The new headquarters of Dubiotech (in Dubai, of course! We do love our puns…), is set to be one of the world’s largest green buildings. The LEED certified 22-story headquarters and laboratory buildings will be home to the center of excellence for biotechnology education and research, with two connected buildings oriented to maximize day-lighting and views while minimizing solar gain. It will also integrate a 500,000 sq ft animal reserve for indigenous conservation and wildlife protection.The design comes form design firm CUH2A, and is scheduled for completion in 2009.
Conceptually, the architecture represents DNA migration in an agarose gel as seen during electrophoresis. (Electrophoresis is the movement of charged molecules under the influence of electric current.) This truly reflects the kind of research that will be conducted in the laboratories of DuBiotech and what this park is all about.
The 60,000 sq ft headquarters, designed by CUH2A, the firm renowned for designing of facilities for science and technology institutions, won the Design and Sustainability Honour Award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New Jersey Chapter.
Dr. Abdulqader Alkhayat, Executive Director of DuBiotech said, “DuBiotech’s initiative to develop sustainable buildings matches its commitment to be a socially and environmentally responsible organization.” The DuBiotech park, set up under the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority, would be built on an area of 300-hectare with an estimated cost of about Dh130 million for the infrastructure, and Dh600 million for the lab and headquarters buildings.
Dubiotech works with the objectives of nurturing biotechnology education, encouraging innovation, offering state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities both to the academia and industry, and would consist of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, drug manufacturers and suppliers. In order to broaden the horizons of biotechnology in the UAE, it would be partnering, in addition to industries, with universities, medical institutions, and other biotechnology parks. It is expected to create some 20,000 jobs.
+ Dubiotech
+ CUH2A
man, i don;t care what cost saving facts anyone could tell me about this one…it’s just not Green…it’s corporate cost saving..great! good for Dubiotech…when are our standards going to raise on the corporate level?
[...] two connected buildings oriented to maximize day-lighting and views while minimizing solar gain.read more | digg [...]
Am I the only one who noticed? Talking about puns… how about “Dubious-tech”? I reiterate “ben G’s” comment and add that not only is it just more “corpora-greening” mostly for marketing purposes, but it also is yet another monster-building in a location that is about as “natively” unsustainable for humans as any place on Earth… Without the petro-oil sucked out of the ground there, and the false-wealth it creates, Dubai as a “sustainable” high-density environment would literally “dry up and blow away”. All “achievements” (and I say that most “Dubia-usly”) like this accomplish is to convince more and more people that all we need do to save our species is come up with better and better “tech”, and more and more of it. Unfortunately, this is still “over-consumption” by any global measure, no matter how much better. It also convinces other corporations that there is “green gold” to be had in doing projects like these in places like this, if only from the marketing standpoint. The “ecological footprint” of residents of Dubai is among the highest, if not the highest, and least sustainable of any population on Earth. No amount of corporate behemoth “green bandaids” are going to radically alter that.
…”[A] lot of what we see being touted as “good design” [in Inhabitat's postings] is all style and ‘dubai-ous’ substance. A lot of contemporary design merely imitates the classic Modernist aesthetic [and mocks] the idealistic social agenda that made Modernism such a groundbreaking movement back in the early 20th Century [by flaking for amoral corporate PR]. The flip side to this is that oftentimes real technological innovations – the ones which will eventually change the way we live our lives [fails to] move beyond niche circles and crossover into mainstream popular taste. ‘Green Design’ as good design is not about color, style or trends – but instead about thoughtfully considering the user, the experience, the social context and the impact of an object on the surrounding environment. No design can be considered good design unless it at least attempts to address some of these concerns.” The architectural corporation CUH2A is simply providing more “bells and whistles” for this ‘dubai-ous’ premise – corporate wish-lists for an ivory-tower enclave built on beach-sand and “free trade” revenues will rain down pharmacutical benefits for all mankind. Follow the money, and ask, “to what end?” Less than 6% of Dubai’s income in 2006 appears to come directly from oil revenues. However, its rise as the 21st century Bierut and Zurich, and its location, make this Xanadu kingdom a house of cards….
So I suppose all the people in the top image are walking to and from their cars? There seems to be nowhere else to walk in that sea of asphalt.
It may be green, but it is sure is ugly!
i am not the one to comment on a structure, i am concerned about the activity inside that. It was hyped as the first biotech free zone, gonna make a change in that part of world and all. But the info I have about it says no true biotech research or industry has started functioning there. It will be nice to see some agri, pharma biotech activities addressing the needs of the region happening there.
I would like to join the team work in green building in Dubai, as I am a civil engineer worked as material engineer and now are working as admissions officer in Zayed University.
a nigerian who\’ll love to work in the middle east
Muito bom o site e o trabalho de vocês.
hello
I am a university student in Biotechnology of Monastir in Tunisia (third year) I just wanna know if i can finish my studie in Dubai (masters and doctorates).