Foster + partners: masdar institute campus

Masdar institute campus

Foster + partners:

 'masdar institute campus' by foster + partners in masdar city, abu dhabi
photographer: nigel young
all images courtesy foster + partners



the foster + partners designed 'masdar institute campus' has officially opened as
the first solar powered building in masdar city, abu dhabi. inaugurated under
the patronage of his highness sheikh mohammed bin zayed al nahyan, crown prince
of abu dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, his highness
sheikh mansour bin zayed al nahyan, deputy prime minister and minister of presidential
affairs, and lord foster, the institute is devoted to researching sustainability and will be
used as a pilot test bed for the green technologies that will be explored for
implementation in future buildings within the city.



detail of 'mashrabiya' windows


a 10 megawatt solar field within the masterplan site provides 60% more energy
than is consumed by the institute, with the remaining energy being fed back to
the abu dhabi grid. the campus, which consists of a main building, a knowledge centre
and students' quarters, will use significantly less energy and water than the average
building in the UAE. around 30% of the campus's energy will be covered by over
5,000 m2 of photovoltaic panels on the roof, with 75% of hot water also being
heated by the sun.





the buildings feature self-shading facades that are orientated to provide maximum
shade as well as sheltering adjacent building and the pedestrian streets below.
windows in the residential buildings are protected by a modern reinterpretation of
'mashrabiya', a type of latticed projecting oriel window, constructed with sustainably
developed, glass-reinforced concrete, coloured with local sand to integrate with its
desert context while minimizing maintenance. the perforations for light and shade
are based on the patterns found in the traditional architecture of islam.



solar panels providing shade for the pedestrian level below




the laboratories feature horizontal and vertical fins and brise soleil to shade
the interior space. inflatable cushions insulate the facades, which remain cool
to the touch even under the most intense desert sun. cooling air currents are
channelled through public spaces by use of windtowers, which borrows its
design elements from the region's traditional structures. the public spaces are
further cooled by green landscaping and water to provide evaporative cooling.









interior view of a laboratory

this building is the first of four planned phases that will bring the eventual student
population to 600-800. four residential blocks surround a central laboratory and
the knowledge centre, the first in a series of additional campus buildings,
which will include a mosque, conference hall, and sports complex.
the second phase is due to start on site by the end of 2010.







 
Dr. EMAD H. ISMAEEL

                  Dept. of Architecture E-mail:        emadhanee@yahoo.com
                  University of Mosul
                  Mosul - Iraq
                  emadhanee@gmail.com
                  http://emadhani.blogspot.com/
Tel :           +964 (0)770 164 93 74
                 

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