Renovation and retrofit MEP in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ) 

Renovation and retrofit MEP in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ): local context

Dubai Production City, formerly the International Media Production Zone, is a free zone near Al Khail Road combining residential and office towers with light industrial and media-production facilities. It was largely developed from the mid-2000s. Manolia completed MEP for a 2B+G+15 tower with gym here. Plots here are mid-sized and tightly spaced, with towers sharing service roads and neighbouring construction sites.

• Towers with two basement levels need car park ventilation, sump pumps, and drainage designed for groundwater and stormwater ingress.
• Office and media spaces require flexible electrical distribution, UPS-backed circuits and dedicated cooling for equipment-heavy rooms with high sensible loads.
• The area is inland and dusty, so condenser cleaning and filter access are planned into the design.

Building types we serve in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ)

For high-rise towers, the work concentrates on pressure-zoned water and drainage stacks, riser and plant-room coordination, stair pressurisation and a cooling source sized for diversity across dozens of typical floors.

Scope of work

• Site survey of existing MEP systems, recording installed equipment, condition, nameplate capacities and every deviation from the old drawings, often with opening-up of ceilings at sample locations.
• Capacity checks on existing chilled water, electrical supply and water storage to confirm whether new tenants, kitchens or extra floors can be served without upgrades.
• Phased replacement of chillers, AHUs, switchgear and pipework in occupied buildings, using temporary cooling or power where a shutdown would affect residents or tenants.
• Fit-out MEP for offices, shops, restaurants, clinics and apartments within existing buildings, connected to base-building systems according to landlord technical requirements.

Systems we install

• New AHUs, fresh-air units and fan coil units in existing ceiling voids.
• New main panels, distribution boards and upgraded cabling for added loads.

UAE site and climate challenges

• Replacing cooling equipment during summer risks leaving occupants without AC when temperatures exceed 45°C. We schedule major plant changes for cooler months where possible, or install temporary chillers or packaged units to maintain cooling during the changeover.
• Corroded pipework and equipment in coastal buildings may leak when isolated and disturbed. Surveys identify high-risk areas, and replacement plans add new isolation valves, drain points and protection of finishes and tenants' goods below.
• Reusing existing distribution versus full replacement: reusing ducts and pipes saves cost and disruption, but may limit airflow, pressure and future capacity if they were undersized or corroded.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions