ENGI JABER
My professional development started before my graduation in 2008 from the American University of Sharjah. I was hired as a teaching assistant and also as an assistant to the Chair of Architecture in 2006. It was followed by an offer for a part-time architect job at Aedas, this was during my last semester at the university. I was handed the responsibility to develop and redesign the heritage urban cities of Dubai to a more sustainable and modern areas while maintaining its historic urban fabric.
Balancing work and studies was a challenge but it certainly set the foundation of my early career development. It allowed me to learn the insights of a corporate/professional environment and utilize the information in my studies. It also refined my skills to multi-task between various professional and educational responsibilities which prepared me for the real world.
For my graduation project, I wanted to do something unique. To step away from a normal architectural project and step into the realm of multi-disciplinary engineering fields. I designed and constructed an interactive wall system that is able to respond to various space requirements interactively to human movement and ultimately create a live, dynamic and efficient space capable to adapting to various needs and functions. The project utilized mechatronics engineering as well as computer programming of the sensors built in to the mechanical systems and architecture. This was another milestone for me as it intrigued my interest in other engineering disciplines beyond architecture and introduced me to the concepts of sustainability, mechanics, electrical and computer engineering as well and artificial intelligence. The project was the first of its kind to be constructed on a full scale in the university and impressed many of the professional critics as well as the entire school faculty and students which then fostered to become a new coursework at the university in the years post-graduation. It was also the first project that got me the first award in the series of awards thereafter. The project was shortlisted and received a highly commended status from the 2008 British Petroleum Student Innovation Award.
In 2008, I graduated with a Bachelor degree in Architecture and two minor degrees (Design Management and Urban Design). Aedas then offered me to join them full-time post-graduation.
I worked two fruitful years with Aedas where I was given the leadership role in many of the profound projects including designing the Toronto Metro Station in Canada, Blue-City in Oman and the British Council, U-Bora Tower, Iris Zuri and the Dubai Metro in Dubai. I was also working on other projects involved in urban planning as well as interior design. Moreover, I attained my first credential of LEED-AP in 2009. The only one in the Dubai office to receive such a credential and soon I was asked to collaborate with their London based office to lead the sustainability designs and research and development sector in the Dubai office and worked on several projects within Masdar.
By then, I had skills in the fields of Architecture, Mechatronics, Computer Programming, Interior Design, Urban Planning, Railway and Infrastructure as well as Sustainability. With these skill-sets, I joined Dewan Architects and Engineers in 2010 and was working with the team on several projects as an Architect, as well as in Project Management. In 2013, Dewan gave me the opportunity to establish the sustainability department and lead their in-house sustainability services to date and that was a complete transition towards the sustainability specialization. The experience gained, increased my passion towards the field and it became a part of who I am. I am honoured and privileged to be a part of this family that encouraged my personal as well as my professional growth.
The opportunities presented in Dewan opened potentials towards various spectrums and engineering disciplines as well as networking and PR. The passion for the field as well as to continue education led a series of professional credentials that were attained to support my work in the field. These include my MSc. in Green Buildings from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture, Berkeley, Estidama PQP qualifications, PMP as well as the WELL AP which focuses on the well-being and health of the people within the built environment.
All in all, we delivered over 60 sustainable projects over the past few years and minimized the environmental impacts of buildings and this is demonstrated by offsetting 48 thousand tons of carbon equivalence, 63 million MWh of energy savings, 75 million gallons of water savings and is achieving the highest levels of indoor environmental quality that leads to reduced medical concerns for the building tenants. I also formed a part of the committee that established the Smart and Sustainable Buildings as part of the Dubai Municipality’s Smart Cities Initiative which opened doors to another intelligent spectrum of designing the built environment – both indoors and outdoors and became a profound member of the Emirates Green Building Council.
It has been quite a journey since I graduated, many new knowledge skills learnt, design and construction experience acquired, public awareness and knowledge shared in the sustainability realm resulting in many professional awards including being named as one of the “2017 Most Impactful Smart Cities Leaders” on a global listing granted by the Smart Cities Congress and endorsed by the United Nations. I feel quite overwhelmed by the achievements to date given my young age and I can only be proud of these accomplishments and I encourage everyone to take a lead in their professional development and always strive to be the best at what they do- especially those that they are passionate about no matter at what age.
Professional recognition is important but it also needs to be balanced by a healthy and prosperous personal and social life. For that, I also have a passion for fitness and social affairs, having ran 10k and half marathons, swam Olympic size pools and engage in plentiful of voluntary works in Dubai, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon through my own charity group – Musa3ada and was the Vice-President of the Palestinian Cultural Club back in 2005-2007. I enjoy the time with my friends or simply enjoy a time of solitude to read on topics that I enjoy the most such as sustainability, psychology and philosophy. Art and music is another passion for me, I was part of the school’s choir, university Palestinian singing band and performing arts and enjoy the hobbies of drawing, photography, sculpting and carpentry crafts.
Being successful and a well-known leader in the industry is challenging but not impossible. It requires passion and dedication but above all self-commitment and discipline to keep motivating oneself and establish new skill-sets continuously. My aim is to make a difference in the world, be it through inspiring others or directly contributing a positive impact in my field or in life. I aim sky-high and I thank God and everyone in my life for helping me be all that I am today.
