BUiD’s students and alumni are selected to participate in Solar Decathlon 2021 competition

Dubai UAE 

Sallam Sallam 

BUiD’s team ‘Harmony’, comprising of 18 students and alumni, was shortlisted to participate in the Solar Decathlon ME design competition organised by DEWA which will take place in Dubai Expo 2020 as part of its activities. All design proposals entered into the competition focus on solving the issues and needs of sustainable living in the Middle East.

Harmony aims to design the most sustainable and smart net zero house and to find new ways to save energy using renewable resources. The team is inspired by the theme of Dubai Expo 2020 (‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’) which is reflected in the design. The Harmony home will be a space for living and a platform to connect people together. It will use innovative ways to make the space flexible so it can be utilised according to its inhabitants’ needs.

Professor Bassam Abu Hijleh, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and IT, said, “We are very proud that BUiD’s team has been selected to participate in this competition alongside several top-quality local and international teams taking part in this challenging event. The Harmony building design is focused on a wide range of sustainable design practices and green technologies. The goal is to create a building which exists in harmony with nature, by using a range of renewable resources while reducing any potential negative impacts on the environment in order to reduce its overall environmental footprint.”

Harmony’s design concept was created through an understanding of the harmony which exists in the natural world found in the UAE. It embraces environmental aspects, social integration, lifestyle and modernised traditions, along with cultural values. Four elements of harmony are presented in the design: culture, ecology, morphology, and technology. The design shows the layers of diversity through time, human needs, and space design. The building of the house will be partially constructed off-site and assembled on-site on a precast concrete slab to reduce the required time of construction.

Harmony team members are motivated and enthusiastic students and alumni who are seeking to enhance academic research in the region and globally in order to promote sustainable living. The students will benefit from working closely with sponsors who are supporting this journey by offering financial and other assistance to develop and promote the Harmony House.