Gulf Research Project

2006-2007
(Nader Ardalan with Simos Yannis, Ardalan Associates)
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“Cutting across all other issues facing the Gulf Region and the world is climate change. Its practical and elegant mitigation by designing Sustainable Built Environments is our greatest challenge.” — Nader Ardalan

The Gulf Research Project is a multi-year academic program that eventually aims to explore and make recommendations for innovative strategies to achieve more energy-efficient, ecologically benign, and culturally relevant built habitats in the 8 countries surrounding the Persian Gulf. The studies advocate the benefits of innovations in environmentally and culturally more sustainable designs than the current planning, design, construction and real estate practices and models that are being used in this region, which for the most part demonstrate serious shortcomings due to high resource consumption, urban pollution, loss of quality and urban cohesion plus lacking an indigenous sense of cultural identity.

​The first Pilot Year of the research program was sponsored by the Higher Colleges of Technology of the UAE and carried out under the auspices of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University under the direction of Nader Ardalan, Research Fellow. The Academic team also included The Graduate Program of Sustainable Environmental Design of the Architectural Association of London under the direction of Professor Simos Yannas and The School of Architecture & Design of the American University of Sharjah with Associate Professor George Katodrytis.

The first year findings are scheduled to be published in the Fall Issue 7 of A2 Magazine in Dubai, Nader Ardalan, Guest Editor.