Housing programmes in UAE: Case study analysis based on regional sustainable standards and local microclimate

Cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, AL Ain, Sharjah, and Ajman are investing in housing programmes for the citizens of United Arab Emirates. The aim of this study was to analyse a housing district built under the housing programme in order to find the best scenario of the space distribution for reduction of the cooling load. This analysis was based on a typical unit plan and considered the local cultural factors (separated public zones for men and women), building orientation, and local climate (hot and arid). The methodology consisted of the following process: (a) define the district, (b) conduct a site survey, (c) run the models with Revit as a simulation tool, and (d) analyse the result in order to define the best space distribution. The district selection was based on the available materials and access to the site for the survey. The energy simulations were accomplished with Revit, since it is a common tool (part of BIM) used by the architects in the region. The results showed that changes in orentation of the unit zones (public and semi-private) can bring up to 5.2% of cooling load reduction in the full supply to the house. This saving was achieved by respecting the cultural factor (separation of the public zones from the private zones). Although more work needs to be done in investigating other input parameters, this result can improve housing energy efficiency by avoiding peak loads during the extreme summer temperatures.