Xeritown

At a glance

Project by: X Architects
Location: Dubailand, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Preview image

Xeritown (X Architects)

© X Architects

Project images

	Aerial view © X Architects View project image
	Promenade - aerial view © X Architects View project image
	Street view © X Architects View project image
	Souk view © X Architects View project image

Architect's statement

“Xeritown” is a 59 hectare sustainable mixed-use development in one of the fastest growing cities of the world: Dubai. It provides housing for approximately 7000 inhabitants. It is located in Dubailand, a new extension of the city towards the inland desert.

Instead of considering the site as a tabula rasa “Xeritown” takes the desert and local climate as a context within which the urban form emerges by working with the natural environment instead of against it.

In the design, the built up area has been compressed to occupy only 50% of the site as an immediate reaction to the sun conditions to achieve a compact shaded fabric: its structure is defined by alternating narrow pedestrian alleys and small squares, typical of Arabic towns. This urban tissue is divided in elongated islands that are orientated so to gain from the prevailing winds crossing the site. The cool breeze from the sea is channelled between the islands and through the longitudinal cuts in the urban fabric, while the hot wind from the desert is deviated above the development. Natural ventilation is enhanced by a rugged skyline breaking up air flows on the scale of both low rises and towers. Similar dynamics determine the formations of the dunes in the desert, thus the development appears as dunescape where the urban islands could be interpreted as a consolidation of the desert dunes.

The project applies a multitude of strategies for achieving an ecological quality and energy conservation like reducing energy demand by minimizing solar gains thanks to north-east orientation natural ventilation and earth pipes, dimmable LED street lighting, photovoltaic panels to generate low-voltage direct current electricity and roof top turbines; strategies for the conversion of resources by the reduction of the demand of potable water thanks to low water-use appliances, grey water recycling for irrigation and water saving irrigation systems, low maintenance landscape, re-use of soil present on site and waste-recycling facilities, strategies to reduce carbon emissions by easy access to public transport and by extensive shaded and well ventilated pedestrian and cycling network.

The development is clustered into islands of mixed use program with predominantly residential apartments that have an active retail front on grade. The farthest islands have quite private residences with neighborhood open spaces while the central island has mode active public programs like mosques and healthcare facilities.