Masdar Development

Masdar City is an emerging global clean-technology cluster located in what aims to be one of the world’s most sustainable urban developments powered by renewable energy. This US$22 billion free zone located about 17km from downtown Abu Dhabi will eventually be home to companies, researchers, and academics from across the globe, creating an international hub for companies and organisations focused on renewable energy and clean technologies. Inspired by the architecture and urban planning of traditional Arab cities, Masdar City incorporates narrow streets; the shading of windows, exterior walls and walkways; thick-walled buildings; courtyards and wind towers; vegetation and a generally walkable city.

The design provides the highest quality living and working environment with the lowest possible carbon footprint and includes a northeast-southwest orientation of the city. This makes best use of the cooling night breezes and lessens the effect of hot daytime winds. There will be green parks separating built-up areas, not only to capture and direct cool breezes into the heart of the city but also to reduce solar gain and provide cool pleasant oases throughout the city. The intelligent design of residential and commercial spaces will reduce demand for artificial lighting and air conditioning. As well, all buildings will surpass the highest sustainable building standards currently set by internationally recognised organisations.

Carefully planned landscape and water features will aid in reducing ambient temperatures, while enhancing the quality of the street; the elimination of cars and trucks at street level not only makes the air cleaner for pedestrians but also allows buildings to be closer together, providing more shade but allowing maximum natural light. The placement of residential, recreational, civic, leisure, retail, commercial and light industrial areas across the master plan, along with the public transportation networks, ensures that the city is pedestrian friendly and a pleasant and convenient place in which to live and work.

In light of these design elements and many others, Masdar City has received several awards, including the first World Clean Energy Award in 2007 from the Transatlantic21 Association in Basel, Switzerland. Also that year, the city’s design was voted “Sustainable Region / City of the Year” at Euromoney and Ernst & Young’s Global Renewable Energy Awards.



Client: Masdar-Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Mubadala Development Company
Consultants: Cyril Sweet Limited, W.S.P Transsolar, ETA, Gustafson Porter, E.T.A., Energy, Ernst and Young, Flack + Kurtz, Systematica, Transsolar