Why Engineering Drawings Are the Most Critical Investment in Your Build
Architectural drawings show what a building looks like. Engineering drawings determine whether it stands up, functions properly and passes inspection. Without accurate structural calculations, your foundation could be over-engineered (wasting tens of thousands of dirhams) or under-engineered (creating genuine safety concerns). Without coordinated MEP drawings, your air conditioning ducts will clash with structural beams, drainage runs will conflict with electrical conduits, and your contractor will be forced to improvise solutions on site — always at your expense.
The consequences of poor MEP coordination are particularly severe in Dubai's climate. HVAC systems in a typical villa represent 30-40% of the total MEP cost. When duct routes are not properly planned around structural elements, the system loses efficiency, ceiling heights are compromised, and maintenance access becomes impossible. We have remediated dozens of projects where the original engineering was done cheaply or not at all, and the cost of fixing these issues mid-build is always three to five times what proper engineering would have cost upfront.
Shop drawings bridge the gap between design intent and construction reality. They are the detailed fabrication and installation drawings that tell tradespeople exactly how to build each element — from steel connections to joinery details to curtain wall interfaces. Without them, every subcontractor interprets the design differently, leading to inconsistencies, rework and disputes.
- Structural miscalculations waste money or compromise safety
- Uncoordinated MEP systems cause clashes and rework on site
- HVAC represents 30-40% of MEP cost — routing matters
- Shop drawings eliminate interpretation errors by subcontractors
- Proper engineering pays for itself many times over during construction
