Zaha Hadid Architects echoes desert dunes in BEEAH’s new HQs

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has completed BEEAH Group new headquarters in the desert of the United Arab Emirates. Embedded within the Sharjah’s Al Sajaa desert, the 9,000 square-meter project echoes the surrounding landscape, shaped by winds. Powered by solar array system and equipped with technologies to reach LEED Platinum standards,  the building has net-zero emissions and minimal energy consumption.

With these new headquarters, BEEAH aims to demonstrate how technology can lead architecture to a sustainable impact. Answering to these values, the facility by Zaha Hadid Architects papers as a series of interconnecting “dunes”, orientated and shaped to optimize local climatic conditions. All internal spaces are provided with daylight and landscape views, while limiting the quantity of glazing exposed to the harsh sun. The two primary “dunes” house the public and management departments together with the administrative zone and are linked by a central courtyard, an oasis within the building, integral to its natural ventilation strategy.

The project is made by a high percentage of locally materials. Glass reinforced fiber panels reduce solar gain, while radiant slab cooling regulate interior temperatures. Furthermore, there is a water treatment which filtrates waste water to minimize consumption and the solar farm charges Tesla battery packs in order to meet the energy demand of the building throughout each day and night.