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Al Jaddaf, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Architects: Architekten Stuttgart, Obermeyer Planen+Beraten Munich, and the ACG Architecture Consulting Group
General Contractor: ASGC Construction
Client: Dubai Municipality

Mohammed Bin Rashid Sustainable Library embodies a rich history of cultures and civilizations and is a distinctive cultural landmark in which education, culture, and tourism intertwine for the representation of Dubai’s cultural face.

MBRL site is chosen as it does not have any significant ecological assets, which need to be protected. The site is located in a densely occupied urban area to allow walking and reduce the impacts of traffic.

MBRL Building is located within 590-meter walking distance, measured from the main building entrance, of a commuter rail (Creek Metro Station-Dubai Metro Green Line).

The project consists of a basement, ground floor, and seven more floors, including a fully automated storage area for books operated by robots and connected to the ground floor through a smart monorail system that delivers books from the auto storage to the ground floor as needed.

The library includes a highly equipped digitization laboratory. It also includes several specialized libraries, such as the information center, the Emirates library, business library, young adult library, study rooms, children's library, Atlas and Maps library, the General library, as well as special collections.

It also includes a theater with a capacity of more than 550 seats, equipped with the latest audio-visual technologies. The library also includes temporary and permanent exhibitions.

In addition to that, the library's exterior building materials have all been chosen and used according to the highest standards of compliance with sustainable building practices. The interior finishes of the building have also been designed and constructed with environmentally friendly materials.

MBRL is the first certified platinum LEED library in Dubai, whereas the latest sustainable technologies to rationalize energy consumption were applied (parking management, ventilation systems, LED lighting, smart glazing items, and renewable energy) targeting a 40% reduction in energy consumption.

Provision for one megawatt (1MW) PV system has been taken distributed equally between the car parking shade structure and the rooftop of the library hosting 500KW pf PV panels each. The installed PV system covers about 10% of the library’s electrical needs.

High efficient energy systems were also utilized for additional energy rationalization. Electrical vehicle chargers, energy-efficient air-conditioning, LED lighting, lighting control, VFD drives, and efficient elevators. MBRL is designed according to the Alsafat rating system requirements (Dubai Green Building Rating System).

Taking the 2020 electricity expenses as a reference, the estimated overall savings reached 30% by using green technologies. MBRL consumed 9,670 MWhr during the last year, while the PV system’s production reached 1,500 MWhr of clean energy. The savings on electricity consumption are estimated at AED 1,600,000.

Furthermore, the PV system contributes to avoiding carbon emissions of 657.8 tons annually. This is equivalent to planting 17,000 trees or avoiding the use of 2,538,100 cars annually.

The simplicity of building design, utilization of green technologies, and the challenges faced by the project team during the construction phase are all considered reasons that merit a distinction in sustainability.

Also, MBRL Building is considered one of Dubai Municipality’s most iconic sustainable projects due to:
- Innovation in Design. The team focused on ensuring some operational elements are incorporated into the LEED strategy to ensure that design and construction elements, as well as operational practices, are enforced to contribute to the project's overall sustainability objectives.
- The Energy and Water rationalization due to the utilization of sustainable applications such as the on-grid PV system, LED lighting systems, programmable lighting control and dimming system, water-cooled chillers, demand-controlled ventilation, low flow and flush rates water fixtures, treated sewage effluent (TSE) for landscape irrigation, etc.