‘Sustainable solutions vital to develop Dubai’s future buildings’

Dubai / Emirates Business

Reducing a building’s energy consumption and emissions by furthering technological advanc- ements in design, materials and construction techniques are vital to developing Dubai’s future buildings, according to the
Head of Region at Zaha Hadid
Architects (ZHA).
Speaking ahead of his presentation at the Cityscape Global Conference in September, Tariq Khayyat, Head of Region – Middle East for ZHA believes Dubai has significantly pushed the boundaries of sustainability by supporting and implementing new, innovative solutions to help create a more sustainable city.
He said: “Sustainability is no longer a choice option within the industry. One of ZHA’s current projects in the region, the Bee’ah Headquarters in Sharjah has
environmental considerations woven into every aspect of its
design. We’ve created a design in response to the natural environment, minimising energy and resource consumption.
“By marrying innovative digital design with ecological sound materials and sustainable construction practices, ZHA does not
look at the disparate parts, but works to understand them as a whole; delivering practical solutions to the defining challenges
of our era.”
Taking place one day before the Cityscape Global exhibition, the Conference will host keynote presentations and panel discussions from leading industry experts on Sunday September 10 at The Conrad Dubai.
The values of executing sustainable practices in building design and architecture are echoed by Carlos Ott, Founder of Carlos Ott Architects. He said: “In my practice we have been designing sustainable projects for years, starting with projects in Canada and Germany and now all over the world, including in the
MENA region.
“Today, with access to new and more sophisticated materials, technology and population growth and aspirations, internationally I expect an even faster and deeper change internationally. For example, the substitution of fossil fuels by sustainable ones will force us to re-think our strategies and solutions.”
Under the theme ‘Reshaping the Industry’, the full-day forum will provide insights into the real estate and property sector with a morning session on the Market Overview, and split afternoon sessions; the Real Estate Brokers Programme and Architecture Programme.
Impactful topics such as the emirate’s regulatory landscape, Dubai’s Blockchain strategy and the prospect of healthcare as an attractive real estate asset will be up for discussion as industry leaders including HE Marwan Bin Ghalita, CEO of Dubai Land Department and Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO, Department of Economic Development (DED), Craig Plumb, Head of Research, JLL MENA, and Wesam Lootah, CEO, Smart Dubai Government share their expertise.
The Cityscape Global Conference returns with support from Platinum Sponsors: Emirates NBD and Parsons; Gold Sponsors: Arton Capital and Kohler; and Silver Sponsors: Mott MacDonald and Yardi.
Cityscape Global, which is co-located with Building Healthcare will take place from Monday 11 September to Wednesday 13 September at Dubai World Trade Centre featuring some of the foremost developers from the region and internationally, who will showcase a range of groundbreaking real estate projects.