Sustainable solutions that ease the load

Buildings by Daman

Dubai, UAE

The Daman Buildings occupy a prime 280,000m² site within the Dubai International Financial Centre.

They comprise 84,000m² of residential accommodation including luxury penthouses, 56,000m² of offices, and a 300 room sky hotel with elevated open air amenities and additional community areas. The building is supported by a 2050 space car park complete with 650 automated spaces, which remove the need for drivers to park their vehicles.

One of the first commercial developments in Dubai to use energy efficient underfloor air conditioning throughout

Incorporation of green solutions wherever possible

140,000m² leasable accommodation and office space created

Challenge

Buro Happold was employed by the architect to take over the design from the original concept engineers. We were asked to devise and apply green solutions that were in keeping with LEED guidelines, to bring the development up to accreditation standard and ensure its sustainability for the future. We also questioned the original architectural design, which saw the lower building supporting the upper, as this seemed unfeasible.

Solution

To rectify this issue our engineers worked closely with the architect to create an alternative, more viable, design that would produce the same effect. The result of this collaboration was a design in which the upper building straddled the lower, without bearing any weight on it.

The Buro Happold team also advised on the incorporation of green solutions wherever possible. These included the use of underfloor air conditioning throughout, which was not just an energy-efficient system but also reduced ceiling void heights. This maximised available interior space for our client to lease, thereby increasing the value of the properties. Buildings by Daman was one of the first commercial developments in the area to use this strategy.

We realised the large open spaces required in the higher building using hung structures and large transfer systems capable of regulating and maintaining comfortable internal conditions.

_{Andrea Scotti, Managing Director Middle East}

Value

Using a combination of tried and tested methodology and pioneering engineering strategies, we were able to realise this ambitious project and add value for our client at every opportunity.