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Dewan build new research facility in Abu Dhabi
CERT’s design is that of industrial contemporary architecture where form, function and the environment are merged seamlessly to provide the tenant and visitor with a unique experience. Even though the building is very high-tech building and has strong elements of glass and steel / aluminum, the end result is of an aesthetically pleasing working environment that is not harsh or cold in its form.
The building has been designed with the severe environment in mind, with summer temperatures reaching 55 degrees Celsius and humidity levels close to 80-90%. The vaulted high "corridor" that gathers the building components under an expressive metallic roof structure allows the dominating wind stream to sweep through the compound, a sort of modern-era "Windcatcher / Baarjiil", creating an active, pleasant space for meeting and interacting that binds all the facilities together.
The building is surrounded by a reflective water pool, which provides for calming aesthetics in addition to its thermal cooling effect around the building. A manicured lawn and landscaped gardens greet visitors in their approach to the main entrance of the building.
Immediately into the main entrance, we enter an asymmetric double-height main hall serving as a reception, lobby and multi-purpose gallery, which receives the visitors and directs them to the main corridor. The corridor is a single loaded element that represents the interactive meeting passage of the building, with its enlarged spaces and galleries.
In addition to the size-flexible multipurpose labs and classrooms, including specialized labs like Radioactive, Super Computing, Nanotechnology and Genetics Research Labs in the ground floor, there is also a spacial learning centre, which can be modularly divided to accommodate different events.
Passing through little segmented courtyard gardens, which break-up the monotony of the modern building, we move from the corridor to another multipurpose hall, which can also be accessed via a separate main entrance.
Vertical circulation and stairs are located at both ends of the corridor. These lead to the second level of flexi-form classrooms and specialised labs, accessed from a balcony like single loaded passage, enlarged in the rear end to form a Gallery and a meeting place, which in turn opens to a landscaped roof terrace.
The classrooms and labs are gathered under a high-vaulted, high-tech roof structure, giving shade and creating an acclimatised meeting agora for building users.
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