incident at villagio

I understand now - having a consultant do the inspection is a conflict of interest. They are literally paid to give the customer the answers that they want. Where I'm from, Code Enforcement Officers work for the government and not the contractor or project owner. Also, a Code Enforcement Officer can be held liable under the law for falsifying an inspection or looking another way if someone cuts corners.

What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.

~Tolstoy~

You see here it is the consultant that does the inspection, does the approving of the materials etc. The fire people come for a quick inspection and then the electrical company does an inspection at the end. So there is no real control as to the materials etc. That is why for our next building we will have an engineer working for us in-house. Also we will take a different consultant from the architect. We have realized that even with eyes like a hawk and telling the architect what we want, it just does not get done.

So can you imagine, this is us, who have an idea of what needs to be done. Imagine how some of the owners who do not really get involved get taken for a ride........

Aisha-Taweela

Here in Doha I'm not involved in the construction process but I have seen first hand some of the issues that you are stating as I am in a new building and there are new buildings going up around us. We actually moved into a new building that was not quite finished. We moved in even before the punch list was created so I have seen some of the issues with construction up close but I have never seen anything that made me suspect the structural integrity. In the States I was certified building code enforcement officer. Ensuring that the building was built to the design specification was a small part of my job. I mostly reviewed building plans to make sure that codes were met within the specifications. I always said my job was to keep the engineers and architects honest. lol

Oh and I don't doubt that people will do anything to save money in constructon thats why I implied a solid code enforcement program in Doha that includes inspection is truly needed. Inspection at each applicable phase of construction would ensure corners are not cut to save money.

What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.

~Tolstoy~

Yes tweetybird, mistakes are made everywhere but the construction companies here tend to go for the cheapest and often get away with it, cos the consultants receive a present for signing off. What phase are you involved in the construction? 

Aisha-Taweela

Thanks for the info on what happened to the boy in the mall.  Hopefully he and his friends learned their lesson.  To add on to what you said about construction I don't agree that it is the laborers fault or the owners fault.  From what I've seen, at least the buildings I'm involved with - buildings are designed very well and according to International Building Codes.  The problem is the construction phase.  There should be a system for inspection at each phase of construction to ensure that buildings are built according to the approved specifications.  Mistakes happen everywhere, that is why many areas have officials who inspect each construction phase and sign off on it before the next phase can begin. 

What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness.

~Tolstoy~

You wonder why the construction is shoddy, well let me tell you. Most of the buildings that go up are investments by their owners. However most owners have no idea about construction. So they leave theconstruction of the building, choice of materials etc to the "Professional" i.e. consultants and construction companies. Ofcourse these professionals do whatever they can to fill their pockets, and do it the easiest way possible. Hence they choose the cheapest materials, use the cheapest labour and put just about anything inside these building regardless is it is pretty or suited. "As long as it does the job" is their motto.

Aisha-Taweela

Is the top roof of Villagio made of Tiles?...."The Sky"? and that too 80x80 (cm? inches?). If a 1ftx1ft tile fell from the Villagio "Sky" it could be fatal....I guess.

 jdylan most of the Buildings built are Designed, Managed & Constructed  entirly by Non-Indians and mostly by the GCC folks. The malls are usually

European designers I guess.

The workers, agreed are mostly Indians and Srilankans, but the management

decide and supervise the quality of work. So who is to blame the Management or the workers?

I checked out the Villagio toilet ....there too the tiles are similar to the 

toilet tiles which is uniform to the whole of Qatar (I wonder why?). Though the floor is mostly dry...but still its the same small tiles with

rounded edges....which are old type tiles. 

Is it allowed to kick these trouble makers (I guess they are locals - they are the only who is brave/stupif enough) ?  

I reeeeeaaaaally get that urge once in a while, am I the only one?

Is it wrong to hope he was injured so he at least can stay at a hospital for say 5 years? (and then be totally ok) 

- I took the blue pill and found myself alive in Qatar - wish I had taken the red and stayed in Europe

Well, is this not to be expected? Most of the buildings here are built by untrained, unprofessional, uneducated and mostly unsupervised workers from 3rd world countries who have no idea what they are doing. Qatar needs to wake up and stop bringing cheap, unskilled people over for important jobs. I have seen example after example of horrific construction while here, everything from installing marble counter-tops to laying cement sidewalks.

now you have me feeling very bad. looks like am loosing my skills.

how could I miss a gorgeous lady even at a distance

praying for the kid to be safe. the tile is more than 80 x 80.

I wonder who is the smart person to decide to fix tiles that are marble or look like marble to the ceiling. according to the quality of work here, tiles are hardly sticking to the floor and with more difficulty to the walls.

so, on Friday there were two injuries at Villagio. The kid and my pocket

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While jogging on the streets these days, i can't help but keep an eye on those cranes overhead. try to really rush when i'm under one.         

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Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

i should wear my safety helmet all the time...watch out.......

"i almost got hit on the head by a falling coconut on a beach in Indonesia! missed me by two inches."

----> be thankful it is a coconut not a durian !!!

  oryx.....glad your memory is back...

Does male bonding always give you a funny shaped nose?

Seriously though, I have little faith in the build quality I see in the buildings I see going up here.

It's almost as if they aren't built to last.

Watching the poor guys who have to build them is frightening.

How there aren't more deaths I don't know. 

Call me Maninibat!

YOU DONT KNOW ME, DONT EVEN TRY !!!

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thats a sign of male bonding and brotherely affection in Birkenhead

how callous! that is a true story and i delved deep into a past memory to share on QL  - and that is the sympathy I get?

Whhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa

I got hit in the face by some fists in Birkenhead.

Does that count?

Call me Maninibat!

oryx....your sense of humour is wicked..love this comment...lol.... 

i almost got hit on the head by a falling coconut on a beach in Indonesia! missed me by two inches.

i think indonesians should secure their coconuts better

too much shoddy building in Qatar.... poor little boy

totally preventable.

i almost got hit on the head by a falling coconut on a beach in Indonesia! missed me by two inches.

i think indonesians should secure their coconuts better.

Hi Mila

Apparently the boy was ok, just hurt his leg a little

Aisha-Taweela

My daughter was at Villagio yesterday afternoon and saw the incident happening. First of all, it ws NOT a piece of ceiling falling down. Apparently there is a bunch of boys that roam the villagio just about everyday. They are very well known to the security for getting into mischief. One of them succeeded in getting in the upperpart of the building and fell thru the ceiling, because the area where he was was not a path at all. According to my daughter who saw him fall, the aera where he was was some kind of scaffolding only. The roof he fell thru was plasterboard only.  Today we went to Villagio she showed me the area and the tile that had come down was repaired with white painted plasterboard. It was the fault of the boy! Not because of any bad construction. It seems these boys are quite a menace to the security of Villagio and ofcourse no parent ever around!

Just wanted to set the story straight! 

Aisha-Taweela

u are right.

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The parents of the boy should sue the mall management…

Pure Love...

one incident also happened in villagio before christmas, my h and i were there and had our lunch at the food court. then, maybe just after half an hour some explosion came out from one of the fast food kitchen....thank god we left earlier.

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rami - imagine 6 eyes - front, back, left , right, up and down- yikes not a pretty sight i tell you

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

as i said, we have to be very careful and more observant.... accident might come anytime.

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keep trying..... good luck!

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thats realy bad to hear,,,,,

poor boy... hope his fine now..

"Even if  LOVE is full of thorns, embrace it. For in between those thorns there is a ROSE that's worth all the PAIN."

i mean an army helmet which green and made from metal.

i think here u need 6 eyes to be safe and u will not.

yeah fr now on i not only look down when i walk but have to look up as well .........lol

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

be very careful and more observant.......accident might happen anywhere.

spicemom...your zodiac is aquarius...ok im stopping this zodiac and birthstone.. 

i dont want to get in trouble either!

but...you're in my calendar now..lol!

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

rami - you mean the 'hard hat' or the 'safety helmet'?

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

Thats allrite Spice mom... there were alot of people in villagio.

IF EVERYONE WAS TO TAKE AN EYE FOR AN EYE, THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD'VE BEEN BLIND TODAY - MAHATMA GHANDI

ALWAYS WEAR AN ARMY HELMET WHEN YOU GO OUT

dang it i hijack my own thread?lol . we are so gonna get in trouble lovinni- anyways 26th jan

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

for january its garnet or rose quartz...there are 2 zodiac signs in a month...so it depends on what date you were born...when is your birthday spicemom? lol

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

born in january not sure if it is garnet or amethyst.......i am confused with the birthstone and zodiac stone.........lol 

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

yes spicemom...each month is represented with a stone...what's your birth month?

sorry for the hijack! lol!

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

lovinni - do you mean "birthstone'? 

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

hi mila its actually a month's stone...PERIDOT...birthstone for August...

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

RP - when you said the sky is falling reminds me of a childrens story where the chicken was running around screaming 'The sky is falling, the sky is falling"

on a serious note i hope that kid is ok, saw him move a little and the medics put him in the "recovery position' before putting him on the stretcher.hope this is a lesson learnt for those concerned where safety should be the utmost priority regardless of the time constraint and also the fact that some do employ unqualified ppl to do the job    

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

lovinni, go green.. love it ur new avatar. is that candy??

Everybody is right Everybody is wrong, it depend where we stand.

safety issues should be the topmost priority. they should not wait for something to happen before they take action...with this incident they should conduct investigation...hope it never happens again. we'll never know if that tile will hit our heads the next time...God forbid...

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it.  ~Charles Schulz

hey thexonic sorry did not see you but i saw KH and his family though but they were too far to say hi and i didnt want to shout.....lol

life's too short so make the most of it, you only live but once.......

thanks for sharing. give us warning

Everybody is right Everybody is wrong, it depend where we stand.

authoroties should check the whole construction for health and safety, nothing expesive than life after all.

Live and let live...

 Sad for someone to get hurt like that. Proven theory, the sky is falling in Doha!My Confession Booth is close due to the road renovation

I agree with nadt... In order to keepup with short schedule contractors are more worried about finishing the building than maintaining quality... hope that poor kid is fine...

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thats very unfortunate for the boy....i cant say im surprised though the way buildings and stuff are built, the quality isnt very good, building and apartments look great but when you scratch the surface, theres no quality....these accidents are bound to happen...

I hope that little boy is ok...

so so horrible, i hope noone intends to throw the tile on the air.

Stay REAL

What happened to the Boy, is he ok ?

I had a feeling that i saw u, so u were there :O

I saw the incident... it was horrible :( 

IF EVERYONE WAS TO TAKE AN EYE FOR AN EYE, THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD'VE BEEN BLIND TODAY - MAHATMA GHANDI