zaha hadid reveals bee’ah's sharjah headquarters in the emirati desert

following an international competition held in 2013, bee’ah – a leading middle eastern environmental and waste management company – has commissioned zaha hadid to build its new headquarters. located in sharjah, one of the united arab emirates‘ largest urban centers, the sweeping design will contain educational facilities and exhibition spaces, enabling the company to further its engagement with both local and international audiences. 

the design is envisioned as a series of intersecting sand dunes
(above and main) image © MIR

the structure’s formal composition references its desert context, envisioned as a series of intersecting sand dunes, oriented in response to the region’s prevailing winds. the site’s two primary peaks contain the site’s public and management section (an entrance lobby, auditorium, visitors’ education center and a gallery), and administrative areas, which house departmental offices and a staff café. internally, spacious volumes offer occupants a high quality of daylight and external views, while limiting the amount of glazing exposed to the harsh emirati sun.

each peak is shaped in response to the region’s prevailing winds
image © MIR

the development embodies bee’ah’s company principles through the provision of an administrative center of LEED platinum certification. all power required for the building will be generated via low and zero carbon sources, principally from the adjacent waste management center that converts municipal waste into energy. this will be supplemented by large arrays of photovoltaic cells, integrated within the scheme’s landscaping. the building and overall site will also be used as a learning resource to demonstrate practical environmental awareness to the wider community.

internally, spacious volumes offer occupants a high quality of daylight and pleasant external views
image © MIR

the headquarters’ construction systems have been developed in conjunction with london-based environmental design consultants atelier ten, minimizing both the energy required for internal cooling and the need for potable water consumption. additionally, in milder months, the façade is operable to allow natural ventilation – minimizing the need to mechanically cool to the scheme.

the amount of glazing exposed to the harsh emirati sun is limited
image © MIR

further reducing the environmental impact of the development, buro happold worked in collaboration with zaha hadid’s office to lessen the material consumption through architectural and structural integration. through the use of standard orthogonal dimensions, elements of the headquarters’ skin can be recovered from local construction sites ad demolition waste streams.

the plan contains small areas of planted greenery
image © MIR

a shallow pool of reflective water surrounds an inner courtyard
image © MIR

project info:

name: bee’ah headquarters
location: sharjah, UAE
time-frame: 2014 – TBC
floor area: 7,000 sqm (75,347 sqf)
height: 18 meters

architect: zaha hadid architects
design: zaha hadid with patrik schumacher
project architect: kutbuddin nadiadi, tariq khayyat (project associate)
competition team: xiaosheng li, gerry cruz, yuxi fu, drew merkle, lauren barclay, mostafa el sayed, alia zayani, mubarak al fahim
design team: xiaosheng li, gerry cruz, yuxi fu, drew merkle, vivian pashiali, edward luckmann, eleni mente, kwanphil cho, mu ren, harry ibbs, mostafa el sayed, suryansh chandra, thomas jensen, alexandra fisher, spyridon kaprinis

structural: buro happold, london
MEP / services: atelier ten, london
façade: buro happold, london
cost / QS: gardiner & theobald, london
landscaping: francis landscape, beirut