How to tackle Heat Urban Island effect in Abu Dhabi?
One of the biggest challenges in the 21st Century is the global handling of rising heat levels as a result of climate change. Abu Dhabi is experiencing this first hand due to its geographical location, and the need to improve outdoor thermal comfort in public spaces has become the city’s main focal point. The current urban development practices use high heat absorbing materials to construct the cities, which have led to use of energy intensive methods to cool down the environment contributing to the Urban Heat Island Effect. One way to fight desertification and the urban heat island effect is by planting trees and adding a way for the plant life to support itself and endure extreme heat.
A Biophilic approach towards reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect is considered where nature-like and natural processes are mimicked in an urban setting to passively cool down the public realm. Plants act as natural air conditioners; convert heat and sunlight into oxygen, provide shade, create healthy micro climate in the soil that helps to keep water in the ground, help to tackle air pollution and make an overall rich and pleasant urban environment. Water collection is a focal point to sustain plant life; retaining the water in the soil so that it doesn’t easily evaporate, and Abu Dhabi’s coastal location can be used as an advantage here. The city experiences thick clouds of fog from November to April which can be harvested together with morning dew through the air’s high moisture content. This water harvesting, collecting and processing system with native and adaptive plant life creates a self sustaining micro climate for the public realm that can be managed with little assistance – an ecosystem where every element supports each other. Climate sensitive and people-centric approach forms the core of Biotopia while using sustainable material design, and the ability to function in different urban settings.
Cool Abu Dhabi Challenge 2020
Treehouse studio: Joonas Riisalu, Reenal Agarwal, Kristjan Maalt, Joachim Madsen
