AMMAN -- The momentum for constructing high-rise buildings in Amman may have eased after the municipality identified specific locations for such projects, an architectural expert told The Jordan Times in an interview.
Jafar Tukan, chairman of Consolidated Consultants, said real estate investors were focusing on prime sites such as Jabal Amman, Rabiah, Sweifieh and Um Utheina for constructing multi-storey buildings but the master plan by the Municipality of Greater Amman did not come their way.
The municipality's master plan includes three stages, two of which have been completed. They are, Tukan said, identifying the location of high-rise buildings and intensifying the main corridors.
According to Tukan, the third stage is zoning, building regulations, transport and traffic as well as infrastructure. He described the municipality's master plan as supportive in terms of organizing growth after the tempo of construction in the Kingdom registered a tremendous increase.
"During the past two years, there has also been a tremendous demand for mega projects in Jordan at a time when Amman was not ready for this sudden surge," he said.
He attributed the higher construction activity to Jordan's stability in an unstable region as well as the rise in oil prices besides the repatriation of funds as a result of the paranoia in the West.
"The stability and security have reinforced the desire to invest in Jordan," he said describing the drive as "blessing in disguise".
He credited His Majesty King Abdullah for encouraging investors and giving clear directives to the government and municipalities to enhance this phenomenon, like Aqaba.
Asked about Jordanian companies venturing abroad, Tukan said that Consolidated Consultants and other firms undertake major projects on the international level.
"But when it comes to Jordan, it is sometimes required that local firms engage foreign companies to execute big works," he said, noting that even private projects have followed this approach.
"It is just a lack of trust problem," he remarked, stressing that local expertise is in many areas developed enough to handle more responsibilities than our average client thinks.
He pointed to the absence of local appreciation as reason for the dismay among highly qualified engineers and architects.
However, he noted that Consolidated Consultants is currently undertaking the engineering, architectural and consultancy services for Tameer's Jizeh housing project which comprises the building of 16,000 units for medium- and low-income citizens.
Asked about the new or modern technology of construction, Tukan described it as a response to the nature of large projects which inevitably involve a high degree of repetition of architectural elements, a fact that makes industrialised construction technology a must. Advanced shattering systems, curtain walls etc... are examples.
He said that saving time offsets the high cost of this technology compared to traditional construction.
Tukan noted that the momentum for traditional building is still going and will be maintained in the future.
He showed little enthusiasm for the idea of setting up public shareholding companies in the construction sector as such an approach is premature and not practical at this time, noting a failed attempt in this regard few years ago.
By Samir Ghawi
© Jordan Times 2007
