Ventilation & smoke extraction in Dubai Production City (formerly IMPZ) 

Ventilation & smoke extraction 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.

• Projects fall under the Dubai Development Authority (DDA) approval channel, with Civil Defence review of fire and life safety systems.
• 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.

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

For factories and industrial plants, the work concentrates on process cooling and ventilation, heavy LV distribution, hazard-appropriate fire protection and plant that tolerates dust and high ambient temperatures.

Scope of work

• Review of the approved fire strategy so smoke zones, fan duties and pressurisation targets are understood before equipment selection.
• Installation of car park ventilation with jet fans, main extract fans and CO or NO2 sensors controlling normal ventilation.
• 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

• Car park jet fans and main extract fans
• Smoke exhaust fans rated for high temperature

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