Coordinated ceiling void with ductwork, sprinklers and containment above a hotel corridor

MEP case study · Hospitality

Hotel Tower — Services Integration

Dubai, UAE · 2024 · Main contract

Scope

MEP coordination, installation management, commissioning

Keys

480

Programme

18 months

Interfaces

HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire, BMS, interiors

A 480-key tower where guestroom ceilings, corridors and public areas had to absorb full building services without a single visible compromise to the interior.

01 — Coordination

Ceilings resolved in the model, not on the floor

Every guestroom and corridor ceiling was modelled as one assembly — duct, sprinkler, containment, lighting and the finished plane above the guest's head. Clashes were closed in the federated model before a single hanger was drilled.

Federated model combining architecture, structure, MEP and interior build-ups
Zero-tolerance zones agreed for cove details, sprinkler heads and access panels
Benchmark room signed off with services live before repeat floors began
Builder's work openings issued once, from the coordinated model

Engineers reviewing a federated MEP coordination model on screen — Federated services model — the interface log before it becomes a site problem

02 — Plantroom

Plant, risers and distribution set out for maintenance

Plantrooms and risers were laid out for the maintenance route as well as the installation route: valve access, filter withdrawal and replacement paths were dimensioned before pipework was fabricated.

Prefabricated pipework modules delivered to a surveyed grid
Riser shafts set out floor by floor with fixed bracketing intervals
Access, isolation and withdrawal space proven on the model
Plant loads confirmed against the interior heat gains, not the base-build assumption

Multi-service riser with bracketed pipework, containment and insulated ducts — Riser installation — alignment and access held to the coordinated set-out

03 — Commissioning

Witnessed, balanced and proven before finishes closed

Commissioning ran as a planned programme, not an end-of-job scramble. Systems were flushed, balanced, integrated with the BMS and witnessed in sequence, with finished surfaces protected throughout.

Static and dynamic commissioning sequenced by zone, not by trade
Air and water balancing recorded against design tolerances
BMS points list proven point by point, including interlocks and alarms
Integrated fire cause-and-effect tested with the authority present

Building management system control room with HVAC schematics on screen — BMS integration — every point proven before handover

04 — Handover

One dossier, one accountable team

Handover was a document set and a walkthrough, not a negotiation: as-builts, O&M manuals, test certificates, asset registers and training were issued as one package under a single line of responsibility.

As-built model and drawings issued at practical completion
O&M manuals, warranties and asset register indexed to the room and the riser
Operator training delivered on the running systems, not in a classroom
Defined aftercare window with one point of contact

Handover walkthrough of a completed hotel corridor with tablet in hand — Handover walkthrough — the building operating as designed

Services that close the ceiling,
and the programme.

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