- Home
- Conference Proceedings
- QScience Proceedings
- Conference Proceeding
Qatar Green Building Conference 2015 - The Vision
- Conference date: 27-28 Apr 2015
- Location: Doha, Qatar
- Volume number: 2015
- Published: 22 April 2015
1 - 20 of 42 results
-
-
Measuring the health of a city
More LessAs more cities are built and existing cities and their populations become larger and older, they will become more vulnerable to climate change, infrastructure failure, pollution, overcrowding, and the associated health problems. The challenge for future cities is to gain all the benefits that urban environments offer while reducing and managing potential health and safety problems. For successful cities of the future, one of the major current gaps in knowledge relates to understanding the factors that impact communities in terms of health and well being. Other attempts have been made to promote the development of healthy cities, and indeed the World Health Organisation has dedicated a programme to this very heading. But there is currently no way of benchmarking, measuring and comparing healthy cities. This presentation will report on progress with a BRE Trust funded research project that sets out to develop a Healthy Cities Index, which will measure cities against 8 indicators of environmental health and produce an overall score on a scale of 1-100 (with 1 being the worst and 100 being the best). The 8 indicators are: housing and neighbourhood; infrastructure; transport; open space/access to leisure; noise; air quality; safety/security; educational facilities; access to nutrition and clean water; and access to medical support. The housing indicator has been created using existing data sources and mapped against English cities, to prove the concept. The remaining indicators are in the process of being developed for England, before getting adapted to other world cities.
-
-
-
Energy audit and energy conservation procedures which can be used in retrofitting of buildings
By Saira MuneerThis presentation will include energy audit and energy conservation steps and methods. Energy audit presentation will include step by step energy conservation process. Details on retrofitting (energy saving methods and procedures will be included) which can be implemented to achieve the target energy saving and target reduction in carbon emission.The presentation will include following steps in detail.· Energy consumption will be measured in Electrical (KWH), HVAC (BTU), mechanical (m3) and landscape (m3) fields for specific facility.· After careful analysis of these readings in audit report, site visits will be performed to investigate where energy saving procedures can be implemented.· After implementation of energy saving procedures, monitoring will be done to check all the equipments are working properly.· Energy consumption will be measured again in Electrical (KWH), HVAC (BTU), mechanical (m3) and landscape (m3) and compared to the report developed initially. This report will provide saving achieved by implementing energy saving techniques.
-
-
-
Setting sustainable development strategy with HQE planning certification
More LessThe contribution focuses on an original project and an innovative approach in coastal environment: integrated tourist resort of Taghazout, both in urban and coastal areas in a context of strong water constraints.
An exemplary development and planning project that promotes a reasonable tourism development model towards socio-economic development strategy which is paying heed to preserving the environmental amenities of the area. A concerted and comprehensive approach to sustainable development is given credibility and catalyzed by the HQETM certification for sustainable planning.
HQETM certification is the only certification scheme in the world with such a wide and flexible field of application. It makes a link between a project and the communities expectations, while taking upstream phases into account and highlighting the link between area planning and urban resource allocation/design.
Economic, leisure and tourism aspects:
Given its strong appeal and its potential for development, the Taghazout Bay Resort and its 615 hectare site are designated as a Tourist Development Zone in Agadir's Coastal Urban Development Plan. Located within the rural municipalities of Taghazout and Aourir, it comprises a bay with 6 km of coastline and a beach free of facilities. The program includes tourist establishments, two golf courses, a medina, various sports academies, public and private facilities, and cooperative and residential housing.Setting sustainable development at the heart of its priorities, the resort design and development take into account the preservation of natural resources and the respect of the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities.
Social aspects, collaborations, governance:
The program, the ground-plan and the design are fully consistent with environmental and socio-economic objectives, as well as the site and area’s challenges. This project embodies the search for a new tourist development model and is part of a national and regional tourist and socio-economic development strategy. It is one of six tourist resorts planned under the Azur Plan, the Moroccan tourism strategy to 2020.This project serves as evidence of the overall management of an area development plan. SAPST (project developer) implemented the national policy and presented local stakeholders with a choice of resource allocation, design and concerted development. As a developer of a large-scale tourist destination, SAPST is committed to proactively address sustainable development concerns to ensure environmental protection, viable economic growth and equitable social progress.
Urban design, landscape, infrastructure:· Preservation of coastal area and environmental design: extremely low plot ratio (9.6%), absence of structures on the coastal strip & low building heights.· Urban design: a central Medina creating polarity for users of the resort and inhabitants of Agadir urban area designed to valorize local craftsmanship.· Creation of a bypass allowing a harmless servicing of coastal strip while preserving the structural features of regional transport.· Qualitative, non-aggressive and multi-modal process of highways and various networks.Through this case study, the paper proposes to highlight the advantages and limitations of international deployment of management system and certification of development projects, in connection with the contents and requirements of these systems in terms of governance and cross-thematic approach to social, environmental and economic issues.
-
-
-
Retrofitting traditional neighborhoods in Doha
More LessRapid urbanization in Doha during the past few decades has resulted in the disappearance of traditional neighborhoods that were replaced by modern mega real-estate developments, public buildings and projects. More traditional neighborhoods are threatened to be demolished to allow the construction of new real estate projects due to their land value and strategic locations. The most threatened areas are the ones located in the old city center adjacent to historical sites. There is a need to preserve these environments as they represent stages of Doha’s urban development and history. This paper presents strategies and proposals to preserve and improve one of Doha’s unique traditionally built environments. A group of graduate students from the Masters of Urban Planning and Design program at Qatar University carried out an in-depth study of one of the threatened traditionally built environments in Doha as part of Urban Planning Legislation course requirements. The area, known as Old-Mushaireb, located near the under-construction Msheireb, Downtown Doha and the renovated touristic attraction Souq Waqif, was the residence of many old Qatari families. It has a strategic location in the heart of Doha surrounded by main roads, namely; the A-Ring Road, Wadi Musheireb Street and Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmed Street. It contains large number of traditional houses, and historical and modern buildings. The perimeter of the area is occupied by mixed-use buildings constructed after the discovery of oil. The heart of the area contains a large number of traditional houses occupied by low income migrant workers. Each house is occupied by a large number of individuals with no adequate hygienic nor living conditions. The narrow streets and old fareejs are in a deteriorated condition lacking proper pavement and sewage system. Many buildings are either abandoned, deteriorated or neglected with no proper maintenance. The condition is not acceptable neither for the poor workers nor for the unique traditionally built environment and houses that are deteriorating rapidly and are on the verge of collapsing. The aim of this project was to study the area and introduce legislation to preserve and enhance the quality of the built environment that would consequently enhance the human experience and use of space. The goal was to make the area a national and tourist attraction representing a stage in the physical evolution of the built environment in Doha. Another objective was to ensure a quality experience in an attractive heritage place that would respect all age groups using a sustainable approach. The area was surveyed and documented applying urban planning and design methods and practices. The team members analyzed the area and proposed a preservation and improvement strategy that addresses the following components: 1) historical preservation, 2) safety and security, 3) children, 4) territoriality, 5) senior citizens, 6) walkability and 7) streets and parking. The study provides a model for a comprehensive strategy to retrofit, improve and preserve traditionally built environments that represent important stages of Doha’s urban development.
-
-
-
Environmental benefits from Green Guildings - A case study of RasGas Headquarters building Doha, Qatar
Authors: Mathew Elias, Bader Al Maseeh and Jose PhilipThis paper presents environmental benefits from green buildings based on a case study from the RasGas Headquarters building which is a LEED certified building under the Commercial Interiors Category. A comparison was made between utility costs of a typical commercial office building in Doha and the RasGas Headquarters building. The comparison shows substantial savings in utility costs for the green building. The authors encourage building owners and design consultants to be aware of the environmental and economic benefits from Green Buildings and include green features in the design of buildings. The authors believe that a good design is in fact a green design.
-
-
-
The efficacy of built morphology to create comfortable microclimates in a hot arid region
More LessSustainable city energy modelling for extreme climate areas such as hot arid climate zones require the knowledge of and the interaction with the territory in order to create a sustainable living for all inhabitants. To achieve this goal in an arid, dry area, we propose to modify buildings and microenvironment to affect, for example, temperatures and air humidity. To reduce energy costs and hence pollution, we need to find solutions that are more natural and capable of reducing energy costs and CO2 emissions, such as 1) the choice of an improved orientation of buildings and of the new urban area in order to reduce solar irradiation and facilitate cooling of buildings through convective air flows, 2) the implementation of green space in order to reduce CO2 emission, regulate air humidity and temperature, and to create a pleasant place to live.The method used is the study of alternative scenarios for settlement principles and built morphology as well as the assessment of energy costs and emissions.The first point that we must take in account for increasing the energy savings is the built morphology: examples are buildings shaped as inverted pyramids with few floors and therefore reducing energy costs and cost of vertical mobility. The shape acts like an umbrella to produce a shadow and allows the creation of green spaces and a pleasant movement through pedestrian focused facilities. The roof can host green spaces for the thermal insulation of the building and solar panels for environmentally friendly production of energy and reflection of solar rays.Floor orientation: the rotation of the various layers/floors allows to distribute the solar irradiation and facilitate the cooling (air-conditioning) of the buildings.Services and facilities for entertainment and recreation are integrated in the buildings. Interstices and green terraces in the building will help the natural air ventilation and create a perfect machine for living.The aggregation of inverted pyramid building types create a more interesting and enjoyable pedestrian and peaceful pathway in the building shadow to reach all available services and facilities housed in the various buildings and in the open space. Finally, the green space on the ground and roof will be useful to reduce the CO2 pollution through photosynthesis providing inhabitants with a high quality of life in a green microclimate.In addition to settlement principles, the built morphology creates comfortable microclimates for the human life.The objective of this research project is to identify a built typology able to define an urban model capable of improving the life of people living under extreme environmental conditions.
-
-
-
Bioclimatic principles towards sustainable, comfortable and energy efficient societies
Authors: Diaa El-Masry, Eman Farag, Lamya Salem and Martha KatafygiotouBioclimatic architecture has developed over many years to address the problems inherent in buildings. Through a process of trial and error our ancestors have found effective ways to handle the different climatic conditions. All through history, people were trying to adapt their buildings with the environment in order to create better living conditions. Traditionally, dwellings and other buildings have been constructed with full respect to the characteristics of a particular geographical location in order to control its local climatic conditions. Consequently, different types of architecture have arisen to adapt different climatic and cultural conditions, which vary from region to region. Traditional and vernacular buildings showed real sustainability through employing native construction materials and techniques, which efficiently enabled them to minimize their negative environmental impacts, reduce the energy required to supply different climatic controllers and provide indoor thermal comfort.Nowadays, the trend towards an internationalized style of building could result in a reduction in the traditional solutions, which have served several cultures well for many centuries. Of course, people quite rightly demand new architectural designs and high standards of comfort in buildings. These demands are also achievable through the careful combination of traditional and modern bioclimatic principles. The advantages of this option are clear; there is a dramatic reduction of energy needs and an increased use of the architectural style with which people feel at ease. Green buildings and bioclimatic architecture may also promote the preservation of heritage and cultural identity which is a very important matter for the evolving societies. Furthermore while the preservation of natural resources is a universal issue, the specific importance of sustainability and passive design is an up to date topic. Therefore this review paper examines the integration of bioclimatic strategies and passive techniques in modern architecture towards a sustainable, comfortable and energy efficient built environment focusing on the warm climatic regions of the world.
-
-
-
State of the art on indoor comfort and occupants behavior in warm climatic regions
Authors: Diaa El-Masry, Eman Farag, Lamya Salem and Martha KatafygiotouIndoor thermal comfort is essential for occupants well-being, productivity and efficiency. Comfort standards state criteria in order to create adequate thermal comfort conditions in buildings. Early on, humans tended to create a thermally neutral environment in which they can feel comfortable to spend the most creative hours of their life. One of the greatest challenges of modern architecture is to create a thermally comfortable environment inside buildings, studying in detail all the factors that contribute to it. Nowadays the aim is also to achieve the preeminent indoor air quality and specifically thermal comfort with the minimum possible energy cost and environmental impact.This paper is a literature review of the thermal comfort requirements based on international standards and occupants behavioral trends with their effect especially on the energy consumption. The study focuses in the warm humid climatic regions particularly the Gulf area where comfort preservation and sustainability of a building could be very challenging. Extremely high temperatures and intense solar radiation are on the rise in this era of climate change and global warming. Thus achieving indoor thermal comfort and reducing energy usage in buildings is becoming increasingly difficult. Passive strategies and bioclimatic techniques may serve well and in combination with the growing environmental awareness of occupants may conclude to a more comfortable and sustainable built environment.
-
-
-
Cemfree: The development of non-Portland cement based concretes
Authors: Martin Liska and Deirdra BartholomewThis paper outlines the development of a cement-free structural concrete known as Cemfree. From concept through to laboratory testing and large-scale field trials, this paper focusses on the scale-up of the technology and the advances in sustainable and durable construction that this innovative material allows.Such concretes are produced using conventional materials, equipment and practices, except that it is now possible to produce structural-grade concrete using a highly sustainable, highly durable alternative binder in place of conventional Portland cement - this binder is known as Cemfree Binder.This paper details the results and data recorded during our internal lab investigations and subsequent field trials; as well as the results and findings of other parties who have had access to the material for independent testing and evaluation.The Cemfree concept has been recognised by Shell in their Springboard Awards 2013, and by Crossrail as Innovation #001 in their Innov18 programme. Cemfree is set to radically change our approach to sustainable construction without the need to change or modify any of our fundamental working practices.
-
-
-
Renewable algal bricks
More LessThe construction material industry is responsible for approximately 25% of global CO2 emissions associated with material manufacturing in addition to consumption of significant non-renewable natural resources. Leading environmental and energy guidelines and certification bodies therefore promote the reduction of carbon footprint of the building and the use of a high recycling content in the construction materials.The aim of this research is to tackle the issues of natural resources conservation, carbon footprint of construction materials and waste management by producing a renewable construction brick made from micro algae, with almost 100% renewable and recycled content using a very low energy process.Micro-Algae has a higher yield of oil production than terrestrial crops whilst providing no competition for agricultural land and water. It could be cultivated using seawater and solar heat, the most abundant resources on the planet. This research paper will present a holistic approach (patent pending) to produce the algal bricks which comprise of:· The most suitable microalgae species as precursors for the brick manufacturing; · Associated oil yields and characteristics; and · A novel low energy polymerisation process to produce an engineered brick with variable properties depending on the intended use. Compressive Strengths that could be achieved exceed those of conventional Portland cement concrete.The engineered brick is characterised by a negative carbon footprint, and is manufactured from renewable and recycled feedstock.
-
-
-
Evaluating thermal performance in residential buildings: Examination of conventional wall materials in the regional climates of Egypt
More LessThis paper is the first part of a sequenced simulation analysis which aims at improving the thermal performance of Residential buildings through variations of external walls in Egypt. The findings of this paper present preliminary thermal analysis done for an air conditioned standard office building. The study focused on the thermal performance assessment of the building’s local construction wall materials and the analysis has been carried out using dynamic thermal simulations using the hourly weather data of Alexandria, Cairo and Aswan. A typical open residential space was selected for assessment, wall construction materials were selected according to a survey done for façade materials of office buildings in a smart village and fifth’s settlements in Cairo. The simulations in this paper were carried out in two consecutive stages: the first stage addressed the air temperature and energy usage on a year-round basis to define the peak day and the worst orientation among the four main orientations. The second stage results focused on the peak day occupancy time and the worst orientation performance of the building. Peak day results were analyzed and compared in the three studied cities. The thermal performance of the conventional wall materials showed that the predicted percentage of dissatisfied people was (21%) and (27.5%) in Alexandria, a Mediterranean coastal region, and Cairo, a semi desert region, respectively. While the higher predicted percentage of dissatisfied people (34%) was attained in the extreme dry desert region of Aswan.
-
-
-
The role of rating systems in the development of sustainable urban environments
More LessCreating sustainable urban environments is one of the biggest challenges that the Middle East will be facing over the coming years. Fueled by an economic boom that adds pressure on available resources, Qatar, like other countries in the region, is at a crossroads to rethink its approach to urban planning and design to create more sustainable built environments on a macro level and redefine the impact of its future cities. First steps have already been taken as part of the country’s ongoing efforts to realize the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.This presentation highlights sustainability rating systems as tools that enable planners and designers to redefine their approach to creating neighborhoods and cities in the Middle East. It examines LEED Neighborhoods and GSAS Districts as two rating systems that are currently applied in Qatar and sheds some light on their structure, scope and application to projects. Comparing both systems reveals unique aspects for each but most importantly highlights important similarities when it comes to defining sustainability on an urban scale. Analyzing both shows the importance of considering a number of key factors that make cities more resilient: buildings, infrastructure, transportation, social and cultural factors, security, the use of natural resources and other important factors. These tools can also provide insight into how well new urban environments would perform, revealing valuable lessons for everyone to learn from.
-
-
-
Existing buildings; Energy auditing and assessment
Authors: Fedaa Ali and Mohamed RadyIn order to develop a platform to assess building operational energy performance and identify energy conservation measures in existing buildings, Qatar Energy and Environment Research Institute (QEERI) has released a proposal to conduct a survey to benchmark existing building performance and to identify the energy conservation measures needed in order to reduce energy consumption. Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) and QEERI agreed to take the Clubhouse as a first model for this endeavor, as it is a QF public facility. This paper summarizes the work conducted during energy auditing of the Clubhouse through analysis and assessment. It also recommends the potential changes that can be made to the architectural design, operation and maintenance of the existing system in order to reduce energy consumption and prioritize each opportunity in terms of the cost and potential benefit. An energy saving of approximately 55% of the current energy usage (from 1,379,090 kWh/year to 758499 kWh/year) was found possible by applying the recommended energy conservation measures.
-
-
-
Towards a more sustainable Qatar; retrofitting mindsets, one by one
More LessHistorically the peoples of Arabia have had a strong affinity with and respect to nature, recognizing that their life depended on a mutually supportive relationship. These intertwined connections between people and nature included a reverence for the camels that provided a dependable mode of transport across the harsh desert landscape; a deep affection for the majestic falcons that soared high above vast sand dunes in search of prey; and a great pride in the saluki dog breed as a loyal and skillful hunting companion. Through the generations, nomadic and static tribes in the Gulf have learned how to coexist with their hostile desert environment, following nature’s path to water and fertile plains. And, while this bond endures, with the advent of oil wealth, which has brought with it unprecedented rates of development, it is a connection which at best is under strain and at worst on a catastrophic path as much desired rapid development brings with it demands on the environment and incursions into the landscape as never before; dredging destroying sea grass plains and their associated weird and wonderful wildlife; agriculture requiring ever more water, irreparably depleting natural aquifers and necessitating higher levels of energy draining desalination; and skyscraper cities demanding more electricity to light, keep cool and give residents the comforts they need. Add to this an ever growing mound of waste generated by a swelling population and the picture does not look favorable for Arabia and her peoples.What will it take to restore the human-environment balance? What needs to be retrofitted? Is it simply a matter of technical fixes, add-ons or replacements? Or is there a need for a more fundamental change? Do we need to retrofit mindsets, both individual and organizational, with a new set of overarching socially and environmentally driven principles that allow Qatar to continue along its developmental path while enhancing its historical ties with the environment? In short, is it possible to design or retrofit our way towards a sustainable Qatar? It will be argued in this paper that no amount of technological retrofits or prestigious sustainable planned communities, such as those of Lusail, The Pearl and Msheihreb, will in and of themselves solve the problems faced by Qatar unless there is an associated fundamental change in mindsets at all levels and in all communities, underpinned by a deeply held responsibility for our own impacts on the environment around us and a desire to minimize them. Drawing on examples from individual, organizational and community driven initiatives in solid waste management in Qatar, this paper will illustrate the complexity of the task ahead, how retrofitting mindsets might be achieved and the obstacles faced.
-
-
-
Technology and performance contracting to retrofit Doha
Authors: Charles Blaschke, Mohammed Mahboob and Chris BurkhardtInsight and live case studies to show performance and actual uses in the field, along with an outline how energy performance contracting, technology and engineering is being applied in the UAE to help the country retrofit 30,000 buildings by 2020 and reduce the countrywide power demand by 30% over the period; and how Doha can reap large energy capacity, generation, distribution and cost savings by implementing policy with targeted goals and enforcement. Insight into how BIM is being used for a variety of energy efficiency, performance contracting and energy management projects to help the energy consumption and demand of the building sector to be reduced by up to 50% shared savings retrofit models that require no capital cost to the owner. It will offer an opportunity to see how building information is helping to streamline work during planning, implementation, documentation and operation of Energy Performance Contracting, commissioning and energy management projects. This includes energy modeling and analysis, visualization, energy reporting, measurement and verification through BIM, while organizing building data of existing buildings. A brief discussion about how building data from existing buildings (drawings, O&M manuals, maintenance logs) can be organized using BIM to better suit facilities managers, owners and operators of buildings.
-
-
-
Neighbourhood Sustainable assessment tools analytical overview
More LessWorldwide recession, rapid increase in energy cost, inefficient use of nonrenewable resources, global climatic changes and pollution are all indicators of a deteriorating built environment. Improving the living conditions in the built environment became essential. To obtain living conditions improvement there has to be balance between the triple bottom lines of sustainability i.e environmental, social & economic bases. . The aim of this paper is to determine sustainability goals and objectives that are needed to be achieved on the neighborhood scale through discussing the benchmarks set by different sustainability oriented rating systems. There is a number of rating systems in the world for sustainable buildings, but a few have dealt with neighborhood assessment. Neighborhood sustainable assessment tools measure the success in approaching sustainable goals. In this study, five tools from the Gulf region, Europe, Japan, and the United States (Estidama, GSAS, CASBEE, BREEAM and LEED) are selected and analyzed to provide insights on the current situation; highlight the strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures; and make recommendations for future improvements for the development of local adaptable assessment tools. Using a content analysis, sustainability issues including coverage, pre-requisites, local adaptability, participation, scoring and weighting, reporting, and applicability are discussed in this paper. The results of this study indicate that most of the tools do not cover social and economic aspects, as well as the main sustainable pillars. There are ambiguities and shortcomings in the weighting, scoring and rating. In most cases, there is no mechanism for local adaptability and participation; only those tools which are embedded within the broader planning framework are doing well with regard to applicability.
-
-
-
How to improve sustainability inside higher educational institutions: A strategic plan for Qatar University
Authors: Simona Azzali and Eman Abdel SabourDesigning and implementing sustainable solutions means to take responsibility for the welfare of future generations as well as for our environment and planet. Positive approach towards sustainability should be an essential part of the ethical base of our lifestyle and actions. Moreover, sustainable development is a vital aspect of the educational agenda at all levels. Universities and higher education institutions have a great responsibility in promoting sustainable development, not only through the educational programs they offer, but also through the involvement of students and staff in the sustainability issues, by encouraging interaction with them. Universities should implement sustainable solutions and adopt sustainability in their future plans, and ultimatel they should have an impact on the society and lead the way by offering knowledge, solutions through influential individuals. Indeed, most universities understood the responsibility and the extreme importance of shifting to more sustainable policies and plans, and most of them have started investing in green buildings future that includes, green building, greener practices and green products along with less environmental impact, and ways of engaging its faculty and students.In the last few years the need for sustainable solutions for universities has rapidly increased. Many efforts have been dedicated to this issue, and now many universities have realized and implemented different plans that suit their needs and nature. These plans have achieved sustainable transport, energy, procurement, food services and many other issues.In this research, a review of other universities’ sustainability plans is used to derive a strategy aimed to improve sustainability inside Qatar University by introducing new solutions, evaluating current implemented methods, and assessing or promoting the use of services already in place. The sustainability plan is designed to deliver a strategic blue print to meet the future development at Qatar University campus via converting its operations, education and research activities towards more sustainable practices. The proposed plan is designed based on the collaboration of three university bodies (students, academics and administrative staff), and it is outlined in three main branches: operational; planning and administration; education and research. The plan identifies and maps the required action to build the initiative to achieve sustainable goals at QU, and proposes new ways to face the challenge of sustainability in academic campuses. The plan also helps in offering a benchmark model for peer higher education organizations inside Qatar, and for other institutions outside Qatar with similar conditions.
-
-
-
Design as tactic: A proposal for Doha’s neighborhoods and their public realm
Authors: Dena Qaddumi and Ameena AhmadiAs the capital of Qatar, Doha is undeniably in a state of profound change. The aspiration to complete significant additions to the built environment in time for the FIFA World Cup in 2022 coupled with the ambitious goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030 promise to continue this state of flux for the better part of the coming decade. Urban practice and research in Doha have been preoccupied with the master planning of new developments, often at the expense of existing neighborhoods and their inherent sustainable elements and character. Even in cases where efforts have been made to emulate ‘traditional’ forms of urbanism it remains to be resolved as to how this relates to traditional ways of living. At the local scale the public realm has often been neglected due to the rapid pace of development and a general prioritization of creating notable architectural objects over the generation of a cohesive and shared space between buildings. As a result, reliance on the automobile increases, personal health decreases, and the quality of social interaction deteriorates. Given this context, this paper proposes the development of an alternative to master planning; one that addresses different scales and is entrepreneurial in nature. The objective is to investigate and demonstrate – through the use of design tactics – a multidisciplinary approach to maximize the potential of Doha neighborhoods potential to become vibrant places with an active public realm that serves the community. With the vision of evolving into integrated sustainable neighborhoods, the focus becomes about creating an appropriate, inclusive, and tangible public realm rather than merely planning it. In this way, design is not just a solution to urban challenges but also a means to identify them, becoming inherent to both research and practice methodologies. The framework to test such an approach would involve identifying a relevant neighborhood, conducting localized spatial analysis; considering stakeholders and actors including governmental, private and community-based ones in all their diversity; designing tactics for developing the public realm and establishing a public platform to participate in such proposals. Ultimately, design tactics should be applied to examine their potential for broader implementation at the level of the city and to evaluate the efficacy of such a methodology.
-
-
-
Towards an innovative design approach: Palm tree biomimicry between form and content
Authors: Nader Mohamed Gharib and Eiman Mohamed EliskandaraniBiomimicry is considered to be a new approach for achieving sustainable architecture, and accordingly smarter futuristic cities. It provides humans with aspiration to view nature as our mentor. Meanwhile, architecture has long drawn from nature as a source of inspiration. The integration between biomimicry and architecture leads to innovative designs inspired by Mother Nature.The palm tree is considered to be one of the most popular native and local plants in the MENA region. It has been studied by architects and planners and applied in the architectural designs in one-way or another. However, a thorough investigation of that valuable plant has to be carried out for a better understanding of its capabilities. This paper explains how biomimicry can enroll have a role in architecture, and its applications gradual levels. This paper also studies the palm tree by means of form, content and mechanism of the palm tree; in order to recognize its most suitable applications on buildings, which affects the architectural aesthetic and functional values. The results should indicate how positively the palm tree whole system could benefits the architectural environment.
-
-
-
Future cities – Qatar economic zones by MANATEQ
More LessMANATEQ is Qatar’s largest master developer of economic zones and is tasked with spending over QAR 20 Billion for the development of three new projects that will collectively cover an area greater than 70 square kilometers (twice the size of Lusail City). These Qatar Economic Zone (QEZ) projects are strategically located to compliment and link with Qatar’s rapidly developing transportation networks and international hubs for air, sea, rail and road. Refer to http://www.manateq.qa for further details.This paper explores the approach taken by ASTAD and MANATEQ to adopt sustainability principles from the outset of the planning and design stages of these projects up until their present construction stages. The economic zone projects are each following the ‘GSAS Districts’. This paper also outlines some of the challenges and opportunities from our experience of implementing this sustainability rating system. The GSAS Districts system has had a major influence on key decisions during the masterplanning and engineering design stage. In particular, it helped focus and challenge our discipline engineers to deliver the most appropriate technology. It is our aim that during operational stages sub-developers will benefit from these decisions due to greater efficiency in the zones from a facilities and operational perspective, as well as reduced carbon emissions. The QEZ projects goal is to provide a globally competitive and environmentally sustainable business environment, which delivers competitive advantage through the most modern infrastructure, most efficient utilities, most advanced communications and most effective transportation infrastructure. This paper will discuss our approach and challenges for achieving this goal while complying with GSAS Districts, as well covering the main sustainability strategies to be implemented:Planning & Design· Urban morphology · Landscape and public spaces· District cooling · Smart grid power distribution· Wet utilities· Solid waste management· Public transport · Adopting ‘Eco-Industrial Park’ principles in the planning stages· Construction·Construction materials consolidation centres· Recycled concrete and aggregate· Workers welfare· Development phasing· Operational · ‘One-stop-shop’ approvals centres· Efficient public transportation vehicles· Community ManagementWhile the projects are pursuing 3 Stars GSAS Districts Certification, our design teams have been keen to introduce the best practice from other established rating systems, especially LEED Neighborhood. Specialist consultants were also engaged to prepare “Strategic Environmental Assessments” in order to ensure the cumulative environmental impacts of adjacent projects were predicted and proportionate mitigation measures introduced. High levels of stakeholder engagement during the design stages ensured that the projects are integrated with their surrounding districts and available utilities, many of which are also currently under development. In addition to incorporating modern design standards, high levels of open space and amenities, the QEZ projects are strategically investing in sustainable infrastructure ( power, water, transport, etc.) for the benefit of their future investors (i.e. sub-developers). This paper outlines how sustainability rating systems were used as a key tool for selecting the most sustainable solutions for the development of their economic zones, which will offer unrivalled opportunities to meet the needs of Qatar’s future business leaders.
-