Tackling Construction Challenges Of Middle East Through Sustainable Solutions

These are the pinnacles of eco-friendly construction around the world, ranging from stunning homes to compassionate clinics and productive workplaces. These structures are aesthetically pleasing and also serve a useful purpose.

Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, is an urban utopia brought (mostly) to life during the past 12 years by Masdar, a subsidiary of state-owned Mubadala Development Company. Wan is the chief of city design management for the sustainable real estate division, which was established so that the company could both diversify away from oil and become a pioneer in renewable and clean technology. Without resorting to high-tech solutions, he shows how the impacts of radiant heat can be mitigated by the use of cover, wind, and sunlight—all of which have been available in the UAE since its inception as a collection of tribal villages.

Making An Impact On Regional Policymaking

Sustainability is a primary factor in the region's long-term goals and vision for policymaking. There are plans to increase renewable supply by 30% in Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of Vision 2030, with an emphasis on 75% clean energy in Dubai by 2050.

Many energy consumption rules, as well as policies regarding the use of new technologies, novel materials, and unconventional building methods, are shaped by sustainability concerns. By contributing to the development of longevity-focused rules, sustainability is propelling the business ahead. A perfect illustration of this is the Pearl rating system, which awards points to developers based on the successful completion of measurable goals.

Environmental Considerations In Shaping Aesthetics

Because of the region's commitment to environmental responsibility, the Middle East is home to some of the world's most intricate and cutting-edge architectural designs. Sustainable architecture is being pushed further, in the region, to foster a healthy equilibrium between the built environment and its natural surroundings.

The key to long-term growth in the area is using novel tactics throughout the board, from the building's exterior to its interior. The development team is concentrating on the most effective methods to optimise energy management, and they are using both active and passive strategies to achieve the project's aims. Rainwater harvesting, recycled materials, reusing of resources, solar, and water management are only a few of the important activities that are make buildings green.

Creating An End To The Pollution Cycle Through Recycling

Saving the oceans and dealing with the growing mountain of electronic trash means recycling is absolutely necessary. This effective method can also be used to repurpose commercial garbage as building materials. Green cement, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants, was developed in Germany. Green cement also makes use of slag, the gritty byproduct of iron production when using blast furnaces.

Green cement is a cost-effective alternative to traditional cement since it requires fewer fossil fuels and more recycled material for production.

It is now practical in places like Dubai, where builders are required by law to use environmentally friendly cement. Aramco uses captured carbon from emissions to accelerate the hardening of concrete in the Middle Eastern country. This method shortens the time it takes to rehydrate building slabs from 28 to 3 days, while also conserving water by 80% and cutting carbon emissions by 70%.

Promoting Eco-Friendly Building Practices

Steel rods, together with concrete, play a crucial role in the structural integrity of buildings, yet the emissions from their manufacturing are destroying the planet. Each tonne of steel produced, results in two tonnes of carbon dioxide emission. Metal production could be less damaging if hydrogen were used instead of fossil fuels. The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are on pace to produce green hydrogen using the solar-powered electrolysis of water.

Green steel is being produced through a partnership between Emirates Steel and Abu Dhabi's National Energy Company Taqa, which generates hydrogen fuels. OQ, a government-owned company in Oman, is also looking to make some green steel and cement investments. In an effort to reduce reliance on metals, Saudi Aramco has expanded its use of polymer concrete and fibreglass bars through international collaborations.

Green steel is becoming a realistic choice to reduce construction costs as the price of natural gas and renewable energy decreases and the price of coal increases.

Considering that 3D printers have been used to produce everything from car parts to human organs and even vegan meat, is there anything they can't make? Using this technology has led to a revolution in every sector, from manufacturing to the construction of enormous homes in the Middle East. As a first step, 3D printing eliminates massive amounts of debris from the building process. The printer can calculate the exact amount of material required once the design has been finalised. Having the ability to print various components locally also helps save expenses.

Reusing materials like desert sand, demolition debris, and ceramic tile results in the concrete used in 3D-printed houses. Up to this point, a 3D-printed traditional villa has been built in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates. The world's tallest 3D printed structure stands 9.5 metres tall and covers 640 square metres of floor space in Dubai.

In addition, just three workers are needed to complete a 3D-printed home's construction, which significantly cuts down on expenses.

Sustainable Construction Sector Of Dubai

One of Dubai's goals is to build an environmentally friendly utopia called Sustainable City. While strolling through the neighbourhood, one gets the impression that they are in a Middle Eastern eco-utopia.

Each home has a solar panel mounted on the roof, and the interiors have been outfitted with UV-reflective paint and insulation to reduce the need for air conditioning. There are jogging paths, a ring road for cars, and even a horse centre on the outskirts. Diamond Developer, the business behind the project, is aiming higher than just a comfortable lifestyle. The team has been meeting with green councils and projects, as well as university partners like Herriot-Watt and the American Universities of Beirut and Cairo, in an effort to lower the country's carbon footprint, which was the largest in the world in 2010.

Architects in the UAE generally agree that a lack of customer education and the local environment pose the greatest obstacles to the development of eco-friendly building practices.

The dry climate and high temperatures make it difficult to implement environmentally friendly practices. Forget what designers may imaginatively describe as water features with reuse; there are no deep rainforest canopies to give shading, the windy sand lowers the effectiveness of solar panels, and any water feature comes at a price. Wan questions the feasibility of water recycling during the hot summer months. The mist simply dissipates.

If you want to live in comfort in Dubai, then you need air conditioning, according to Sven Mueller, founder of the architectural firm SvenM located in Dubai. Nothing else can be done to accomplish it. The question then becomes, "How do we produce extra energy to counteract that, and how do we protect buildings from these extreme conditions to preserve energy?"

Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director of Masdar's Sustainable Real Estate division, notes that there is a common misconception that the oil-rich United Arab Emirates has no reason to worry about green building.

The idea of sustainable architecture was not yet addressed in the region when they began developing the project in 2006, thus it presented a significant obstacle. Although we have an abundance of hydrocarbons right now, our focus is not on the present; rather, it is on the future.

For Mueller, "most importantly," the customer must "feel the urge to be more eco-friendly." "The primary goal of anyone considering construction of a project is to be conscious of the fact that their actions will leave a carbon footprint in this location and that they can take steps to mitigate the damage they do. They need to wonder how they can make that happen.

If officials in the Middle East are serious about reducing their carbon footprint, they must first determine how large that footprint currently is. Afterwards, stringent legislation mandating the use of environmentally friendly materials, similar to that which has been established in Dubai, is necessary.

Metals and cement made from renewable energy or recycled trash can save developers money in the long run, and they should be aware of this. Without reducing emissions from concrete jungles, simply planting more trees will not help.