Designed by the renowned Zaha Hadid and her eponymous firm, BEEAH headquarters is set to realise net-zero emissions and achieve a new standard for employee convenience and collaboration. The building design is among the last works of Dame Zaha Hadid, before her demise in 2016.
The BEEAH headquarters officially opened on Wednesday, March 30, in a formal ceremony led by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. With their twin-pillared strategy of sustainability and digitalisation, BEEAH Group works across six key industries that include waste management and recycling, clean energy, environmental consulting, education and green mobility.
BEEAH: Inspired by nature
The design of the HQ was drafted in line with the goals of organisation’s goals for reducing the global impact of waste and serves as a blueprint to shape tomorrow’s smart, sustainable cities.
Embodying these principles, the headquarters’ design responds to its environment as a series of interconnecting ‘dunes’ orientated and shaped to optimize local climatic conditions. The design draws inspiration from the desert landscape of Al Sajaa in Sharjah, where the building is located.
Visitors enter beneath the 15-metre high dome which further enhances natural ventilation and allows passive daylight to enter the building. In addition to the central courtyard and open-plan office, the headquarters incorporates smart meeting rooms, an immersive visitors centre, and an auditorium.
Ensuring all internal spaces are provided with ample daylight and views while limiting the quantity of glazing exposed to the harsh sun, the headquarters’ two primary ‘dunes’ house the public and management departments together with the administrative zone that interconnect via a central courtyard, defining an oasis within the building which is integral to its natural ventilation strategy.
Future-proofing design
Built with sustainability at its core and integrated with future technologies, the office is AI-enabled. It is equipped to operate at LEED Platinum standards; the highest standards for energy efficiency in the world, and realise net-zero emissions.
Highlighting the building as the office of the future, Khaled Al Huraimel added: “The building is not only sustainable and digitally-enabled, but it also achieves an unparalleled environment for employee comfort and productivity. It demonstrates that by adopting future-ready systems, we can achieve environmental targets and improve quality of life at the same time.”
Light and temperature in the smart meeting rooms are managed automatically depending on occupancy and time of day. The rooms are also equipped for remote and hybrid work scenarios, with tools for collaboration. Glass reinforced fibre panels reduce solar gain while slab and glass cooling regulate interior temperatures for optimum comfort. On-site water treatment filtrates wastewater to minimise consumption. The building is also powered by a solar farm with energy stored in Tesla battery packs.
Sustainable design and ecosystems
In addition to the technological integrations, the structure and finishing of the headquarters are sustainable by design, facilitating minimal energy consumption. The curved façade of the building is orientated to account for the prevailing Shamal winds. Expanding outwards, the HQ creates a sense of harmony with the natural desert environment.
A collaborative effort
Following the 2013 international design competition, Zaha Hadid and her team at Zaha Hadid Architects were commissioned by BEEAH to design a new headquarters that would realise net-zero emissions and be integrated with next-generation technologies.
ZHA delivered the BEEAH Headquarters in collaboration with sustainability engineers and consultants Atelier Ten and Buro Happold, project managers Matthews Southwest, construction contractor Al Futtaim Construction, and MEP engineers Al Futtaim Engineering. Smart building technologies by Microsoft, Johnson Controls and EVOTEQ, a BEEAH Digital venture.
