Al Rayyan Village

General information

At Home in Al Rayyan Village
An urban village at the centre of Doha, from a developer who understands the pulse of the multinational community- Prime Lands Real Estate Development LLC

Conceived and developed by Prime Lands Real Estate Development LLC, together with its sister company, Al Rayyan Village was born out of a vision to introduce into the residential market, a unique product, that would appeal to the new and sophisticated wave of professional expats and their families residing in Doha, Qatar. While the project is not yet complete, it has thus far taken four years of meticulous planning, not to mention focused construction engineering, to deliver a sizeable chunk of what is easily Doha's coolest address.

Meanwhile, Prime Lands operates closely with the multinational community, and its projects, both residential and commercial, are known to meet the most stringent international standards. The company's most valuable asset is its team of experienced professionals, which brings to the table, modern managerial practices, engineering knowledge and avant-garde techniques from all over the world, making it possible to continually over reach benchmarks. Joseph A Chami, General Manager and Legal Advisor, PrimeLands Real Estate Development, speaks to CW about what has gone into the Al RayyanVillage Project..

Idea takes seed

Prime Lands (PL) was planning to introduce into the residential market, a distinguished product, that would appeal to modern expats and their families. For that purpose, the company undertook extensive market research aimed at identifying the preferences and tastes of prototype tenants. Throughout the process, PL surveyed a significant sample of oil and multinational company representatives and professionals, gathering elaborate information and key parameters, which would be used later as the foundation for the project's design. What is interesting to note is that the survey stretched beyond the conventional, and resulted in a situation where it was the tenant who virtually designed the villa of his/her dreams. It was only after myriad cycles of feedback, analysis and determined readjustment that Prime Lands reached the refined design it was seeking.

A class apart

Al Rayyan is an urban village that embodies the vision and ambition of PL, and most of all, the aspirations of modernexpat families. Some of its most interesting features are as follows:

Located in the proximity of the D-Ring at the centre of Doha
High-end construction finishes, coupled with top brand MEP installations
Highest residential security, surpassing the most stringent American and European standards, and including an extensive array of the most advanced anti-terrorism and anti-intrusion systems
Compliant with American and European safety regulations and procedures– Safe and fully-equipped playgrounds for children
Large green areas and private gardens maintained through advanced automatic irrigation systems
Club house, roof top swimming pools and tennis courts, a modern gym, squash courts, sauna, panoramic elevators, trendy coffee shops and lounges, relaxing waterfalls, et al
Underground water tanks ensuring year round water supply at comfortable temperatures
Underground parking, featuring heavy duty ventilation control and carbonmonoxide monitoring systems
Generous parking space with a minimum of two shaded parallel spots per villa
Energy efficiency (30 per cent more efficient than traditional design) through double walls with insulation, and double glazing
Sound proofing design through acoustic insulation and double glazing
Superior AC systems with individually controlled zones, and cold/hot air capability
Statistically speaking

The total construction area of the project is in the range of 200,000 sq m, including the club house area of 11,000 sq m
and the underground parking area of 15,000 sq m. The green areas amount to a total of 45,000 sq m. Meanwhile, the built up area of the villas varies according to type:

Villa A' (684 sq m)
Villa E (382 sq m)
Villa C (504 sq m)
Villa C' (467 sq m)
Villa R (549 sq m)
Each villa has an additional privategreen backyard of around 110 sq m.

About the villas

Extensive planning has gone into two trends which Prime Lands regards as essential elements of modern residential projects; eco-friendly design and security.

Eco-friendly design

Eco-friendly design has been critical to the development of the Al Rayyan Village. Construction materials conforming to LEED standards have been used. The bulk of construction has relied on materials that exhibit eco-friendly features such as durability, low emission, low embodied energy, etc. These include wood, steel (preferred in roofing and framing applications), ceramic tiling, precast and ready mix cement, clay roofing tiles and aluminum (restricted to window frames and select applications).

In the villas, energy efficiency has been enhanced by adopting double walls separated by thermal insulation andthrough double glazing. Additionally, heat reduction films have been applied to all the windows. Energy efficient lighting hasbeen extensively used not only in the villas but also in the club house and in streetlighting. The club house even has a sophisticated HVAC BMS system for efficient energy management. Large green areas and green backyards abound and aremaintained through an eco-friendly and automatic irrigation system. The inclusion of large underground parking hassaved on external spaces, which in turnhave been used to expand green areas. Large underground water tanks regulating water temperature and CO monitoring systems are some other practices reflecting PL's commitment to international sustainability standards. More over, Al Rayyan Village's maintenance has been handed over to SNC Lavalin, an internationally proven market leader in property management, and an active member of the green community.

Security

The other critical factor has been security. The following security systems havebeen deployed at Al Rayyan Village:

Reinforced concrete boundary wall, high impact resistant, with anti-climb features
Twin control rooms (high security redundant design)
Bulletproof glazing at sensible and exposed areas
Automatic boom barriers
Access control system, high security, data backup and history
Metallic gates, robust,opaque
Road blockers, hydraulic heavy duty, securing all three main entrance lanes
CCTV, with a fibre based extensive network and data backup
FM 200 fire suppression system protecting security data
Automatic number plate recognitionsystem (scanning and registering plate numbers)
Special high security emergency exit for emergency evacuation
High impact automatic bollards protecting the emergency exit
Private service road, exclusive to the compound
Anti-intrusion/anti-blast film on villa glazing
Secure safe rooms, available at an additional cost
Video intercom system connecting villas with guardrooms
Giant siren system for broadcasting
PA emergency messages
Panic button systems at different locations
UPS and generator backup for key security systems
Security patrol vehicle
Telescopic bomb detection mirrors with LED lights (used at entrance checkpoints)
Pedestrian entrance secured with a full height turnstile and monitored with CCTV
Tools and technologies

First among many new approaches introduced to the traditional real estate industry by Prime Lands is the adaptation of precast concrete to high-end construction. The other innovation being the integration of highly advanced military standard security systems with residen-tial architecture. These systems have been deployed effectively and fit seamlessly with the architectural finesse of the construction.

Keeping the promise

Being away from home is a difficult experience shared by all expats around the world. Apart from the cultural and environmental differences, most expats typically come across gaps in the quality of life, available services, local standards, environment and architectural setting. At Al Rayyan Village, Prime Lands has managed to bridge most of these differences by offering expats marvellous architectural designs inspired by European and North American design practices. Not to mention the outdoors, large green areas and mesmerising waterfalls that evoke dreamland sceneries. We believe that Al Rayyan Village conveys that evasive feeling of familiarity and belonging, which most expats long for. Nothing at Al Rayyan Village seems temporary; Prime Lands has managed to sustain a comfortable feeling of continuity and belonging. That is why Al Rayyan is a 'home away from home'.

Ziad Selfani
Marketing Director
Prime Lands real estate development.