Ventilation & smoke extraction in Al Barsha 

Ventilation & smoke extraction in Al Barsha: local context

Al Barsha is an established residential and commercial district near Mall of the Emirates, mixing villa sectors, mid-rise apartment blocks, hotels and schools developed mainly from the 2000s. Its streets carry a steady mix of new mid-rise plots and refurbishment of older buildings. Manolia completed HVAC works for a G+6 residential building with penthouse and gym here.

• Mid-rise residential plots commonly use air-cooled chillers or ducted split and VRF systems; roof layouts must allow condenser airflow and maintenance access on tight footprints.
• Hotels and schools near Mall of the Emirates need fresh-air AHUs with dehumidification and energy recovery to control humidity without overcooling.
• Villa sectors involve plot-level work on split systems, water tanks and pumps, where tank hygiene and hot-water temperature control matter for Legionella prevention.

Building types we serve in Al Barsha

For hotels and serviced apartments, the work concentrates on quiet guestroom fan coils, kitchen and laundry extract, hot-water generation at scale, BMS supervision and phased handover to the operator.

Scope of work

• Installation of car park ventilation with jet fans, main extract fans and CO or NO2 sensors controlling normal ventilation.
• Stair and lift lobby pressurisation fans with relief dampers or variable speed control to maintain pressure without making doors hard to open.
• Smoke exhaust fans, smoke dampers and make-up air paths for atria, malls and corridors as required by the strategy.
• Fire-rated cabling and secondary power arrangements for smoke control fans so they operate during a fire.

Systems we install

• Motorised smoke dampers and relief dampers
• Automatic smoke vents and actuators at roof or high level

UAE site and climate challenges

• Basement car parks in summer accumulate heat and vehicle exhaust, so normal ventilation rates are controlled by CO and NO2 sensors to save energy while keeping air quality safe for drivers and attendants.
• Basement car parks in coastal towers can see condensation on cold surfaces when hot humid air is pulled in at high rates, so supply air paths and ramp openings are reviewed to limit wet floors and corrosion of jet fans.
• Pressurisation control method: barometric relief dampers are simpler, while variable speed control maintains more stable pressure as doors open and close during an evacuation.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions