Masdar Institute of Technology

A short presentation on the architecture of the Masdar Inst. of Tech in Abu Dhabi. The presentation was done as a case study for a college project of desgining a residential block for the students. The focus therefore is on the residetial block of the Inst. here rather than its other numerous feat.s.

1. MASDAR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Done by – 061, 062, 063, 064 & 072

2. Basics Established – February, 2007 Architects – Foster & Partners Theme – Flexibility, traditional Arabic design combined with modern materials No. of students - ~ 100 Apartments 1A apartments 102 1B apartments 221

3. Location – Masdar City Masdar Institute

4. Introduction Foster + Partners have completed the first of a cluster of buildings entirely powered by solar energy at Masdar City, a sustainable urban quarter in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The Masdar Institute, a facility devoted to sustainable research, is the first of four buildings planned for the site, and will generate more solar energy than it consumes .

5. Aerial view – Masdar City

6. Masterplan

7. Intro… Features The building features a perforated façade made of glass-reinforced concrete coloured with local sand and detailed with patterns commonly found in traditional Islamic architecture. The development borrows from traditional Arabian urban design, with shaded courtyards and narrow, pedestrian streets. A solar field within the masterplan provides energy for the building and feeds back what is left to the Abu Dhabi grid . The Masdar Institute, devoted to researching sustainability, is the first building to be fully operational within Masdar City.

8. Roof plan

9. Floor plan

10. Sections

11. Architecture The masterplan , by Foster + Partners, incorporates lessons which have evolved over centuries of traditional Arabian architecture . Emphasis is placed on flexibility, use of traditional architectural elements and modern materials to provide for an optimized combination of natural lighting and cooling that minimize energy needs both indoors and outdoors . The façade of campus buildings is highly-sealed and insulated, and wrapped in 90 percent recycled aluminum sheeting .

12. Arch… Residential The residential concept for the Masdar Institute campus focuses on the creation of lively energetic neighborhoods. The Institute campus is formed around a hierarchy of streets and squares that make up the backdrop to an environment of integration, communication and cooperation. High-density low-rise living is a major component of this low impact development and is vital in achieving a balanced socially and commercially sustainable campus . The marriage of traditional Arabic building practice and modern technologies satisfies demands for style, adaptability and flexibility, while keeping a sustainable footprint .

13. Residential… The interior hallways of the residential buildings are distinguished by their central atrium, which is naturally ventilated for as much of the year as possible. During the evening, cool air flows from openings on the podium level, cooling the interior walls and flowing out through open louvers at the top of the buildings. In warm weather, these openings are closed during the day to keep cool air in, while the thermal cooling of the walls keeps the interior hallways pleasant .

14. Residential… Apartments are accessed via a fully shaded atrium space that exploits thermal mass and natural ventilation to provide free cooling while atrium roof lights allow diffuse daylight, blocking direct sunlight. The apartment units themselves have screen-shielded windows and windows located near the ceilings to maximize natural light, both from the outside and from the interior atrium, while maintaining privacy. Waste separation compartments in the apartments reflect the separate waste chutes for glass, aluminum, plastic, paper and other waste found in each floor’s waste room. The first phase of the Institute campus has 102 residential apartments spread between four residential blocks, one of which is a female block .

15. Arch… Student rooms

16. Arch… Room interior

17. Arch… Windows Windows in the residential buildings are protected by a contemporary reinterpretation of mashrabiya , a type of latticed projecting oriel window, constructed with sustainably developed, glass-reinforced concrete, coloured with local sand to integrate with its desert context and to minimise maintenance. The perforations for light and shade are based on the patterns found in the traditional architecture of Islam.

18. Arch… Cooling air currents are channelled through the public spaces using a contemporary interpretation of the region’s traditional windtowers. The public spaces are further cooled by green landscaping and water to provide evaporative cooling.

19. Arch… Wind tower

20. Awards British Expertise International Awards, Outstanding International Architecture Project – Masdar Institute RIBA International Award – Masdar Institute

21. Thank you