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Sustainability and the Future of the CityMr David Nelson, Head of Design,
Foster + Partners, UK, delivered a
Keynote Speech at the 24'" European
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
and Exhibition which was held from
21 to 24 September 2009, in Hamburg,
Germany. Belowis an edited excerpt of
his presentation.
,
Today, more people live in cities than in
the whole hisrory of civilisation and that
pattern is accelerating. What rook 200
years in Europe or North America is now
taking 20 years in countries such as China
- acceleration by a facror of 10. It was not
that long ago, in 1939, that London was
the most populous city in the world, witha population of 8.6 million, but it has
been overtaken by a number of mega-cities
around the world, such as Mexico City,
Tokyo and Shanghai, with populations in
excess of 15 million. This explosive growth
comes at a time of decreasing resources
and environmental crisis - the need for
sustainable, energy-efficient design has
never been more critical. We are therefore
faced with two srrategies for the cities
of the future: ro create sustainable new
communities from scratch or ro adapt andretrofit our existing cities.
Masdar in Abu Dhabi presents a
unique opportunity ro create the model
for a sustainable new city. The ambition
of Masdar is ro create a high-density,
welcoming, enjoyable community that
is also carbon neutral and produces zero
waste. To do that in any climate, in any
country in the world, would be a challenge.
In a desert environment, it is especially
demanding - it has been likened ro the
challenge in the pasr of putting a man onthe moon, a dream that many believed
was not possible. Like many Middle-
Eastern states, Abu Dhabi built its modern
economy on oil production. However, it
is unique in the region in recognising that
we must develop alternative energy models
if we are ro reduce the environmental
impact of our contemporary lifestyles.
The Masdar Initiative in Abu Dhabi was
established in order ro promote renewable
energy solutions through research and
development and ro create a model for future energy security within a wholly
sustainable framework.
While the design of Masdar has
been largely driven by the climate, with
heat management and cooling straregies
prioritised, there are broader sustainable
srrategies at work. Water, for example,
i s a preci ous commodity in a desert
environment. The city is hydrated by
susta inable wat er genera tion and a
managemen t scheme that reduces the need
for desalination by 75%. Throughout the
city, waste streams will be segregated
and tecycled. Biodegradable waste will
be composted and the product used ro
fertilise the surrounding plantations at the
edges of the city. The remaining waste will
be either recycled or employed in a waste-
ro-energy plant ro provide supplementary
power.
Ninety percent of Masdar's energy
is provided by the sun. Various forms of
renewable energy generation have been
applied in order ro facilitate different
needs. Concentrated Solar Power will
be utilised ro provide electrical as well
as thermal energy. For electrical energy,
monocrystalline or thin film phorovoltaic
technologies have been applied. Evacuated
thermal tubes will be integrated into
buildings ro provide hot water; and thefeasibility of a deep geothermal 'hot rock'
borehole is being evaluated ro provide
a constant source of high-temperature
water or steam ro drive a system that will
provide 24-hour cooling.
Masdar covers a site of 580 hectares,
will have a population of 90,000, and will
be constructed in several phases. To be
sustainable, we have ro build for the long-
term. Flexibility is a key consideration.
Masdar's planning began in 2008 and
will be finished some time in the future,so it has ro be able ro respond ro new
technologies that will have an impact on
the way we live in the next 10 or 20 years
and beyond - things which have yet ro
be invented and that we can only dream
about now.
The start point was ro look at traditional
Arab settlements which invariably are quite
compact and oriented so that the buildings
provide shade and channel cooling air
currents. The way in which shading can
be used, and the quality of the publicspaces is obviously a fundamental design
decision and has a significant impact on
energy consumption - it would be wrong
ro focus wholly on technology. There is a
very simple pyramid diagram that says the
biggest environmental gain really comes
from the least f inancial investment: it
rests on primary decisions about the city's
orientation and form. This is equally true
of the buildings that separately comprise
the city. As you move closer to the apex of
the pyramid - ro more active controls -
the environmental gains reduce. However,
somewhere in the middle, through passive
controls such as responsive shading, the
use of daylight and natural ventilation,
you will find very good value for money.
Currently, the smaller contributions for
the higher cost are coming from emerging
systems such as phorovoltaics. That
situation will change of course. In five or
10 years this diagram may very likely be
described in different terms.
In t he spring and early summer,
the climate in Abu Dhabi is generally
very pleasant. Yet at the height of the
summer it can be uncomfortably hot.
Out in the open, where there is no shade,
the temperature can reach 60 C ro 70
C. However, if you look at some of the
vernacular architectural devices - such ascolonnades, whose shadowy recesses offer
respite from the sun - you find that the
temperature drops quite dramatically,
down ro a more bearable 50 C. If you
go further and introduce planting, green
canopies and water, you not only help
to lif t the spirits, but you see further
drops in temperature. Other vernacular
devices, such as thermal chimneys, which
encourage cooling air currents, can also
help to modifY the microclimate. All of
these devices have been reinterpretedin modern terms and put ro w ork in
Masdar to create a comprehensive system
of passive climate control. Cumulatively,
they have the effect of prolonging the
moderate season in the city.
The plantations that edge the city also
form a landscape barrier which provides a
natural filter against sand srorms, which
occur frequently in the region.
The city is completely integrated -
there are no separate zones for industry
or culture. The university and traditionalbusiness elements are embedded In
the heart of the community, as are
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