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ISG completes first phase of Dubai campus

22 Jun 20 ISG has completed phase one of the University of Wollongong Dubai’s new campus after introducing measures to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on productivity.

The first phase of the 200,000 sq ft, seven-floor development Dubai Knowledge Park has seen ISG hand over levels one, three, four and six to the university. These areas house UOWD’s English Language Testing System (IELTS) Centre, alongside students’ lounges, laboratories and lecture theatres, as well as offices.

Work on site began in November 2019. Under the fast-track programme, ISG is set to deliver the new campus ahead of the start of the new academic year in September.

ISG worked to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on productivity. Measures have included a review of safe travel to and from site, one-way site route planning and adjusting the number of operatives on site to conform with strict social distancing regulations. ISG has also recruited occupational health first-responders and introduced daily temperature checking of operatives, as part of a package of measures to maintain consistently high productivity rates.

ISG also accelerated the roll-out of visualisation technology to reduce the requirement for site visits. It has used 360° cameras to enable inspections and validation work to be carried out remotely. Project teams across the territory have also utilised the UAE’s official contact-tracing app to allow timely and accurate identification of any infection risks.

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“Celebrating this key programme milestone for the UOWD has extra resonance during this unprecedented global crisis,” said Scott McCulloch, general manager, Middle East, ISG. “By adopting a smart, agile and above all a robustly safe approach, and working in full collaboration with every project stakeholder, we have collectively risen to the challenge of operating in this ‘new normal’ and achieved an outstanding result.

“Technology has certainly played an important role in maintaining our productivity rates on site, and our strong tech-led credentials have helped us to deploy smart innovations quickly to generate immediate efficiency benefits. I would like to thank our outstanding project team for demonstrating the creativity, drive, and professionalism to operate under the most demanding of circumstances. And our client UOWD, Woods Bagot, Cundall, C&B, other project consultants and our valued supply chain partners, who have supported us tremendously, in our strive to deliver this project safely.”

UOWD chief operating officer Andy Phillips said: “UOWD is building the campus of the future with a focus on delivering a first-class education environment that meets the demands of evolving higher education models. Being in Dubai gives us access to some of the most advanced technologies in the world, which have been woven into the fabric of our new building.”

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