ABSTRACT
The topic of sustainable human settlements' and the well-being of the marine environment of the Persian Gulf is a vast challenge. It is clear that the two major sides of the Persian Gulf are experiencing completely different levels of economic investment and development. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) side on the west is verging on becoming overly developed with extensive unsustainable built environments, while the Iranian side to the east exhibits just the opposite condition, with extremely under-developed built environments but highly strategic port activities. This chapter presents two case studies to illustrate the specific characteristics, issues and challenges that projects based upon sustainable principles. The typology of high-rise architecture presents us with a significant design challenge today as we strive to reduce the energy consumption of buildings as a means of achieving sustainable development. The Intelligent Tower will employ a number of energy-generating strategies including wind turbines and photovoltaic panels.
