Building in tune with nature
Image: Baharash Bagherian, Dubai Sustainable City, Private Desert Retreat & Oasis Eco Resort. Copyright: Baharash Architecture
From cities that run on solar energy, resorts that extract water from the ground to off-grid homes; meet the entrepreneurial-designer who builds in tune with nature.
Rapid urbanisation has created many problems for the environment and our relationship with nature. Congestion, air pollution and high levels of CO2 are just some of the challenges that we are struggling to cope with. Meet the London-based Designer, Baharash Bagherian, who has been designing solutions to some of these problems, all of which are in tune with nature.
Most recently, he was tasked to design the world’s greenest eco resort in UAE by Eco Resort Group. The project features a spring at its heart from water that is extracted from the ground. Some of the project’s environmental benefits include recycling waste water on site for irrigation, onsite waste management, the enforcement of a zero emission zone and 157,000 square feet of solar panels.
Baharash is also the designer working for one of Dubai’s highest profile individuals, to design an off-grid home in the middle of the desert. This private home is completely energy self-sufficient, using solar panels, it generates and stores clean power in several battery units. The retreat was designed to be in harmony with the pristine and untouched desertscape.
Another eco-project which he designed was the phase 2 of Dubai’ Sustainable City. His approach to the phase 2 of this eco-development was to integrate the buildings with the landscape, which will feature more than 10,000 trees as well as 11 biodomes.
Baharash Bagherian believes that designing in tune with nature is about working with the unique qualities of the site. Using local materials and vernacular techniques combined with modern technology, we can create truly smart and sustainable projects.
Ultimately, if cities encouraged more designers to be in tune with nature, we would be protecting the environment whilst also living healthier lifestyles in eco projects like these.
The above article was originally published by Landscape Middle East, May issue 2016, Page 12. [https://issuu.com/allanronald45/docs/landscape_magazine_may_2016/16]
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