Aqua escapes

The picture-postcard view outside your waterfront condo is perfect. You wake up to the sound of lapping waves, have your breakfast on a sun-warmed deck and, later in the evening when back from work, watch a spectacular sunset from your porch.

In the UAE, the demand for waterfront properties is escalating.

But, the existing supply [of such properties] is not enough, says Durr-E-Sadaf Shaikh, senior architect at a Dubai-based engineering firm.

However, property developers and related professionals are complaisant. Plans for new waterfront properties are being approved almost every day. And architects are busy getting their blueprints ready.

“The most important design criterion is to give a tenant or homeowner a good view. Therefore, appropriate location of balconies, terraces and windows is crucial. Also, the substructure, such as foundation, elicits a different design measure due to geo-technical conditions,'' says Shaikh.

Interestingly, water frontage properties were once considered holiday homes. “Now they are being used for permanent residences due to the therapeutic value of being close to a water body,'' she says.

Apart from the view, there are other advantages. “Sometimes it could be a social image that holds value,'' she says, adding, “proximity to water encourages fun water-related activities like swimming, fishing, boating ... even underwater photography.''

As with all elements of design, littoral properties come with their share of drawbacks.

“There is more humidity and the salt content in the air [if near the sea] is high. The appropriate materials and finishes used [considering corrosion and humidity levels] have to be maintained regularly. But it is better to hear the choppy waters than the cacophony of traffic!'' she says.