Ecologically Sustainable Design Manager for Nakheel Tall Tower
1.4 KM HIGH MIXED USE TOWER
“Taller than tallest building”
Armed with the fresh knowledge that he had garnered during CH2, Matt headed to Dubai. He’d been employed by the State Development Agency Nakheel where he was to apply these skills to their Al Burj (translated simply as ‘The Tower’). Al Burj was an elegant Pei-designed three legged tower (with internal anulus) reaching 850m. It was to be The World’s Tallest building eclipsing the Burj Dubai (later known as the Burj Khalifa which is currently the tallest building on earth). The tower was the focal point of Dubai Waterfront, a new city on the Dubai Abu Dhabi Border. The main avenues of the new city aligned with the three large vertical gaps in the tower. The gaps were required to moderate the huge wind loads on the structure.
Al Burj later became known as the Nakheel Tall Tower and the architect Woods Bagot took over the design, modifying Pei’s design into a four-legged tower reaching a staggering 1.4km high.
Matt’s role was Ecologically Sustainable Design Manager and was responsible for every aspect of the buildings design, engineering systems and materials to achieve the LEED Gold standard (a tough mandate that Matt had lobbied hard for).The logic being the tallest building in the world achieving LEED Gold would help change the building industry (globally).
Geothermal heat exchange systems were incorporated into the massive substructure, green concrete (with a large component of cement replacement and nanotechnology admixtures to ensure pumpability to over 1km high) and numerous other innovations were employed including an unique method of conveying cooling via mineral oils (with high enthalpy) designed by engineering superstar Val Lehr who had worked on numerous tall building including Taipei 101. The footprint of the Tower’s supporting infrastructure (district cooling, pneumatic waste collection etc) encroached into the adjacent district (Madinat Al Arab) within the new city. Matt had suggested that the utilities be shared as part of a larger city wide network. In discussing the finer points of this proposal, Matt took the opportunity to canvas the idea of the eco city (ecopolis) to Madinat Al Arab’s Develoment Director Conrad Groen. Conrad had suggested Matt prepare a supporting business case and this is where the Dubai Waterfront Eco City (Ecolopolis) was generated; along with the compelling support of Peter Sharratt (then a Director WSP) to help gain traction.
The business case was endorsed and Matt became the Head of Sustainability for Waterfront City, a 14,000 ha city with a target population of 1.7M.
First task was to tender consulting services and Arup were successful. The low carbon city strategy had begun, covering energy, water, waste, materials, transport and urban planning. It was led by John Roberts, with oversight from Peter Head. Brian Cullinane was the on the ground resource, embedded in Matt’s team. Governance and mentorship came from Jeff Austin, who gave me the courage to press on despite enormous headwinds.
Frank Koning was the Development Manager of the Waterfront CBD. He had engaged Rem Koolhaas (OMA) to design the new city. Frank (being Dutch) understood the importance of my agenda and agreed to have the city undertake a microclimatic analysis by Ian Jones of Vipac (sceintists whod also been involved in CH2). Ian had been studying the science behind the Arabic windtowers and Matt introduced him to the team. In a design meeting Rem Koolhaas generous told Ian “ you mass the city (ie layout the size and scale buildings to maximise passive sea cooling and minimise hot dessert winds) , I will make it look good”. The great designer Rem Koolhaas had handed over the city to the scientist to model the way city’s were traditionally built. It was a magnanimous gesture of true respect; and another watershed day for Matt.
The sustainability successes of the Tall Tower and Waterfront were not being emulated on Nakheel’s other major projects and Matt was given a corporate role across the entire portfolio of Nakheel Projects, disseminating and promulgating the strategies and systems that had been developed on the Tall Tower and Waterfront.
Then came the GFC; Nakheel shrank from 3,000 to 300 staff. With the help of his former Nakheel colleague Monica Bradbury, Matt the Honorable Denis Burke (former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory). Matt had discussed his experience with Nakheel together with his role in the development corporation (with Dylan Brady) that had worked on with the transformation of Jabiru township (Kakadu) into an eco-tourism resort. Denis mentioned that the government was looking for a sustainability expert and Matt was invited to have an interview with the with the Undersecretary of the Department of Municipal Ahmed Shareef. In this midst of the crippling GFC, Matt was successfully appointed to Advisor- Environmental and Sustainability Planning at the Department of Municipal Affairs where he was incumbent for six years.
This was a ‘phoenix from the ashes’ moment for Matt. His work in the Middle East was not complete, the GFC was simply another annoying obstacle on his path; the path of greatest resistance.
