True to its clean intentions, Masdar City is being developed using materials that produce the least overall carbon footprint. Since the concrete used is a significant contributor to the city’s carbon footprint, several steps have been employed to enhance the sustainability of this concrete. The green ready-mix concrete produced on site has been found to be more economical and stronger than conventional alternatives. Waste steel, concrete and timber are collected at a 12-hectare Material Recycling Centre, and are later reused at different construction sites. Contractors have been redirecting almost 96% of construction waste from landfill and using it for building purposes. Waste wood is reused while other wood is turned to mulch for landscaping purposes. The architectural landscape of Masdar City takes on styles inspired from different parts of the Arabian region that blends modern practicality with eco-sustainability. The city and street grid are oriented in a manner that maximizes shading at street level, minimizes thermal gain on building walls and facilitates the flow of cool breezes throughout the city. Masdar City is already a buzzing community with several pilot projects underway. Research and development, technology testing and construction of the world’s most sustainable buildings are also in the pipeline. The first six buildings of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology campus are complete and operational. These include three residential buildings, two laboratory buildings and a Knowledge Centre. Students are accommodated at the campus hostel. Retail, food and beverage outlets are now open. A monthly organic farmer’s market and street fair goes on from April to October.
Masdar City is currently powered by a 10MW solar photovoltaic plant – the largest of its kind in the Middle East. Future power sources include a solar beam that is currently being tested. This ‘Beam Down Project’ is a joint pilot project between Masdar Institute, Japan’s Cosmo Oil Company and the Tokyo Institute of Technology. It will have the potential to generate electricity from sunlight in a more resourceful and inexpensive way compared to existing technologies. Most of the electricity will be sourced from photovoltaic panels, so choosing those technologies befitting Abu Dhabi’s climate is essential. Over 35 different panels are being tested, including crystalline and thin-film. First round test results have led to the selection of roof-mounted PV panels used for one of the Masdar Institute buildings.
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