ABSTRACT
The rapid economic growth resulting from the discovery of oil in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has greatly affected the built environment. Unfortunately the tendency has been to either import models of development from elsewhere or to hire architects/engineers who have relied on particular elements or images that they believed best ‘represented’ the Arabian Gulf. Designers have rarely asked critical questions regarding the appropriateness of form with regard to social, cultural and climatic conditions. Questions regarding the influence of social and cultural factors on built form are complex given the heterogeneous population distribution in the UAE; this inherent complexity imbues these factors with a greater significance and presents a richer challenge to architects. Climate, while an obvious factor to be considered within the Arabian Gulf, has been almost completely ignored, as evidenced by the extensive use of single-pane glass without regard to solar orientation, the dependence on air conditioning for climate control, and the rejection of traditional courtyard design. A seemingly inexhaustible supply of resources has led to one of the highest rates of energy consumption per capita in the world, and the lack of basic climate-responsive measures in buildings contributes significantly to the excessive use of resources.
