Koltay Facades attends Glass & Glazing Session at Emirates Glass

Koltay Facades attends Glass & Glazing Session at Emirates Glass 

Koltay Facades, the leading Façade Engineering Consultancy, was the latest guest at Emirates Glass for their full day Glass and Glazing session.  The team of fifteen arrived with an impressive array of architects, facade consultants and engineers, structural engineers and researchers related to building technology.

The Glass and Glazing Session included presentations about glass manufacturing and processing and its applications in the building and construction industry. It was rounded off with a factory tour at the Emirates Glass’ processing plant in Al Quoz and practical testing sessions at the state-of-the-art laboratory of Emirates Glass. The presentations were conducted by experienced team members of Emirates Glass who explained the different properties related to glass and their importance along with the different types of glasses used for the buildings. The QA/QC team discussed the measurements and testing of optical and thermal properties of glazed panels and how each of these factors play an important role in the determination of glass selection in the Middle East. They also presented the various globally recognized standards which Emirates Glass follows and how the difference in regional conditions can affect the final results of the calculation and determination of U values and thermal insulation properties of coated glass.   The QA/ QC team also explained the quality control procedures in the Emirates Glass processing plant and briefed the Koltay Facade team about the state-of-the art spectrometric testing facilities and machinery at Emirates Glass for production and testing of high performance architectural coated glass. The highlight of the day was an in-depth demonstration and discussion featuring hands-on testing and evaluation of tempered and laminated glass.

Koltay Façades was established in the UAE in 2011 by Agnes Koltay and currently has the largest specialist ‘façade only’ team in the Middle East. They have worked on some of the most important iconic landmarks in the region. In 2016, they have also established the Singapore office in response to the international demand. Koltay Façades provides façade engineering and facade access consultancy services. The team combines façades experts with architectural, structural engineering and contracting background, to cater for all client requirements from initial design through to delivery stages of projects and beyond

In 2013, Agnes Koltay was selected 91th on Construction Week’s “Power 100” list, and in the same year, Koltay Façades was shortlisted in the “Engineering Consultancy of the Year” category at the Middle East Architects Award.

Emirates Glass established in 1997, has more than two decades of history of catering not only to the local market but also to more than 20 countries across the globe. Emirates Glass is a subsidiary of Dubai Investments PJSC and is a proud manufacturer of MSVD sputter-coated high performance glass under the EmiCool® range of solar control, multi-functional Low-E and Standard Low-E glass.

These specialized and custom made training sessions organized by Emirates Glass are a representation of the company’s full commitment and collaborative approach for exchange of ideas and information between the two organizations, façade development and strive to lead in innovation, keenly taking up the challenges of complex façade structures.

Emirates Glass Organizes Glass Training Session for Meinhardt International Façade Technologies

Emirates Glass Organizes Glass Training Session for Meinhardt International Façade Technologies

Meinhardt, UAE’s leading façade consultants, specializing in facade design and engineering, materials specification and testing, facade construction and maintenance, remedial facade attended the Glass Training Session organized by Emirates Glass.

Emirates Glass established in 1997, has more than two decades of history of catering not only to the local market but also to more than 20 countries across the globe. Emirates Glass is a subsidiary of Dubai Investments PJSC and is a proud manufacturer of MSVD sputter-coated high performance glass under the EmiCool® range of solar control, multi-functional Low-E and Standard Low-E glass.

Mr. Rizwanulla Khan, Executive President of Emirates Glass welcomed the team of Meinhardt International Façade Technologies and briefed them about the Emirates Glass processing and coating facilities, which is equipped with high-tech machinery and production lines. During the one day training session, the Meinhardt team learnt about the glass manufacturing process at Emirates Float Glass.  Then the Technical Marketing Team at Emirates Glass explained about the different properties related to glass and how each of these factors play an important role in the determination of glass selection in the Middle East. The Meinhardt team was then taken for a guided tour of the factory where they viewed the EGL’s state-of-the-art machinery for glass processing, coatings and testing for high performance architectural coated glass. The training ended with an in-depth discussion of how Emirates Glass products are best suited in Middle East owing to the various globally recognized standards which Emirates Glass follows and its hi-tech measuring and testing facilities for optical and thermal properties of glazed panels.

Emirates Glass is conducting these customized training sessions to enhance the flow of ideas and information between the two organizations and upholding the company’s representation of being innovative by keenly taking up the challenges of complex façade structures.

Emirates Glass – Investing In Innovation

The past year has seen Emirates Glass pour considerable resources into its research and development operations. We caught up with Executive President Mr. Rizwanulla Khan to find out more.

Demand for glass continues to rise. As the global population continues to grow at a whistle-stop rate, industry is responding in kind by producing more products and building more buildings.

This is reflected by the constant growth forecast for the world’s glass manufacturers. By 2023, demand for fabricated flat glass is expected to reach $139 billion, more than double that seen in 2008 before the global financial crisis.

Emirates Glass continues to operate as a regional market leader in the Middle East. Celebrating two decades of existence, the Company has become a go-to for architects seeking the highest quality flat glass across both the Gulf and the wider world.

In September 2017, Executive President Rizwanulla Khan spoke to EME Outlook at length about the firm’s flagship EmiCool range of solar control, multi-functional Low-E and standard Low-E glass designed to minimize solar heat gain into air-conditioned buildings in the Gulf environment. He also outlined ambitions to acquire increasing market share and keep ahead of customer needs and technological advancements.

A year on, Emirates Glass is progressing on both fronts. Almost immediately after our conversation last year, the Company secured projects worth $27 million across the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Such projects entailed high performance, energy-saving, reflective coated glass products for the Ministries Complex in Kuwait, the first ever greenhouse being constructed in Dubai, The Quran Park, the Enterprise Command and Control Centre (EC3) for Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, and ITCC Tower and Maad Tower in Saudi Arabia. The firm also won several glass contracts for residential complexes in the UAE.

Commenting on the new business, Khan says: “These prestigious projects for Emirates Glass are a testimony to the growth potential of its high-quality, energy-efficient products.

“The Company has an excellent portfolio of projects in the Gulf region and beyond, which has cemented its credibility as a trusted supplier of glass products in the region and overseas.”

Knowledge is power

Contract wins and material growth aside, the past year has been hallmarked by a dedication to differentiation and innovation.

“Emirates Glass is uniquely positioned in that it is the only company in the UAE with float, coat, processing and research and development (R&D) facilities,” comments Khan. “This affords us flexibility and agility with respect to not only serving our markets, but also developing new products and ideas, which is a massive focus area for us.”

The drive to innovate has been centred around a desire to build a team of young, creative individuals, not necessarily those with experience of operating in the glass, façade or even the wider construction industry.

“The Company hires with a long-term view in mind,” adds Khan. “We are investing in the future.”

These new recruits can draw on expertise in the form of a body of international experts which together amount to more than 150 years of experience. Khan himself, for example, boasts more than 30 years of industry experience, with other highly influential figures including Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mr. Samih Fatayerji, Technical Manager Mr. John Reeves, Vice President of Marketing and Product Development Mr. Kurt Russell, Operations Manager Mr. Rodel San Jose and of course the Coating Manager, Mr. Marco Kohs.

Innovate to differentiate

Helping to channel this experience and develop even further knowhow is a new research and development department, fit with separate offices, workshops, labs and training facilities.

“The challenge is how to focus all this power,” Khan says. “It is unwise to put smart, creative, dedicated, knowledgeable people in a secure space and ask them to develop something wonderful without guidance from the market.

“We have created an open and free flowing conduit of information between the marketing team and the product development team.  In fact, they work side by and often sit in the same meetings and brainstorming sessions.

“And just as we bring together individuals with a wide range of experience and knowledge both young and, well, not so young, within our own organisation, we also invite others from outside our four walls.”

Since January 2018, Emirates Glass has been running a series of training and idea sharing sessions, inviting leading architects, façade engineers, consultants, framing fabricators and installers to collaborate.

Leading names such as Dubai Central Laboratory from Dubai Municipality, WSP, Al Ghurair, Thomas Bell Wright (TBW) and Koltay Facades have all participated so far. Given the positive response to the sessions to date, Emirates Glass desires to run at least two each month.

“We have found, naturally, that the interests of architects are different from engineers and consultants and that façade companies are entirely different again,” Khan says. “We generally custom design the session to suit the needs of the visitors.”

This is reflected in the diversity of subjects discusses, ranging from principles of energy transfer and the impact on facades to technologies and techniques of various manufacturing processes.

Through continual engagement internally and with the wider industry, Emirates Glass has placed itself in a position to steer the future of the region’s glass manufacturing business. Once more, as Khan emphasises, it is very much a case of watch this space.

Link to the full story: https://www.emeoutlookmag.com/outlook-features/emirates-glass-sept-2018