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Design competition focuses on reducing urban heat island effect

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Design competition focuses on reducing urban heat island effect

Cool Abu Dhabi aims to transform urban life in the Middle East.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | April 13, 2020

Courtesy Pixabay

An international design competition hosted by the United Arab Emirates’ Department of Municipalities and Transport is focused on reducing the urban heat island effect.

The Cool Abu Dhabi design competition is looking to “transform urban life in the Middle East through climate-focused designs that promote wellness, community, and sustainability.” Judges will select 10 original design ideas from around the globe for a hypothetical public space in Abu Dhabi.

“The winning designs will showcase innovative design strategies that minimize the impact of climate change, reduce heat island effect in UAE, and creatively contribute to the city’s unique and evolving urban fabric, and will be awarded a $10,000 cash prize,” according to a news release. The competition is open to all, but is specifically looking for designers, architects, engineers, landscape architects, material scientists, educators, researchers, students, artists and/or inter-disciplinary teams from across the globe to contribute.

The winning entries will represent the most original and innovative ideas that attempt to reduce the heat island effect in a prototypical urban site in Abu Dhabi through design interventions or material and scientific innovations.

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