High performance buildings in hot arid regions : a case study for the Siemens building in Masdar City

Abstract EN

A main common characteristic of hot and arid regions is the relatively high radiation and ambient tempCTatures combined with low precipitation levels.

Buildings in such regions, if designed properly and according to proper climate response, will have the potential of improving indoor comfort while significantly minimizing the energy consumption; up to 60% of energy consumption can be traced back to air conditioning.

Masdar City, a low-carbon urban development is being currently built in the suburbs of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.One of the city’s new buildings, recently delivered, is the Siemens building.

The building is designed to achieve a 46% energy usage reduction compared to ASHRAE 90.1-2007 baseline, through enhanced envelope design, highly efficient HVAC and lighting systems, exceptional dayli^ting features and other both passive and active design strategies, while maintaining the cost at par with other comparable buildings in the region.

Recently it was awarded with the LEED Core and Shell platinum certification- making it the first building to earn this certificate in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city; the building is also aiming at obtaining 3 Pearls, according to Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council’s Estidama rating scheme.

The objective of this article is to introduce and discuss all the key features, from the inception of the project to its implementation that contributed to the significantly high energy performance of the building.

We will explicitly highlight all the interventions that reflect the specific chmate conditions in this hot and arid region.