•Introduction •Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in the Middle East. •Key aspects of tall buildings design: Scale, Shape and Context. •Shaping the Skyline by Building Tall. •Towards Sustainable Tall Buildings. •Creating Commercially and Culturally Viable Buildings.

1. Tall Building Middle East Conference
19 – 22 June 2011
Doha, Qatar.
Shap ng the Sky ine by Bui ding Ta
i l l ll
Creating Distinctive Landmark Developments
Dr. Yasser Mahgoub
Qatar University
College of Engineering
Department of Architecture and Urban Planning

2. Contents
• Introduction
• Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East.
• Key aspects of tall buildings design: Scale,
Shape and Context.
• Shaping the Skyline by Building Tall.
• Towards Sustainable Tall Buildings.
• Creating Commercially and Culturally
Viable Buildings.
• Conclusions

4. Future City Images
Tall Buildings
Digital Community

5. Future City Image
Tall Buildings
Smart Transportation

6. Future City Image
Transportation
Tall Buildings
Branding
Image

7. Future City Image
Environment
Tall Buildings
Transportation

8. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• Tall Buildings, in name
and social function, is a
modern expression of the
age-old symbol of a
pillar that connects
earth to heaven and the
Giza Pyramids, Egypt
four compass directions
to one another.
Shibam, Yemen Mayan temples in Tikal, Guatamala

9. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• Western Vs Middle East Tall Buildings Trends:
From Chicago and New York to Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait
and Abu Dhabi.
The Willis Tower, Chicago John Hancock, Chicago Burj Khalifa, Dubai Capital gate, Abu Dhabi

10. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• Western Vs Middle East Tall Buildings Trends:
From Chicago and New York to Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait
and Abu Dhabi.
Burgan Tower, Kuwait Burj Qatar, Doha The Empire State, NY Chrysler Building, NY

11. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• The construction of tall buildings emerged as a feasible
economic solution to provide more spaces in dense
old cities such as Chicago and NY.

12. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• Tall buildings in the Middle East often carries a
connotation of pride and achievement.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai World's Biggest Clock in Mecca

13. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• Tall buildings in emerging cities of the Middle East
are statements of modernity, globalization and
economic prosperity.

14. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• Tall buildings in emerging cities of the Middle East
are statements of modernity, globalization and
economic prosperity.

15. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• The emerging cities of
The Middle East and GCC
countries will continue to
be the target for
designing and
construction of Tall and
Future Plan Of Dubai
Supertall buildings during
the next few decades.
Future Plan Of al-Madinah

16. Trends and Future of Vertical Structures in
the Middle East
• According to the CTBUH,
one quarter of the
world's future tallest
building projects will be
based within the Middle
East region, specifically The Pearl, Doha
Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh

17. Image and Branding
• Supertall buildings are icons of
economic, technological and
globalization status.
• They are the "brand" of success
and achievement.

18. Technology and Expertise
• Supertall buildings depend on
experienced consultants to
provide the necessary expertise
to design these structures.
• Unlike medium or small size
projects that can be designed by
young and small size firms,
Supertall designs must be done
by experienced international
consultants.

19. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
Dubai
• A mixture of expensive
materials, a range of surface
treatments in terms of
environmental control, arbitrary
expression of internal functions
and range of forms, and a lack
of cohesion.
Doha Kuwait

20. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Access:
For all people and vehicles.
• Aesthetics:
Not just to be tall, but to be aesthetically interesting.

21. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Challenges:
Challenges that design teams must address include the
physical structure, its visual impact and the building’s
performance in use.
• Cost:
Initial and Life Cycle Cost.

22. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Energy Consumption:
Applying Green and Sustainability strategies reduces the
extensive level of energy consumption of tall buildings.
• Environment and Climatic Conditions:
Tall buildings must respond to both macro and micro
climatic conditions.

23. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Flexibility, Recycling and Reuse:
Tall buildings that don't achieve their economic goals
should be flexible enough to be converted to other
functions and uses.
• Functional and Technical Requirements:
Supertall buildings host multiple functions with
conflicting technical requirements.

24. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Life Cycle Cost Analysis:
All design decisions including materials, systems,
equipment, etc. should be selected according to LCCA
studies.
• Lifting and Elevator Technology:
Lifting is key to dictating how tall a tower can be.
• Lighting:
Both interior (day and night) and exterior (night).

25. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Maintenance and Facility Management requirements:
Especial conditions of temperature, dust and humidity in
ME region.
• Market and Feasibility Studies:
Tens of empty and unfinished tall buildings found in
emerging cities indicate absence of planning and proper
market and feasibility studies.

26. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Materials:
Selection of construction and finishing materials.
• Modeling and Testing:
Improved BIM and wind tunnels testing addressing the
geometric properties of the building and the façade and
shape issues.

27. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Parking:
Supertall buildings generate traffic and parking
requirements beyond expectation.
• People:
The design should provide a ground level connectivity for
people and possibilities for social interaction between its
occupants and visitors.

28. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Pre and Post Occupancy Building Evaluation Studies:
Lessons should be learned from existing Supertall
buildings by conducting scientific research using POE and
BPE studies. These studies allow us to predict
performance of future tall buildings.

29. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Safety and Security:
Escape routes and technologies in cases of emergency
and disasters.
• Stakeholders:
Client, Architect, Engineer, Building Services Consultants,
Construction Team and Suppliers of Construction
Materials and Systems.

30. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• Sustainability:
Environmental, Economic and Socio-Cultural.
• Systems Integration:
Mechanical, Structural, Electrical, Conveying, etc.

31. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• The Urban Context and Fabric:
The impact of adjacent buildings and projects both current
and future should be considered.
Also, the impact of the proposed design on adjacent
buildings and urban spaces should be considered.

32. Key Aspects of Tall Buildings Design
• View:
View "from" and "to" the building at different heights and
from different locations should be carefully studied.

33. Shaping the Skyline by Building Tall
• City Skyline:
The continuously changing city skyline is one of the most
important elements that is being affected by tall buildings.
Their height, density, forms, materials and style constitute
the unique image and identity of the city.

34. Shaping the Skyline by Building Tall

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37. Shaping the Skyline by Building Tall

38. Doha Skyline Development
Doha skyline, 1960
Doha skyline, 2005
Doha skyline 2007
Doha skyline 2010

39. Shaping the Skyline by Building Tall

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57. Towards Sustainable Tall Buildings.
• Tall buildings can help
create awareness of our
lifestyles and patterns of
consumption negative
impacts on the
environment.

58. Towards Sustainable Tall Buildings.
• Tall buildings make a big,
visible public
statements of
sustainability; i.e.
incorporation of wind
turbines, green facades
and roofs, cultural
references and materials
selection.

59. Creating Commercially and Culturally Viable
Buildings
• With 800 tower projects
expected to be completed
over the next decade in
the Middle East, it is
important to retain a
sense of cultural identity
and heritage.

60. Creating Commercially and Culturally Viable
Buildings
• This can be achieved by
developing projects with a sense
of community, based on
modern urban living concepts
where traditional Arabic
architecture is combined with
sophisticated technologies
that enable a sustainable
outcome.
• Future generations might judge
our tall building strategies as
fashion and branding.

61. Think
• The trend to construct tall
buildings may be driven
both by pragmatism and
desire for distinction.
• When it comes to building
tall structures, the
physical construction of
the building is not
particularly difficult.
• We could be keep building
floor after floor until we
reach the moon.

62. Realize
Whilst technology may
enable us to build tall, the
fundamental question is
should we continue to
build tall!

63. THANK YOU