Imkan selects Ramboll as lead consultant for Makers District

Imkan, an Abu Dhabi-based real estate developer, has appointed Ramboll, a leading global engineering, design and environmental consultancy firm, as the lead consultant for the first phase of its Dh2-billion ($544 million) ‘Makers District’ development in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The Dh120-million ($32.67 million) contract marks the official launch of Makers District, an 18-hectare masterplan development on Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, designed as a waterfront community that cultivates creativity through residential, hospitality, commercial and retail space.

Denmark-based Ramboll will provide lead consultancy services, working alongside international architects, BIG and MVRDV.

With over 1,000 residential units and 11,000 sq m of commercial and retail space, the project is scheduled for completion in 2020. The first units will go on sale by the end of 2017.

Design of the ‘The Artery’, the first building to be launched in Makers District, was awarded to BIG, the architectural design firm based in both Copenhagen and New York, in April 2017.

Walid El Hindi, CEO of Imkan, said: "We are delighted to appoint Ramboll as the lead consultant for the first phase of Makers District. This is testament to our approach of entering partnerships with global firms with a proven track record in delivering truly outstanding projects.

Makers District is the inaugural development for Imkan. The company has projects planned in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Europe.

El Hindi added: "Imkan is the first developer in the region to build a research platform in-house. We have brought together the brightest minds in design, research, real estate development and architecture. Combined with our growing number of partners from a range of disciplines and geographies, we aim to create places that are tailored to specific groups, yet reflect the best standards in building and design anywhere in the world."