Local architects to set global benchmark

Al Naseem, a desert masterplan in Al Ain (Dubai), designed by X-architects, was chosen to be a pilot project for Abu Dhabi’s Estidama sustainability assessment tool.

Considered a very stringent set of guidelines for achieving environmental, social, cultural and economic sustainability, Estidama was designed by Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council to address the specific challenges facing the region’s built environment.  

“The basic environmental elements – sun, wind, sand – are very specific for this part of the world,” explained X-architects’ founding partner, Farid Esmaeli. “For example, how can you use wind to reduce the use of energy? How can you use the sun to do the same? These are the things we’re focusing on.”

Al Naseem is a mixed-used development that incorporates all of the necessary amenities to allow residents to live, work, stay, play and pray. The masterplan addresses the needs of its residents while maintaining a community-based identity and low-density architecture.  

“In Al Ain, you cannot build higher than approximately 20m, which is only G+3 or G+4,” explained Esmaeil. “[Al Naseem] is a compact city and hence it is more sustainable.”

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Due to north/south-facing facades, the windows of the buildings will be exposed to less direct sunlight. Likewise, the east/west-facing facades will take advantage of vast expanses to control thermal bridging, increase energy-efficiency and control light.

Orientation is just one of many considerations considered by X-architects to maximise the level of sustainability of Al Naseem.

“[Al Naseem] is sustainable from the perspectives of technology, society and context,” explained X-architects’ founder and CEO, Ahmed Al Ali. “Starting from scratch, we considered the wind and how it shapes the dunes around the original site. Then, we looked at the sun and orientation. We also had to address the lack of water and the need for water-saving strategies. We considered climate, energy and soil.”

Al Naseem – currently entering the detailed masterplanning stage – is one of the first projects to have successfully met all requirements for Estidama approval. Providing everything runs smoothly, the development will serve as a functioning benchmark against which other projects seeking Estidama approval will be measured.
 

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