META ARCHITECTURE

• Meta-architecture refers to a higher-level approach or framework that guides

the design and organization of various architectural styles, concepts, and
principles.
• It doesn’t relate to any specific architectural style itself, but rather provides a
broader perspective on how different styles and elements can be integrated,
adapted, or combined to create innovative and meaningful built environments.
• In essence, meta-architecture is a way of thinking about architecture that goes
beyond individual styles, focusing on overarching ideas, design philosophies,
and principles that can be applied across different contexts.
• It involves considering the relationships between spaces, forms, functions,
materials, and cultural influences to create cohesive and impactful
architectural designs.
The features of meta architecture include:
Holistic Integration: Meta architecture combines diverse architectural styles, concepts, and elements into a
cohesive and harmonious design.

Flexibility and Adaptability: It allows architects to draw inspiration from various sources and adapt designs to different
contexts and functions.
Innovation: Meta architecture encourages unconventional thinking and the exploration of new design possibilities.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Architects collaborate with experts from different fields to enrich the design process
and achieve multidimensional results.
Sustainability: Emphasis on incorporating sustainable materials and technologies aligns with eco-friendly design
principles.

Spatial Harmony: The focus on holistic design leads to spaces that flow seamlessly and enhance the user
experience.
Meta-architecture is characterized by the following key features:

Holistic Approach: Meta-architecture takes a holistic view, considering the interplay between various architectural elements, styles, and
concepts. It aims to create a cohesive and integrated design that transcends individual components.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Meta-architecture encourages flexibility and adaptability, allowing architects to draw inspiration from
multiple styles and adapt them to suit specific contexts and functions.

Innovation and Experimentation: It promotes innovation and experimentation by encouraging architects to break free from
conventional norms and explore new design possibilities. This often leads to the creation of unique and unconventional structures.

Integration of Technology: Meta-architecture embraces technological advancements and seeks to incorporate them harmoniously into
the design. This can involve the use of cutting-edge materials, construction techniques, and sustainable technologies

Cultural and Contextual Sensitivity: Meta-architecture emphasizes the importance of considering cultural, social, and environmental
factors when designing buildings. It encourages architects to create structures that respond to their cultural and contextual
surroundings.

Conceptual Depth: Meta-architecture encourages architects to explore deeper concepts and ideas in their designs, often resulting in
buildings that carry symbolic meanings or tell a story beyond their functional purpose.

Overall, meta-architecture serves as a guiding framework that encourages architects to transcend stylistic limitations and
create architectural solutions that are innovative, meaningful, and adaptable to a wide range of contexts.
The choice of materials can vary widely based on the project's context, function, sustainability goals, and
aesthetic preferences.
Common materials used in buildings that align with the principles of meta-architecture include:

Glass: Often used to create transparency, visual connections, and to integrate the building with its surroundings. Glass can
contribute to a sense of openness and lightness in the design.

Steel: Steel is known for its strength and flexibility, making it suitable for creating innovative structural forms and unique
geometries.

Concrete: Used for its versatility, durability, and ability to take on various textures and forms. Exposed concrete surfaces can
create a sense of raw and industrial aesthetics.

Wood: Wood is valued for its warmth, natural beauty, and sustainability. It can be used to create a sense of organic connection
between the built environment and nature.

Natural Stone: Often used to add a sense of timelessness and solidity to a design. Different types of stone can be incorporated
for their unique colors, textures, and patterns.

Innovative Composites: Advanced composite materials like carbon fiber, fiberglass, and engineered timber offer architects new
possibilities for creating lightweight and strong structures.
Recycled and Sustainable Materials: Meta-architecture often aligns with sustainable design principles, leading to the use
of recycled, reclaimed, or environmentally-friendly materials.

Fabric and Membranes: Tensile fabric structures or membrane materials can be used to create dynamic and flexible forms,
adding a sense of movement to the design.

Plastics and Polymers: Modern plastics and polymers allow for unique shapes, colors, and translucency, offering architects
opportunities for creativity.

Digital and Responsive Materials: Technological advancements have led to the development of materials that can change
color, shape, or transparency in response to environmental conditions.
INVESTMENT COUNCIL HEADQUATERS
• Location: Abu Dhabi.
• Climate : Hot arid.( Temperature- 45 C – 12 C)
• Design architects: Aedas.
• Height of the building – 150 meters (492 ft).
• No of floors – 29.
• The innovation of dynamic façade shading system was
inspired by the traditional mashrabiya.
• To adopt aggressive environmental sustainability agenda.
• The mashrabiya system consist of nearly 1000 elements
on the two towers each installed with a 3 side umbrellas
made of translucent Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene –
PTFE).
• There approach was to minimize the solar heat gain in the building , which
reduces cooling demand, and also improves the performance of the glass with
better daylight and views.
• The architects at Aedas in London wanted to minimize the risk associated with
developing a custom façade system in what can be harshly hot, windy, and sandy
environment.
• Sustainability Features
• The building is targeting a LEED Silver rating and the following are among the
measures to be adopted, in addition to the 'Dynamic Mashrabiya’:
• Reduction in water usage
• Use of materials that are regionally sourced
• Use of materials with a high recycled content
• Use of wood from forests which are certified in accordance with the Forest
Stewardship Council’s (FSC) Principles.
Design Concept                 

The building design concept is based upon a desire to create a composition which will
respect the prestigious nature of the Investment Council while also reflecting the
underlying cultural tradition in a modern idiom, and responding to the prevailing
environmental conditions. In response to the client's brief, Aedas's design approach
for the buildings were influenced by three key drivers; inspiration from nature,
sustainable design and the principles of Islamic architecture, a key aspect of which is
geometric composition.
• Structural System
• A crystalline/honeycombed structure has been derived from the underlying
geometry that provides highly efficient load paths and creates a structural
solution which is at once stable, flexible and economical. The structural form
also embodies a high degree of redundancy which would be very resilient if
damaged. The Abu Dhabi Investment Council building superstructure is
expressed on the external face of the building reflecting the underlying
geometrical framework.

As each tower comprises circa 1,000 Mashrabiya

units, so it has been estimated that the 'Mashrabiya'
will achieve a 50% reduction in solar gain, a
significant reduction in electrical energy
consumption together with a reduction in total site
CO2 emissions of over 1,750 tonnes per year.
• The Dynamic Mashrabiya
• A key feature of the design is the application of a diaphanous screen that
envelopes the most exposed aspect of the building in the form of a dynamic
Mashrabiya. The Mashrabiya screen solution has responded to the United Arab
Emirates' aspiration to become a leader in the field of alternative energy, as
evidenced by the recent Masdar initiative. Preliminary estimates suggest that
the screen will result in a 25% reduction in the cooling load, thereby
substantially reducing the carbon footprint of the Abu Dhabi Investment
Council building towers.