Dubai Pearl, the 20 million sq ft integrated sustainable destination, has attainted pre-certification from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) at the Gold level for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

LEED is the internationally recognised benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings across the real estate industry.

Its five key principles of sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality, provide a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction practices.

Complying with the guidelines of the LEED green building rating system, Dubai Pearl will utilise environment-friendly technologies to conserve energy, recycle water and re-use assets.

A ‘green’ environment will be created through the LEED compliant system, which will reduce electricity, gas and water used by the community and help in the optimization of air conditioning, light control and car park ventilation.

Large-scale solar boosted hot water generation plant, high efficiency building façade, optimized ventilation system for one of the largest undercover car-parks in the world, extensive grey water collection and re-use, green roofs and heat recovery systems will be integrated into the development.

“Through sensitive and intelligent design, Dubai Pearl sets new standards for environmental and lifestyle sustainability, without compromising the high standards of luxury that characterize Dubai as a destination,” said Abdul Majeed Ismail Fahim, chairman of Pearl Dubai.

“The project’s commercial success to date endorses our commitment to delivering a combination of sustainability and stakeholder value as we enter a new phase in Dubai’s development.”

Set for completion in 2013, the Dubai Pearl development maintains a waste management plan to ensure that recycling of material is maximized and targets that encourage, minimize and avoid waste are identified.

The project will also salvage non-hazardous construction and demobilize debris, while all demolition waste from the site clearing will be reused by Dubai Municipality for land development work.

The Dubai Pearl master-plan, which combines four towers with classically inspired podium buildings set in a ‘walkable’ area, will incorporate recycling facilities for paper, glass and food-waste.

While over 50 per cent of the site area will be public open space, almost 45 per cent of it will be landscaped. – TradeArabia News Service