Masdar Institute of Science and Technology – UAE An institutional building with research labs, housing complex and a beautiful library, Masdar’s architecture integrates the old with the new, not only in terms of style, but also in terms of comfort systems, merging passive strategies with cutting edge active systems, a 10-megawatt rooftop solar array, and a wind-tower to capture heated air. The building rests on a podium, elevated 2 levels above the ground, the two levels below the podium are for infrastructure services and pedestrian transportation. The podium level – the public realm – has breezy public courtyards, well-ventilated and daylit semi-private lobbies and air-conditioned private spaces, smoothly transitioning into one another, calling for a smart distribution and separation of passive and active systems. Masdar Institute stands strong on a system of concrete columns, shear walls and slabs. Infrastructure services are distributed through the ducts formed by shear walls and are circulated horizontally through deep ceilings. The envelope, very easy to assemble and disassemble, is made of concrete lattice panels (providing thermal mass) in the housing building and translucent ETFE plastic panels, which bring in plenty of daylight, in the lab building. This building complex subtly becomes a place of memory, teaching something new to anyone who visits.
Trisha Parekh ARCH 5220 Professor Laboy Image retrieved from Foster+Partners website: https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/masdar-institute/#gallery
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Structure and the permanent aspects of site: ✓ Orientation: Inward looking, captures prevailing wind for evaporative cooling, special envelope (top right) to provide shading from harsh sun while allowing desirable daylight, solar panels that capture sun’s energy; paving way for multiple passive strategies throughout the building ✓ Massing: Facilitates mutual shading (bottom right), changing spatial volumes drive wind movement including stack ventilation ✓ Concrete structural system with reinforced columns and shear walls being the prime structural members supporting floor slabs. Piles go deep into the ground below the site due to the loose desert sand and site’s geology ✓ Structural and infrastructural vertical core in the lab building is centralized, with deep horizontal floor space to distribute services, this open layout facilitates future use adaptability; the same system is scattered in the residential buildings – that coupled with a linear layout restricts future use adaptability in residential building ✓ Egress is peripheral in all buildings
Solar energy
Wind energy
Sparse vegetation
Energy flow
Loose sand means deeper piles Low water table Masdar’s present design: Excellent passive strategies which suit the seasonal change – Shading to reduce heat gain, thermal mass for warmth in winters and night flush cooling in summers; 5000 sq.m rooftop solar array takes care of 100% of the building’s needs; landscape around the building is sparse and courtyards are lightly vegetated with palms and shrubs; the building can adapt fairly well due the passive strategies
Green-roof – reduces urban heat island effect
Two types of envelopes: Lab building – ETFE Panels, translucent, allow diffused daylight to penetrate, easy to disassemble, recyclable, not fire-resistant Residential buildings – Prefabricated concrete panels with lattice work easy to disassemble, promote good quality of daylight, acts as thermal mass, add a touch of tradition to the architecture
Solar energy Wind energy Energy flow
Oasis on ground level Soil beneath becomes stronger for future construction High water table Suggestions for Masdar’s design: 30% of the roof area above the lab building to be provided with a green roof (lab’s structural layout is more robust and therefore capable of bearing the load of the green roof). The roof garden will accommodate organic farming for easy to grow vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, wine leaves and this food shall be used at the canteen. A green roof would also help in reducing heat island effect. Cultivating an oasis around the elevated podium, on the ground level, using the plant cellulose technology for making desert soil fertile from Chongqing Jiaotong University, China should be planned for Phase II of the project.
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Section through the building showing the segregation of public (naturally ventilated open, slightly shaded space), semi-private space which includes lobbies) and private (air conditioned artificially lit restricted access space)
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(also passively cooled interior
Cold air stratification
Hot air stratification PV Array
Thermal mass Lattice window – controlled daylight
Wind tower
Ventilation shaft
Electrical distribution board
Undercroft – For pedestrian traffic
Hot water for Liquid Desiccant AHU
CHP Hot water
Undercroft – For vehicular transportation
Water treatment tank
Masdar City Service Tunnel Lab building – Controlled environment, Daylight, One large service core, Horizontal distribution of services, Open floor plan Chilled beams, Floor radiant heating system
Housing building – Passive and active systems, Envelope daylight and thermal mass, Ventilation shaft for stack ventilation, Services distributed via several vertical shafts