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Item Impact of Plant Life on Formaldehyde Levels in an Existing Office Setting In the UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2015-04) AbuZayed, Isra IbrahimThe toxin formaldehyde has been associated with muscle weakness, itchy eyes/ skin and is considered a carcinogen. Plant life has been long associated with cleaning air and improving IAQ levels. Therefore this study will look at the impacts of plant life (Corn Cane plant) on formaldehyde levels within an existing office set in the United Arab Emirates. 3 spaces within the office were selected and labeled as space A, space B and space C. The plants were included within these spaces, each with a different space/plant ratio. The results showed that the plants where able to reduce the most amount of formaldehyde levels when introduced at a highest plant/space ratio of 3.75m2/plant (Space B). When equated there was a total drop of 4% in formaldehyde levels within space B. The occupants of the space were also surveyed to determine the effect of the reduced formaldehyde levels on their perceived health and efficiency. It was concluded that although the survey results exhibited great improvement within the office, there was no direct relationship between their improvement and reduction of formaldehyde levels. Recommendations for future research: 1) Conduct the research in a more controlled environment for optimized results. 2) Increase to plant / space ratio in order to achieve greater results.Item Energy saving by using Double Skin Façade for office buildings in the UAE(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2014-03) Ashour, MohamedThere is more demand on glazed façades for high-rise buildings which, increase cooling loads especially in hot and arid climate. Double skin façade is widely used to reduce energy loads and provide visually transparent façades, it has become more popular in cold climates because of the evident ability of the double skin façade to reduce heating loads, on the other hand many studies have shown potential energy savings by using double skin façade in hot climate as well, it is thought to be as a result of ventilating the channel between the external and internal façade. This study attempted to simulate the thermal performance of the double skin façade in high-rise office building in Dubai city, where temperature could reach over 42 ᵒC in summer. The study examined different parameters that could affect the performance of the double skin façade such as, channel width, glazing type, and natural ventilation mode. Results showed that double skin façade can reduce cooling loads regardless the channel was ventilated or not as result of reduced solar gain by the external façade. The results also showed up to 20% savings in cooling plant sensible annual load and 8% savings in total annual energy consumption, computer simulation were used to estimate thermal performance of the façade and also computational fluid dynamic analysis was used in a partial section of the model to simulate thermal behavior inside the channel. More comprehensive evaluation is recommended for double skin façade system, to balance between cost increase when adding another skin to the building and total running cost savings by reducing annual total energy consumption.Item Sustainable landscapes for residential neighborhoods in Dubai: An analysis of the relationship between ambient temperature and water requirements of landscape(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-04) Thomas, Asha Elizabeth‘Greening’ is a concept associated with sustainable design worldwide. When this is applied to the context of a hot climate zone of Dubai, it becomes a challenge to ‘Green the desert’ considering the limited resources of water. The benefits of landscape are manifold, in all aspects of sustainable design. The environmental aspects include temperature reduction, mitigation of urban heat island effect, optimal micro- climatic conditions for better outdoor thermal comfort and enables bio-diversity. Better quality of life and healthier lifestyles of the residents contribute to the social benefits of having these green open areas. This also makes economic sense when the energy consumption is reduced due to the shading provided by the vegetation on the building surfaces.Item The Impact of External Shading and Windows’ Glazing and Frame on Thermal Performance of Residential House in Abu-Dhabi(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-04) Awadh, Omair FawziHigh awareness of sustainability importance has been witnessed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the last few years. Sustainable development needs have set one of the bottom lines of Abu-Dhabi vision, the capital of the UAE. Construction industry was prioritized in this vision due to the huge expanding and developments that have been carried on in the area. Estidam is the sustainability pearl rating system for Abu-Dhabi’s construction. Guidelines are provided for buildings and communities. They include water and energy consumption regulations, eco-friendly materials, waste management, and insulation techniques. Construction and buildings industry are the cause of energy’s massive demands in the area. Therefore, reducing energy consumption during buildings’ life cycle contributes the most in CO2 emissions reduction. Sustainable principles adaptation at buildings’ design stage results the best in efficient building delivery, but existing buildings are important factor in the whole energy picture and has to be highlighted. The present study significance is to enhance existing buildings’ performance and at the same time improve regulators and buildings designers’ ability to adopt energy efficient practices.Item The Effect of Shading Devices on the Energy Consumption of Buildings: A Study on an Office Building in Dubai(The British University in Dubai (BUiD), 2013-04) Yassine, FarahThe world is witnessing a global movement working towards the goal of decreasing emissions that are causing the global warming phenomenon. The United Arab Emirates is striving to mitigate the effects of global warming by launching numerous initiatives that contribute to reducing emissions. One of the main sources of these emissions in the UAE is the buildings where the cooling loads required by buildings in Dubai accounts for 60% of the summer peak electricity load. Thus it is important to propose solutions to decrease energy consumptions of these buildings. Therefore, this study aims to quantify the potential energy savings achievable by external shading devices.