Tomorrow’s world: a master plan

British engineers Hilson Moran have developed a strong portfolio of sustainable projects in recent years, but for the firm’s Director of Sustainability, Matt Kitson, that is not enough. He speaks to MENA Infrastructure about his revolutionary framework for sustainable masterplanning and his vision for designing the Middle East’s communities of the future.

Hilson Moran's influence on the built world is far-reaching; its projects can be seen across the Middle East, ranging from luxurious residential, to innovative office space, to efficient transport infrastructure. Now the practice's unique Sustainable Building Environment Tool (SuBET) is helping to shape the future of ambitious new masterplans in the Middle East, from the spectacular Yas North development in Abu Dhabi, to the visionary new King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) in Saudi Arabia, which is leading innovation into the future applications of renewable energy.

Matt Kitson is fresh from his latest trip to Abu Dhabi, where the Hilson Moran team are finalising a sustainable masterplan report for the Urban Planning Council (UPC) on the proposed design of the Yas North Masterplan; a vast development stretching over 25 square kilometres and encompassing 32 kilometres of waterfront on the North East side of Abu Dhabi's mainland.

It is the first time that the concepts of estidama and the Pearl Communities process have been applied to a full masterplan. Meaning 'sustainability' in Arabic, estidama is the first programme of its kind tailored to the Middle East region, and is Abu Dhabi's contribution to the global discussion on how to create more sustainable communities, cities and global enterprises.

Within this ground breaking area, Hilson Moran's role in the project was to work with all the stakeholders to advise and guide the project team - including the client Aldar, the premier property development, investment and management company in Abu Dhabi, and masterplanners Broadway Malyan - through the Pearl Communities process.

Matt Kitson says, "It is important that the sustainability goals for the YAS North Masterplan are defined as early as possible within the design and project scoping stage. We believe that this is the only way to successfully manage, execute and achieve the challenging goal of a sustainable masterplan of this size.

"As different contractors and suppliers bid for different stages of this scheme, the project team will inevitably change and evolve. Yet throughout the development programme, the report will help project team members to retain the focus on the masterplan's original concept and aspirations."

Matt Kitson adds, "ALDAR positively grasped the principles of Pearl Communities and used the SuBET process as a framework for design and to develop strategies for ecology and waste management, rather than simply approaching the review as a tick box exercise. The result, we are confident, is a better masterplan for all."

What is particularly interesting about this masterplan is the way that the recent economic turmoil has actually refocused attention on designing for the communities who will live within the area, rather than for the investors who will be buying up valuable chunks of real estate. No longer assuming that properties' values will provide a rapid return on investment and can be sold on at a handsome profit, developers are taking a longer term view of the viability of a scheme.

"Pearl Communities helps developers to do that by providing a more integrated approach to community planning," says Kitson, "rather than perpetuating the segregated development that was seen prior to the recession, in which separate zones were typically created for different activities - education, commercial, residential etc. This is a great step forward for the region, as it promises to create integrated neighbourhoods where people genuinely want to live, work and play."

SuBET is also being applied to the King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (KACARE) in Saudi Arabia, which aims to create a community and a research hub for future energy. The biggest oil exporter in the world, with an economy that is highly dependent on it (more than 80 percent of its total revenue share comes from oil), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recognised that it needs to achieve a more sustainable energy economy. Saudi Arabia has experienced staggering growth in its consumption of energy and water due to population growth, increase in the GDP, and the government's capital expenditure in flagship development projects and economic growth programmes. But this could mean that it will need an additional five million barrels a day in less than 20 years, which will wipe out half of the kingdom's export revenue.

As a result, KACARE has been envisioned as a science-driven city in charge of the planning and implementation of this government strategy aimed at boosting national energy research, development, demonstration, deployment and education, and developing a new government energy policy framework that creates commercially attractive solutions.

It has been tasked with developing a showcase of energy efficiency projects; improving the standards of living and quality of life within the city and the kingdom; and supporting sustainable economic growth through scientific innovation and research in energy technologies and expansion of green jobs in the medical, agricultural, industrial, and mining fields.

Hilson Moran used the principles of SuBET once again to develop its concept masterplan solution for KACARE. As part of Norwegian architect Snohetta's project team, Hilson Moran provided advice on water and waste considerations. Typically in the Middle East, sustainability studies tend to focus on water, energy and waste. But by using SuBET, Hilson Moran was able to widen this out and look at issues such as transport infrastructure, which are key to the long term sustainability and health of communities.

Transport in the Middle East is traditionally by car, but now planners are starting to look at improving the transport infrastructure - from the major airport and rail links, to resolving the requirements at the micro level of communities through the provision of buses and cycle links. "It is refreshing to see transport being planned properly, rather than reactively once development has begun, as this helps to ensure that the transport infrastructure is integrated successfully," says Kitson.

Another key principle in the masterplan solution proposed for KACARE is modular development, which is important to cope with the future population growth and contraction that can also occur during the life time of a city. A successful masterplan should be neither too big from the start (and therefore uneconomical to implement) or too small (and subsequently unable to cope with a growing population). A lot of masterplans go wrong by trying to deliver everything on day one and failing to predict the requirements once the community starts to grow.

This widening of focus typifies Hilson Moran's emphasis on considering the wider community as part of the masterplanning process; an ideal that has been key in the development of SuBET. "The rationale behind it was 'how do you create communities where people want to live?'" explains Kitson. "SuBET offers a framework for masterplanning that focuses on place making for our future cities, while at the same time making sure that aspects such as energy, waste, social and cultural impacts are not over looked."

The new way

SuBET incorporates all considerations beyond simply the physical impacts of a development, and marks an evolution in the role of industry professionals.  Kitson highlights a notable advantage of such a system compared to the sustainability standards in place today, such as the LEED or BREEAM systems. While these regulations provide a helpful standard for buildings that developers can endeavour to meet in order to improve efficiency features of a building, Kitson explains there is the potential for the gratuitous addition of such features in order to meet the standards.

"Poorly implemented solutions can become even less helpful than doing nothing," he says, "as they damage the credibilty of renewable solutions. Sustainable masterplanning requires a 360 degree assessment of a proposed scheme; not simply bolting on technological solutions, but desgining in sustainability from the outset."

SuBET was developed by Hilson Moran, in conjunction with Dr Huam Al Waer, Director of the Sustainability Research Group at the University of Dundee, and Emeritus Professor Dereck Clements-Croome. While it sets out to provide a framework of standards for a development's sustainability, it goes much further than other certification frameworks used in the industry, allowing for a more subjective analysis of a project.

"It's not about certification," Kitson explains, "it's the thought process that's important. LEED and BREEAM both pre-set what is deeemd to be a good thing. However, SuBET allows the stakeholders to decide what is most important and facilitates the development of a sustainable masterplanning design."

Taking three years to fully develop, the SuBET framework marked a significant investment of time and innovation, but one that looks set to pay off. Kitson highlights that the repsonse from Hilson Moran's clients and project partners has been positive, with many users of the tool describing it as the "next generation way of thinking" when it comes to developing the built environment.

Kitson goes on to explain that the framework takes into account all aspects of a project, from its environmental effects to its social and economic imapcts, and incorporates the specific considerations of each development, such as regional planning issues or national impact of the project.

He emphasises the benefits of implementing a masterplanning framework to look at the whole picture of the development rather than using a set of efficiency certification standards. "Sustainable masterplanning means moving beyond a narrow building-centric view of design and energy efficiency ratings," he says, "to considering the huge number of socio-economic and cultural factors that also have an impact on the long term sustainability of communities and the environments in which we live, work and play."

He points out that when it comes to project planning, environmental considerations such as land use, water conservation or energy efficiency have well-established parameters for sustainability, whereas considerations less readily quantifiable, such as social diversity and cultural identity, have largely remained unaccounted for in such standardisation frameworks. "[Long term sustainability] could incorporate a whole spectrum of measures," he explains,

"from encouraging a greater diversity of commercial and retail centres and creating employment opportunities near transport facilities, to a more innovative use of space and consideration of land use between adjacent plots, together with concentrated areas for specific facilities such as schools and shops."

One of SuBET's unique benefits, both for the industry professionals implementing it and the prospective residents of the communities, is its subjectivity. "It does not provide a standard solution," explains Kitson. "There needn't be a uniformed or harmonised approach to masterplanning, because every country's priorities will differ according to the climate, culture and population." 

Taking into account all these characteristics that affect a built environment, he highlights how the tool's flexible framework approach can be adapted to incorporate different countries' requirements in terms of land, culture and climate. "SuBET enables us to analyse the many different indicators of sustainability at the very inception of a project," he explains, "and to assess a proposed masterplan using bespoke weightings for environmental stewardship, economic growth and socio-cultural impact, according to the particular development's and country's priorities."

Community spirit

"The social and economic impacts of a development are closely intertwined," Kitson goes on to say, and points out one of the primary challenges that the industry professionals will face in order to successfully utilise such frameworks.  "[They will] require a more lateral level of thinking than just a straight-forward environmental assessment of the development could ever achieve," he says. "Good quality, high density developments can in fact help create more viable neighbourhoods capable of supporting local services. While smaller, denser developments may be an acceptable trade-off where other amenity advantages are improved, housing densities need to be graded appropriately to maximise local accessibility and prevent overcrowding."

In addition to encouraging this new way of thinking, Kitson hopes that his masterplanning framework will result in greater flexibility among professionals in the industry. This flexibility, he explains, is necessary to the development of a wholly sustainable masterplan as it will allow professionals to fully realise the various factors that combine to create such a plan. "For architects, engineers, planners and developers," he explains, "sustainable masterplanning means moving beyond the familiar territories of their own disciplines and towards a more multi-disciplinary approach to consultation and engagement within the entire project team and with wider stakeholders at the earliest possible stages of planning."

Kitson's socio-economic masterplanning undoubtedly represents a revolution in metropolitan design, incorporating factors commonly overlooked in the development of larger residential areas. He outlines some of the factors that he feels should be taken into consideration. "In terms of social diversity," he explains, "we need to ensure that masterplanning includes detailed consideration of the adjacency of work, leisure and living spaces."

This marks just one step in Kitson's plans to create a unified community. "Community cohesion means finding a way to develop a collective pride and participation in community life," he explains, and goes on to highlight that while these sociological issues may not seem to fall under the jurisdiction of those in the construction industry, architects and planners can help significantly to creating a unified community.

"[Community cohesion] may involve enhancing the visual characteristics of a development to evoke greater cultural and spiritual responses, while contributing to the quality of local life," he explains. "This may mean considering the height, setback, sizes and materials used in developments to provide continuity while injecting personality and character, or encouraging greater community interaction through an increased focus on recreation and leisure activities."

These plans seem so simple in theory; creating wholesome and united communities by ensuring straight and well-lit connecting roads or a common infrastructure aesthetic appear so obvious it is seems ludicrous that they had not been made standard planning requirements across the board. But Kitson's masterplanning framework does not stop here. In an attempt to simultaneously reduce carbon emissions in his sustainable communities and improve the health of its residents, he highlights the need to implement a comprehensive transport infrastructure. "Proximity and access to frequent public transport helps reduce the reliance on car transport," he says, warning that such networks need to be carefully planned to reflect future growth expectations. "Promoting systems to reduce congestion can also assist in lowering vehicle pollution linked to poor public health. Even simple measures can encourage people to get moving, such as limiting off-street car parking, providing cycle paths and safe street lighting."

Ultimately, Kitson explains, the success of sustainable masterplanning frameworks such as this will depend upon a complete change of mindset from both national governments and the industry professionals who build the cities. "Long term sustainability demands the creation of safer, more vibrant and inclusive communities that offer a wide range of opportunities for jobs, leisure, culture and activity. Such areas are more adaptable to change in the long term and offer better prospects overall for economic growth."