Retrofitting is a major focus for net-zero strategies in many places around the world. Older buildings, particularly those that pre-date modern construction methods, are typically much less efficient than new ones, and their envelopes and systems must be upgraded to reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat and cool them. According to the IEA, at least 40% of the floor area in developed economies was constructed before 1980, when the first thermal regulations came into force. 

However, the United Arab Emirates is at a different point in that journey. It is a young country, founded in 1971, which has expanded and urbanized remarkably fast, particularly since 2000.

The UAE has a rich heritage, but Emirati cities have sought to present an overwhelmingly modern face to the world by pioneering larger-than-life projects and an ever-growing parade of gleaming super-tall towers. At the peak of the 2008-10 construction boom, Dubai was completing more buildings over 150m each year than the whole of the US – despite having a population less than one-hundredth of the size.

In addition to this, the country has positioned itself as a global leader across many metrics. Various boom periods have helped bolster its role as a business and economic hub. This, in turn, has attracted large influxes of global talent vying for a lifestyle that affords a wealth of opportunities in one of the world’s safest and most sought-after places to live.

As a result of this rapid expansion and population growth, the vast majority of the UAE’s buildings are younger than 40 years old. This presents not one retrofitting challenge, but two.

There are hundreds of thousands of buildings that are about to come of age, all at once, requiring a major renovation programme to improve energy performance, with a parallel refurbishment programme to maintain building functionality, which is potentially even more critical.

As in other markets, even relatively new buildings are some way from being net-zero-ready, so we will need to carry out a major renovation programme to improve their energy performance. But even as we look to the future, and undertake the deep retrofits required to reach net-zero, we will also have to look backwards and undertake a parallel programme of refurbishment just to ensure that our buildings continue to function as well as they do today – or even to the point of remaining habitable.

In the UAE’s hot, humid climate, it is air-conditioning rather than heating that creates the biggest demand for energy, and buildings must be insulated against the heat rather than the cold. A well-performing, air and water-tight facade plays a vital role in keeping spaces comfortable and enabling systems to function efficiently. The typical lifespan of a facade system is 20-30 years, after which it is likely to show signs of deterioration and cease to provide an effective barrier to the outdoors. What this means for the UAE is that there are literally hundreds of thousands of buildings that are about to reach that age, all at once.

According to the last census for Abu Dhabi, there are now 97,000 buildings that are at least 23 years old, and by 2028, there will be another 20,000. That’s in just one city, in one of the seven Emirates, in one of six countries in the GCC. There are very few examples of refurbishment and retrofitting projects in the region because of the relative youth of modernity herein. However, internationally there is more than enough expertise, experience and understanding to be able to tackle this challenge.
 

What happens when a facade fails?

The UAE’s hot, coastal climate is tough on building components. Heat, intense sunlight and salinity all take their toll, and it’s the connections that provide the seals that are most vulnerable. In particular, polymers age very quickly in this environment, whereas the lifespan of materials like aluminium, glass, cement and stone is much longer. Of all the components of a façade, it is the sealants and gaskets that will fail first; significantly faster than in cooler climates.