Six Construct, a subsidiary of the Besix Group, and one of the largest Belgian construction companies operating in the Middle East, has been awarded the contract to design and build a new project at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The sustainable city project, Masdar Institute Neighbourhood, whioch spans through 56,200 sq m, is currently in the detail design phase and will be completed in a period of 30 months.

Masdar Institute Neighbourhood comprises nine buildings, and will provide residential accommodation for Masdar Institute students, as well as provide corporate residences, and an office building. Retail areas located within the buildings and public spaces, are also part of the scope of works.

On the contract win, Amin Nalouti, the area manager for Six Construct, said: "Sustainability of the development has been one of the important aspects in planning the facilities."

“Our target is to achieve an Estidama Certification of ‘3 Pearls’ rating and Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification for the buildings. To achieve this, we must comply with a series of design principles and key performance indicators, including architectural and environmental design guidelines,” stated Nalouti.

Key features of the design to help achieve these targets include climatic design to encourage wind movement and provide shaded external spaces to improve outdoor thermal comfort, high-performance building facades, efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems and user controls, as well as the application of building integrated renewable energy.

Installation of efficient water fixtures, as well as greywater recycling for irrigation use, including waste-segregation facilities to enable recycling, and low-embodied carbon material selection will form an integral part of the project, said Nalouti.

The central vision for Masdar Institute Neighbourhood, he stated, is to create a sustainable, compact and walkable neighbourhood.

"To achieve such a neighbourhood, the plan has been conceived as a series of connected visual and perceptual experiences as one moves through the site. The idea of vistas, visual linkages, landmarks, sense of comfort, active ground floors, ascending through different levels are integrated to create these experiences," observed Nalouti.

"We believe that Masdar Institute Neighbourhood will definitely be a desirable residential standard for a sustainable and carefully designed community, and this project will certainly provide invaluable guidance to future development projects in the region," he added.-TradeArabia News Service