Eco-Residences 2

Holistic Sustainability

Eco-Residences 2, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The design of the market-driven, LEED-Platinum-certified neighborhood Eco-Residences 2 synthesizes a human-centered approach with a dramatically reduced environmental impact for its Middle Eastern desert site. Completed in 2020, Eco-Residences 2 is the first of eight planned mixed-use neighborhoods for the new city, Masdar City, developed by Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, a leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development.

The neighborhood’s design integrates real-world solutions for a buildable, financeable real-world development, fulfilling Masdar’s inspiring vision “to create a commercially viable sustainable city providing the highest quality of life with the lowest environmental footprint.”

With nine low-rise, high-performance buildings and plenty of public open space, the resulting mixed-use district—compact and walkable—does just this, exemplifying an epitome of sustainability in multiple ways: environmentally, economically, and socially. More good news: The project’s design strategy is itself sustainable, forming a replicable framework for future development.

Here, across just 5.62 hectares, this innovation-focused, mixed-use district integrates a world-class institution, corporate housing with a young demographic, innovation industry incubator offices, inviting retail and restaurants, and welcoming public space—all within a five-minute walk.

Grounded in passive design philosophy, Eco-Residences 2 incorporates: •solar-heat-minimizing siting and massing strategies contribute to reduced solar gain inside, more shade for the urban realm outside •street and pathway design that harnesses cooling wind •a fine-grained courtyard typology to create shaded and private environments •building envelope design that protects and cools residents from heat and strong sunlight.