Desertification is described as one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time and, like camels and cacti, buildings need to adapt to survive.
To help reduce the effects of climate change, experts at Expo 2020 Dubai's Urban and Rural Development Week said modern architecture has to respond to and work with the environment around it.
“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [says] about 47 per cent of Earth’s total land mass is made up of desert and drylands,” said Daniela Ottmann, from the Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University in Australia.
With three billion people estimated to be living in arid climate zones, this is a driver for designers and architects to develop more responsible infrastructure that works with existing natural resources
Daniela Ottmann,
Bond University, Australia
“With three billion people estimated to be living in arid climate zones, this is a driver for designers and architects to develop more responsible infrastructure that works with existing natural resources.”
In the Middle East, she said, there are some good examples of how buildings have been designed to “harness traditional wisdom with contemporary dependences”.
From stone floors and wooden cladding to keep buildings cool, to intricate roof panelling that captures air and circulates it, Ms Ottmann said architecture has no choice but to change to help tackle the impact of climate change.
Here, The National lists some modern buildings in arid environments that complement the environment.
Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE
When it opened to the public in 2017, many people remarked how the building itself resembled a piece of art. But more than simply looking impressive, the design and planning that went into Louvre Abu Dhabi all had a purpose.
The museum creates a comfortable microclimate and incorporates elements to cool it, which are inspired by traditional architecture.
The large dome that encases the building helps to reduce the overall energy consumption by shading the outdoor and indoor plazas from the sun.
The patterned roof permits daylight to enter without too much heat passing through, and features such as the stone floor and wall cladding keep the building cooler for longer as the day warms up.
Surrounded by water, the museum and its visitors can also enjoy the refreshing breeze and mist from the sea on cooler days.
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s design has achieved a coveted “three pearl” design rating under Abu Dhabi's Estidama classification system.
King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Shaped like honeycomb, this modern desert laboratory was designed to keep energy demands to a minimum.
Scientists at the centre, located in a region renowned for its extreme heat, research the most effective use of energy for the future, so it made sense that the building itself echoed this vision.
The modular honeycomb formation means that it can adapt and expand as the campus grows. And, similar to the dome at Louvre Abu Dhabi, the roof is covered in angular cut-outs allowing for constant ventilation and less reliance on air conditioning.
The campus entrance opens to the north and west, encouraging winds from the north to cool the courtyard during high temperatures months.
Wind catchers integrated into the roof on the south sides of each courtyard also help to circulate air throughout the building.
The building has recorded a 45 per cent reduction in energy performance as a result of the design and 40 per cent of the construction materials were sourced from within 800 kilometres, including 30 per cent of which were recycled content.
King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
At a distance, this building, which is split into several components, appears to be boulders rising from the desert.
Rendered in concrete and stainless steel, the facade gives the building a soft, shimmering gleam but avoids attracting vast amounts of light that a metal building usually would. The concrete element acts as a form of cooling to the exterior.
At the heart of the building is a 98-metre tower that is hollow throughout and is used for concerts and conferences. The tall structure allows heat to rise, keeping the standing area below cool.
Most visible of all is the facade’s veil, which is made up of more than 350 kilometres of thin, stainless steel pipe.
It is wrapped around the structure, like a metal skin, which again helps to reflect the sun.
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
Jetour T1 specs
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Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)