Gisele EL BAAKLINI
CET 1250 P70 Construction Methods.
November / 21 / 2017
Assignment 2: Study of a LEED Project
Siemens Middle-East Headquarter in Masdar City
Credit: Christopher Pike, thenational.ae
EL BAAKLINI 2
Siemens is a major European industrial manufacturing company, which comprises several divisions, namely, the Industrial Automation, the Drive Technology, the Energy, the Healthcare, and the Building Technologies divisions. In fact, Siemens is the world's leading supplier of innovative and environmentally friendly products and solutions for industrial customers. The German company has committed to a sustainable future; indeed, Siemens has pledged to reduce the energy footprint of its production facilities and buildings. In this regard, Siemens Middle-East Headquarter, in Masdar City, has been designed and constructed to satisfy the highest standard of the U.S. Green Building Council and has earned the LEED BD+C platinum certification. First, Siemens Middle-East Headquarter satisfies the design credits of the LEED Location and Transportation category. Implemented in the comprehensive master plan of Masdar City, in the United Arab Emirates, Siemens office building de facto meets the requirements of the first option of the Sensitive Land Protection credit. This credit requires that architects “locate the development footprint on a land that has been previously developed”. Also, the building’s location in Masdar, a pedestrian oriented “eco-city” which relies only on sustainable transportation, satisfies the LEED Transportation credits, namely, the Access to Quality Transit, the Bicycle Facilities, and the Green Vehicles credits. In addition, Sheppard Robson has raised the office building 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) above a shared public square, permitting the PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) to run under the structure and facilitating pedestrian traffic. Consequently, the building earns the Reduced Parking Footprint credit. Finally, Siemens Middle-East Headquarter’s implementation in the carbon neutral urban setting, Masdar City, warranted most of the LEED Location and Transportation category credit points. EL BAAKLINI 3 Second, Siemens Middle-East Headquarter meets the demands of the LEED Sustainable Sites category. For instance, the office building conforms with the Construction Activity Pollution Prevention prerequisite; in fact, 98 percent of construction waste has been diverted from landfills. Also, Siemens HQ meets the Site Assessment requirements. Indeed, Sheppard Robson and AECOM have elaborated parametric analyses, considering the site conditions, to adopt the most energy efficient solution. In addition, the structure floats above a plaza in conformity with the Open Space credit; the plaza extends an existing public square and encourages social interaction among residents, commuters, and visitors. Chris Wan, the design manager of Masdar City, highlites that “when you pass through Siemens' own dedicated entrance into its office [one notices] the absence of the usual bank of lifts. Instead, the most obvious access to upper floors is via a large staircase – [an approach which is] reflected in other buildings throughout Masdar City [to emphasize the] "celebration of walking." Moreover, Siemens HQ adopts smart design solutions which reduce light pollution and heat island effects; in fact, the building earns most of the LEED Sustainable Sites credits. Third, Siemens Middle-East Headquarter fulfills the LEED Water Efficiency requirements. This category comprises three prerequisites, namely, the Outdoor Water Use Reduction, the Indoor Water Use Reduction, and the Building-Level Water Metering. The prerequisites encourage the minimisation of water wastage. In fact, they align with Masdar City green building construction code. For instance, Masdar City permits plants that only require little water; moreover, Masdar imposes an irrigation system which recycles wastewater EL BAAKLINI 4 In addition, all Masdar City buildings are equipped with high-efficient fixtures and appliances, connected to a network of …show more content…
Noticeably, the building’s compact structure reduces material and embodied carbon. With regards to the building’s materials, Siemens CEO Kay Zwingenberger, claims that most are sustainable; for instance, GGBS (Granulated Ground Blast Slag) was used for its sustainability, its extended lifespan, and its low maintenance cost. GGBS cement permits to achieve light, near white, color for exposed fair-faced concrete finishes, at no extra cost; In fact, GGBS use in concrete is recognized by LEED. Finally, Siemens AG reports that its Middle-East Headquarter’s carbon dioxide emission, associated with manufacture, transport, and construction, was 30 percent lower than a conventional office building of the same