TDIC/ADTA HEADQUARTERS
by Candice Lim

The new US$109 million Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC)/Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) headquarters is envisaged to be an important landmark for the city. With Surbana International Consultants as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED consultant, the nine-storey development has been designed with several eco-friendly features for energy conservation.

The whole building consumes 26 percent less energy than a baseline building. A Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) roof harnesses solar energy to power up some of the development’s operations, including a large LED media screen—the system contributes to 3 percent of the total energy that the building requires. Overshadow analysis, which examines the type of shading experienced by the building with respect to its surroundings at different times of the day, was done to provide information on the availability of daylight and the ideal location for the solar panels.

The architects also used solar analysis to obtain heat gain records of the different façades and roof of the building so that they can adopt a more responsive façade design and explore the feasibilities of harvesting solar energy for both thermal and electrical consumption. Surbana’s approach to LEED design not only focuses on energy and environmental issues but also on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and long-term building management strategies. These include improved thermal comfort, better ventilation and quality lighting that would have a positive impact on the occupants’ well-being. The team adopted wind and daylighting analyses as tools to enhance the performance of the building design. For the former, all major openings to the exterior are analysed and the simulation enables the designer to explore the opportunities to capture the prevailing wind for good natural cross ventilation in public spaces such as the courtyard. The simulation also helps to identify strategic locations for fresh air inlets, thus minimising outdoor contaminants from entering the building. The use of daylight significantly contributes to the global performance of a building, both in terms of energy saving and comfort of the occupant especially when the availability of solar radiation coincides with the demand for light. Daylighting analysis influences the choice of the fenestration and provides the designer with a detailed evaluation on the natural lighting performance of the building.

Green decks are provided at the rooftop of three adjoining office blocks, serving as a barrier to reduce transfer of heat into the building as well as useful spaces for open-air functions and gathering during the winter months. The building has views for 90 percent of its internal spaces, including the courtyard. A central landscaped courtyard under a skylight roof is provided with greenery and water features. It would be air-conditioned during summer, and naturally ventilated at night and in winter. Full-height glass shutters provided along openings between office blocks will make the transformation of ventilation mode possible. Together with the introduction of a spot cooling system to the area, the courtyard would help achieve a satisfactory level of comfort for its users. Daylighting is provided to 75 percent of internal spaces and, together with daylighting responsive lighting controls, helps to save energy.

The building uses a combination of water efficient sanitary fittings (faucets and waterless urinals); a vacuum sanitary system complete with dual sanitary piping; and a gray water recycling system. System design enables the recycled water to cater to a complete flush water supply for the headquarters. Total annual water consumption of the new TDIC headquarters is estimated to be 13,500 cubic metres—this means an estimated savings of at least 45 percent can be achieved with the water efficient strategies mentioned above.

For building materials, certified wood is used for the boardwalk and interior architectural fit-outs. Effort has been taken to ensure that only low volatile organic compounds (VOC) materials (for adhesives, paints, carpet system and composite wood) are used in the interior design while at the same time, not compromising on the desired overall design intent.

In terms of human comfort, the headquarters would be a smoking-free building, with features such as carbon dioxide monitoring and demand-controlled ventilation. The architects increased outdoor ventilation rates to all occupied spaces by 30 percent above the minimum rates required by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers or ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality.

The TDIC/ADTA headquarters is positioned to secure the Gold Award based on the LEED Standard for Environmental Design. When completed, it is hoped that the Class A office development will set the benchmark for sustainable design in Abu Dhabi, and possibly for the whole of United Arab Emirates.

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