Some buildings call attention to themselves by blending in. So it is with the Bee'ah headquarters, which aims to match its surrounding landscape: the sand dunes of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Yet the project team, which included Zaha Hadid Architects, had to do more than just build something that looks at home in the desert. A central goal of the project was to deliver a complex steeped in sustainability.
Lowering its energy and water use involved orienting structures to maximize prevailing winds and minimize harsh sun exposure. The team also integrated photovoltaic panels into the facade's design to supply the entire building with renewable energy. And it created systems to reuse gray water and capture heat normally expelled from heating and air conditioning units and redirect it to the headquarters’ hot water heaters. A project goal is to deliver a zero net energy building.
Fittingly, Bee'ah, a waste management company, also wanted construction materials to reduce waste. So whenever possible, the project team sourced building materials from Bee'ah's own demolition and construction projects, lessening the amount of new materials required.
“I believe that we cannot envision a future of being a sustainable city without advancements in green architecture,” Bee'ah Chairman Salim Al Owais said during the project's topping out ceremony in December.
PROJECT:
Bee'ah headquarters
LOCATION:
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
DATE OF COMPLETION:
Fourth quarter 2018
WASTE NOT:
Sited next to the company's construction waste recycling center, the new building is partly built with recycled materials.