Godwin Austen Johnson (GAJ) landed the Sustainable Project of the Year for its work on Arcadia Preparatory School in Dubai.
The Jumeirah Village Triangle-based school was completed in August 2016. GAJ led the design, while Team Engineering and Al Sharawi Electrical and Mechanical undertook the civil and MEP work respectively.
GAJ said that from the outset the client’s brief was to create a school that would be “one of the eco-friendliest in the region and set a benchmark in sustainable design, construction and operation”. The school is in the process of finalising its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification award.
The judges were impressed by the project’s “clear vision” and “eco-friendly and sustainable design” which they described as setting a regional benchmark through all project phases including operation.
For example, a range of efficient plant and equipment was chosen to minimise cooling costs and energy consumption, with chillers reported to be able to provide 35% in savings against a traditional design. A grey water recycling methodology is designed to collect waste water, condense and use if got cooling water make up. A live learning platform for pupils who will use the school.
Remarking on the win, Nathan Cartwright, partner at GAJ, said: “We feel absolutely awesome that we’ve won under the Sustainable Project of the Year, which for us is the most important award of all because sustainability is at the heart of what we do at GAJ.”
Outlining the impact that Dubai’s green building regulations have had on GAJ’s philosophy, Cartwright added: “Local green building regulations have helped [our work], but we’ve also had very good clients whose vision – in terms of being prepared to go for something different and [beyond] the norm – has been very helpful.”
Click here for the full awards round up
