Bloom Properties, the Abu Dhabi-based developer of property and lifestyle solutions, today announced Tiger Contracting, the primary contractor, has commenced construction work on Brighton College School at its Bloom Gardens community in Abu Dhabi.
To be operated by the renowned Brighton College, UK, the school will span over 34,000 sq metres at Bloom Gardens. The architecture of the building and its visual character will resemble that of Bloom Gardens in terms of design, material selection and colour palette.
In its plan for the school, Bloom has adequately designed the campus to provide distinct centres for sport, academic, as well as the visual and performing arts. The three areas will be linked by spaces for outdoor learning and social interaction.
As part of the school’s overall objective to offer amenities for residents and the community at large, the sport and arts facilities will be made available for use after school hours. The facilities will be located at areas that offer easy access to the entire Bloom Gardens development to ensure that the campus security and students’ health and safety are not compromised upon.
Saed Arekat, Chief Financial Officer of Bloom Properties, said: “Brighton College Abu Dhabi is an important project for us. In a community such as Bloom Gardens, the school is vital to ensuring excellence in education and the appropriate nurturing of our future generations. We are collaborating with the Abu Dhabi Education Council to achieve our vision of engaging the community in our growth. We are grateful for the Council’s support that allows us to extend our education services to the general public.
“Tiger Contracting was chosen for its experience in implementing complex fast-track projects. We aim to complete this challenging venture by July 2011 and have the school ready to receive students for the next academic year.”
Brighton College UK, which delivered ‘The best A-Level results of any co-educational school in England’ in 2008 and 2009 according to The Times of London, will offer world–class education at its Abu Dhabi campus along with an innovative and sound Arabic and Islamic Studies curriculum in adherence to the UAE Ministry of Education regulations.
Richard Cairns, Headmaster of Brighton College School UK, said: “Brighton College is one of the UK’s leading schools, which lays emphasis on academic and co-curricular excellence. It is our intention to develop these values at Brighton College Abu Dhabi, providing a curriculum rich in Arabic culture, language and tradition that will quickly enable the school to become the leading British-style school in the Middle East.”
In addition to providing a distinct and identifiable ’face’ to the Brighton College Abu Dhabi, the development’s design will reflect certain features of Brighton College UK through the use of courtyards and plazas to support a campus ’lifestyle’ and curriculum. Engineer Mumtaz Al Ghabra (Abu Dhabi Area Manager) of Tiger Contracting, said: “We are delighted to be selected by Bloom Properties to construct Brighton College Abu Dhabi. We aim to leverage the experience gained out of our presence in the UAE region since 1976 and contribute to Bloom’s vision of offering a holistic academic environment for future generations.”
The Bloom Gardens development, located on on Abu Dhabi’s eastern Mangrove Corniche Road, offers 3-5 bedroom villas with relatively large plot areas, available as freehold property to UAE nationals and on a 99-year lease to GCC nationals. Financing is provided by Abu Dhabi Finance, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD).
Consistent with the vision for Abu Dhabi 2030, the development will be centrally located in the capital’s vast expansion drive. Recognising its community-friendly components, Bloom Gardens was awarded the ‘Best Residential Development’ category in the prestigious CNBC Arabian Property Awards 2009 that honours exemplary real estate projects across the world.
