A Sustainable Approach for a Climate Responsive House in UAE: Case Study of SDME 2018 BAITYKOOL Project

The paper shares the architectural design concepts, the construction technique and innovative strategies used in developing the 90 Sq. m self-sustaining, eco-responsive Solar house ‘BAITYKOOL’. This prototype was designed, constructed, tested and assembled at Solar park Dubai for the Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME 2018). The study explains the principles used in the house from the architectural concept developed in response to the culture and climate of the region. A biologic ecosystem has been created for the habitat with improved thermal comfort conditions in the patio and the interior spaces with an effective use of active and passive strategies. A smart water management & monitoring system adds value to every drop of water used in the house and helps conserve it. A biological filter has been developed for the project to treat the used water and the treated water is used efficiently to add freshness and life in to the spaces. The house has a composite wall system enhancing the performance of its envelope developed using ecofriendly material with compactness to create comfort conditions within the indoor spaces and reduces the load on the HVAC and lighting system. The sky radiative cooling systems reduces the cooling load of HVAC system taking advantage of the night temperature with sky acting as a heat sink. The efficiency of the house has been further improved by making use of the energy produced by solar balanced with the optimization strategy to reduce the energy consumption. Innovative biomimetic cells mounted on glass PV panels integrated with the architecture of the house has been developed for higher efficiency and energy production. The house exhibits the potential innovative systems and strategies to develop an eco-responsive solutions for a healthy living and working suited to the climate of the region.