Masdar N1R wins Green Residential Building of the Year 2018

Words by BSBG Media Team, Tuesday 26 June 2018

Masdar N1R has won the Emirates Green Building Council MENA Green Residential Building of the Year 2018 award, a prestigious accolade that recognises the huge variety of sustainable initiatives deployed throughout the residential complex.

Woods Bagot worked as the concept and schematic design architect, before BSBG completed the detailed design, and construction documentation using BIM. The group also obtained all authority approvals, and was the lead consultant during the construction supervision of the project.

LEED Gold

Masdar N1R, which is a dedicated eco-residence owned by Etihad Airways, achieved LEED Gold status, the second highest rating a building can achieve in terms of green building certification. In doing so, the residential complex became the first corporate accommodation in Abu Dhabi to achieve this rating.

Having previously worked within Masdar City on the IRENA HQ building alongside Multiplex, BSBG teamed up with the contractor once more on Masdar N1R to bring a uniquely insightful approach to sustainability, founded in the implementation of practical and impactful initiatives dedicated to reduction in the overall carbon footprint of the building. A unique component of Masdar N1R’s construction, which came as a result of the partnership between BSBG and Multiplex, was the extensive use of pre-fabricated bathroom pods and pre-cast elements throughout the development.

BSBG and AESG partnership

BSBG worked with long-term sustainability partners AESG to ensure that vital components of the building reached the maximum levels of performance; including the façade and the thermal insulation. The building envelope is completely airtight, featuring low environment impact materials, and high solar-reflective index (SRI) coating on the exterior. In addition, solar thermal water heaters provide more than 75% of the Eco-Residence’s water demands. Overall, a 63% reduction in energy consumption across the entirety of the complex was achieved.

The partnership between BSBG and AESG has already delivered the Masdar IRENA HQ building, and most recently, Aloft City Centre Deira. The two are also currently engaged together on a number of ongoing projects, which include ICD Brookfield Place, Bluewaters Residences, Langham Place and the new Al Futtaim development, Festival Plaza, which has aspirations of pushing the boundaries in terms of sustainability initiatives within the retail sector.

MENA Green Residential Building of the Year

The MENA Green Building Awards are endorsed by the World Green Building Council, recognising developments that lead the way in terms of sustainability and innovation. Last year, BSBG’s sustainability work on MOE Hilton Garden Inn was recognised at the awards, as it picked up the Green Hotel Of The Year 2017. Masdar N1R becomes the second BSBG project in the space of two years to receive recognition for its sustainability features and environmentally conscientious approach to design.

Nick Turbott was the Project Director for Masdar N1R, and he pointed to the wealth of experience BSBG has accumulated in attempting to bring the UAE’s new developments into an environmentally responsible age. “It’s a fantastic achievement for us to have Masdar N1R awarded as the 2018 Emirates Green Building Council MENA Green Residential Building of the Year. This project sets the standard for sustainable design in the UAE, and this could only have been achieved with a true understanding of the elements required to achieve sustainability and environmentally conscious construction. We must also congratulate and thank Masdar for their direction and the green building parameters they have set. To win a second MENA Green Building Award in two years shows that, as demand invariably increases in the region for buildings that meet the highest green building standards, BSBG is wonderfully well-positioned to meet the challenge.”

BSBG Media Team

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