Mid East developers urged to adopt eco-friendly building code

Speaking in advance of Cityscape 2003, Dubai's international commercial architecture, property management and development exhibition and conference, Alsop said regional developers should offer 'smart' architectural solutions that anticipate and satisfy long-term economic goals based on sustainable tenets.

'The urban environment is lost unless it respects and builds on natural markers. These must be geographic, biological or climatic. Good development shapes organically to its site, unlocking its potential without inflicting immeasurable harm,' said Alsop, who will deliver a special address at Cityscape 2003 focusing on 'Man, Nature and the Urban Future.

'As the planet's natural resources, including land, are subject to more and more intensive use, even more inventive ways will have to be discovered to develop and inhabit the natural environment intelligently and respectfully.

'Alsop architects, like many progressive practices, are interested in creating buildings that consume less energy and are carefully tuned to their environment.

'Buildings in the Middle East should be structures that are not only recognisably modern but also environmentally responsive and smart.'

Alsop, who places a strong emphasis on the social functions of architecture in his award winning designs, says he draws inspiration from traditional Islamic architecture.

'Shady arcaded spaces and a hierarchy of cool protected rooms found in Middle Eastern architecture have taught me much about creating comfortable, low energy buildings,' he said.

Sounding a warning on the future of the region's property development industry, Alsop said the trend towards build and maintain contracts for large projects is already having a negative effect on quality. 'Bringing a competent self-regulating management structure into architecture may be a way of resolving the conflict between efficiency, pragmatic considerations and a beautiful project,' he said.

Alsop, who was honoured with an OBE by Britain's Queen Elizabeth in 1999, describes his architecture as '…continuing exploration of form, colour, functional, social and behavioural issues', in order to create '…buildings and structures that offer a richer experience to both the user and visitor.'

Over the last 20 years the Alsop practice has built extensive experience in regeneration projects, including the US $150 million Regional Government Headquarters in Marseilles, France; the Cardiff Bay Visitors' Centre, Wales; London's Peckham Library - named Building of the Year as winner of the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize 2000 - and the waterfront 18-storey Colorium Tower, Dusseldorf, Germany.

More recently the Alsop practice has become increasingly involved in complex urban design and 'visioning' studies for a number of Northern England towns in need of regeneration, notably Barnsley, Bradford, Halifax, Stoke on Trent and Walsall.

In addition its work in the UK, the practice has also worked internationally in Toronto, the re-development of the historic Clarke Quay, Singapore and in Shanghai and Beijing, China.

Organised by IIR, Cityscape 2003 - to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai from October 18-21 - is the only Middle East event that focuses on the design and facilitation of future buildings.

It is supported by the Dubai Development and Investment Authority. The event's main sponsors are Aqar, Al Amoudia Group, Nakheel and Jumeirah Beach Resort. The event's other sponsors are Al-Oula Development Company, Rikaz, Assa Abloy and Tabreed.