UAE pushes sustainable green buildings

While sustainability is the current buzz word for construction, Middle East developers - or certainly those in the Gulf region - have stolen a march and begun creating many environmentally friendly developments.

Masdar in Abu Dhabi is of course the obvious example held up, with its plans to be a zero waste, carbon neutral city.

But that $15bn project is years away from completion and in the mean time, there are plenty of examples of buildings that fall into the sustainable bracket under construction or in their late design phases, with some even close to be finished.

The Middle East has a penchant for building tall. Dubai houses the tallest building in the world with the Burj Dubai, but Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and indeed Dubai again are all planning to build towers over the coming decade of a rival height.

Green buildings

The developments have grabbed world attention and flush with oil money, these countries are now embracing the idea of going green as well.

And, argues Peter Pardoe, head of Property at Hyder Consulting in Abu Dhabi, they have the money to do it. 'There's a big push to drive through more energy efficient developments in the UAE. Here, where there are massive oil revenues, it's easier to drive forward a more environmentally friendly agenda. Because the focus is here and the money is here,' he told AME Info at Cityscape Abu Dhabi.

The UAE has had a less friendly environmental light shining on it of late, highlighting that it is one of the least energy efficient nations in the world.

With long summers, a desert environment, few days of rain a year and temperatures reaching the mid to late 40s or more, there is high reliance on energy burning applications such as air conditioning and petrol-guzzling 4x4s. Add to that the fact that all water must be desalinated and that the region loves its lush, green, water-hungry golf courses and it is easy to see why its energy rating is low.

It is with this backdrop that developers have started to take more notice of how they can make a difference.

Pardoe says any sustainability plans should be formed at the beginning of the project. If not, there will be missed opportunities to the way developments evolve. 'You need to capture that knowledge and interest and build that in from the start. It's then easier to show later on that your projects have that environmental awareness,' Pardoe says.

LEEDing the way

Sustainability consults argue that putting in such measures - and gaining the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating - doesn't have to cost great amounts of money.

Installing more efficient air conditioning units or better quality glass will go a great way to making a building more sustainable. Equally says a spokesman for Atkins - a company that specialises in designing sustainable buildings - just thinking about the orientation or ensuring that grey water (from washing machines, showers and so on) can be recycled and used to water gardens will help.

Among those buildings that are touted as being particularly green are the new Bahrain World Trade Centre (WTC) - one of the subjects in AME Info's recent iconic buildings of the Middle East report - and the planned Lighthouse (pictured) building in the financial district in Dubai, both designed by Atkins.

The Bahrain WTC includes three wind turbines which will generate 15% of the building's energy needs. The Dubai Lighthouse is considered even more energy efficient, having attained Platinum LEED status.

Many actions are common sense, says the Atkins spokesman. With a building, 'you need to let the light in but not the heat. For a building's car parks, put them above ground not underground, so that they have natural ventilation.'

Photovoltaic cell use for solar power is also on the rise, and in region that enjoys so much sunshine, an obvious means of providing power. Although these will add an initial upfront cost, if installed correctly (in this region that means 5% off the horizontal because of the sun's position and facing south) they will provide a benefit over the long run.

It is easy to shout about a company's or country's green credentials, but harder to follow words through with actions. In the UAE, developers are teaming up with designers to push through more sustainable buildings, and in a country where new announcements have to be the biggest, longest, tallest, it has the world's eyes on it as it develops 'the greenest'.

See also:
All Cityscape Abu Dhabi news
Green buildings LEED eco-construction
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