Cape Reed International is unbelievably proud to announce our involvement in yet another ground-breaking project Khor Kalba Mangrove Center in the UAE.

The recently inaugurated Khor Kalba Mangrove Center in Kalba City (Sharjah) was developed to aid environmental biodiversity and preserve local wildlife species. Designated as a natural reserve on the east coast, the mangrove swamp emerges from a natural creek, forming a lagoon that is home to various species of marine life and birds.

The timber bridge of 141m stretching across the lagoon we constructed.

Extremely rich in nutrients, the mangrove swamps are a vital breeding ground for marine life. The dense mangrove forest provides shade, shelter, and an abundance of nesting opportunities for all kinds of species – both above and under the water surface.

The Mangrove trails we constructed at Khor Kalba

Cape Reed International is unbelievably proud to announce our involvement in yet another ground-breaking project Khor Kalba Mangrove Center in Kalba City in the UAE.

The small aviary with lath detail

Cape Reed’s scope of work included a variety of timber works. Since these works was carried out in a wildlife sanctuary, special care was taken to keep the construction minimally invasive to preserve and protect the natural resources as best as possible.

Bird hide with lath cladding

The following was built:

• Large aviary constructed with 11m long timber poles.
• Small aviary for the breeding of king fisher birds.
• Lath fencing to hide MEP equipment.
• Timber pole screen for the café terrace and shop entrance.
• Timber columns for the canvas structure shading the outdoor classroom along with timber decking and benches.
• Timber posts for the site wide signage.
• Flambor treated lath cladding for the interior of the visitor pods.
• Three bird hides constructed at three different locations using timber posts, laths and halfround cladding.
• An elevated timber walkway built with timber columns, decking and balustrades.
• A timber bridge of 141m stretching across the lagoon.

Outdoor classroom along with timber decking and benches.

Factors such as the depth of the creek, daily tides and dense vegetation posed some challenges during the construction, but the team managed to successfully complete the full scope of work in 17 months. Another interesting fact is that no concrete or steel was used for foundations or footings. Instead, the timber poles were driven to one third of the pole length in specially augered holes of which the deepest was 4.5m.