Loading ...The continuous development of our built environment exerts great pressures on our environmental resources. The construction and operation of buildings to make them habitable consumes substantial energy resources which directly results in increased carbon dioxide emissions. It is estimated that buildings contribute to 40% of global energy use and therefore contribute in an equal proportion to global warming and climate change. The construction of buildings also requires the use of natural materials in great amounts which threatens the depletion of finite material resources.
Sustainable design recognizes the need to build to accommodate the increasing global populations but seeks to reduce the impact of buildings on the environment by reducing their energy and materials footprint, while providing comfortable environment to the buildings occupants. The sustainable design resources below provide sustainable design guides applicable in the Middle East as well as precedents of sustainable design from around the world.
Sustainable design books relevant to the Middle East
The sustainable design books page provides a bibliography of sustainable design books. The books have been selected to address issues relevant to sustainability in the Middle East including natural ventilation, Energy efficiency, passive and low energy design, climate responsive design, traditional and vernacular architecture, passive heating and cooling in hot dry climates,
Design Guides and Resources Online
The design guides page provides a growing list of online resources and links that relate to sustainable design in the Middle East including design guides, research, and case studies.
Sustainable Design Projects Databases
The projects databases page provides a comprehensive list of sustainable design projects databases from advocacy groups, professional organizations, and research institutions around the world. the databases are mainly composed of American, and European projects but include projects from outside the North America and Europe.
Sustainable Design Periodicals Online
The sustainable design periodicals page is a selected list of magazines and periodicals from the United States and the United Kingdom that focus on sustainable design or has a sustainability section.
Sustainable Design Articles from Carboun
A list of analysis articles from the Carboun Journal. The growing list includes all articles that relate to sustainable design in the Middle East.
