Commercial Architecture > Dubai

_project Name: The Desert Flower

_location: Dubai, UAE

_brief: Design three luxurious residential units which will provide great views of the surrounding water and out towards the ever-changing skyline of Dubai.

_considerations: As ecologically-sympathetic as possible without compromising on design.

_response: The external double skin was designed to act as a veil, shielding the building from the direct rays of the sun and reducing the buildings' cooling load by 45%. This veil also acts as a solar chimney, which works as a hot air exhaust system; the sun hits the veil, warming the air behind it, which rises to create movement and draws water-cooled air from below the buildings. This ventilation method draws the hot air out of individual units, reducing the amount of power used in the buildings. Smart glass systems have been integrated into the design to assist the cooling systems; at certain times of the day, during excessive direct sunlight, the glass will become opaque, creating three distinct building colours and taking the desert flower concept to another level.