Lakhasly

The United Arab Emirates is not normally thought of as a leader in combating climate change. For starters, it has one of the highest levels of carbon dioxide emissions per capita in the world, according to the World Bank. However, Abu Dhabi has in recent years drawn attention for its innovative environmental building projects.

In designing modern and sustainable buildings, architects are taking cues from an ancient Arabic design tradition. One striking example is a high-tech sun shading system running up the facade of the award winning Al Bahr Towers. The building was created by the British architectural firm Aedas. The firm has pioneered a new technique that could revolutionize the approach to building in extreme climates. It was inspired by "mashrabiya," latticed screens commonly seen in Islamic architecture that diffuse sunlight and keep buildings cool without blocking light. For the initial project a brief from Abu Dhabi Investment

Council required an environmentally-friendly and

sustainable solution to a large scale commercial project in

one of the world's hottest climates. "Not allowing the sun

to land directly on the skin of the building, causing

overheating and glare, was a very simple concept," said

Abdulmajid Karanouh, the buildings' architect. "And that's

why using the mashrabiya, inspired from the past and

inspired by nature, was a no brainer."

The end result is a dynamic outer screen installed around most of the two 25-story buildings' sides. The screens are

arranged as an array of repeating geometric patterns. They are computer-controlled to respond to the sun's movement, unfolding like an umbrella when the sun hits them. Each day after the sun goes down, the 2,000 screens fold closed, and the automated mechanism shuts off. The north sides of the structures never receive direct sunlight and are left unshaded by the screens.

In Abu Dhabi, solar rays can heat the outside surface of windows up to 90 degrees Celsius, (200 degrees Fahrenheit). Typically, buildings use dark tinted glass, but this inevitably restricts incoming light all the of the time rather than just problematic direct sunlight at certain times of day. By shielding the glass from the sun, the screens let in diffused natural light, reduce glare, and keep the buildings cool. Consequently, the use of both artificial lighting and air conditioning in the interior can be significantly reduced. The effect is a 50% reduction in energy consumption within the twin towers.

The design of Mashrabiya also achieves another purpose. It can protect the activities of the building's inhabitants from being seen while it still enables them to have good views of the outside. Thus the use of traditional Islamic design in this modern building expresses the respect for privacy that is important to the local culture.

According to Karanouh, "This project represents the perfect marriage of technology and design. Not only do the buildings look good, but they are entirely fit for purpose and sympathetic to their environment."

Building design experts obviously agree. Al Bahr Towers was recently given the award for "Best Tall

Building Worldwide" by the Chicago-based CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats), which recognizes sustainable architecture.