Dubai architecture firm [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] have unveiled their masterplan for a sustainable urban development in the center of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates.

Inspired by the urban fabric of traditional Middle Eastern cities,
the design combines contemporary materials with ancient strategies for
passive cooling.

The infrastructure will be set up to encourage pedestrian circulation through all spaces, both public and private.

The development will be located on the site of a former park and
organized into four clusters to include various different housing
typologies, retail and office spaces.

Construction is scheduled to begin later in the year.

See also:
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Here is some text from the Architects
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AL NASSEEM – An Urban Oasis by X-Architects
Sustainable Masterplan for Al Ain
X-Architects of Dubai have unveiled an innovative masterplan for Al
Nasseem, a 12-hectare urban development in the heart of the UAE’s
ancient Oasis City of Al Ain. The scheme is conceived of as a
micro-specific, compact, and passive sustainable ‘urban oasis’. The
project is scheduled to begin construction later this year.

Taking cues from both the natural oases of Al Ain and the dense
urban fabric of traditional Islamic cities, the master plan for Al
Nasseem develops an environmental synergy between landscape and
urbanity that is both modern and unique. Al Ain, known as “The Oasis
City”, possesses a historic and remarkable landscape condition within
the UAE: 7 oases and an extensive underground irrigation network known
as falaj provide precious water that supports plant life in this
otherwise harsh desert environment. Carved out of a site that was
formerly a park, the new development brings this latent oasis condition
to the fore through the way the natural environmental condition is
woven together with the dense urban fabric.

The porous texture of the continuous yet compact urban tissue
provides self-shading and creates places for a variety of water
features while capturing and channelling the wind for a natural cooling
effect. These age-old passive sustainable strategies—which had been
highly developed in traditional Middle Eastern cities and forts—are
simple, energy-efficient ways to combat the harsh desert condition
without excessive technological aids. The master plan of Al Nasseem
re-engages these environmentally-responsive principles, then melds and
adapts them to the modern context.

The basic strategy is elaborated by techniques that engage
sophisticated contemporary materials and ancient processes. For
instance, structural metallic mesh is used on facades to break up solar
glare while ancient water systems such as an adjoining waddi are
engaged to create an innovative cooling system. The innovative
sustainability qualities of the scheme have been recognized by Estidama
(a term which means sustainability in Arabic). Estidama is the
government body charged with developing the sustainability code in the
UAE and Al Nasseem has been chosen as its sole masterplanning pilot
project for 2009, specifically for its resourceful use of energy and
precious water, but also for its respect for the natural conditions of
the site and creating a ‘livable city’ in terms of quality of life.
Al Nasseem extends its sustainability theme to the social realm as
well. The urban tissue is comprised of a highly refined mixed-use
program which is organized into four clusters with a mix that includes
a variety of housing typologies, retail or souk, and office space. This
is developed as a fine-grained, granular, and porous urban
infrastructure that encourages pedestrians to circulate and filter
through its intimate and public spaces. Iconic programs that develop
the theme of the oasis, such as a spa and a wedding hotel, along with
public programs including a central plaza with a mosque, a cultural
center with gallery space and library, and a sports/daycare center, are
strategically placed through the site to catalyze each other into
generating a vibrant ‘micro-public realm’. Cars are limited to three
‘drop-off’ areas and parking is located in subterranean space to remove
on-site pollution and congestion, while supporting the
pedestrian-friendly public spaces.
Urban Designers:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (Dubai):
Partners-in-charge: Ahmed Al-Ali, Farid Esmaeil
Design Team: Mathan Ramaiah, Luca Vigliero, Sven Van Loon, Francesco Moncada, Miguel Faria, Dario Cavallaro, Lidia Barbiero.
Collaborators:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (London/Dubai)
Commissioner/Developer:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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Posted by Zaynab D. Ziari from dezeen.com