12 developers receive Excellence Awards

Twelve developers have been awarded the Excellence Awards at the Estidama Pearl Rating System workshop held during the World Future Energy Summit at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).

The Estidama Pearls Rating System projects cover a wide range of stand-alone buildings and mixed-use developments, namely, Al Salam Street Residence Development, Al Rayyana Development, The British College in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort Hotel (AWPR), R-3 Residential development in Al Ain, Masdar Headquarters, the Abu Dhabi Mid-Field Airport Terminal, The Magnet at TwoFour54, and Ain Al Fayda community in Al Ain. Mina Zayed, Al Naseem neighbourhood, and Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre were the first to achieve Estidama compliance status in 2008.

Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, said: "Estidama has gained strong momentum with more developers committing to its inter-disciplinary approach and sustainability guidelines. The process of Estidama compliance certification in 2009 started with a dozen of projects vying to gain Estidama pilot status in their quest for recognition of their high-level green credentials.

"Pilot projects' design teams later attended a series of highly informative workshops around Estidama Pearl Rating System (EPRS), the innovative benchmark rating tool designed specifically for Abu Dhabi. Teams were trained by Estidama experts on how to apply the EPRS in designing their developments and rating their sustainability performance."

The sessions provided a platform for Estidama and designers of pilot projects to discuss the applicability of EPRS as well as to incorporate the designers' comments and recommendations in the EPRS Final Version 1.0 due for release in the first quarter of 2010.

In line with its commitment, Estidama will call EPRS Qualified Professionals to sit for exams early in 2010 to test their understanding of the process for registering and certifying a project attaining a pearls rating. There are two levels of Certification; the first is a Design Rating for use in marketing and project positioning followed by a Construction Rating at completion of construction.

A final Living Rating after occupancy validates that the performance levels intended during design have actually been achieved.

While this increases the integrity of the overall system, it also creates an invaluable feedback loop to the Pearl Rating System, allowing further evolution.

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