The Lighthouse Tower, planned for construction in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), was to be the first low-carbon building in the United Arab Emirates. Site preparation work commenced in 2008, but the project was delayed in 2009 due to the Global Financial Crisis, and later cancelled. The DIFC has since unveiled a new plan for the undeveloped site in October 2013.

What made the Lighthouse Tower so interesting was its emphasis on being eco-friendly. The structure would rise as two separate towers, bridged from level 10, all the way up to approximately 300 meters above ground. The structure was to hold a number of sky gardens. Three large 225 kW wind turbines, 29 meters in diameter, on the building’s south-facing side were going to generate electricity. The building was also going to be clad in 4,000 solar panels to generate additional electricity. It was estimated the tower would reduce its overall energy consumption by 65%, and its water consumption by 40% in comparison to an equivalent building.

The winners of the second Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction from across region Africa Middle East were announced at a ceremony in Marrakech. Total prize money of USD 270,000 was presented to eleven projects that illustrated the broad scope for applying sustainable construction approaches to the built environment across public and private architecture, urban planning, and environmental remediation.

The jury commended this project because it demonstrates in a convincing manner that high-rise buildings also have significant potential to be designed and constructed in compliance with the globally-accepted standards for sustainable construction. This high-tech structure is a 400m-tall, 53-storey twin tower mainly for “class A” office use. 

The words “Dubai” and “sustainable construction” do not often appear in the same sentence. That is set to change, thanks to strong environmental regulations and visionary projects such as the Lighthouse tower with low-carbon footprint. The elegant skyscraper, in which three massive wind turbines have been integrated, will consume around 65% less energy than its peers.