Intelligent Buildings: Strategic Design and Management Masdar City - Case Study Example

Oil Producer Buying a Bit of Insurance Introduction Population growth and change in the way people do things in Today’s world calls for a certain degree of change in environmental conservation. Developers are coming up with new methods of developing buildings which are environmental sensitive. Politicians have also joined the fight to ensure upcoming cities are environmental sensitive and are developed using sustainable methods. However, these changes are coming in with challenges of changing the current community structure to come up with something new in the name of ‘eco-cities’. In order to avoid these challenges a form of new master planed sustainable cities has come up. Those supporting sustainable developed argue that, with good strategic planning and management, these new cities will have the capability combine sustainable methods with modern technology to come up with fantastic dwelling places which accommodate the modern communities. Looking at already existing and being developed eco-cities, stakeholders are able to come with the advantages and disadvantages of such developments. Stakeholders can also establish what the best methods of approaching sustainability are, examples of eco-cities include, Masdar city, Songdo international Business district, Chicago, Illinois and Malmo. Such cities present .perfect topologies and framework to carry out a thorough a feasibility study of what such sustainable cities hold for the world in future. Looking at what inputs the society will have to incur when it comes to resources and need to ensure they adapt to this new form of living, the level at which the society is ready to go on with the new development idea or not. Masdar City Masdar city is a city recently under transformation to attain high sustainability standards. Masdar is located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The transformation project is a program by a state run corporation, Masdar Corporation with a prominent British architecture firm. The purpose of this project is well outlined in its mission statement. According to Masdar City (2009) “Masdar City will house around 1,500 clean-tech companies, with 40,000 residents and 50,000 commuters, providing a research and test base for renewable energy technologies. It will be an exemplar of environmental best practice, a demonstration of what is possible and a wonderful place to live and work.” Construction of such environmental friendly buildings commenced in 2008, construction is expected to end in 2013. The city applies both indigenous Arabic and modern architecture. The buildings are expected to apply the best technology taking into consideration the use of sustainable methods such as GIS to harness natural energy to enhance environmental friendliness. Such buildings are expected to use natural sources of energy, for example, the proposed Masdar headquarters, According to Masdar City (2009), “‘Masdar Headquarters’ will employ active and passive design features to collect and moderate the solar, wind and water resources of the desert surrounds”. This is the first step of effective sustainability. Masdar’s vision Masdar is looking forward to be the first carbon dioxide free city in the world. The city is expected to boast of zero carbon emissions. One of the chief goals of Masdar city is “to [position] Abu Dhabi as a global leader and hub for the research and development of renewable energy and sustainable technology, or to position Masdar as the silicon valley for green and alternative energy (Masdar City 2009, p 2).” According to Kahled Awad who is one of the project directors “Abu Dhabi is an oil-exporting country, and we want to become an energy-exporting country” (Rosenthal 2009, p 12). The project is focused on being a model sustainable city and a research university; an educational centre which will produce sufficient information on methods to be used when it comes to developing sustainable cities and carry out research on new methods of doing the same (Evans 2008, p 4). While the city itself positions Masdar as enough ground for carrying out research on sustainable energy sources, the institute will provide enough space for carrying out research and other forms of studies which will assist in developing sustainable energy sources. The institute will also position Abu Dhabi as a key exporter of sustainable energy apart from oil. This does not only present Masdar as an ideal eco city but also puts it forward as an ideal education and business centre. The project is expected to be a success with support coming from multiple renowned organizations around the globe from both the education and environmental sector. The project is backed up by major institutions such as oxford and Cambridge among other renowned education and research institutes. Masdar Environmental Strategies Masdar is approximately a six square kilometer city with roughly 50,000 inhabitants. It is named as being the first car free, carbon neutral and zero waste cities according to Basantani (2008). Despite the costs associated with building Masdar city, it is advantageous since building a new city will be a perfect way of exercising control of what happens in the new city ecological, social and economic wise (Olivia 2009, p 2). This will be a perfect way of attaining sustainability in all the three aspects of life. The other advantage of building this new city is the ability to select the best technology and sustainable methods when it comes to setting up the city. When developing the design for Masdar, everything was planned starting from how the city will be build and how it will run after construction. However, the construction method and process itself may turn out to be either very difficult or impossible. This is mainly due to the fact that, there is too much carbon dioxide produced at the moment by the city. There are approximately 1,100,000 of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the moment and given the fact that water is a limited resource then there might be problems when coming up with carbon dioxide free Masdar. Considering the fact that pumping out carbon dioxide is the main aim of Masdar city, there is need to ensure that there is no emission of such during construction. This can be termed as a flaw when it comes to molding Masdar into the ideal eco city. This is due to the fact that, construction methods outlined in the construction report will produce carbon dioxide during the construction process. There is also need to ensure that new form of construction materials are used which do not emit carbon dioxide in large quantities during the construction process. It is a good move that materials from the construction site are being recycled instead of being disposed (Palca 2008, p 4) Solar energy will be the main source of power for the construction process and the completed Masdar city. This will be a good move since it will utilize the abundant sunlight in Abu Dhabi since the area is a desert (see appendix 1). Solar panels will be strategically placed in the city to harness solar energy; the panels will be placed on rooftops and other available open spaces available around the city. The advantages accompanied with this will be that, the city will be able to utilize sun as an abundant energy source and at the same time the project will be able to utilize the latest state of the art technology when it comes to setting up the equipment necessary to collect the energy. The equipment were sufficiently tested in order to avoid errors, the design was left halfway in order to wait for a time when technology will be right to ensure success. The fact that Masdar has both a renewable energy plant and a research institute allows room for new technology and sustainable methods of construction (Elliott 2009, p 2). The building design incorporates other construction designs which reduce its impact on environment. The city walls are aimed at blocking hot desert winds from entering the city. The buildings are also designed in such a way that there will be decreased heating inside the buildings. Heat will be effectively controlled in such a way that heat will be allowed to flow out the buildings to the air without having to use conventional air conditioning methods which may not be environmental sensitive. The city will also use effective water collecting methods which will help in ensuring that water is obtained in a way that doesn’t tamper with the environment. This includes the green water system and harvesting rain water (Economist 2008, nd.). According to the strategic plan report, the city will not have cars; instead, walking and a light rail system will be main forms of transport. The plan also outlines a new transport method, personal rapid transport which will be used alongside rail and walking. Critical points Although we all marvel at what Masdar has to offer as an eco city, there is far much better approach with which one can look at a more ideal eco city compared to Masdar. Apart from being a model eco city, Masdar looks forward to being a perfect educational centre when it comes to carrying out research activities aimed at boosting renewable energy production. Masdar focuses on being a carbon dioxide free city which uses sustainable sources of energy with less impact on the environment. However, most people are blinded and are not capable of seeing the other side. According to Economist (2008), the whole idea of building a whole city is a wrong one. This is due to the fact that Masdar city does not contribute to the sustainability of the whole region (Rees 1997, p 302). It doesn’t serve the United Arab Emirates and considering the region is known worldwide for its unsustainable nature. UAE is also known globally as the highest carbon emitter around the world. Lack of concentration and focus to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the whole region will make Masdar city sound or look like a failure. A perfect and ideal eco city will obviously have a direct impact on the whole region given the fact that UAE is not that big an area something can be done with regard to Masdar city which will see to it that the whole region enjoys an eco friendly environment. On the other hand, claims that Masdar is expected to be a carbon dioxide free city are unrealistic. This is due to the fact that, in its plan, the city has not developed an effective energy storage mechanism which will help in storing excess solar energy during the day. This means that, excess energy will have to be exported to Abu Dhabi and during the night, the city will have to use energy from its grid system for lighting and other purposes when natural solar energy is not available. On the other hand, the city cannot be termed as sustainable since it refused construction of energy intensive industries so as to keep the energy consumption lower which in turn reduces the amount of carbon emissions in the city making it easy to deal with such low contents (Gray 2007, p 791). Reducing harmful factors in the city questions the sustainable methods being used by Masdar to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. For example, the city selects the nature of businesses to be set up within the city; this raises large concerns when it comes to determining the real scope of an environmental city development. The environmental effect of an area clearly depends on where the lines are drawn. For example, putting into consideration the Masdar carbon neutrality concept, does one put into consideration the multiple flights from Europe to United Arab Emirates required by Masdar’s plan designers when setting up plans for the project? This demonstrates how when looking at any eco city, it is possible to come with a plan which excludes certain factors which will affect the impact of such a city on the environment. Once such factors are removed from the picture, it is possible to come up with a city which doesn’t emit carbon dioxide at all and at the same time when such factors are in place we can strive to come up with measures which will see to it that carbon emissions from such factors are limited if not eliminated. In Abu Dhabi, critics fear that Masdar could not be what many see what it seems to be according to (Fox 2008, p 5), Professor Peter Droege states that “Masdar could be viewed as an oil producer buying a bit of insurance” Eco Cities around the Globe Many cities have tried to attain sustainability, such cities include Chicago and Illinois however, and they can be addressed as idealistic eco cities. This is due to the fact that such cities were not initially developed applying ecological sustainability methods. It is therefore hard to come with an eco city while one already has a city build using non environmental friendly strategic planning and development methods (Dilworth 2007, p12). This draws the difference between Masdar and other eco cities such as Chicago and Illinois. The fact that Masdar is a new city being strategically planned and expected to be managed using sustainable methods makes it a realistic other than an ideal eco city (City of Malmö 2009, p 3). However, the cities that are being developed towards attaining sustainability have come up with methods which will help them transform from their current non sustainable form to a more environmental friendly city. When such cities are developed they are developed with two purposes, the first purpose is to act as an experiment for new technologies which can be embraced when it comes to developing sustainable habitats, secondly they are developed as models for other cities to follow when developing their own eco friendly structures (Girardet 1999, p 231). However, when it comes to building new cities many people have afterthoughts, this is due to the costs associated with developing new cities and many people are faced with the question ‘why build all new cities whereas we already have already established urban habitats?’ many people do not see it as a viable option since we already have urban areas where communities can reside and effectively embark on sustainable methods of management and living techniques which will effectively transform these cities into eco friendly habitats (City of Chicago 2011). However, cities such as Masdar and Songdo can be used as advantageous showcases when it comes to technology and methods to be used when it comes to developing other cities into sustainable habitats. Saltaire and Masdar The two cities are quite different in many aspects; however, it is safe to say that both cities share the same purpose. The sole purpose of both cities is to provide solutions to industrial and social problems being faced around Bradford and the Gulf Region. When it comes to Saltaire, its main purpose was to provide an alternative to the poor industrial working conditions being experienced in England. This was attained by Titus Salt attaining sustainability using his Mill in Saltaire. Working conditions in Saltaire were far much better compared to other industries in England especially in its parent City Bradford. On the other hand Masdar City presents itself as a solution to the current industrial problems being faced in Middle East when it comes to carbon dioxide pollution and other industrial waste (Hall 1998, p 34). Masdar city presents a solution to the current negative climate change in the region by presenting a way in which carbon dioxide can be reduced from the atmosphere using sustainable methods, Abu Dhabi is the prime contributor to the initiative and given its economy completely relies on oil then it is going to benefit from the initiative. Despite the differences between Masdar and Saltaire, there are certain similarities which can be drawn from the two states. The first example is that both cities were developed as a result of private interests. For example, Saltaire was developed as a result of Titus Salt’s mill. Both cities developed as a result of private development programs unlike others which are developed as a result of government policies and legislations. This reduces control over such cities whenever new projects are being implemented. Despite the fact that both cities were formed in different ways, the fact remains that they were formed outside the normal way in which such cities are formed. Saltaire was formed as a result of Titus Salt’s Milling industry whereas Masdar was formed from the activities of Masdar Corporation. On the other hand, both cities were formed for a particular reason and in a deliberate way, unlike cities which just develop on their own. The culture of both cities is also developed by the way people live and what they do. In the case of Saltaire city, the city developed as a result of employee settlements with the aim of ensuring workers have a good place to work and live. Social sustainability is a culture which was developed by the residents of Saltaire as a result of what they had they in common, the milling company. On the other hand, Masdar City is developed with the aim of environmental conservation and saving Abu Dhabi from global warming and climate change. Many people can view Masdar city as an experiment to prove if the new environmental conservation works, however, more can be attached to the function of Masdar other than experimental purposes. Saltaire City attained stability as a result of certain factors which contributed to its success. Such driving factors include independence and the presence of a common goal. This goal was a result of Titus Salt’s Mill, given that most residents were employees at these mills drove them towards ensuring the success of the company. However, looking at Masdar city, it is quite hard to attain sustainability given the fact that residents are expected to have a different stand on the concept of sustainability. Despite the fact Masdar city is expected to apply the best measures technologically to come up with the best method of attaining sustainability, such methods come with their own disadvantages when we relate them to long term effects and costs. It is also hard to attain an ideal eco city when the focus is entirely on ecological sustainability forgetting there are other factors accompanying and ideal eco city such as social sustainability and economic sustainability (British Broadcasting Corporation 2009, p 6). The Fine Line between Masdar, Chicago, Illinois and Malmo Given the fact that Masdar will be forced to stamp out certain harmful factors in order to come up with an ‘ideal eco city’ makes it less important compared to other cities practicing sustainability this includes Chicago, Illinois and Malmo. This is due to the fact that Masdar chose to eliminate certain aspects such as the use of vehicles, industries with high energy consumption and control the kind of business which can be carried out around the city. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emissions to a very small percentage which means that there will be little to be done when it comes to applying sustainable methods which aim at stamping out carbon dioxide. However, when we look at other cities which were not build using sustainable methods they are applying measures which are slowly by slowly reducing the city’s impact on the environment and with time and technology, such methods are expected to have a positive effect when it comes to ensuring the city transforms into an environmental sustainable habitat. It is also important to ensure a city is running as a society which incorporates all the three aspects of life without any problem and in a sustainable manner. Though Masdar is trying to do so, such factors are not fully incorporated in the city which makes it a less ideal eco city compared to an actual environmental city which puts into consideration all the three aspects of life without eliminating harmful factors in order to have a simple way of pumping out impurities such as carbon dioxide. Conclusion From the above assessment, we are able to see that, if the Masdar project will be a success then it will have certain economic benefits for the region which a city build using conventional methods couldn’t achieve. Developing a renewable energy plant will have positive effects on Masdar both economically and when it comes to attaining ecological sustainability. Compared to other cities which were developed using conventional methods Masdar can be seen as far much advanced when it comes to ecological sustainability. However, the fact that Masdar removes certain aspects from the picture in order to attain its goals makes it a less important focus when we talk of an ideal eco city. When designing its plan, designers intentionally eliminated the presence of high energy consumption industries in order to reduce their impact on the environment. The city plan also eliminates certain jobs as a way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. However, there are certain cities striving to attain sustainability with all these harmful factors in place, such cities have applied certain methods which are gradually reducing the city’s impacts on the environment. With time such cities will be able to completely eliminate its impact on environment. On the other hand, such cities can also act as a perfect model to other global cities and show them how they can attain sustainability even after multiple years of environmental depletion unlike Masdar which is a city simply in such a way that all harmful factors are eliminated. According to the Economist (2008), Masdar will not have a direct positive impact on the region since the conservation program is only limited to it and other cities of its kind. Therefore an ideal eco city is one which puts into consideration all the aspects of life without drawing boundaries and goes ahead to develop mechanisms which will see to it that such city has less impact on the environment. Bibliographies British Broadcasting Corporation, 2009, Legacies: Saltaire: a Successful Industrial Township, (online), Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/work/england/bradford/article_1.shtml (7 October 2009). Basantani, M. 2008, "Plans for Foster's Masdar Carbon Neutral City Debut." 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