More than 100 students join Estidama Fareej Design Contest

The majority of the 118 students of Architecture, Urban Planning, Engineering and other related faculties come from UAE University and Ajman University for Science & Technology. The American University of Sharjah has also entered three teams. Some 60% of registered students are female.

The teams will be challenged to design a sustainable Emirati house integrated in the local traditional neighbourhood concept, Al Fareej, which should create an opportunity for them to put into practice the Academic knowledge they have acquired thus far. Each team must submit, by 28 October 2009, a designed software program on two-storey, multi-family, residential villa that will include living areas and an indoor space for meetings and gatherings. The design must incorporate high energy efficiency standards and include sustainable design elements in the Estidama categories of Living Systems and Liveable City, Liveable Buildings, Precious Water, Resourceful Energy and Stewarding Materials.

H.E. Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, said:

"The contest is yet another Estidama initiative to reach out to the community and help instil a culture of sustainability among its members. Obviously, the strong response from the academia is an indication of the support our mission enjoys among the constituents of this vital target sector that will certainly have a key role to play in the ongoing implementation of Estidama"

"Estidama is gaining more ground and momentum every day as a sound investment and responsible behaviour that seeks to provide cutting-edge sustainability solutions for Abu Dhabi and the region across the four key pillars of environment, society, culture and economy", added Al Ahbabi.

The winning design will be announced beginning of November 2009, and will be invited to collaborate with Al Dar's team to discuss the practicality of their designs and integrate elements into the Fareej home models at the planning phase of the new Al Falah community that will be built for UAE nationals in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The best design will be showcased at GreenBuild International Conference and Expo taking place in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) in November 2009, in attendance of Estidama officials, two students and one faculty. The design will also be presented in the Estidama stand at Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2010, and will be featured in the Al Manakh 2, an urban planning and architectural publication exclusively sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.

Entries will be judged based on specific criteria and a grade system as displayed in the requirements document published on Estidama website. Selection of the winning designs will be based on comprehension and inclusion of design criteria and considerations, meeting all requirements effectively and creativity in the presented solution and whole house design. Bonus points will be awarded for innovation, buildability and presentation.

Entries will be adjudicated by a jury of six, namely, HE Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Mr. Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chief Commercial Officer, Al Dar Properties, Abu Dhabi; Mr. Gregory Acker, Senior Planning Manager, Estidama, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. Abu Dhabi; Mr. Ahmed Al Ali, Partner and Founder, X-architects, Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Al Ali, Partner and Founder, X-architects, Dubai , Mr. Khalid Al Najjar, Partner and Founder of dxb lab Architecture, Dubai, Chris Wan, Department Manager, Design, Masdar, UAE.

As part of the competition, Estidama invited recently all participating students to attend a 'Pearl Rating' sustainability workshop.

Estidama's Pearl Rating System is a voluntary program made available to developers seeking to achieve recognition for pursuing a higher level of sustainable buildings and developments. On the same day of the Estidama 'Pearl Rating' workshop, Al Dar arranged for the participating students to visit the development plot in Al Falah residential community.

Apart from this and in a latest move to boost sustainability in the capital, UPC and Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development (ADCED) have recently launched the World Sustainable Capitals (WSC) initiative, in partnership with the WEF, during the "Summer Davos" Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian, China.

The initiative will consist of a global and regional alliance of World Sustainable Capitals and a network of leading experts, economists and industry representatives in the field of urban planning and sustainability. The network will identify strategies and policy recommendations that can guide cities to better resolve the challenges of urban planning and economic diversified growth.