Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah
Labor housing projects in many Gulf countries are located in less favorable sites in the desert hinterland. They are characterized by grid-based compositions, simple facades, and block buildings positioned on the outskirts of cities. This development type was implemented in the industrial sector of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Built Environment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1158543/full |
| _version_ | 1797843788622725120 |
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| author | M. El Amrousi M. Elhakeem E. K. Paleologos |
| author_facet | M. El Amrousi M. Elhakeem E. K. Paleologos |
| author_sort | M. El Amrousi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Labor housing projects in many Gulf countries are located in less favorable sites in the desert hinterland. They are characterized by grid-based compositions, simple facades, and block buildings positioned on the outskirts of cities. This development type was implemented in the industrial sector of Abu Dhabi, known as Mussafah. Gradually, this industrial area redeveloped its urban fabric by transforming many of its buildings into mixed-use structures with small gardens that provide open air spaces to the community and promote social interaction. Interventions from the community via introducing small garden stock increased the sense of belonging, improved the urban fabric, and reduced sand movement in the area. This is important in the Gulf region’s desert environment, which gives rise to sandstorms. This study evaluates the amount and distribution of sand around a selected group of buildings in the Mussafah area through experimental work. The methodology involves a coupled air and sand experiment in an environmental wind tunnel. The experiments have shown that adding a fence around the small gardens of the buildings in Mussafah reduced the sand pollution effects significantly. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:11:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-85d1605686a142cc955a5c32c7ec4907 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-3362 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:11:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Built Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-85d1605686a142cc955a5c32c7ec49072023-04-20T05:54:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Built Environment2297-33622023-04-01910.3389/fbuil.2023.11585431158543Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in MussafahM. El Amrousi0M. Elhakeem1E. K. Paleologos2Department of Architecture, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesDepartment of Civil Engineering, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesProject Management Program, Abu Dhabi University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesLabor housing projects in many Gulf countries are located in less favorable sites in the desert hinterland. They are characterized by grid-based compositions, simple facades, and block buildings positioned on the outskirts of cities. This development type was implemented in the industrial sector of Abu Dhabi, known as Mussafah. Gradually, this industrial area redeveloped its urban fabric by transforming many of its buildings into mixed-use structures with small gardens that provide open air spaces to the community and promote social interaction. Interventions from the community via introducing small garden stock increased the sense of belonging, improved the urban fabric, and reduced sand movement in the area. This is important in the Gulf region’s desert environment, which gives rise to sandstorms. This study evaluates the amount and distribution of sand around a selected group of buildings in the Mussafah area through experimental work. The methodology involves a coupled air and sand experiment in an environmental wind tunnel. The experiments have shown that adding a fence around the small gardens of the buildings in Mussafah reduced the sand pollution effects significantly.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1158543/fullAbu Dhabisandstormssand movementMussafahindustrial neighborhoods |
| spellingShingle | M. El Amrousi M. Elhakeem E. K. Paleologos Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah Frontiers in Built Environment Abu Dhabi sandstorms sand movement Mussafah industrial neighborhoods |
| title | Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah |
| title_full | Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah |
| title_fullStr | Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah |
| title_full_unstemmed | Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah |
| title_short | Industrial neighborhoods in desert cities: Designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in Mussafah |
| title_sort | industrial neighborhoods in desert cities designing urban landscapes to reduce sandstorm effects in mussafah |
| topic | Abu Dhabi sandstorms sand movement Mussafah industrial neighborhoods |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1158543/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT melamrousi industrialneighborhoodsindesertcitiesdesigningurbanlandscapestoreducesandstormeffectsinmussafah AT melhakeem industrialneighborhoodsindesertcitiesdesigningurbanlandscapestoreducesandstormeffectsinmussafah AT ekpaleologos industrialneighborhoodsindesertcitiesdesigningurbanlandscapestoreducesandstormeffectsinmussafah |