Masdar selects CH2M Hill to manage the development of the world's first fully sustainable 'Green Community'

posted on 18/10/2007: 32 views

Nestled in the heart of Abu Dhabi, the six square kilometre alternative energy city will open late in 2009 and will establish a world-class standard for implementing integrated sustainable technologies.

'Visionary' is a word that aptly describes the team of minds that conceived the Masdar Initiative, a global cooperative platform for open engagement in the search for solutions to some of mankind's most pressing issues: energy security, climate change and truly sustainable human development. Masdar is the Arabic word for 'the source,' and the Masdar Initiative will prove to be the source for global collaboration on developing alternative energies and sustainable technologies.

A creation of the Masdar Initiative is the Masdar City Development, the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste 'green community'. Nestled in the heart of Abu Dhabi, the six square kilometre alternative energy city will open late in 2009 and will establish a world-class standard for implementing integrated sustainable technologies.

The city will house the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the graduate science and research Institute currently being established in cooperation with MIT; research facilities; world-class laboratories; commercial space for related-sector companies; light manufacturing facilities and a carefully selected pool of international tenants who will invest, develop, and commercialize advanced energy technologies. The development will also host Masdar's headquarters, residential space for employees, as well as a science museum and edutainment facilities.

The Masdar 'Green' City, being developed by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC), appointed last June a consortium led by Foster + Partners to design the master plan of the development and to define the sustainability guidelines for construction within the Masdar City.

Masdar yesterday announced the appointment of CH2M HILL as the program manager for the first phase of the development after a multi-stage competition involving 13 international program management firms. CH2M HILL was appointed because of its corporate alignment with Masdar's vision and its leadership in program management. The firm gives Masdar access to the very best program management processes and tools the industry has to offer. CH2M HILL will be responsible for technology integration and for aligning the efforts of the designers, contractors, and third parties to program goals and standards. (AMEInfo.com)

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