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Aesthetics Trumps Conservation?
by Sukanya Seshadri Jan. 10, 2013 2 min read original
A multitude of skyscrapers on one side and on the other, the sunlight
reflects off the Arabian Sea, leaving an inimitable gleam on the surface
of its water. There is no doubt why real estate developers would want
to capitalize on such a view. Watch the same West Bay area transform
dramatically in the evening as the darkness camouflages the waters of
the sea while the buildings are awash in a dramatic display of lights,
each seemingly competing with the others for the attention of
passersby. This is where buildings around Doha get it all wrong.
While Qatar aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 2030, how would
dressing up buildings in dazzling displays of light at night help
contribute to this vision? The beauty of a city is evaluated especially
by lighting up its buildings at night. In Qatar, these lights serve the
same purpose, says Mohamed Jaber, Head of Electrical Engineering
at KEO International Consultants. However, buildings do not need to
be lit up completely or all the time. Most people leave their workplaces
by 6 or 7 p.m. in Doha, so lights could be turned off in their absence or
else buildings can be partially lit up, he adds. While this is a
reasonable suggestion that may go a long way in reducing Qatars
carbon footprint, many buildings continue to leave their lighting on,
both indoor and faade, even late into the night.
Two such prominent buildings, which punctuate Dohas West Bay
skyline, are the Burj Qatar (Doha Tower) and the Tornado Tower, both
primarily commercial buildings. Glass is not an ideal building material
in countries with hot climate as it traps heat within the building and
results in maximised consumption of energy. The Tornado Tower is an
ideal example of this. This buildings faade, like most others in West
Bay, is composed almost entirely of glass. According to Bob Stow, the
MEP Manager of Tornado Tower, the building wasnt particularly
designed with any efficiency standards in mind. We use double-
glazed glass all over our building which does not allow as much heat to
be trapped within the building. We have installed movement sensors
wherever possible so that lights are not left on in the absence of
people. However, tenants on each floor have the option of controlling
the temperature and lighting in their space, so we are not responsible
for all the energy consumption in the building. Moreover, we dont
really have any reason or incentive to introduce any changes to the
amount of power we consume as a building nor are we really
accountable to anyone, he says.
While Burj Qatars faade with intricate Mashrabiya patterns
certainly makes it stand out from its neighbours, it also protects the
building and its occupants from the harsh desert sun. This also helps
the building minimise its indoor energy consumption especially in
terms of air conditioning since not much heat from the sun is captured
into the building. Since the building isnt yet occupied to capacity, we
are not able to indicate how much energy we truly conserve,
commented Jawad Bou Haidar, the Interior Architect of the Burj
Qatar.
The new laws being implemented by the GSAS (Global Sustainability
Assessment System) to regulate energy levels in new buildings are an
excellent initiative by the Qatari government. Building owners must be
motivated by incentives to reduce their energy consumption levels.
Many countries have been providing great incentives which encourage
their citizens to comply with environmental protection initiatives.
Only incentives and a certain awareness of their accountability to
society can help bring about any kind of mass changes in attitude
towards environmental protection, added Jaber.
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Conservation Environment
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