architect sep 11 volume 5

NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC

SEPTEMBER 2011 / VOLUME 5 / ISSUE 9An ITP Business Publication

FEATUREHow to pick up valuable points in

green building rating systems

INTERVIEWRob Watson, founder of LEED, on

sustainability in the modern world

STANDARD BEARERLEED Platinum-rated Taipei 101 off ers lessons for the Gulf

CASE STUDYIstanbul prepares for chiselled eco-tower by FXFOWLE

GREENSPECIALISSUE

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SEPTEMBER 2011 / VOLUME 5 / / ISSUE 9/An ITP Business Publication

SEPTEMBER | CONTENTS

www.designmena.com | 09.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 1

2WHAT’S ON THE WEB

Take a look at designMENA.com,

our new website for the region’s architects and

interior designers

6

14SNAPSHOT

This month’s top stories from the region, including the

unveiling of Kingdom Tower

16ANALYSIS Assessing the many challenges behind building a 1km-tall tower

22WORK IN PROGRESS

A site visit to the CMA Tower in KAFD, set to be the tallest

green building in KSA

28INTERVIEWRob Watson, founder of LEED, speaks of unsustainable activities in the building industry

32COVER STORY

62THE WORK A detailed reference section covering all of the projects MEA has looked at in recent months

68CULTURE

A snapshot of sustainable furniture, lighting, apps and

other eco-friendly products in the market

72THE LAST WORDRichard Marshall from Woods Bagot discusses the Emirate’s green credentials

40FEATUREA look at a range of sustainable products, from ceilings to cisterns, that can help to gain LEED points

50

Discovering whether the LEED retrofi t on Taipei 101

off ers any lessons for Middle East towers

CASE STUDIESHDR’s DuBiotech research lab, FXFOWLE’s Istanbul high-rise and a Doha twin

tower scheme

WHAT

dour nregi

SEPTEMBER 2011 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 9

OPINION Georgina Chakar asserts that sustainable cities need to embrace technology

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 09.11 | www.designmena.com

ONLINE | SEPTEMBER

2

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FXFOWLE’S KSA MOSQUE PICKS UP AWARDNew York fi rm wins archi-tecture prize for KAFD mosque in Saudi Arabia.

AUSTRIA CHURCH BY COOP HIMMELB(L)AUStunning image gallery of a sculptural church in small-town Austria.

LONDON’S V&A MUSEUMTO TURN BACK TIMERefurbishment set to embrace original 1900 architecture.

WOODS BAGOT FOLLOWS THE WAY OF THE DRAGONSpectacular Chinese-themed museum set for Australian city.

WHAT’S ON DESIGNMENA.COMTake a look at our new website for architects, interiors and industrial design, covering the latest news and hot topics in the region. The site is updated constantly, to make sure designers stay on the ball.

WWW.DESIGNMENA.COMONLINE

COLUMNS & FEATURES

EDITOR’S CHOICE

• In Pictures: Adrian Smith towers

• Case study:Sowwah Square

• Top of the Blocks• Gensler’s fl oating

park• In Pictures: the

Tree Hotel

FOR THE LATESTNEWS, ANALYSIS, INTER-

VIEWS AND PROJECT CASE STUDIES, LOG ON TO: DESIGNMENA.COM

MOST POPULAR

• Sandcrawler receives award

• Design for Kingdom Tower unveiled

• Lifetime achievement for Adrian Smith

• 25 essential iPad apps• Floating stadium pro-

posed for World Cup• BBR Design com-

pletes its fi rst design

READER’SCOMMENTS

Architect claims Dubai failed by trying to recre-ate Tokyo skyscrapers “Mr. Architect, I know what you’re talking about and I agreewith you.”Posted by Radomir Barta

“There are some very good examples of ap-propriate site-specifi c ‘constructs’ here in Dubai which have in-taken inspiration from the local culture.”Posted by Darrell Maclean

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COMMENT | EDITOR’S LETTER

4

Without doubt, last month’s biggest news in the re-gional architec-

ture market was the unveiling of the Kingdom Tower design.

Standing at 1,000 metres, the cloud-piercing structure was de-scribed “the most beautiful building in the world of any height” by Talal Al Maiman of developer JEC. Yet for all the assertive talk of magnifi cence, there was little conviction behind any mention of sustainability.

Smith + Gill is a world class practice with huge experience in tall buildings, and Kingdom Tower may prove to contain many inherit sus-tainable qualities that are not neces-sarily requested by the developer.

Kingdom Tower could learn a thing or two from its green-minded predecessor, the 509-metre Taipei 101 in Taiwan.”

EDITOR’S LETTER

But from the evidence so far, it seems that the client’s emphasis is well and truly on prestige and profi t.

It’s not as though it’s impossible, or even uneconomical, to build sustain-able tall buildings. Kingdom Tower could learn a thing or two from a green-minded predecessor, Taipei 101, which was the world’s tallest from 2004 to 2010.

As reported in this month’s cover story, the 509-metre tower was ret-rofi tted to achieve LEED Platinum status. The investment has already been recouped thanks to the result-ing energy savings, and the tower will save US$1.2 million per year.

LEED-certifi ed high rises are also taking shape closer to home; Istan-bul’s Renaissance Tower is gunning

HIGH HOPES

for Platinum status while the CMA Tower in Riyadh is going for Gold.

From a marketing perspective, every tower needs a hook, whether it’s green or luxury or height. It’s probable that the developers feel that Kingdom Tower’s unparalleled dimensions are enough to secure tenants, and that a green tag is not needed to make money.

This month’s guest columnist, Romi Sebastian, asserts that green rating systems can often encourage the ticking of boxes that don’t really make a huge diff erence. But, I’d say that the requirements they set on energy and water usage are crucial. If a building such as Kingdom Tower - which will house the population of a small city - adopts a laid-back approach to consumption, then it will end up with a carbon footprint of dinosaur proportions.

However, there is one area of sustainability that the tower does already touch on at this early stage, and that’s recyclability. The tower’s tapering icicle form and ‘three-petal’ footprint bears an uncanny resem-blance to Burj Khalifa, also designed by Adrian Smith when at Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM). By using a tried and tested formula, I estimate that the reduced paper usage in Smith’s studio will be enough to save at least one tree.

Will Kingdom Tower have green attributes?

GOT A

COMMENT?

If you have any

comments to

make on this

month’s issue,

please e-mail

oliver.

ephgrave

@itp.com

So far, Kingdom Tower’s emphasisappears to be on prestige and profi t.

Correction: the article Art Attack in the August 2011 issue incorrectly stated that Frank Gehry is a consultant for the Qasr Al Hosn Cultural Quarter in Abu Dhabi by Austin-Smith: Lord

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COMMENT | GEORGINA CHAKAR

6

Undoubtedly, cities are the primary aggregate cause of global climate change. To prevent or slow the

predicted environmental catastrophe, we must change the way cities are built and operated. But fi rst of all, we must change the way they are designed.

The fact that our cities are pushing the earth’s ecosystems to the brink is surely reason enough to question the ruling urban design paradigm. Contemporary cities are largely based on the mechanistic engineering para-digms of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Unsustainable cities throughout the globe are a culmination of outdated design principles and technologies.

The idea of the sustainable urban centre in the 21st century needs to

The idea of the sustainable urban centre in the 21st century needs to include the concept of artifi cial intelligence to

look towards a futuristic ‘eco-tech’ city.”

OPINION

include the concept of artifi cial intel-ligence to look towards a futuristic ‘eco-tech’ city. It would be more sen-sible to employ the full power of the advanced information and communi-cation technology (ICT) in all kinds of sustainable applications.

Undoubtedly the task will not be easy due to the complexity of designing a green and smart city. An intelligent conglomerate of landscape architec-ture, urban design and town planning is the work of a large team of creators of the human environment. At the same time the physical component of the space that needs to be treated with ICT is a challenge we must take on.

Populations are growing fast. The prospect of an additional three to four billion people on top of the current six

billion in the next few decades is more than enough reason to turn our cities in eco-tech environments and limit the damage to our natural resources.

Urban designers, planners and engineers must adopt the idea that cities are artifi cial ecosystems that are able to mimic natural systems and organisms. Smart design can encom-pass many functional outcomes, not necessarily environmental, as long as it uses computer technology to provide an adaptable version of that outcome.

For decades we have been witness-ing simple, eff ective and effi cient operation as a result of smart ITC design, such as the operation of the ir-rigation system. Similarly, solar panels were invented one hundred years ago and yet their form has not changed much in decades. But bearing in mind that a simple calculator about 35 years ago was the size of the iPad today, the development of smart technology is inarguably disproportional.

As a matter of fact, the operation of diff erent devices has been based on sensors for a long time. Yet we still use umbrellas to protect from the Middle East sun, instead of being protected by awnings equipped with ventilators operated on sensors. The street-light-ing poles are still made of aluminum or steel that absorbs heat during the day and emit it at night, instead of the upper part being made of photovoltaic elements that capture energy.

Today, it is imperative to embrace technologically-assisted sustainability while simultaneously preserving and enhancing the beauty of cities.

Sustainable cities need to embrace artifi cial intelligence

SMART THINKING

Georgina

Chakar is an

Australian

architect and a

Master of Urban

Planning. She

works in Abu

Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City utilises sustainable technology.

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COMMENT | HISHAM YOUSSEF

8

In sustainable building develop-ment, the US-created LEED has become the de facto standard for ranking the sus-

tainable attributes of a project. Yet several other standards have been developed to off er more relevant responses to local and regional climatic conditions and natural resource availability.

In the Middle East, the UAE has a fairly sophisticated system called Es-tidama, with its voluntary Pearl Rat-ing System, and upcoming standards include Egypt’s Green Pyramid Rat-ing System and the Qatar Sustain-ability Assessment System.

Internationally, BREEAM and LEED were developed in 1990 and

I would suggest that monitoring a project’s metrics over a fi ve to 10-year period would be a relevant next step in the

evolution of green building rating systems.”

OPINION

1998 respectively. Notably, how-ever, there is a relative newcomer to the sustainable rating systems. Developed in China, the Three Star rating system was conceived in 2006, and implemented in the last few years. It is largely based on LEED but with three rankings, hence the name. The primary diff erence is the fact that certifi cation of a project is not achieved until one year after the project has been operational, and metrics have been tracked to confi rm the success of the design and implementation of the green build-ing strategies.

This would appear to be a more sound approach to certifying a project. After all, it is the savings in

operating costs, reduction in emis-sions, and overall sustainable viabil-ity of a project that are the ultimate goals. But while many professionals concur, some have suggested that this may dampen a developer’s claim about a project’s sustainability and would hence impact the sale or lease of properties given that certifi cation would not be available for a year. Perhaps there could be a combined approach of achieving both LEED and the Three Star certifi cation.

In the long run, the market and the development community might benefi t from developing a double-pronged approach and a further evolution of the rating systems. For example, the fi rst goal would be to achieve certifi cation for the imple-mentation of green design strate-gies, while the second milestone is achieving further certifi cation that confi rms the viability of those design strategies after a year in operation.

I would further suggest that moni-toring a project’s metrics over a fi ve to 10-year period would be a relevant next step in the evolution of green building rating systems. This should come as no surprise to us architects. As professionals, we achieve our license, but in order to maintain our license to perform our services we have to constantly prove - through achieving continuing education cred-its - that we remain accredited and viable professionals.

Whatever the approach, it is clear that projects have no choice but to be sustainable.

China’s rating system could work with LEED

HYBRID THEORY

Chinese cities such as Shanghai haverecently implemented the Three Star system.

Hisham Youssef

AIA, is project

director at

Gensler and a

founding board

member of

the American

Institute of

Architects’ Middle

East Chapter.


COMMENT | ROMI SEBASTIAN

10

Cities are becoming choked with a jungle – a jungle of concrete, steel and glass. Architecture here is in-

fl uenced needlessly by concepts from predominantly the Western world. We must remember that most of the iconic designs have been developed by expatriates. One of the most diffi cult problems for expatriates in the Middle East is their relative lack of experience of the public realm.

I often wonder why is any element of existing heritage of the Middle East, be it cultural or spiritual, is always identifi ed with the past, while the image of ‘progress’ is always borrowed from elsewhere. This process of disas-sociating from one’s own heritage is a very harmful one.

Traditional Islamic architecture included many innovative, functional and ecological design principles, but none of them have been perpetuated by the new generation of architects.”

OPINION

In the past few years, the expatri-ate idea of building ‘green’ has been brought in, but the word is misun-derstood by most of the engineering fraternity. However, when a defi nition becomes so overarching, it loses all sig-nifi cance. Architects are now neglect-ing basic building design principles.

It is unfortunate that rating systems like LEED and BREEAM Gulf have converted architecture into an ac-counting exercise. This has digressed completely from what could have been a healthy exercise in producing truly good architecture. It is unfortunate that we are missing an opportunity to produce good architecture by allowing these accounting or statistical proce-dures to dominate our logical thinking and creativity.

Advocating bicycle racks or trying to invest in a rainwater harvesting system in the Middle East is another perfect example. While it may fetch you extra points in a LEED rating, the whole initiative, if analysed, is a wasteful one. The use of glass is still celebrated. There is no account of the money spent on the pointless additional cool-ing required and superfl uous cleaning of all the building’s dust-laden façades.

I urge clients and developers to be open-minded in terms of LEED. There is no point in accommodat-ing ‘green’ ideas and techniques and ultimately landing up with a building that is not comfortable to live or work in. Commonsense is the key element. Traditional architecture in the region included many innovative, functional and ecological design principles, but none of them have been perpetuated by the new generation of architects.

The world needs ‘green’ buildings a lot more than ‘green’ buildings need LEED certifi cation. If certifi cations such as LEED and BREEAM Gulf continue to cost too much money, time and eff ort, we will not necessarily stop building green projects, we will just stop certifying them.

As architects, we have to convince Middle Eastern elites and ourselves that the optimistic concept of import-ing ideas of ’progress’ will only kill the character of a place and its public realm. The future of architecture in the Middle East desperately lies in logical design, controlled urban growth and in the acceptance of one’s own cultural roots. I remain hopeful.

Targeting LEED in the GCC requires a commonsense approach

LEEDING NOWHERE

Romi Sebastian

is a project

architect with

AECOM in Doha.

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SNAPSHOT | SEPTEMBER

14

JEDDAH PREPARES FOR 1KM TOWERDesign of world’s tallest building unveiled by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

Last month Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture fi nally revealed its design of the much-anticipated King-dom Tower in Jeddah, set to become

the world’s tallest building.With a height of over

1,000 metres and a total construc-

tion area of 530,000m2,

Kingdom Tower will be the center-piece and fi rst

construction phase of the

Kingdom City development on

a 5.3 million m2 site in north Jeddah, over-

looking the Red Sea.Developer Jeddah Economic

Company (JEC) selected AS + GG’s scheme after a lengthy competition process with submissions from Foster + Partners, Pickard Chilton, Kohn Pederson Fox and Pelli Clarke Pelli.

The tower’s height will be at least 173 metres taller than the world’s current tallest building, Dubai’s 828-metre-tall Burj Khalifa, which

was designed by Adrian Smith while at Skidmore, Owings

& Merrill.Kingdom Tower will

feature a Four Seasons hotel and serviced apart-

ments, Class A offi ce space, luxury condomini-

ums and the world’s highest observation deck.

The tower will cost approximately US$1.2 billion to construct, while the cost of the entire Kingdom City project is anticipated to be US$20 billion.

With design development underway since May 2009, schematic design is complete and detailed design has begun. The tower will be constructed by Saudi Binladin while Thornton Tomasetti is the structural engineer.

“Our vision for Kingdom Tower is one that represents the spirit of Saudi Arabia. It also represents new growth and high-performance technology fused into one powerful iconic form,” said Adrian Smith, in a statement.

The tower will feature a three-petal footprint, with tapered wings intended to reduce structural loading, due to wind vortex shedding.

The result is a design described as cost-effi cient and constructible, which will look to take advantage of innova-tive technology, building materials and energy conservation. An example given by the architects is the project’s exterior wall system, which is intended to minimise energy consumption by reducing thermal loads.

Talal Al Maiman, a board member of JEC, said: “Prince Alwaleed, Mr. Bakhsh, Mr. Sharbatly and I were im-pressed by the boldness and simplicity of the AS+GG design.

“Kingdom Tower’s height is remark-able, obviously, but the building’s iconic status will not depend solely on that aspect. Its form is brilliantly sculpted, making it quite simply the most beautiful building in the world of any height.”

$1.2BILLIONESTIMATED COST OF

CONSTRUCTION

SEPTEMBER | SNAPSHOT


Broadway Malyan has delivered the concept masterplan for a multi-billion dollar scheme involving an extension of Sadr City and the cre-ation of New Sadr City in Iraq. The project is named 10×10 because of its predicted $10 billion dollar value and 10-year delivery timeframe. As one of the largest projects in Iraq, it is central to the reconstruction of the war-torn country.

IN BRIEF

Gensler has won a design and planning competition for Istanbul Theme Park, a mixed-use develop-ment in Turkey’s largest city. MESA Housing Industries will develop the 150ha site with a range of residen-tial, offi ce, retail, and hospitality facilities, including 150 acres of open spaces and the region’s fi rst theme park. The architect said the plan keeps the “old and new in mind”.

The 113-metre-Hotel Porta Fira in Barcelona has won this year’s Emporis Skyscraper Award for completed buildings over 100m, at the expense of second place Burj Khalifa. The eye-catching red design was provided by Japanese fi rm Toyo Ito & Associates and Spanish practice b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos.

Real estate developers Qatari Diar and Delancey have been confi rmed as the future owners of the Olympic Village in east London in a US$908 million deal. Due for completion in early 2012, the village will deliver 2,818 homes. Qatari Diar is involved in other London projects such as the US embassy building in Grosvenor Square and the Shell Centre on the South Bank.

The lengthy development time of Abu Dhabi’s zero-carbon Masdar City is due to its innovative nature, according to Siemens’ head of build-ing automation. Siemens has a coop-eration agreement with Masdar City and is focusing on the integration of renewable energy into a building au-tomation system. Speaking to Middle East Architect, Siemens’ Dr Hubert Keiber, said: “The speed [of devising the] original plans of Masdar and the speed of implementing the ideas is completely diff erent. The process is slower than expected.” He continued: “However, I’m convinced they have the ideas, they have the money and they have the op-portunity to test and implement new things. We have opened a centre of excellence and we have a small team in Masdar working together with the institute on research.”

113METRES

HEIGHT OF THEHOTEL PORTA

FIRA

The OlympicVillage takes shape in Lon-don’s East End.

SEPTEM

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 09.11 | www.designmena.com16

NEWS ANALYSIS | BUILDING TALL

ANALYSIS

TALL ORDEROliver Ephgrave discovers the numerous design and structuralchallenges behind the delivery of the 1km-high Kingdom Tower


BUILDING TALL | NEWS ANALYSIS

K ingdom Tower may have been described as “highly constructible” by AS+GG partner Gor-

don Gill, but the design and build of a 1km-tall tower is far from simple.

One of the main issues is wind load, which increases with height. Com-menting on Kingdom Tower, Gill said: “The three-petal footprint is ideal for residential units, and the tapering wings produce an aerodynamic shape that helps reduce structural loading due to wind vortex shedding.”

A top engineer behind the project, Bob Sinn, principal at Thornton Tomasetti, states that the wind load solution was one of the main struc-tural challenges. “All tall buildings are dominated by wind loads, and the reduction of this force was one of the big challenges early on. All of the structural elements were sized for strength, without the need for ad-ditional materials.”

Bart Leclercq, head of structures for WSP Middle East, believes that the design of Kingdom Tower pro-vides a sound aerodynamic solution. “The shape of the building is quite stiff in itself - it’s a similar footprint to Burj Khalifa. The taper reduces the wind load at the top. Because it changes shape every few fl oors, the wind loads go round the building and won’t be as extreme as on a re-ally solid block. There will be local disturbances, so it’s a really good design from an aerodynamic perspective.”

Sinn adds: “I don’t know if it’s an ideal, but I’d say that the tapered form is an excellent solution in dealing with the wind load. It turned out to be very benefi cial to us.”

As well as solidity, a supertall tower also requires rigidity. Leclercq elaborates: “You have to make sure a tower is not too fl exible and people aren’t getting nauseous in high winds. You have to put enough stiff ening

elements in your building. For example,

sheer walls in combina-tion with concrete cores in

the case of a concrete building. It’s the same thing for a steel building - you have to provide really solid struc-tural walls that take care of the wind load. The building may be strong enough, but if it is not stiff enough then people will get nauseas.”

However, Leclercq is quick to point out that this should not be an issue on

Kingdom Tower. “A good structural engineer will take care of that move-ment. I really don’t think that this will be a problem.”

Steve Kelshaw, managing director of Dubai-based DSA Architects In-ternational, believes that the tapering form is the best model for a tower of this height, despite the aesthetic limi-tations. “I don’t think you could do it any other way - if you built a square design up to that height, I don’t know how it would work,” he says.

Kingdom Tower

will trump the

Burj Khalifa

by almost 200

metres.

$1.2BILLION

ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION

COST OF KINGDOMTOWER



Yet there are other options, other than the taper, according to Sinn. “Anything that changes shape is best. For instance, it could be sloping, step-ping or have holes in it. I’d say that the worst shape, aerodynamically speak-ing, is the prism. The old World Trade Centre in New York is a textbook example of the worst shape.”

Leclercq adds that the architect’s treatment of facade may provide the tower will a distinct identity. “Although it uses a similar footprint to Burj Khalifa, the designers can be really playful with the facade. The facade of Burj Khalifa is quite aston-ishing and the Kingdom Tower might

look completely diff er-ent from Burj Khalifa.”

A big challenge for supertall buildings is verti-cal transportation, which includes elevators and fi re escapes. Leclercq explains: “When you work on a building of that height you fi nd that a large area of the fl oor plate has to be occupied by vertical transportation. This means that you have large areas that are unlettable.”

He refers to the unbuilt 1.4km-high Nakheel Tower in Dubai, for which WSP provided structural design. “The Nakheel Tower design had 47 lifts, just to get people up and down,

so you can imagine the enormous amount of

space that this required. The lettable area is reduced the

higher you go, and that’s a problem.”According to AS+GG, Kingdom

Tower will contain one of the most sophisticated elevator systems in the world, with an estimated 59 elevators in total. This will include 54 single-deck and fi ve double-deck elevators, in addition to 12 escalators. Elevators serving the observatory will travel at a rate of 10 metres per second.

A 1km-tall tower may seem staggering, but is this the buildable limit? Most probably not, according to the chairman of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Dr Sang Dae Kim. “We now have a design that’s 1km tall. Later, someone will push for 1 mile, and then 2km.”

Kim believes that, technically speaking, a 2km-tall tower might be possible at the current time. He con-tinues: “At this point in time we can build a tower that is 1km, maybe 2km.

When you work on a building of that height you fi nd that a large area of the fl oor plate has to be occupied by

vertical transportation. This means that you have large areas that are unlettable.”

Bart Leclercq, head of structures for WSP Middle East

Kingdom

Tower’s ‘three

petal’ footprint is

similar to that of

the Burj Khalifa.

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Any higher than that and we will have to do a lot of homework.”

Thornton Tomasetti’s Sinn also believes that 2km is an achievable height. “Kingdom Tower is certainly feasible. It’s not a structural chal-lenge. Technically I think a 2km-tall tower could be done, but I don’t think it will be done anytime soon. Such as building will have more architec-tural and practical constraints than structural issues. There have been very strong advances in reinforced concrete in the last 20 years,” he adds.

Yet Kim believes that there will be structural challenges for a 2km-tall tower. “There might be constraints

for the structural engineering – we don’t know many things. When you go up to two kilometres, we don’t have much information surrounding the conditions.” Kim also notes that there may be issues with fl oor lean due to the shortening of columns over time.

He also agrees that it is highly im-practical to build a 2km-high tower, and adds: “We don’t need to built at 2km, but someone with a lot of money might still want to do it.”

For Leclercq, the technical limit at the current time is 1 mile. “I truly believe that this is within range. Over that, it may be possible if there are improvements in concrete quality.

But 2km is too big a fi gure - it’s just a step too far at the moment.”

Kelshaw also states that extremely tall towers may struggle to attract tenants. “Is the market there? Personally I would feel uneasy. Get-ting people to work and live in such a tower will be a challenge,” he argues.

Yet Leclercq asserts that there will be always be an appeal to build and occupy the tallest building in the world. “Is there such as thing as too high? I think mankind is always going to be challenged by fi nding the next frontier. There’s also a market; people will always want to be in the world’s tallest tower,” he concludes.

At this point in time we can build a tower that is 1km, maybe 2km. Any higher than that and we will have to do a lot of homework.”

Dr Sang Dae Kim, chairman of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

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WIP | CMA TOWER

WORK IN PROGRESS

Ben Roberts visits the CMA Tower in Riyadh’s KAFD, set to be the

tallest LEED-certifi ed building in Saudi Arabia

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Although it will be com-pletely dwarfed by Jed-dah’s gigantic Kingdom Tower, the 385m CMA

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Designed by HOK and Omrania & Associates, the striking tower with a geometric glass façade will house the Capital Markets Authority(CMA), Saudi’s chief fi nancial regulator. The tower’s inner total fl oor area is 185,000m2 and will contain com-mercial and corporate offi ces, a 450-seat auditorium, dining areas, leisure facilities, with the CMA occupying 28,000m2 in the top section.

Built with no piles or dampers, project manager Cyril Sweett spoke of the challenge of building four basement levels in the solid rock excavation. After that there was the challenge of dewatering – with the foundation level being the lowest in Riyadh, approximately 11,000m3 per

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WIP | CMA TOWER

day fl owed into the area. Further-more, CMA Tower’s construction contained the biggest raft pour ever in the Middle East, with Saudi Bin-ladin pouring 13,000m3 of concrete over a 36-hour period last October.

Texas-based Walter P Moore, the structural engineering fi rm for the tower project, carefully considered the materials needed for the struc-tural system, and conducted a carbon emissions study to help the building to achieve its target of a LEED Gold. Despite the huge order for steel, the company calculated that this choice would cut the amount of concrete needed in the composite structure by 40%, reducing emissions by 30%.

The inner structure of the build-ing is perhaps the most substantially diff erent element, and combines many engineering feats to be able to securely support the lofty build-ing above. Dotted around the core wall are six columns separate to

the main structure, built from the bottom

of the foundations up to ground level. These

concrete columns will stop at ground level, as a platform for further columns. Three of the six emerging columns will split into two at a 45˚ angle up the fi rst four levels. These steel columns will all feed into the fi fth fl oor, which is a hori-zontal matrix of steel bars to hold the weight of every fl oor above it.

None of the columns are verti-cal, which is all part of Walter P Moore’s theme of integration. The sloping braces and columns are fully integrated with the façade which maximises the fl oor area available to let, and minimises the amount of structural materials.

Photovoltaic panels will adorn the top of the structure as a further measure to help the tower achieve its lofty ambition of LEED Gold certifi cation.

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MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 09.11 | www.constructionweekonline.com

INTERVIEW | ROB WATSON

28

CAPTAIN PLANETTHE INTERVIEW

Green certifi cation programmes are like martial arts. At the end of the day they are pretty much the same.”

Rob Watson, the founding father of the LEED rating system, discusses the modern world’s environmentally-unfriendly direction with Oliver Ephgrave

Dubbed as “one of the best environmental minds in America” by a columnist for The New

York Times, Rob Watson’s aura of confi dence and authority makes for a rather intimidating interview. Yet thankfully the founder of the LEED rating system is more than happy to divulge his strong views on buildings and the environment, a subject that has defi ned his career.

With talk of the “violence and implacability” of nature, Watson’s comments veer from doom-laden predictions to witty one-liners. “Green certifi cation programmes are like martial arts. At the end of the day they are pretty much the same,” he says, with a wry smile.

Yet behind this humour is a sense of pride in creating the most successful rating system of the pack. “LEED really is an international standard like no other,” he states. “There are over 800 million m2 of built area in the certifi cation programme. There are projects that are either registered or certifi ed in 120 diff erent countries. It’s amazing to me that a system cre-ated in America actually has build-ings in Yemen, and other places that I would not imagine them to be in.”

Chicago-born Watson was LEED founding chairman until 2006, after spearheading the launch of the rating

system by the US Green Building Council in 1993. In 2007 he launched EcoTech International Group (ETI) to take advantage of green building technologies and services in China, Russia, India and the United States. Prior to setting up ETI, Watson was a scientist with the US Natural Re-sources Defense Council for 20 years, and this background accounts for his authoritative words on nature’s laws.

Watson demonstrates his scien-tifi c knowhow when asked whether photovoltaics are underutilised. He replies: “People ask me about nuclear power and I’m a fan. Fusion is my favourite. The nice thing is that we already have the perfect fusion reactor, and it’s a safe distance from the planet. The sun provides 2000 times more energy than all human uses combined. In other words, 15 minutes of sunlight on land is equal to a year’s worth of human energy consumption.”

He continues: “There’s no energy crisis on this planet. The crisis lies in the economic system. Something that is objectively superior from a species survival perspective is somehow more expensive than something that is demonstrably harmful to our con-tinued existence on the planet. That is just stupid. At some point we will somehow change the way we think. Remember that there is nothing

inherent in the way we value things - this is a choice that we can change.

“We need to align our economic system with the laws of the planet which are chemistry, biology and physics. Unless human law is aligned with natural law, we are doomed. There isn’t a single policy out there, under the antiquated Adam Smith model, that will save us.”

Watson believes that a combination of “regulatory push with market pull” is the most eff ective way to promote change. He adds: “ You can probably get three times the impact by coor-dination between public and private sector eff orts than either purely rais-ing the price [of energy] and letting the market respond or forcing people through regulations. The synergy between the two is very important. Most countries do one or the other reasonably well.”

When asked to pinpoint the most green-orientated built environments, Watson states: “Europe clearly has the best buildings in the world in terms of energy consumption. But many of them still allow smoking, so from a human health perspective they are not so great. California has a fairly coordinated set of energy regu-lations and incentive programmes. Even though prices have gone up, the bills and the energy use per capita have stayed more or less the same for

ROB WATSON | INTERVIEW

www.constructionweekonline.com | 09.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT 29

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 09.11 | www.constructionweekonline.com

INTERVIEW | ROB WATSON

30

almost 20 years. I would say that was a pretty good success.”

He says that more developers would jump on the bandwagon if they understood that green buildings are cost eff ective in the long term. “The problem is we have an 18th century economic concept that is completely unsuited for understanding and ap-preciating how green buildings are in fact cost eff ective.

“The reality is that it’s possible to build any building in the world cheap-er. But price is not the only thing people are concerned about - they’re also looking for return on investment. Honestly, with green, you get out way more than what you put in. Green may not be the cheapest by square metre,

but certainly it has the highest return on investment.”

Watson stresses the marketability of a green building. “I think if people understood that they could make more money, then they would easily invest what’s necessary. Nobody spends $5,000 on a Rolex watch because it tells better time. You need to understand the market which you are building in. My feeling is that if you can’t make more money with a green building then you need a new marketing department.”

Cost issues only arise if green is simply an add-on, he asserts. “If you design a brown branch and hang green ornaments on it, it’s naturally going to cost more. Designing a green

branch does not cost any more than a brown branch but you have to start at the beginning with green in mind. Technology is often used to overcome bad design decisions like big glass boxes in the hottest region in the world. If you want to make those big glass boxes more effi cient you have to spend a lot of money on better win-dows and better equipment, etc.”

As some parting words of wisdom for designers in the Middle East, he highlights the inherent sustainability of the vernacular architecture in dealing with the heat. “The indig-enous architecture has more mass, with deep and narrow plans, and people were comfortable without excess energy for centuries before the modern day. There’s a lot of wisdom in those practices that can be updated and modernised to create sustainable architecture, both economically and environmentally.”

If you can’t make more money with a green building then you need a new marketing department.”

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COVER STORY | TAIPEI 101

Oliver Ephgrave visits Taipei 101 to discover whether the world’s tallest green building can offer any lessons for the Middle East


TAIPEI 101 | COVER STORY



rom the swarm of journal-ists, local celebrities and jubilant politicians that gathered for the ceremony in Taipei 101’s gargan-tuan atrium, it was clear that the tower’s new tag of LEED Platinum is a

big deal for Taiwan. Yet pride in the world’s second tallest tower - now the world’s tallest ‘green building’ - was not just limited to the natives. During the ceremony, the chairman of the US Green Building Council, Mark Mac-Cracken, declared: “The impact that this building is going to have on the existing building market, I honestly feel this is a monumental event.”

Completed in 2004, the 509-metre tower utterly dominates the mid-rise skyline of Taipei, a fl at city sur-rounded by lush green mountains. Resembling a giant Chinese pagoda, the quirky design by C.Y. Lee archi-tects is steeped in superstition. Due to the fact the number eight is consid-ered to be lucky while four is unlucky, the building is divided into eight segments and there is no fourth fl oor. The blue-green glass resembles jade, a stone of royalty, while the interior is plastered with a swirly motif which stands for ‘dreams coming true’.

In addition to this fastidious symbolism, the building was designed with the environment in mind. Cathy

Yang, vice president, Tower Division, Taipei 101, explains: “In the very early stages of our development, we had already put environment as one of our characteristics. The curtain wall was built with Low-E glass to save energy - we always knew the impor-tance of having a good building envelope. We also had a water harvesting system

In the early stages of our development, we had already put environment as one of our characteristics. The reason we hadn’t

applied for LEED was because we didn’t know about it.”Cathy Yang, Taipei 101

The 509-metre

tall tower utterly

dominates the

mid-rise skyline

of Taipei.

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in place to collect the rain water. The reason we hadn’t applied for LEED was because we didn’t know about it.”

The decision to apply for LEED in 2009 was prompted by a direct approach from a team comprising electronics giant Siemens, green consultant EcoTech and interior design fi rm Steven Leach, who had all previous worked for the client.

LEED Gold was the initial target set by Taipei 101 chairman Harace Hong-Min Lin, yet during an evalua-tion in 2010 it was clear that Platinum status was in reach. Determined to excel, the client invested more money to attain the highest rank.

Peter Halliday, vice president, Building Technologies Division, Sie-mens Taiwan, adds: “The partnership helped to sell the idea to the owner and it also gave us an excellent plat-form to work as engineers and consul-tants. I honestly believe that without this team approach we wouldn’t have achieved Platinum status.”

The building achieved the maxi-mum number of points in the catego-ries ‘Indoor Environmental Quality’ and ‘Energy & Atmosphere’. Siemens’ Energy Monitoring and Control Sys-tem was instrumental in fi ne-tuning the building’s energy performance, as was a series of energy audits and the installation of additional sensors.

Yang elaborated on additional mea-sures that helped to reduce energy usage. “Lighting accounts for around 15% of the energy consumption, so we literally walked through all of the areas - including the back of house, machine rooms, corridors - to see where we could take out tubes. We also changed the lights from halogen to T5 tubes. I think that the architects put too many lights in the space.”

Another large component of the retrofi t was recycling. “Before we applied for LEED we had a recycled rate of 55% and now it’s 65%. There are several cutting stations and a compactor to further reduce the size of the waste,” added Yang.

At US$2 million, the total cost of the retrofi t may not seem cheap. Yet Yang states that this cost has already been recouped in energy savings. “Our energy bill was about US$7 mil-lion a year. Every year from now, we will be saving US$1.2 million a year. This is a very good payback period.”

The client also believes that the tower is more marketable, even though the rent levels are not directly aff ected by LEED. Chairman Lin adds: “The rent is down to supply and demand, so we don’t think it’s directly linked to our LEED certifi cation. But as we can provide a very good indoor environment quality, where people’s work effi ciency will be increased, we believe that the boss of each organ-isation will be happy to move their company into our building.”

In order to avoid causing disrup-tion to the 10,000 occupants of the tower, the retrofi tting measures were mainly undertaken at night. Lin continues: “There was not really any disruption from the tenants - they are all very happy to cooperate with us. For the work we had to do, I don’t think there were any interruptions.”

Rather than causing friction, the tenant relationship has in fact been improved by the retrofi t, according to Rob Watson, CEO of EcoTech and founder of LEED. “The building now has a better indoor air quality and a better temperature control through the Siemens technology. The fact that the relationships between the tenants and the management has also strengthened during this process will pay back many times over the savings in the operations.”

Yang adds: “I think it will be hard for tenants to move out because they will fi nd all the other buildings inferior.”

The rating process also required that tenants were educated about green operations. Yang explains: “We have posters and stickers next to the

I think this building takes the excuses away, especially in the Middle East. Many of those countries have money and want to do the right thing. If we look at Masdar it’s clear that people are focused on the new construction side, but we’ve got to go after the existing buildings.”Mark MacCracken,US Green Building Council

509METRES

TOTAL HEIGHTOF TAIPEI 101

TAIPEI 101 | COVER STORY


The complex

comprises a

shopping mall

(left) and a

huge atrium

containing

displays on the

tower’s green

achievements.



38

AC switch and washroom, as well as a green corner in the lobby with a touchscreen to show how we made the building green. We held green lectures for our tenants so they un-derstand what we are doing.”

According to Siemens’ Halliday, the LEED retrofi t has also inspired other developers in Taiwan to ‘go green’. “Since 101 has applied for LEED certifi cation there has been a ground-swell of developers saying ‘what’s LEED all about?’ With our partners EcoTech and Steven Leach, we are now working on several projects including Taipei American School.”

As well as having a local impact, Watson believes that the retrofi t will garner attention in other regions. “Taipei 101 is forcing us to think about what we mean by sustain-able. In terms of material density per square foot of land, high rise buildings are very intensive. But I’m hoping that this project can help people understand the innate

resources in a tall building, whether it’s daylight or effi cient use of land. 85% of the people in this tower don’t use a vehicle.”

Yet he notes that there is still room for improvement. “Next steps will be integrating gardens and expand-ing the ability to capture and re-use rainwater. I think 101 is interested in taking its successes and then making improvements. I expect we’ll see some very interesting ideas in the years to come.”

USGBC’s MacCracken agrees that the tower will have an impact on high rises throughout the world. “I think this building takes the excuses away, especially in the Middle East. Many of those countries have money and want to do the right thing. If we look at Masdar it’s clear that people are focused on new construction, but we’ve got to go after the exist-ing buildings. Taipei 101 is a stake in the sand that shows it can be done.”

But is it possible to retrofi t an average tower that was not designed with sustainability in mind? Siemens’ Halliday off ers some words of caution for would-be retrofi tters. “We were very lucky that Taipei 101 actually had environmental aspects in the initial design and build stage. It would have made things a lot harder if it was just an average building.”

Yet MacCracken believes it is possible, although the higher ranks may be out of reach. “In the case of an average tower on, say, Sheikh Zayed Road, I think you could get it LEED certifi ed. You might even be able to get to Silver level. A lot of it has to do with what you are bringing into the building, how you deal with reconstruction and what do you do with your waste. You need a certain amount of energy performance but

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FEATURE | SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS


SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS | FEATURE


MEA looks at ways to earn valuable credits in the LEED programme for New Construction and Major Renovations

The US Green Building Council’s LEED system - like all green building rating programmes - is a

numbers game. In the latest version of LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations, projects

have to pick up at least 40 points to become certifi ed, while the highest rank, Platinum, is reserved for those that achieved 80 points and above. Points can be won across seven topics: Sustainable Sites, Water Effi ciency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials

P CK NG UPTH PO NT

and Resources, Indoor Environmen-tal Quality, Innovation in Design and Regional Priority. Projects that are targetting certifi cation, particularly the higher ranks, require a careful se-lection of materials and products that adhere to the programme guidelines.

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RECYCLED CONTENTTopic: Materials and Resources, Credit 4 1–2 POINTS

WHAT LEED IS LOOKING FOR LEED calls for building products that incorporate recycled content materials, ‘thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materi-als’. The guidelines add that projects should ‘use materials with recycled content such that the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus half of the pre consumer content constitutes at least 10% or 20% based on cost of the total value of the materials in the project’. The recycled content value of a material assembly is determined by weight; the recycled fraction of the assembly is then multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value.



44

WHAT LEED IS LOOKING FOR Up to two points are awarded for the use of building ma-terials and products that are ‘extracted and manufactured within the region, thereby supporting the use of indig-enous resources and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation’. Projects should source materials or products that have been ‘extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as manufactured, within 500 miles of the project site’. The guidelines add: ‘If only a fraction of a product or material is locally, source then only that per-centage (by weight) can contribute to the regional value’.

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WHAT LEED IS LOOKING FOR To gain one point for ‘Low-Emitting Materials’, all adhesives and sealants used on the interior of the building (inside the weatherproofi ng system and applied on-site) must comply with LEED requirements. The guidelines state that projects should ‘specify low-VOC materials in construction documents and ensure that VOC limits are clearly stated in each section of the specifi cations where adhesives and sealants are addressed’.

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WHAT LEED IS LOOKING FOR Water use reduction is a prerequisite for LEED. The idea is to ‘increase water effi ciency within buildings to reduce the burden on municipal water supply and wastewater sys-tems’. Buildings must employ strategies that, in aggregate, use ‘20% less water than the water-use baseline calculated for the building (not including irrigation)’. Calculations are based on estimated occupant usage and must only include water closets, urinals, lavatory faucets, showers, kitchen sink faucets and pre-rinse spray valves.

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lighting architectural landmarksThe world of architecture is constantly blurring the boundaries between art and design while the concept of illumination in architecture is simultaneously re-inventing in the ways to provide comprehensive lighting design, taking into account the amount of functional light to be provided, the energy consumed as well as the aesthetic impact supplied by the lighting system.

Scientechnic believes in scaling the pinnacle of architectural brilliance. With a history close to 40 years and the strength of the visionary Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, Scientechnic naturally is the first choice of reputed developers for five star hotels, malls, executive environments, villas or medium to high end residential projects.

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of its Middle Eastern opera-

tions in Dubai, Vimar, the

Italian manufacturer of wiring ac-

cessories and automation systems,

plans to consolidate its position in

the region as part of its expansion

strategy in international markets.

Established in Marostica in

Italy in 1945 and employing today

more than 1,000 people across 7

major branches around the world,

the company has accumulated

more than 60 years of experience

and has since become one of the

world’s leading manufacturers be-

ing often the choice of architects,

consultants and contractors in their

prestigious projects.

The fi rm offers a number

of Made in Italy products that

combine technological innovation,

quality and design. These include

Eikon and Plana, two series

of cover plates, switches and

sockets, offered in a wide variety

of combinations in terms of design,

materials and type of controls,

which can be used either as stand-

alone pieces or in conjunction with

Vimar’s By-me or Well-contact Plus

automation systems.

Both Eikon and Plana series are

available in the British Standard ver-

sion specially designed to meet BS

requirements in accordance with

the company’s philosophy of com-

bining the fl air of Italian design with

needed technological standards.

By-me home automation system,

aesthetically coordinated with the

refi ned design of Eikon or with the

minimalist elegance of Plana, allows

users to automate their homes and

manage their climate, security and

comfort in an integrated manner,

ensuring wellbeing and a reduction

in energy usage.

The system is designed to be

compatible with every type of home

and lifestyle, ensures users the free-

dom to program it to coordinate and

manage, from a single supervision

point, functions that are traditionally

controlled using separated conven-

tional devices such as switches,

dimmers, timer-thermostats, video

door entry units and so on, thereby

allowing for extremely effective reg-

ulation and control.

With By-me, users can integrate

all their devices into one centralised

system that allows for them to en-

hance the comfort and effectively

control their energy usage. With

more than 32 different tempera-

ture, lighting, curtains, security and

comfort scenes, confi gured ac-

cording to daily needs, users have

a wide range of fl exibility for their

optimum settings. This reliable and

automatic system communicates

also via mobile phone. Everything

can be monitored, as well, via the

Internet using a next generation

smartphone or tablet.

Moreover, By-me can be further

enhanced by integrating a user’s

sound system with it, thus allowing

the creation of a bespoke system

that can simultaneously distribute

to as many as four different audio

sources. Users can control the sys-

tem, characterized by its hi-fi repro-

duction of signals, through the dedi-

cated controls or the touch screen

that provides a single interface for

managing every room.

For the advanced tertiary sec-

tor, Vimar has also developed the

Well-contact Plus, a building au-

tomation system designed for the

management of hotels and hos-

pitality facilities. The system pro-

vides computer management of

lights, curtains, temperature, se-

curity, energy and access, offering

functionality and comfort.

Well-contact Plus building auto-

mation system is aesthetically co-

ordinated with the design of Eikon

or Plana wiring accessories series,

exactly like it happens for By-me

home automation.

Based on KNX technology and

international standard, the Well-

contact Plus is a fl exible system that

can be expanded to add additional

devices. This KNX interoperable

system can interact with other prod-

ucts that are designed to the KNX

standard as well as with systems

that operate using other protocols

just adding, in this event, suitably

confi gured KNX gateways.

Vimar’s automation systems are aesthetically coordinated with the refi ned design of Eikon or with the minimalist elegance of Plana wiring accessories.

Vimar lights up wiring accessories and automationItalian firm looks to expand operations in MENA region following Dubai launch

Vimar SpA, Italy

www.vimar.eu

Vimar Middle East

Dubai, UAE

Tel. +971 4 6091 848

[email protected]



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DOHA STADIUM

Architect:Aedas/PopulousLocation:Doha

A design collaboration between Aedas and Populous, this stadium addresses the requirements for the 2022 World Cup and provides multiple future uses. As a World Cup venue, the fully air-conditioned stadium will provide 46,000 seats with state-of-the-art broadcast and media facilities, luxurious VIP areas and a retractable roof. The fl exible design will allow the pitch and areas of seating to be moveable.

WADI RESORT

Architect:Oppenheim Architecture + DesignLocation:Wadi Rum, Jordan

Taking cues from nearby Petra, the ambitious Wadi Resort in Jordan will feature 47 desert lodges and villas carved into sandstone cliff s. Designed by USA-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design, the resort is set to open in 2014. It will cover almost 7500m2 in Wadi Rum, a spectacular valley cut into sandstone and granite. The rock will create the exterior facade and also parts of the interior and furniture.

MUSEUM OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Architect:FXFowleLocation:King Abdullah Financial District,Saudi Arabia

One of the stand-out buildings in the King Abdullah Financial District, the glistening Museum of Built Envi-ronment has been designed by New York-based fi rm FXFowle. Due to the fast-track construction schedule, the architects are currently working on detailed design, while site excava-tion is underway and completion is slated for November 2012. The museum will focus on education with four sub-categories.

METROPOL PARASOL

Architect:Jurgen Mayer H.Location:Seville, Spain

Proudly holding at least one record ahead of Dubai, the Metropol Parasol is the world’s biggest build-ing to be held together by glue. The 28.5-metre high structure contains four fl oors with a market, shops and a podium for concerts and events. The basement accommodates Ro-man ruins while the roof houses a restaurant, viewing gallery and an undulating walkway with vistas over central Seville.

7,432METRES2

TOTAL AREA OFWADI RUM

RESORT

18,000METRES2

TOTAL AREA OFTHE PARASOL

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SOWWAH SQUARE

Architect:Goettsch PartnersLocation:Abu Dhabi

Pitching for LEED Silver status, Sowwah Square will provide the new headquarters for the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and comprises four offi ce towers overlooking water. The complex contains over 290,000m2 of offi ce space and in-tegrates two levels of retail and two parking structures. The centerpiece of the development’s fi rst phase is the business centre, which includes a 22,670m2 stock exchange building.

TRAHEADQUARTERS

Architect: HDRLocation:Dubai

In December 2007, the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) commissioned ar-chitect HDR to design its headquar-ters for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Dubai project is located in a neighbourhood of low rise residential and cultural buildings and is looking to attain LEED Silver Rating. The facility will be offi cially opened in October 2011 while the Abu Dhabi project will be completed next year.

AL FATTAN HOUSE

Architect:DSA Architects InternationalLocation:Dubai

Al Fattan House is the third building by developer Al Fattan Properties in Dubai Marina. The client wanted to complement the existing Al Fattan residential and hotel towers develop-ment with a commercial building and chose architects DSA to design the scheme. The striking project is a prominent landmark, despite being dwarfed by the glassy Al Fattan towers and the soaring concrete cityscape of Dubai Marina.

THEWORKPROJECT UPDATE

290,000METRES2

TOTAL AREA OFOFFICE SPACE

31,000METRES2TOTAL FLOOR AREA

OF THE COMPLEX


MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 09.11 | www.designmena.com62 63

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FLOORINGPUREDesso

Recycling is a key component of sustainability, and European carpet manufacturer Desso recycles various items - including its own tiles and its competitors’ products - to create brand new carpet tiles with a subtle rib-effect. Items that contain PVC are not recycled. Pure is available in various shades of neutral brown, beige and grey, as well as more vivid colours such as red, purple and blue.

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Dedon’s Nestrest hanging lounger won the 2011 Good Design ‘Green Product Award’ for innovative and ecologically-minded design concepts. Created by two of France’s young talents, Fred Frety and Daniel Pouzet, Nestrest is a teardrop-shaped hanging pod made with a special new weave of super-sized Dedon fibre.

AUTOMATIONMICROMASTERVDA

VDA’s new Micromaster system guestroom automation helps to lower a hotel’s energy consumption and carbon footprint. The system features a sculpted touch-control screen - similar to an iPad - that allows guests to adapt

their lighting and temperature levels for optimum comfort. It relays real-time updates, based upon actual occupancy levels, to the Building Managent System (BMS) so that the hotel can fine-tune its energy usage.

APPSUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURERobert Hotten

Created by Robert Hotten, a teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, this app contains hints on sustainable development processes and practices. It provides information about natural buildings, environmental design and how to follow principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability.

www.designmena.com | 09.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

BOOKARCHITECTURAL LIGHTINGHerve Descottes and Cecilia Ramos

This critical text is a conceptual framework for understanding the application of lighting in the built environment. The important considerations of lighting design are described with accompanying diagrams, while six case studies explain how the principles are applied. Short essays by architect Steven Holl, artist Sylvain Dubuisson, and landscape architect James Corner are also included.

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DOHA TWIN TOWERSArchitect: GHD GlobalLocation: Lusail, Qatar

CASE STUDY


THE PROJECT This billowing twin tower project

in Qatar was designed by GHD Global and is currently awaiting the go-ahead from an unnamed local developer. The scheme was designed to meet the client’s target net fl oor area ratio of 398%.

Overall water consumption will be reduced by 40% though the use of native plantation, water reducing fi xtures, storm water re-use and grey water treatment strategies. The building also aims to produce 5% of its energy from renewable sources, such as photovoltaics, that are built into the shading system on the façade.

THE SITE The scheme is located in Lusail,

a new city that is being constructed 15km north of Doha city centre. Situated at the fi rst main street junction in the marina district, the project will occupy one of the most prominent sites in Lusail.

A shading system, based on the Arabic mashrabi-ya, was devised through an analysis of shading patterns. This study also led to the provision of pedestrian connections with the marina boardwalk in order to animate the site.

80%USABLE SPACESWITH DAYLIGHT

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TOTAL AREA OOFWADI RUM

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D Silver status,will provide the

62/66THE WORK

MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT | 09.11 | www.designm62

FLOORINGPUREDesso

Recycling is a key component of sustainability, and European carpet manufacturer Desso recycles variousitems - including its own tiles and its competitors’ products - to createbrand new carpet tiles with a subtle rib-effect. Items that contain PVC are not recycled. Pure is available in various shades of neutral brown, beigeand grey, as well as more vivid colours such as red, purple and blue.

MIDDLE EMMIDDLE EASMIDDLE IDIDDLE EAST ARCHITECTMIDDLE MIDDLE EDDLE EAST ARCHITECTEAMIDDLE EAST ARCHITECASDLE EAST ARCHITECST ARCEAST ARCHITECEAST ARCHITECTIDDLE EAST ARCHMIDDLE EAST AMIDDLE EAST ARRCHITMIDDLE EAST ARCHIAST ARCDLE EAST ARCHITECAST ARCHMIDDLE EAST ARCHITECTDLE EAST ARCHITECTARCHITECTDLE EAST ARCHITECTMIDDLE EADDLE EAST ARCHITECTDDLE EAST ARCHITECTDDLE EAST AADDLE EAST ARCHITECCHITECMIDDLE EAST ARCHITERCHITECTLEDDLE EAST ARCHITECIDDLLE EAST ARCHITECE EASTE EAST ARCH TMIDDLE EAST A CHHITECTTTEC |||| 09009 199 19 111109.1109.1109.09.1109.109.1109.1.109.1111 | || www.desww.desww.dedwww.desiwww.des.dewww.desiwww.deswwwww.desiww.desiwww.www.desdwww.dewwwww.dd iwwww.dededw.desi5055050505005050/60CASE

STUDIES

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DOHA TWIN TOWERSArchitect: GHD GlobalLocation: Lusail, Qatar

CASE STUDY

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THE PROJECT This billowing twin tower project

in Qatar was designed by GHD Global and is currently awaiting the go-ahead from an unnamed local developer. The scheme was designed to meet the client’s target net fl oor area ratio of 398%.

Overall water consumption will be reduced by 40% though the use of native plantation, water reducing fi xtures, storm water re-use and grey water treatment strategies. The building also aims to produce 5% of its energy from renewable sources, such as photovoltaics, that are built into the shading system on the façade.

THE SITE The scheme is located in Lusail,

a new city that is being constructed 15km north of Doha city centre. Situated at the fi rst main street junction in the marina district, the project will occupy one of the most prominent sites in Lusail.

A shading system, based on the Arabic mashrabi-ya, was devised through an analysis of shading patterns. This study also led to the provision of pedestrian connections with the marina boardwalk in order to animate the site.

80%USABLE SPACESWITH DAYLIGHT


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Further sustainable solutions include carefully angled glazing to minimize direct solar radiation, as well as a composite sun shading handrail system. These shading strategies are said to reduce direct incident solar radiation on the facades by 70%.

THE DETAILS Sky gardens are located across the

main façade of each tower, off ering communal spaces. A series of verti-cal shading elements follow the solar radiation pattern by progressively changing their angle and exposing more of the west façade.

THE CONCEPT The massing concept of the towers

and podium is based on a series of dhows on choppy waters. The podium is designed to resemble sea waves, with two sloping ribbed forms refl ecting water ripples, and will contain commercial and retail spaces. Commenting on project chal-lenges, Brendan Texeira, concept architect, added: “We were faced with stringent urban planning guide-lines which limited not only the tower footprint, but also the podium and tower heights. The challenge was daunting.” 398%

TARGET NETFLOOR AREA

RATIO

In partnership with

Building Future Education MENA is a 2 day free-to-attend international exhibition and conference focused on education design and build in the Middle East and North Africa. BFE MENA will cover all tiers of education including early years,

schools, higher education, research, vocational education and training centres and special needs.

25 – 26 October 2011Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Join the conversation: Follow BFE MENA on @ BFEducationMENA and join the group “Building Future Education MENA”

and group “Building Future Education Middle East and North Africa.”

Exclusive destination partner:

Renewable energy partner:

Knowledge partners:

Media partners: Event partners:Official media partner: Co-located with: Organised by:Official news wire & online press kit

distributor:

Supported by: Platinum sponsors: Gold sponsors:

news and views on the business of learningEducationInvestor

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DUBIOTECHRESEARCHLABORATORY Architect: HDRLocation: Dubai

CASE STUDY

55www.designmena.com | 09.11 | MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT

THE PROJECT This US$25m complex in Dubai

was the fi rst research facility to be completed in DuBiotech, a huge freezone dedicated to the life sci-ence industry. Architect HDR was also responsible for the freezone masterplan, as well

THE SITE Located on a site adjacent to

Dubailand, the footprint features long blocks radiating from a central core along the east-west axis to minimise solar gain and maximise views. Louvers are located on the

northern face of the building to catch the predominant

winds.Views from future high-rise developments will benefi t from the project’s minimal use of

rooftop mechanisms and the landscaping strategy

respects the surrounding desert environment.

as a headquarters building which is under construction.

A common requirement for the facilities in DuBiotech is

the achievement of LEED certifi cation, and HDR’s

32,500m2 research

laboratory received Silver status at the end of 2010.

The building’s façades allude to biotechnology research; some of the windows and louvers mimic the im-ages on a ‘southern blot’, a method used in molecular biology.

2.8MMETRES2TOTAL BUILT UP AREA

OF DUBIOTECHWHEN COMPLETE

ife sciDR e ell

the facilities in DuBthe achievemen

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The classical elements of fi re, wa-ter, earth and air formed the basis of the architects’ design. The orienta-tion and choice of materials are said to address the heat or ‘fi re’, while the use of louvres was a solution for the ‘air’. The fl at, sandy site - the ‘earth’ - was sculpted into dunes and valleys. Together with the refl ective pool in the lobby, these landscaping features give the allusion of an oasis in the desert. The last remaining element - a scarce natural resource in Dubai - is addressed by the grey water principles in the fi xtures to minimise water consumption.

$25MVALUE OF THE

RESEARCH LABORATORY

PROJECT

THE DETAILS Responding to the heat, the

facades were clad in an absorptive material, predominantly local sand-stone veneer panels on a reinforced concrete structure. The south façade contains high-performance glazing and solar shading devices,

while the north façade opens up to allow the pas-sage of natural light and views through vision glass.

The solid east and west-facing short end walls of the bars are also clad in sandstone to mitigate

the direct solar gain during the morning and

afternoon. The building’s roof features an array of photovoltaic panels on a high-albedo membrane material to take advantage of sun-light as an additional energy source.

ORGANIZED BY: DIAMOND SPONSOR

The 23rd International Construction Technology

and Building Materials Exhibition

16 - 19 OCTOBER 2011RIYADH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTER

RIYADH, KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA

TAKE IT TO THE WORLD’S NEXT LEVEL

Concurrently held:

The 14th International Stone and

Stone Technology Show

www.saudibuild-expo.comTel: +966 1 2295604

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RENAISSANCE TOWERArchitect: FXFOWLELocation: Istanbul, Turkey

CASE STUDY

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THE PROJECT Designed by New York-based

architecture fi rm FXFOWLE, Re-naissance Tower is the headquarters for a construction and development company in Instanbul, Turkey’s larg-est city. With sustainability well and

THE SITE Occupying a prominent site at the

intersection of two major highways, the tower is said to function “like an obelisk” marking the end of a long vista and signifying the entrance to the city from the east. Standing at 185 metres, the Renaissance Tower will be the tallest building on the Anatolian (Asian) side of Istanbul upon completion next year.The building is orientated to maxi-mise solar effi ciency and minimise East - West solar gain.

truly on the agenda, the tower has an ambitious target of LEED Platinum - the highest rank in the international rating system.

“Rooted in the particular spirit of Istanbul, the tower off ers an antidote

to the universal application of conventions without regard to locale, which has unfortunately become the norm in many emerging global cities,” adds Dan Kaplan, senior partner at FXFOWLE.

33˚TOWER ROTATION

FOR OPTIMUMSOLAR CONTROL


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The base features a water garden refl ecting the tower and sky, a step garden allowing access to a pavilion roof, and a social piazza. “These green spaces temper the insistent vertical stacking and hermetic environments so often found in high-rise design,” adds Kaplan.

THE DETAILS Three groupings of two-storey-

high sky gardens are placed at key exposures. As well as acting as a thermal buff er between the exterior and interior, the gardens provide access to fresh air and off er a break

area for offi ce workers. A larger exterior garden crowns

the tower and contains a wood conference ‘pod’. Other green measures include heat recovery

via heat exchanging wheels, blackwater treat-

ment, low-fl ow fi xtures and the use of recycled materials.

THE CONCEPT The design is said to be guided

by a combination of “cultural responses and sustainable innova-tion”. The chiseled massing takes cues from Ottoman geometric motifs and local landforms while also adhering to the municipal envelope restrictions.

The tower is rotated 33 degrees for optimum solar control as de-termined through isolation model-ing. A stippled golden scrim, var-ied in density according to solar orientation, further reduces heat load. These measures validate the use of fl oor-to-ceiling glass.

185METRES

EXPECTED HEIGHT OF THE RENAISSANCE

TOWER

www.lightME.net

The Middle East‘s Premier Conference and Exhibition

for Lighting Design and Technology

12 – 14 September, 2011Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, UAE

What‘s unique about Light Middle East?

• One of the 6 global exhibitions in the portfolio of Light+Building Exhibitions.

• The only dedicated lighting platform in the region.

• Attended by architects, lighting designers, specifiers and other industry

professionals from across the GCC.

• Over 200 exhibitors from 20 countries will be a part of the 2011 show.

Don‘t miss!

3 days of quality conferencing, including Green Middle East Conference (supported by

Sesam Business Consultants) and Light Insight Arabia Conference (supported by PLDA).

To know more about these conferences, please visit www.lightME.net

Pre-register online at www.lightME.net/visit

Enter VP Code LTAD060 when registering online

62

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SOWWAH SQUARE

Architect:Goettsch PartnersLocation:Abu Dhabi

Pitching for LEED Silver status, Sowwah Square will provide the new headquarters for the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and comprises four offi ce towers overlooking water. The complex contains over 290,000m2 of offi ce space and in-tegrates two levels of retail and two parking structures. The centerpiece of the development’s fi rst phase is the business centre, which includes a 22,670m2 stock exchange building.

TRAHEADQUARTERS

Architect: HDRLocation:Dubai

In December 2007, the UAE’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) commissioned ar-chitect HDR to design its headquar-ters for both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Dubai project is located in a neighbourhood of low rise residential and cultural buildings and is looking to attain LEED Silver Rating. The facility will be offi cially opened in October 2011 while the Abu Dhabi project will be completed next year.

AL FATTAN HOUSE

Architect:DSA Architects InternationalLocation:Dubai

Al Fattan House is the third building by developer Al Fattan Properties in Dubai Marina. The client wanted to complement the existing Al Fattan residential and hotel towers develop-ment with a commercial building and chose architects DSA to design the scheme. The striking project is a prominent landmark, despite being dwarfed by the glassy Al Fattan towers and the soaring concrete cityscape of Dubai Marina.

THEWORKPROJECT UPDATE

290,000METRES2

TOTAL AREA OFOFFICE SPACE

31,000METRES2TOTAL FLOOR AREA

OF THE COMPLEX


22 - 25 October 2011 | Halls 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Rashid Hall and Maktoum Hall | Dubai World Trade Centre, UAEOpening Hours: 11:00 – 19:00 daily. No children under 18 years of age permitted to the exhibition.

WHERE INSPIRATION THRIVES

www.indexexhibition.com

…it just takes a special eye to see it.

THIS IS A CHANDELIER

The most innovative design starts with a designer’s vision.Visitors to INDEX understand that great design is much more than

simply assembling, arranging or editing, it is something that is felt!

Showcasing products and services that range from traditional to quirky, opulent to minimalist, INDEX provides all the creativity and

inspiration you need for your next design project.

To find out more and to register online, visit: www.indexexhibition.com/attend

Scan the QR code and become part of the INDEX evolution

12017_Index_ME_Architect_205X275mm_Light_Vstr.ai 7/17/11 12:43:02 PM


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DOHA STADIUM

Architect:Aedas/PopulousLocation:Doha

A design collaboration between Aedas and Populous, this stadium addresses the requirements for the 2022 World Cup and provides multiple future uses. As a World Cup venue, the fully air-conditioned stadium will provide 46,000 seats with state-of-the-art broadcast and media facilities, luxurious VIP areas and a retractable roof. The fl exible design will allow the pitch and areas of seating to be moveable.

WADI RESORT

Architect:Oppenheim Architecture + DesignLocation:Wadi Rum, Jordan

Taking cues from nearby Petra, the ambitious Wadi Resort in Jordan will feature 47 desert lodges and villas carved into sandstone cliff s. Designed by USA-based Oppenheim Architecture + Design, the resort is set to open in 2014. It will cover almost 7500m2 in Wadi Rum, a spectacular valley cut into sandstone and granite. The rock will create the exterior facade and also parts of the interior and furniture.

MUSEUM OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Architect:FXFowleLocation:King Abdullah Financial District,Saudi Arabia

One of the stand-out buildings in the King Abdullah Financial District, the glistening Museum of Built Envi-ronment has been designed by New York-based fi rm FXFowle. Due to the fast-track construction schedule, the architects are currently working on detailed design, while site excava-tion is underway and completion is slated for November 2012. The museum will focus on education with four sub-categories.

METROPOL PARASOL

Architect:Jurgen Mayer H.Location:Seville, Spain

Proudly holding at least one record ahead of Dubai, the Metropol Parasol is the world’s biggest build-ing to be held together by glue. The 28.5-metre high structure contains four fl oors with a market, shops and a podium for concerts and events. The basement accommodates Ro-man ruins while the roof houses a restaurant, viewing gallery and an undulating walkway with vistas over central Seville.

7,432METRES2

TOTAL AREA OFWADI RUM

RESORT

18,000METRES2

TOTAL AREA OFTHE PARASOL

21 – 24 November 2011 Dubai International Exhibition &

Convention Centre

www.thebig5.ae/arc2

Online registration is now open. To register free of charge visit www.thebig5.ae/arc2 or for more information call +971 4 438 0355.

The Big 5 is the largest showcase of new & unique

construction products in the Middle East where you can:

Source thousands of products ranging from fit-out to heavy construction

Discover the latest global technologies all under one roof

Choose from over 2,500 global suppliers from 75 countries

Compare certified sustainable products from the dedicated Green Zone

Maximize your time onsite via the online interactive floor planner

FIND INSPIRATIONAL PRODUCTS AT THE BIG 5


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EMIRATES GOLF CLUB

Architect:Brewer Smith Brewer Gulf Location:Dubai

This is a revamp of Dubai’s Emirates Golf Club by Brewer Smith Brewer Gulf (BSBG), the fi rm that originally designed the facility some 23 years ago. The club house was designed to look like a cluster of Bedouin tents, and has since become one of the most recognisable icons on the interna-tional golf circuit. Asset management fi rm Wasl, which manage the facility, wanted BSBG to modernise the club facility but retain its iconic structure.

THE GEM

Architect: Henning LarsenLocation: Riyadh

This project is one of eight that architecture fi rm Henning Larsen has designed at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). The Gem consists of three separate buildings – one residential, one offi ce and a multi-purpose podium over-looking a garden, which is linked to the green pedestrian thoroughfare of the district. Designed for client Saudi Bin Laden, the 33,500m2 project is due to be completed in 2013.

BMW BRAND SHOWROOMS

Architect:Diar ConsultLocation:Abu Dhabi

Planned in three phases, this 35,000m2 project involves the redevelopment of the showrooms and workshop facilities of the BMW brand, on its existing site by the Al Maqta bridge in Abu Dhabi. Designed by Diar Consult, phase one was opened at the end of March 2011 and delivered the Middle East’s largest Rolls Royce showroom as well as a MiniCooper showroom.

35,000METRES2

TOTAL AREA

ONE & ONLY THE PALM

Architect: DSA InternationalLocation:Dubai

This fi ve star hotel on the furthest frond of Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah was picked up by DSA International in 2006, which opted to change most of the original design. The hotel was fi nally completed in 2010, and has been operating at 85% capacity since opening. The project has 100 rooms, split between individual villas, mansions and a manor house, and overlooks the Royal Mirage’s other beachfront hotel.

23YEARS SINCE

ORIGINALDESIGN


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FLOORINGPUREDesso

Recycling is a key component of sustainability, and European carpet manufacturer Desso recycles various items - including its own tiles and its competitors’ products - to create brand new carpet tiles with a subtle rib-effect. Items that contain PVC are not recycled. Pure is available in various shades of neutral brown, beige and grey, as well as more vivid colours such as red, purple and blue.

BOOKARCHITECTURAL LIGHTINGHerve Descottes and Cecilia Ramos

This critical text is a conceptual framework for understanding the application of lighting in the built environment. The important considerations of lighting design are described with accompanying diagrams, while six case studies explain how the principles are applied. Short essays by architect Steven Holl, artist Sylvain Dubuisson, and landscape architect James Corner are also included.

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FURNISHINGNESTRESTDedon

Dedon’s Nestrest hanging lounger won the 2011 Good Design ‘Green Product Award’ for innovative and ecologically-minded design concepts. Created by two of France’s young talents, Fred Frety and Daniel Pouzet, Nestrest is a teardrop-shaped hanging pod made with a special new weave of super-sized Dedon fibre.

AUTOMATIONMICROMASTERVDA

VDA’s new Micromaster system guestroom automation helps to lower a hotel’s energy consumption and carbon footprint. The system features a sculpted touch-control screen - similar to an iPad - that allows guests to adapt

their lighting and temperature levels for optimum comfort. It relays real-time updates, based upon actual occupancy levels, to the Building Managent System (BMS) so that the hotel can fine-tune its energy usage.

APPSUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURERobert Hotten

Created by Robert Hotten, a teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, this app contains hints on sustainable development processes and practices. It provides information about natural buildings, environmental design and how to follow principles of environmental, social and economic sustainability.


LAST WORD | RICHARD MARSHALL


Richard Marshall, joint CEO of Woods Bagot, describes the UAE’s green credentials

THE LAST WORD

ECOEMIRATES Our clients are suddenly becoming a lot more interested in sustainability. They are actually making sure that projects will stack up fi nancially.

Before the crisis it was very much lip service. People were interested in getting assets they could sell rather than keeping assets they could manage through the lifecycle of a normal project. The mentally of the developer was not geared to the performance of the building in 15 or 30 years’ time.

I think any government policy will always lag behind design technology and innovation. While LEED, Estidama, and the Green Building Council is a step in the right direction, I don’t think it will be enough to drive a diff erent way of thinking.

I believe that Estidama hasn’t completely considered the embedded cost on the developer. Until you get a number of projects going through that system it will be very diffi cult to see if there is any interest from the developer community, which is already struggling to sell products.

It’s often very fundamental things that make the largest gains. A lot has to do with a building’s orientation.

My experience in Australia and China would suggest that sustainability is actually driven by the tenants. They demand a certain specifi cation for what they want to occupy, and developers have to deliver those specifi cations. I think it can be led by the government, but ultimately it has to be driven by the society’s wants and needs.

I think the Dubai Metro needs to be expanded to where people live and work. It’s a test programme - it doesn’t capture any major population centres to fulfi l a broad sustainability agenda. In a disaggregated urban fabric that is Dubai, it’s very diffi cult to get those kinds of effi ciencies.

architect sep 11 volume 5

Documents

founder of leed

tallest green building

cma tower

leed points50discovering

ers lessons

sustainable cities

chiselled ecotower

regions architects