Last June the first “Sustainable Building” Project in Jordan was opened for the public. The Architectural Design of the Aqaba Residence Energy Efficiency (AREE) project is by Dutch Architect Florentine Visser, responsible for the overall project implementation.

© Joseph Zakarian

Sustainable Building is at its early start in Jordan. Due to rising energy prices the general public starts to becomes aware of the importance of energy saving. Additionally water efficiency is in important for Jordan, as it is listed in the top 4 of water poorest countries worldwide.
The biggest challenge for Sustainable Building in Jordan is however material use and reduction of construction waste.

Environmental friendly materials are hardly available and local suppliers are usually not familiar with material specifications. Add to that, that Jordanian contractors are not used to work with these materials and to build from drawings…….

A building has more impact then a brochure therefore Tariq Emtairah, a Jordanian working in Sweden, took the initiative to realize a pilot project. To demonstrate the advantages of Sustainable Building and the economical feasibility by lower energy cost.

© Joseph Zakarian

Together with the Center for Study of the Built Environment in Amman, he organized a private competition. My architectural design was selected to inspire the conventional design and construction practice to environmental improvements.

Therefore AREE is besides a regular residence, also used as information center for sustainable building design and construction. Additionally guest researchers can be hosted.

The total floor area is 420m2, on 3 floors, and incorporates: living room, kitchen, study, family room, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, car garage, storage and basement.

Aqaba is located in the south of Jordan, where summer temperatures rise above 40ºC. The winters are mild and therefore there is hardly a need for heating. The design is based on passive cooling strategy, to prevent heat accumulation in the summer and heat loses in the winter.
Analysis of sun, wind and view on the location, together with the most common construction methods in Jordan (plastered block work and stone cladding), formed the ingredients for the architectural concept.

Architectural Design is the first step in the strategy for energy- and material efficiency aspects of Sustainable Building. The use of solar energy is optimized by the orientation and layout of the house. Functions with short term use (bathrooms, garage and corridor) are located on the south west side, the hottest area in the house.

And thus, provide a buffer zone to keep the space with longer terms use cooler (bedrooms).
Each floor has an attractive, comfortable outdoor space, shaded and with a refreshing breeze, to spend the day during the hot season. In line with the local tradition of the bedouin tent.

Natural ventilation is improved by carefully placed windows, doors, ventilation openings and the main stairs case, which is designed to work as a ‘windtower. Movable shadings prevent sun insolation in the summer, but allow for solar heat to enter in the winter to minimize the heating load.

The north facing main building mass accommodates the bedrooms to reduce the cooling load. And is finished with traditional plastering with added straw, not only to further minimize the cooling load by decreased the heat transfer. The use of cement is reduced aswell, a environmental aspect and the result is a nice texture, that will become stronger in time.

© Joseph Zakarian

A continuous zone, accommodating the kitchen and dining area, connects interior and exterior spaces through a transparent elevation with oriental ornaments and uninterrupted floor finishing. And forms the intermediate to the lower building part with the living area, that is cladded with recycled stone form the local stone manufactures. On top, the roof garden provides a nice front view and outdoor terrace.

Since the 40 cm garden soil has a great heat accumulation capacity and the plants provide shade, the roof garden contributes to a lower cooling load aswell.
This architectural element provides a construction improvement that is part of the second step of Solar Passive Design for Cooling, that aims at preventing interior spaces to receive solar heat. Either by architectural shading elements, or construction techniques that improve the insulation and heat accumulation capacity of the building envelope.

© Joseph Zakarian

The cavity walls of AREE are insulated by blocks with volcanic and perlite aggregate and insulation materials as rockwool and polystyrene. Also the roof construction is insulated, not common in Jordan. And even more unusual for Jordanian construction practice is the insulation of the ‘heat bridges’ at the floor-wall connections.

The heat accumulation capacity is increased by filling the north cavity wall with sand, the application of natural stone in the interior and wall finishing, and the mentioned roof garden.

All design and construction elements were easy to plan in the drawings, whoever, it takes a lot of discussion with the structural engineer and contractor on site.

The architectural design and construction method provide a 30% saving on the cooling load, compared to conventional practices.

To get to a significant savings on the electricity bills, the installations are the last step in the strategy for energy efficient design.
The energy efficient lighting design provided by Philips is one installation aspect. The other one is the ‘Solar Cooling’ a sustainable cooling concept based on hot water from solar panels as energy source for an adsorption chiller, producing chilled water for the space cooling.
This Solar Cooling installation is the first application in Jordan and a promising concept. Since when there is need for cooling there is sun to produce hot water to run the system.

As all new developments at the early start have a learning curve this new technology has its own challenges to get to optimal performance. Therefore the local supplier is working on the second prototype. In the meantime an imported adsorption chiller has been installed. Which is tested at the moment, to reach the most effective cooling capacity in the dry hot climate of Jordan.

Through the “Solar Cooling’ the total savings on the electricity bills are estimated on 72%. Taking in consideration the additional investment cost the expected a payback time is less then 9 years.
To make AREE almost self sustaining in energy supply, the design provides the possibility to incorporate Photo Voltaic panels for electricity production, as shading in the outdoor room. Then the total savings could get to 93%. However, there is no budget available at this time.

© Joseph Zakarian

Energy saving is important but water saving is essential for the future of Jordan. AREE is the first residential project in Aqaba equipped with a dual plumbing system, for grey and black wate. Grey water from showers and sinks is filtered by a sand-gravel bed with bamboo and supplies the required water for the garden irrigation.

Landscape architect Matilda Nilsson selected water efficient plants and trees that are suitable for the Aqaba climate in her garden design to minimize the irrigation water consumption.
Together with water saving faucets, toilets and shower heads the total expected saving on the water consumption is 51%.

Only a good architectural design, improved building technology and installations do not reach the goal of Sustainable Building. Cooperation and communication are essential in both design and execution phases, to get to an integrated project realization.

AREE provides a model and lessons learned on the possibilities and challenges to over come for Sustainable Building in Jordan.
Hopefully AREE also inspires to interesting Architecture, or just nice residences.

AREE is selected as the Jordanian Pilot Project by MED ENEC. MED ENEC is funded by the European Union and aims at improving energy efficiency in the construction sector in Mediterranean Countries. MED ENEC provided financial and technical support.

For the ENERGY GLOBE Award 2007 AREE is selected as National Winner

From 2010 AREE will be operated as the first Eco Bed and Breakfast in Aqaba, Jordan.

Further information:

http://www.medenec.com/en/jordan.aspx
http://database.energyglobe.info/listProjects.aspx?id=9180
http://www.jo.jo/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=206:home-of-the-future&catid=39:land&Itemid=150
http://aree-garden.biotopia.se/index.html
http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/imperia/md/content/department/bauenumwelt/bs/01_aqaba_redsidence_energy_efficiency.pdf
http://database.energyglobe.info/listProjects.aspx?id=9180
http://www.archined.nl/en/features/aqabaresidenceenergyefficiencyinjordan