir….there is nothing available” same smirk….now I am ready to kill someone….but….but….we just called and were told that….”oh…that’s you? Ok. The 17th is not available but we will show you an apartment on the 3rd floor, two on the 15th floor and two on the 12th floor and one on the 16th floor…”
WHAT THE FU$@!?!?!?!?!?!?! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!?!?!?!?! You know when Charlie Brown does that ARGHHHHHH thing with the nose in the air and the wide open mouth? That was me….unreal.
charlie
I can’t explain it to you. They claim a company backed out. Whatever – I am just glad it’s over. Really insane.
It was about a 15 minute drive from the area I work in the middle of town to the area "Between the Bridges." The landscape is pleasant enough, the scale is all 2 story villas - but there was really nothing around the first place she took me to. Still no trees really certainly no shops, markets, stores, cafes, restaurants or any conveniences. I am open minded - I realize it is a place of growth - I'm an architect - I have vision. I also realize my family may feel a little isolated out here but hey...I’ve got a Christopher Columbus mindset here.
So we go inside the villa which is being divvied up into apartments. the grand stair is now a central stair which takes you upstairs to where they are still putting up some final partitions and doors. I go inside...it's a big room 20x25, then the master bedroom 15x25, second bedroom 15x20. I'm thinking "ok...not bad...three big rooms...not enough hierarchy but maybe….. lets see the kitchen." She warned me in the car "it’s a small kitchen" but I was like hey - I am a city slicker I have lived with my fair share of galley kitchens - a house is a machine for living - efficiency is good. 54"x 66". There is a sink....base cabinets wall cabinets big column in the corner. No room for a fridge, no range.....What is this??? Are you joking? “I said it was small” Yes but - this isn't even a butler's pantry let alone a kitchen! I told her no...Good luck to the owner trying to rent this place out, this is impossible, but do let him know if he wants an architect to lay out the space so it works I'm available. So we leave. In the car ride she tells me “there’s nothing else sweetie….really…it’s awful, I just had a client pack up and leave to go home because it is so frustrating.” Not what I wanted to hear.
So new realtor – 2 bedrooms – villa…we walk in to a long skinny room – a window at the end, the sill at 42” AFF - the view? A water tank 3 feet away. Down the hall, a kitchen dining area - good size compared to the last place anyway. Bigger window this time view is a wall 5’ away 5’ tall. The next room master bedroom same window as the first room same view as the second. SO…..where is the living room? Oh….the Kitchen/Dining was actually Kitchen/Dining/Living???. “No. Let’s go.” I peek into the adjacent 1bedroom where there is a window looking out to the street…and no window in the bedroom. Can you do that?
Next Villa – same as the first – big rooms big windows and big price….where is the kitchen? “Well, we can put it on this side or on that side” she says as she motions to the two corners of the living room. “Whaaaaaaat? No. Let’s go.”
OK DONE WITH VILLAS! Forget this nonsense…I want to live in the city – around people and conveniences…oh yes….with widows and a kitchen please.
So the very first place I see is in a great area – near the corniche on the 17th floor. It’s an older building which 30 years ago was probably a luxury building. Dark lobby, under lit hallway…monochromatic finishes – strong cigarette odor and then this curious extension cord which we follow into the unit he is showing me where it is hard wired to the electric panel. I don’t ask – I don’t care. We walk in – white terrazzo floors – a bit beat up but not terrible – white walls nice windows and then the view…wow….I can see the water!
View on the other side is a park and mosque. Nice views. 
Bedrooms are all good sizes with big windows, closets. Bathrooms are a bit dark and funky colored from the 70’s/80’s and the master bedroom had small windows but….I can live with it…the master bathroom had issues…the fan coil unit in the ceiling is dripping through the ceiling. All bathroom and kitchen ceilings are typically 2x2 grid metal panels. There were a bunch of really weird details – a drippy ceiling – a really odd odor in the apartment I can’t quite make t out, but what a view. This may be it I think….I can deal with this but it I do have massive reservations. I take my colleague Chris from CRJA back to look at it and he doesn’t really say much – he was clearly unimpressed. We went through the whole “yes but you have this…and this isn’t bad….this is awful…but the view is good…they can fix that…you can cover that….” I take pictures and send them to my wife who approves based on the camera phone shots. Again – settling for sake of the view.” It is more than my price range and I would have to buy a lot of furniture but IKEA is here so…what the heck….I am sick of looking by this point. I did go and look at a slew of other places for a reference and without doubt, this place was the best.Keep in mind – where am living with my CRJA colleagues Chris and Nick, is a nice partially serviced fully furnished apartment which meets our standards easily and are quite like what we are designing for the Marasy project. We enquire weekly as to whether there are any openings but get that startled look of complete disbelief that you even asked…”no sir” shaking her head with a big smile….
Done – I am taking the stinky drippy apartment with the view. I call the dude to tell him and guess what? GONE! “Noooooooooooooo!” I am so bummed – totally disappointed. My CRJA colleague tells me “I know it is upsetting but I am relieved for you.” Easy for you to say from your nicely appointed modern amenity rich pad buddy! I am sick and tired of looking by this point.
That night this realtor calls me at 9:30 as I am finishing up dinner with my colleague. “Mr. Sherif – I have a place to show you where are you? I tell him and he meets me in 10 minutes. I drag Chris with me. He motions us to his car – there is a guy in the car who I assume to be his partner. I jump into the car next to him and say hello – he looks at me strange…like “what the f&%k man?” and off we go. A minute into the drive, I find out that he too is a client looking for an apartment. So now what? We wrestle in the living room to see who gets it? Fortunately. Like everything else I had seen it was CRAP!
I am losing it by this point. I am happy to have made a new friend who happens to work at the Urban Planning Council studying pedestrian systems, a Middle Eastern Brit – we share a lot in common. Both Middle Eastern Expats with families looking at CRAP.
Next day…my buddy Haytham the realtor calls me again to tell me – “OK Mr. Sherif, I know what you want; I found a 3 bedroom apartment on the corniche – modern and clean.” (Thank you God…thank you…!) So I drive him (don’t ever use a realtor that you have to drive around by the way) to near the Rotana Hotel and we pick up another dude. I’m like…no way….just like last night? But no…he was another realtor from another company who has dibs on this place. They are basically going to split the 5%-7% fee. It is close to 10:30pm by this point.
We go upstairs….so far very similar to the stinky drippy apartment in terms of finish although the building looked a little newer from the outside. Kind of weird and quiet and office district-ish. Here I am walking into a building with two Egyptian dudes….inside I am a little freaked out thinking “what if the take me into this crazy den filled with a bunch of guys who slap me over the back of a couch and gang bang me….that would suck!”
Then we get upstairs and the other dude rings the doorbell. “Somebody lives here?” I ask. They look at each other – and shrug. Then this guy opens the door, three young boys behind him and he lets us in. He’s the tenant/owner…he invites us to sit in the living room. Two couches with sheets over it and a TV on a box. I am waiting for the man gang to come around the corner at this point.
Then we get up and tour the apartment – it is exactly like the smelly drippy apartment except it is laid out worse, slightly smaller and overpriced. I am not into it but I don’t want to insult the “owner.” So then we are invited to sit back down his son makes us Arabic coffee (Turkish…Greek…same stuff) and then we chat about the place he tells us how great it is blah blah blah…I throw back my coffee as soon as it arrives and off we go. I drive both guys to different destinations and tell them I will think about it. Which I didn’t. The apartment aside, the dude who lived there definitely wasn’t the owner and wasn’t making anywhere near what they were asking for in rent – not even half I bet – maybe ¼ of it…he’s a cop…expatriated form Jordan with a TV on a friggin’ box. It is illegal to sublet an apartment in Abu Dhabi as only locals can own real estate. Some people make exceptions if there is an agreement but this felt really sketchy.
So that’s it…I’ve done due diligence. I have seen everything…I too am toying with the idea of throwing in the towel and going home just like the first realtor told me about. Why can’t I find something like what I live in with Chris and Nick? Why? I tell May, the office manager about to go on a two week vacation to the Philippines…”May…I am screwed….what am I going to do without you?” She makes some calls I hear her say “Vision” over and over (the building I am in) and she reports “there may be an opening in your building…we will know at 12:30) I go to lunch – can’t believe what is happening…finally….in the building I was pining for…but 40% over my budget then I get the call “it’s available – go…go sign now…run!”
Needless to say we flew over there…I go up to the office and tell the lady (same one who smirked every time I asked) I am here to look at the apartment on the 17th floor that’s available. “no sir….there is nothing available” same smirk….now I am ready to kill someone….but….but….we just called and were told that….”oh…that’s you? Ok. The 17th is not available but we will show you an apartment on the 3rd floor, two on the 15th floor and two on the 12th floor and one on the 16th floor…”
WHAT THE FU$@!?!?!?!?!?!?! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!?!?!?!?! You know when Charlie Brown does that ARGHHHHHH thing with the nose in the air and the wide open mouth? That was me….unreal.
charlie
I can’t explain it to you. They claim a company backed out. Whatever – I am just glad it’s over. Really insane.
Friday, August 8, 2008
al wifaq
the first thing people always ask me....how hot is it? When I arrived for a visit back in 2005, we got off the plane to board a bus to the terminal...this was in October mind you and I thought I was standing behind the engine and that they hadn't turned it off...then I realized....I was in front of the plane. Well when I came out of the terminal this time I was prepared....and there it was...the familiar jet engine blast....ahhhhh....I had arrived! WHERE IS THE AIR CONDITIONED CAR!?!? So...as you can imagine, exposure to the heat is minimal as one jumps from their AC House to AC Car to AC Office etc.
The office - let me tell you about the office and a curious thing about the UAE - the addressing system. There really isn't one - at least not a very sophisticated one. So they do have central Post Offices and PO Boxes. Fine. But what if you need to receive a Fed Ex Package??? On my first business trip for this project, Marasy I was ending the trip with a visit to "Cityscape" where our project was being featured. I ran out of business cards. I called my colleague in my office in Boston and asked if he could FedEx me more cards. I gave him the only address on the Hotels brochure/pens/paper pad in the room - a PO Box number. Well as you can imagine - I got the e-mail from him telling me "FedEx won't deliver to a PO Box - can you give us another address?" I explained to him the situation to him and he told me "what should I tell them? Give it to the guy next to the Palm Tree?" I called the concierge to ask for a physical address and she told me "Hotel Rotana, Tourist Club Area next to the Abu Dhabi Mall." I called back - "Dan....you are not going to believe this..." So that is it...addressing is by means of the nearest Landmark. In the case of our office (which we share with CRJA) it is Al Ghaith Holding Tower, Airport Road next to Akai Building (as in electronics). But nowhere on the building does it say Al Ghaith. One finance company has the only exterior signage on the building named Al Wifaq. Imagine hearing the office manager explain that to a delivery person. "Al Wifaq.....Wifaq.......WE FAKK" I'm sure we do.
Back to the heat....so I ask CRJA's Office Manager May where is the closest place to grab lunch?...she explains "it's the next building over" I think OK...I go downstairs and walk out into the heat...about 119F that day so it is a jet engine day with not as much breeze. I walk....and walk...next building over...next to that....again...until I get there. I am not sure how many buildings away because I am fairly sure I am about to pass out. You can be damned sure I will count on my way back so I can let May know what she should be telling people. So I order a salad and an iced coffee and start my journey back to "Al Wifaq." 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5 ,6...buildings...oh my...7, 8, 9, 10...holy crap...but wait...I have a tasty frosty beverage....so I go to take a sip from my iced coffee and as my lips touch the red straw sitting in ice only 4 inches away...it burns....well almost. The straw was noticeably hot as it touched my lips..HOT. It is in ICE and it is hot. That is intense.
Maybe it is my ancestral physiology kicking in but it now is actually not as horrible but it is intense. In many ways it is a real buzz because it is so overwhelming and consuming. Oh..how far was Al Wifaq? 15 buildings May FIFTEEN....not "the next building over."
Wifaq.....I'm sure.
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