Middle East first : school meets Swiss low-energy standards
April 2015
The primary and secondary school buildings of the Swiss International School Dubai, now under way on a site in Dubai Healthcare City, have become the first in the Middle East to be certified by the MINERGIE Association (AMI) of Switzerland.
MINERGIE is a quality label for low-energy consumption buildings. WME is providing a full range of engineering services for the project, including sustainability consultancy.
The Swiss International School Dubai (SISD) campus includes more than 55,000 sq m of teaching space, plus accommodation, sports and support facilities. Although MINERGIE compliance is not formally required, the client is keen that the primary and secondary school buildings meet the demanding Swiss low-energy use guidelines, as well as other relevant international and local standards. All eight buildings in the complex will be as energy efficient as possible, and the campus is due for completion in September.
The MINERGIE certified buildings have benchmarked for a power consumption figure of 38 Watts per sq m for the high summer months — something of an achievement considering the region’s conditions.