Vertical Farming In Dubai

Yes, Dubai is at it again! The next challenging and seemingly unfeasible project to add to the skyline is a vertical farm that uses seawater to cool and humidify greenhouses and to convert sufficient humidity back in to fresh water to irrigate the crops.

This concept, proposed by the Italian firm, Studiomobile, was developed from the idea that the world's population continues to grow just as the available arable land continues to be deforested causing global warming. So with minimal farm land, the only other option is to build farms vertically and where better to test this than in Dubai.

The vertical farm features a soaring spire with pod-like ‘sky-gardens’ branching off to give it an organic feel in keeping with designers aims to create a clean, green, sustainable source of food for a more self-sufficient Dubai. The concept makes use of the Seawater Greenhouse process, which uses seawater to cool and humidify the air that ventilates the greenhouse and sunlight to distill fresh water from seawater to enable the year round cultivation of high value crops that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to grow in hot, arid regions such as Dubai. This is in stark contrast to costly and energy intensive desalination plants that rely on boiling and pumping to produce fresh water.

The concept works by continually cycling through three phases. In the first phase the air going into the greenhouse is first cooled and humidified by seawater, which is trickled over the first evaporator to provide a fresh and humid climate for the crops. Then in the second phase as the air leaves the growing area it passes through the second evaporator, which has seawater flowing over it. The humid air mixes with the warm dry air of the ceiling interspace making the air much hotter and more humid. The third and final phase sees the warm air forced upward by the temperature induced stack effect. In the central chimney the warm and humid air condenses when it comes in contact with plastic tubes that contain cool seawater. The drops of fresh water that appear on the surface of the condenser fall into a collection tank to be used to water the crops and for other uses.

The idea of vertical farming in the absence of farm land is a pretty good idea and I would like to see more details on just how this could be achieved. Nonetheless, I am not impressed with Dubai undertaking this project. If they had focused a bit more in the past on farming and actually trying to grow some crops for themselves instead of building on every available scrap of land and even creating more land for construction to cater to tourists, they might have had space to farm like "regular folk." If one of those ridiculous man-made continents had been dedicated to producing some cash crop, then maybe their economy would be in better shape than it is. So I guess now that building all manner of absurd highrises has failed, they want to try something new. I think this is more for the publicity and rep than for actual need.





Image obtained from: www.gizmag.com
For more info, check: www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/vertica-farm-dubai-seawater.php

Define Dubai's Skyline. A Sign Of Vitality Or Is It Just Crass?

I've come across a couple of articles in magazines and newspapers in which each writer berates the other's accounts and opinions of Dubai and the emirates' continued redefinition of revitalization and building construction technology. In her Feb 9th article in the guardian, Germaine Greer describes her recent visit to Dubai as "disappointing" and goes on to say, "from its artificial islands to its boring new skyscraper, Dubai's architecture is beyond crass." Wow! Meanwhile, Siobhan Campbell in her response article on the 18th in the same paper, describes Greer's remarks as, "lacking insight, and panders to the media pastime of rejoicing in the supposedly burst bubble of Dubai's prosperity. So...is there a middle ground here?

First of all, both Greer and Campbell are 6-8 months behind times and don't seem to really know the real state of affairs in Dubai where all building construction has come to a screeching halt. I've outlined this before in past articles, most recently in my Jan 24th write up. The financial loses to Dubai are just as bad as those in the US, UK and the world over. The cost of food that has to be imported has sky rocketed. The real estate and property values have fallen by 50%, and it is only a matter of time, before the building construction industry there completely collapses.

Still, let's analyze both their respective comments on this issue. Greer, who called the Burg Dubai, "the needle stuck in the buttock of the Almighty" shows that the outrageous prices for space in the tower has made it an eerie, empty nest. The Amani residences which go for a minimum of 3,500 USD are also equally empty and have aided the the developer, Emaar lose 75% of the tower's total value. So has all this construction been for naught? It might as well have been if hardly anyone lives there especially on the "man made" islands. And these Greer has pointed out as the "crassest of all." Palm Jumeira remains underdeveloped as "the water between the branches is stagnating and algae is forming along the man-made beachfront. How this will affect the dolphins that are shipped from the South Pacific to amuse the guests at the Hotel Atlantis, who pay $75 to swim with them, is any body's guess." So altogether, Germaine Greer does not have much of a high opinion of Dubai and I really can't say that anyone should blame her much.

Now Siobhan Campbell, as a resident of Dubai, is not at all impressed with all the issues outlined by Greer. According to Campbell, only 6% of Dubai's revenue comes from oil so the need to create a tourist industry to supplement the market is not only a necessary thing but a very innovative move which has attracted "investment and tourists: with both of these come jobs." Jobs? Is she really counting the cheap labor of the migrant population of Indians and Philippinos, who can no longer survive on their meager existence and are leaving en mass, as jobs created? Or is she speaking of the expatriates who have also left in fustration? And how many of the actual indigens of Dubai were employed during this time? Not very many if any at all. Still, I do agree with Campbell that Greer really just had a bus tour of the city during a lay-over and can't really sum up the dynamism and culture of the entire area in just four hours.

The issue of Dubai's architecture is probably one of the most controversial of our time with everyone coming in with hotly contested opinions and never really seeing eye-to-eye. But one thing I think that we can all just come out and agree upon is that the building frenzy in Dubai has been a Little over the top and the recent crash in the market has not helped. The focus on large scale mixed use towers has taken precedence over much needed projects such as better infrastructure to address the horrible traffic and sewage problems and this even residents can agree upon. Though done in excess, Dubai has been broken the barrier in forward thinking architectural design but unfortunately, this has come to the detriment of much of their ecosystem. Still, I think I've done enough pieces on Dubai, though I couldn't resist the urge to rant about it once more here. It is what it is so let's leave it alone and move on.



Image obtained from: www.guardian.co.uk
For more information, check: www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/18/dubai-architecture and www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/feb/09/dubai-architecture-greer

Completion Of The Nakheel tower On Hold?

In October, I wrote a post about the 3,280 ft high tower in Dubai and how this project was set to be one of the tallest buildings in the world upon its previously projected topout in 2018. Now it seems that this date will have to be pushed back a year with a halt in construction as Dubai, the Middle East's business and entertainment capital feels the effects of the economic recession (Really?).

The decision to put this project on hold came as a leading credit rating company warned that falling real estate prices would probably hurt banks in Dubai and elsewhere in the United Arab Emirates. Representatives of the developer said in a statement that "further work" on the tower's foundations will resume in 12 months though they failed to state just how much work has been done so far. "This is part of our readjustment of our immediate business plans to better reflect the current market trends and match supply with demand," the company said.

The tower named after Nakheel, a state-owned builder has been competing with the Burg Dubai, which is still under construction and has reached 780 meters, or 2,559 feet, and now has more than 160 stories. The final height though is still being kept a secret till its completion but for now, it look like the Burg Dubai is going to win the race.

I must confess that I'm a bit surprised that Dubai of all places that seemed to defy cost, detrimental effects on their ecosystem or common sense has been affected by the economic downturn the rest of us regular folk feel. I guess this will put somewhat of a damper on the whole "mine is bigger than yours" race in the Middle east. Still, with a secret price tag, which probably means that the tower costs a mind boggling amount of money, it is little wonder that further funding might be tight even in Dubai.


Image obtained from: the International Herald tribune.

Dubai On The Road to Ecological Disaster

I know that Dubai and the Middle East has dominated my recent posts, but I felt that in touching on the senseless extravagance with which buildings are put up there, I would also touch up on some of the consequences of Dubai's current urban planning system or lack there of.

Many experts, one of whom is Thom Mayne, winner of the 2005 Pritzker Award warns that Dubai will become an ecological disaster if development continues in it's current direction. The speed of construction and apparent destruction of ecosystems in turning land to sea, sea to land and desert to a habitable mainland has not been something that building developers in Dubai have concerned themselves with in recent years and many indigenous species have been endangered because of this.
Also, the urban development of Dubai has not done much to accommodate for public transportation making it much worse than cities like Los Angeles for the commuters. This means more cars on the road for longer hours and a higher release of Carbon IV Oxide (Carbon Monoxide) into the atmosphere.

Another aspect that has been overlooked is the fact that in the heat of Dubai, having buildings with so much exposed fenestration puts a huge load on the HVAC system and negates the "green" claims of the architects because there aren't any energy savings as units have to work at double capacity. Having towers with different micro-climates within the same building doesn't help matters either.

The study was done specifically for Dubai but I think that this is true for most of the emirates, Saudi Arabia especially. Not much though is being given to the impact of this rapid ,"over-the-top" construction on the environment because they have enough money to build whatever they want. Now I'm not hating really. Just pointing out that they are destroying their respective environments.

Image obtained from www.mennobars.com
For more info, check www.bdonline.co.uk

World's Tallest Building. Another One?

Actually, two more! Hot on the heels of the Burg Dubai is a proposal, revealed 4 days ago, for a 3,280 ft high tower again in Dubai. Local city developer Nakheel, the company responsible for the famous man-made islands off the coast of Dubai reported that the tower will be the center piece of the new inner city harbor, new Dubai, that is to become the emirate's new capital. Though specifics of the building and estimated budget were not given, Nakheel executive Christopher O'Donnell stated that this would be a multi-billion pound undertaking that is projected to topout in late 2018.

The Nakheel tower, as it has now come to be known, will stretch for about 200 floors, need over 150 lifts and be built of 700,000 pounds of concrete but specific solutions for many challenges have not been outlined in the proposal. Some of these are the fact that due to the height of the tower, it will experience more than 5 different micro climate conditions throughout its floors. As the temperature at the top could be as much as 10 degrees cooler than the ground floor.

As impressive or ambitious as this might be, the Nakheel tower will eventually be over taken by the "Mile-High" Tower, already commissioned by Saudi prince Al-Walid Bin Talal, one of the richest men on earth I might add. The tower gets its name from its height. That's right! It will be exactly 1 mile high, approximately 5,280 feet, have an estimated budget of $20 Billion and is to be located in the Northern Obhur district of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

The tower has been designed to contain it all, from residences, office and commercial spaces and a few 5 star hotels but as to be expected, the technical challenges are enormous! For example, much of the lifting will have to be carried out by specialized helicopters which will also be used as commuter transportation for the builders. Also, like the Nakheel tower, there will be a number of micro-climates within the building which will need to be addressed as well as the fact that the temperature in the area drops from about 120 degrees during the day to below freezing at night. But the most important of all is the building's resistance to strong prevalent winds to stop it from swaying. To address this last concern, Betchel engineering, responsible for the tower construction, is specifying a giant computer-operated damper with wind detecting sensors to control resonant motion and building drift.

Well, I really don't have much to say except that this is ridiculous! Just to compete and say "mine is bigger than yours?" How silly! I'm sure there are many poor children in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and all over the world that could have benefited better from all the billions that will be spent on these two buildings. I am a big fan of seeing great strides taken in building technology and ground breaking designs setting precedents for us to follow but this one is way too extravagant.

Images obtained from www.dailynews.com

Burg Dubai: World's Tallest Building!

I think we have all gotten used to the extravagance with which buildings are erected in Dubai and the Burg Dubai (which simply means Dubai Tower in Arabic) with its initial $4 billion budget embodies that perfectly. Though still under construction, with its topout set for September of 2009, the tower is already the tallest structure in the world standing (as of Sept 26th of this year) at 2,320 ft or 707m. To give you an idea of how tall it is, the Petronas Towers are 1,482 ft; spire and all. Though the final height is still being kept a secrete, from the planned 162 floors, the completed height is being projected at about 2,297 ft.

The tower's architect Adrian Smith, formerly of SOM, explains that he derived his design from patterning systems found in much of Islamic architecture, with the triple lobed footprint of the building based on an abstracted version of the flower hymenocallis and gives a Y-shaped floorplan which helps maximize views. The Burg Dubai, which is part of the 0.8 sq mi development called "Downtown Dubai," is located along Sheikh Zayed road at Doha Street and like most highrises is composed of a central core but this will eventually emerge from the rooftop to be tapered and sculpted into a spire. As the tower rises back from its base, staggered setbacks at each element occur in an upward spiralling pattern thereby decreasing the tower's cross-section.

The structural materials used are primarily reinforced concrete and steel which created challenges on how to pump more than 110,000 tonnes of concrete vertically as the building progressed and also have the mix withstand the Gulf temperatures which can reach 122 degrees during the day. The South Korean construction company, Samsung Engineering and Construction (the same responsible for the Petronas Towers and the Taipei 101) combated these problems by pouring the concrete at night and adding ice thereby cooling the mixture and allowing it cure evenly and prevent possible cracks.

I have spoken with many of my peers about the Burg Dubai, some love it and some hate it with a passion but I think it is an amazing feat of architectural technology. Now, I don't think any country needs a tower that high until we come to the point where we have used up all our land resources and can only go upwards. I am never a fan of buildings that are tall just for the sake of being tall because they never relate to their surroundings. But you cannot evaluate buildings in Dubai with the same standards one would use elsewhere. Dubai sets its own standards in design and we can only marvel at the outcome every time. The only issue I have with this tower is the fact that at its tallest levels, it currently sways with a maximum displacement of all of 4 ft. I don't know what they have done to address how occupants would feel or maybe one requirement to leasing any top level space, which by the way are already going for $4,500 per sq ft, is being impervious to sea sickness.

Images obtained from www.madarchitect.org/super-structures

S.O.M's Al Hamara Tower nears completion

The project which broke ground in 2004 has reached 600 of its proposed 1,352 feet and is calculated to be on track for its 2009 topout and 2010 opening. The tower is to be a significant landmark in the skyline of Kuwait city and upon completion will become one of the top 25 tallest buildings in the world.

I had seen this monstrosity on youtube but had no idea SOM was responsible for the design. Yes, as someone in the architectural field I must admit that it is quite an extraordinary building and underscores just how far we've come in terms of building technology but I must ask; does Kuwait really need this 950 million dollar tower which, if the construction process has been any similar to projects of identical typology, must have already gone over budget by now?

75,900 sq feet of its entire 1,067,220 sq feet is to be retail space with an integrated theater complex to boost commercial output and become a gravitational niche but what percentage of Kuwait's population would be able to shop here?

I know the original plan was to define Kuwait city's skyline, but this tower stands so far out of its surroundings, it seems to be more of a "site intervention" than a component of the entire site.

I think SOM has put together a great building design but have ignored some urban and economical issues. Does anyone share this view point?

Images provided by flickr.com