Zaha Hadid's sweeping design for Bee'ah's headquarters rises from the desert
As sustainable waste management becomes an increasingly important issue on the global agenda, it’s of no surprise that the architecture that surrounds it is also receiving more attention. In Copenhagen construction steams ahead on BIG’s ambitious Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant, while over in the United Arab Emirates a new waste management project is in the works.
Following an international competition in 2013, UAE environmental and waste management company Bee’ah, has enlisted the architectural might of Zaha Hadid to design an awe-inspiring 7,000 sq m headquarters in Sharjah that will help to realise the company’s admirable environmental goals.
Informed by its 90,000 sq m desert site, Hadid has envisioned the headquarters as a fleet of sweeping ‘sand dunes’ orientated to optimise the prevailing Shamal winds and limit the quantity of glazing exposed to the harsh sun. Two primary dunes, that house the public, management and administrative sections, intersect and connect via a central courtyard ‘oasis’ inside the building – a feature that’s designed to enhance natural ventilation and channel indirect sunlight into the building's cathedral-like interiors.
Weaving environmental considerations into every aspect of the design, Hadid worked with environmental design consultants Atelier Ten to develop active and passive building systems that will reduce the building’s energy consumption by 30% and has developed the building’s structure in conjunction with enginners Buro Happold to minimise material consumption.
Power, meanwhile, is generated by converting municipal waste - that would otherwise decay in landfill - from Bee’ah’s adjacent Waste Management Centre into energy, while large arrays of photovoltaic cells and solar thermal arrays for hot water generation are incorporated within the site’s landscaping. With completion slated for 2017/18, Bee'ah's headquarters promise to be a striking jewel in the UAE's architectural crown.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
These new Samsung x Marimekko accessories bring cult patterns to your pocket devices
Legendary Finnish design house Marimekko has infused a range of accessories for the latest Samsung devices with its characteristic abstract floral style
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Brunello Cucinelli takes a Roman holiday to launch new eyewear collection
Wallpaper* joined Brunello Cucinelli’s opulent festivities at Rome’s Villa Aurelia, which heralded a new eyewear collection created in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica
By Jack Moss Published
-
San Sabino offers mellow Italian-American dining in New York
San Sabino debuts in New York’s West Village, helmed by Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, with interiors by GRT Architects
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Roca celebrates Zaha Hadid Design in London
New exhibition celebrates Roca London Gallery's tenth anniversary and the work of Zaha Hadid Design (ZHD)
By Ellie Stathaki Last updated
-
The buildings adding a new dimension to Miami’s skyline
As the Florida city’s architecture boom continues apace, here’s what’s next
By Jessica Klingelfuss Last updated
-
One Thousand Museum by ZHA completes in Miami
Zaha Hadid Architects' debut residential tower in the USA, the glamorous and organic One Thousand Museum in downtown Miami, has just been completed, featuring a range of amenities, as well as bespoke landscaping by specialist Enzo Enea
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Whipped peaks form Zaha Hadid Architects’ Meixihu cultural centre
In Changsha, southern China, Zaha Hadid Architects’ Meixihu cultural centre design features three sculptural structures formed of sweeping organic curves housing a contemporary art museum and two theatres
By SuhYoung Yun Last updated
-
Zaha Hadid Architects carves out riverside promenade and flood barrier for Hamburg
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Opus Dubai by ZHA places a free-form void into the heart of an abstract cube
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ Morpheus hotel opens in Macau
By Catherine Shaw Last updated
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ CityLife Shopping District opens in Milan
By Harriet Thorpe Last updated