“A Day in the Life” allows you to step into the shoes of a UAE resident to experience a typical 24 hours in their work and home life
The UAE’s skyline is one of the most recognisable in the world, thanks to the work of visionary leaders and bold architects such as Philip Gillard.
Mr Gillard, 52, from the UK, has spent more than 20 years transforming Middle Eastern cityscapes, working with royalty and governments to develop revolutionary projects including Dubai’s prestigious DIFC.
Last month, he took the reins at global architectural firm Arquitectonica, overseeing ambitious ventures including Mr. C Residences Jumeirah in Dubai Water Canal and the 71-storey Aire Tower in Al Wasl, Jumeirah.
Elsewhere in the region, Arquitectonica’s works include the master planning for Lulu Island and Al Manhal District in Abu Dhabi, as well as the DenizBank headquarters in Istanbul, the Plus Towers in Beirut and five luxury towers in Jeddah.
Here, The National joins Mr Gillard at the firm’s new Dubai headquarters in D3 to see what goes into building the world’s most futuristic cities.
8am: The morning commute
Mr Gillard heads to the office early, snaking through Dubai’s skyscrapers during a morning commute far removed from his modest upbringing in Bristol, a dockside city in the UK.
“We grew up in a very humble council estate and I left school at 16 to become a junior draftsman at a glass facades company,” he says.
“I had always been interested in design but no one from my school or family had ever been to university so it wasn't on our radar.”
As part of his role, Mr Gillard attended college one evening a week, where he was encouraged to enrol on a formal architecture course.
After excelling in his studies, he was granted a scholarship for a master’s degree in Oklahoma, before graduating from the Architectural Association in London.
“That was the start of seeing the world,” says Mr Gillard. “Architecture transcends concepts, society and culture, and now I've done projects all around the globe, from South America to the Middle East.”
10am: A whole new world
Mr Gillard began working in the region in 2001, becoming part of a vision that would transform the UAE from a desertscape into a thriving modern metropolis.
“Even in that short space of time, the country has matured and grown massively,” he says. “The first project I was involved in was DIFC and back then there was nothing really on Sheikh Zayed Road apart from the Dusit Thani Hotel.
“It’s a great time to be an architect or a designer out here and a fantastic opportunity to get a lot of experience very fast.”
While working in the Middle East, Mr Gillard has had the privilege of meeting Queen Elizabeth II, the Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to discuss various projects.
Now, he is building on his previous experience to further develop the region’s cityscapes, and once the day’s agenda has been set, Mr Gillard often heads on-site to oversee projects in person.
“Often I’ll head to the Mr. C building or visit a new project site,” he says. “Our work isn't just changing people's lives from a financial perspective, but helping them develop their country to make it better for their population. It’s a privilege.”
1pm: Unleashing creativity
At lunchtime, Mr Gillard steps away from the screen to dust off his sketchpad and let the ideas flow.
“There's always a million things going on but we're still being creative, even when we're talking about the logistics of a project,” he says.
“There are always the responsibilities of running offices and looking after clients but at the same time we're architects because we love design and I think clients appreciate the fact that we don't just hand it off to someone else.
“We're giving life to other people's ideas and when you see their vision come alive and you know you've nailed it, it's tremendously rewarding.”
4pm: Nurturing future visionaries
An important part of Mr Gillard’s role is guiding junior colleagues and after meeting clients in the afternoon, he tries to dedicate some time to nurturing the workforce.
“We have a young team so I’m mindful that we need to educate them but also have a laugh,” he says.
“Architecture can be a very corporate profession but it doesn't need to be and the more fun we have, the better our process becomes because everyone buys into wanting to do better.
“It doesn't matter whether it's a small project or planning a city – everything is a design opportunity to learn from and make the world a better place.”
The%20specs
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Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
Match info
Costa Rica 0
Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees
Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme
Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks
Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets
WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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