Global Arab Network | NOVA Award - Bahrain World Trade Center raises Kingdom's profile

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NOVA Award - Bahrain World Trade Center raises Kingdom's profile

Global Arab Network - - Maha Karim

Wednesday, 18 November 2009 11:33

Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC), the world’s first building to ever integrate large-scale commercial wind turbines into a mixed-use development, has announced its win of the prestigious 2009 NOVA Award in Innovation.

The prestigious NOVA awards identify projects that have been proven to display significant technological advances and have had positive, important effects on construction to improve quality and reduce cost. The BWTC’s win was announced at the NOVA Award Banquet on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 at Buena Vista Palace resort in Orlando, Florida, USA.

As the world’s first proven example of wind turbines being incorporated into a commercial building, the Bahrain World Trade Center was an ideal candidate for the judging panel. Officially certified by Bahrain’s Electricity Distribution Directorate (EDD) early in 2009, the three 29-metre diameter turbines are fully operational and are currently supplying 11-15% of the 50 storey office towers’ energy requirements.

Bob Addison of DTZ, the BWTC’s Managing and Leasing agents, commented: “Winning a NOVA award from the renowned Construction Innovation Forum is clear evidence that the Bahrain World Trade Center has made an extraordinary contribution to the technological progress within the region’s construction industry, especially in relation to the built environment, a fact which was recognised by the jury. We are pleased to see the BWTC raising Bahrain’s profile internationally, and becoming a true landmark for the Kingdom’s progress.”

Bahrain’s familiar twin towers are on the cusp of international sustainability agendas, and are well known as one of the catalysts in changing the approach of Middle East developers towards a future of energy-efficient design.

Designed by Atkins, the world’s eighth largest design firm, the iconic building is the first in the world to suspend electricity-generating wind turbines between two commercial tower structures, surpassing existing construction boundaries.

“The Bahrain World Trade Center sets a technological precedent which we hope raises the awareness of environmental design and its importance in the built environment and we hope it paves the way for designers and clients to incorporate renewables and energy efficient measures into their future developments to reduce carbon emissions.” Said Shaun Killa, Design Director, Atkins

Constructing Killa’s ‘world first’ design which was untried and untested, took an extraordinary amount of investigative research and analysis. Atkins assembled a world-class research team including Richard Smith, Atkins’ principal authority on sustainability and MEP engineering, and Danish companies Norwin A/S as turbine specialists and Ramboll A/S, bridge engineering experts.

Global Arab Network

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Last Updated on Sunday, 29 November 2009 21:06

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