“Buildings need context and
in tHe Past tHat cOntext Was
sand. We need to creAte A rich
urBAn fABric. PeOPle enjOy
Walking tO a BUilding FROm tHe
metRO statiOn and seeing WateR;
tHey Want A mixture of
sunlight And shAde”
shaun killa
When Atkins first began working in the today, it’s estimated that 15-25 per cent buildings is being born, and they are changing atkins is following this same course not only
middle east 30 years ago, it was a land of of the world’s active cranes are in dubai the face of the region. on projects but also in its work with leading
pure opportunity, bolstered by growing oil alone. and atkins has become part of the academic institutions in the region.
revenues, the creation of the United arab fabric of the middle east. it employs dubai: more than just a pretty face For example, atkins has partnered with the
emirates (Uae) and an influx of workers. thousands in the region and continues to the dubai of today is exhibiting all the British University in dubai (BUid) to develop a
the combination of wealth, political stability push the architectural envelope, from the characteristics of a rapidly maturing market. post-graduate diploma in sustainability in the
and a growing population created linked tower design of dubai’s trump environmentally sustainable techniques are Built environment qualification. this is part of
unprecedented demand for development. international Hotel & tower to the 600m-tall becoming increasingly sophisticated and its commitment to invest in the next
it also sparked a desire to stand out from mixed-use anara tower to be built alongside widespread, starting with the use of more generation of architects and engineers, and to
the crowd, allowing for innovative thinking the famous sheikh Zayed Road. sustainable building materials. the climb to a encourage sustainable building practices right
on a remarkable scale, and in a relatively as the middle east settles into the more carbon sensitive market has seen more across the middle east.
untouched environment. as tom Wright, 21st century, however, the emphasis is shifting design-led solutions, with passive design according to Professor Bassam abu-Hijleh
atkins’ chief architect on dubai’s iconic Burj away from headline-making structures. these playing a large part. architects are looking from the BUid, “Onsite renewable power
al arab, points out, “when we first started days, a more subtle approach to architecture at long-term solutions that cut energy need, generation initiatives are beginning to find
working on the hotel in 1994, there was and construction is emerging. the obsession such as solar shading and screening on their way in current designs and will become
almost nothing around it. as far as we knew with towering heights or being visible from the windows. leaders in the Uae are also more prevalent in the future.” today, dubai’s
at the time, there was going to be this moon is subsiding. instead, a new crop of introducing new legislation and tying in buildings need to do more than just look
one project and that would be it.” more accessible, sustainable and user-friendly growth with environmental responsibility. smart – they need to act smart too.
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