A new female starchitect on the rise? BM Studios is an architectural firm bridging the East and the West. In this article, Balsam Madi shares her approach to climate sensitive design and discusses the role of architects today.

In the UAE, architects often have more influence than they realize, particularly at the early, conceptual stages of a project. How do they weigh that responsibility? How is the role of architects today influencing climate sensitive design? We speak with Balsam Madi from BM Studios to learn more.

Architectural teams are typically structured into distinct roles as concept architects, design development teams, specifiers, and project managers. But these roles frequently operate in silos, especially within large corporations, she tells Green Prophet.

Design managers, who liaise across teams and maintain continuity, are still relatively rare. This hierarchy has a direct impact on sustainability outcomes, notes the young, aspirational architect working between Berlin and Dubai at the firm she founded, BM Studios.

In Balsam’s former role as a senior lead designer at KEO, sustainability was not an add-on, she says, it was embedded in her responsibility. She was expected to introduce cultural research, emerging design trends, sustainable strategies, and even AI-driven methodologies into the workflow. Knowledge transfer was central to her role: staying ahead of global conversations and translating them into locally relevant design decisions.

Sustainability entered most powerfully during the concept phase, which she was leading, through storytelling. She reinterpreted vernacular architectural techniques using contemporary aesthetics that clients respond to today, while quietly embedding passive strategies, climate intelligence, and material efficiency. Referencing comparable cities and precedents helped position sustainability not as a risky experiment, but as a proven and aspirational solution.

She also naturally stepped into a design management role, coordinating day-to-day processes, aligning design development teams, specifications, and material research. Early decisions around modularity, prefabrication, and low-impact construction often made the biggest difference, long before sustainability became a checklist. This coordination allowed quality assurance throughout costing and specification stages—precisely where silos often form and opportunities for design integrity and sustainability are lost.

As independent practitioners, architects become translators, strategists, and sometimes marketeers of sustainability, not superficially, but by demonstrating how responsible design enhances value, longevity, and relevance.

After leaving the corporate world and working independently, she found more freedom to advocate for these ideas, she tells Green Prophet. As independent practitioners, architects become translators, strategists, and sometimes marketeers of sustainability, not superficially, but by demonstrating how responsible design enhances value, longevity, and relevance. They are expected to do it all!

Over the next decade, architects who can bridge vision, systems, and persuasion will shape the industry far more than those focused on form alone, she says. Having knowledge about LEED-building, or Estidama Pearls isn’t enough.

Where Architects Truly Influence Sustainability

Landscape design for a private Dubai client. Balsam Madi.

Architects genuinely influence sustainability at three critical points: concept design, advisory roles, and spatial intelligence. The greatest constraint, however, remains resistance to change.

Balsam once proposed a flexible housing strategy inspired by open-building principles and early Japanese residential models, homes designed to evolve with families rather than forcing families to adapt to rigid layouts. The concept was profitable, socially progressive, and sustainable, yet it was not well received. The real estate sector, despite its creative veneer, often prefers familiarity over innovation.

Some of her most successful sustainability-driven typologies—projects that doubled developer yields—were led by developers who were architects themselves. Leadership mindset matters. Sustainability is not just about trees or technology; it’s about designing spaces that perform socially, economically, and environmentally over decades.

Cultural constraints also play a role. Ambition in the Middle East region is high, but often paired with impatience. Limited time for research, testing, and long-term planning undermines sustainable outcomes. Developers who have truly excelled invested in R&D and allowed innovation to mature, positioning themselves with distinct value propositions.

Architects also influence sustainability through advisory work: optimizing layouts for waste management, connecting developers with recycling or composting partners, and improving operational efficiency through better planning. These opportunities are frequently missed, often due to a narrow procurement mindset focused on either lowest cost or premium solutions, with little space in between.

Quality is another issue. First-time developers sometimes hire very young firms to reduce costs, resulting in poor layouts and dysfunctional living spaces. Sustainability, at its core, is systems thinking. When treated as isolated gestures rather than an integrated framework, it loses both meaning and impact.

From Designing Form to Designing Systems

Balsam says she loves concept design, “the iterative process, the moment when an idea clicks and demands to be built. That creative spark is sacred. But today, AI can generate iterations faster than entire teams once could. This raises an important question: if machines can explore form, what is the architect’s true value?

“For me, the answer is systems thinking and orchestration. Architecture is no longer about isolated objects; it’s about aligning structure, MEP, HVAC, materials, construction sequencing, and long-term operation from day one. Certifications like LEED touch on this, but the principle runs deeper. Designing holistically from the start avoids waste, redesign, and inefficiency later.

“One of my engineering management professors once said architects are ‘artists with rulers’ and ‘conductors of the construction orchestra.’ We don’t play every instrument, but we understand how they work together. That ability to coordinate, adapt, and guide is irreplaceable.

“This is why my practice spans architecture, interiors, landscape, and product design. Design is a universal language. If you can take an idea from concept to execution in one medium, you can do it in many. The future architect is a systems leader, strategist, and coach—someone who maintains the big picture while navigating complexity with clarity,” she tells Green Prophet.

“As a result, I developed a sustainability arm within my practice that connects businesses, end users, and service providers working on sustainable products. This includes integrating sustainable MEP systems and sensors into high-end heritage spaces—design work that is less conceptual and more coordination-driven, yet increasingly in demand as architecture moves beyond a unilateral definition.

Climate, Materials, and the UAE Context

If you are developing a dream in the UAE, “the biggest challenges in the UAE are climate and infrastructure, particularly mobility,” says Balsam.  “While Dubai’s metro is efficient, many communities lack shaded walkways, green corridors, and pedestrian-friendly design. This disproportionately affects lower-income areas and creates daily stress.”

Materially, many buildings are not designed for long-term exposure to heat and humidity, she notes. “Façades and systems often deteriorate within 20 years, reducing value and increasing vacancy. Rather than resisting the region’s appetite for renovation, we should specify materials with strong life-cycle performance, recyclability, and adaptability. Outdoor construction, in particular, needs stricter material guidelines. Initiatives like Colab in D3 advocate for sustainable material use, but ultimately this requires leadership-level commitment.

“Too often, sustainability manifests as confusion at the operational level and box-ticking at the corporate level. When it becomes jargon detached from empathy and responsibility, it loses credibility. Real change starts with environmental literacy and a shared sense of stewardship for place.”

Beyond Ratings: An Ethical Foundation

Balsam tells us, that there is a growing disconnect between global sustainability agendas and on-the-ground impact. While conferences consume enormous budgets, grassroots sustainability startups, the true innovators, often struggle to survive without access to capital.

Certifications and data have their place, she says, but when sustainability becomes bookkeeping rather than belief, skepticism follows, particularly around topics like Net Zero. “An ethical, zero-harm intention recenters sustainability around empathy—toward nature, communities, and future generations.

“When intention leads, capital can be distributed more holistically, allowing ecosystems to thrive across all roles, from change-makers to policymakers.”

About Balsam Madi, Founder of BM Studios

The post BM Studios is designing systems, not just buildings in the UAE appeared first on Green Prophet.

In an oil wealthy state like Saudi Arabia luxury has no limits. And the latest is LEED certified.

A new Red Sea resort in Saudi Arabia called Shebara Island is already taking pre-bookings for its glamorous pod hotels, a cool SAR 9,000 a night, which equals about $2,400 USD. No big deal if you’ve berthed your mega-yacht at its shores.

Powered by the sun, the resort features 73 pods that rival the best of luxury from the Maldives seeing a downturn in tourism for its racist policies on religious freedom.

Saudi Arabia is hoping to become booming hotspot for business and tourism and has started creating 15-minute cities like Neom.

Shebaya, the latest from dozens of new projects announced, is LEED-Platinum property which is built to “minimise its environmental and literal environmental footprint by cantilevering the accommodation spaces above the coral reefs with only a few square meters of ground impact at the base of the supporting column.

“The result is an aerial accommodation ‘pod’ that almost seems to defy gravity and suspends the guest directly above and within the beauty of an untouched marine eco-system; an observation platform for guests to witness the fish, birds and turtles that thrive in the area,” says a handout.

The entire project is powered by a centralized solar farm and fresh water is supplied from a solar powered desalination plant. Recycling of waste material takes place on the island minimizing the need to bring or remove materials from the site.

The design language of the resort compliments the uniqueness of the site. The approach to the façade design has been to minimize visual impact, employing a highly reflective stainless-steel skin polished to a mirror finish. These reflective orbs float, almost imperceptible, reflecting the colors and surface patterns of the ocean, the intense colors of the sky as they change throughout the day.

This approach serves to lessen the visual impact of the architecture on the surrounding environment while also greatly improv the building’s energy performance with a near 100% reflection of the solar gain at the mirror surface. These heavily insulated spaces can be effectively cooled with minimal energy losses.

The interior space of the project provides spacious room for the guests, with detailing, and finishes inspired by the interiors of luxury yachts. The room offers panoramic views to the sea with sliding doors that open to a deck, a seating area and an infinity pool with uninterrupted views of the sea and horizon beyond.

The project is designed by the UAE based K

Other Red Sea attractions in the region include our favorite place: low-key eco tourism in Sinai. There is also a great list of eco-tourism sites in the Holy Land. A typical trip in the future might look like this:

1. A cruise down the Nile. The pyramids. A visit to Siwa Oasis in Egypt.
2. Head over to St. Catherines Monastery, hike God’s Mountain, and spend a few nights diving in Sinai.
3. Taxi over to Eilat and head to Tel Aviv, Tiberias, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea.
4. Head across the Allenby Bridge to Jordan and check out Madaba, then down to Petra.
5. From Petra head to Saudi Arabia to one of its dozens of new Red Sea attractions.

The post Reserve a Red Sea pod hotel at Shebara Island for $2,400 a night appeared first on Green Prophet.

Are you planning a trip to Israel and don’t know where to stay? I want to share 10 hotels in Israel that are worth looking into. These hotels all practice sustainable management, from locally sourced food, to energy-saving light bulbs, and bans on plastic waste. From luxury hotels to a simpler, rugged desert experience, I have covered them all.

1. Six Senses Shaharut

Six Senses Shaharut is a magnificent place to stay if you are traveling to the Negev Desert. This beautiful property is committed to being a sustainable hotel, and they even list their sustainable measures on their website. The hotel is the first in Israel to be certified to achieve LEED by the US Green Building Council, although some Middle East countries use their own standard rating called Pearl.

The hotel was designed in a way that reduces energy consumption by 25 percent. The lighting systems are made motion censored and are energy-efficient. The food waste is composted and then used on-site in their garden. They also produce and bottle their own water in glass bottles and partner with BevGuard to ensure high-quality drinking water. The oil they use for cooking is recycled into biodiesel and they do not discharge any waste liquids via the use of a palm grove that absorbs all the treated wastewater.

They even have an Energy Lab where they encourage their guests to come and learn about the resort’s sustainability efforts.

2. The Vera

This hotel is located in Tel Aviv just north of the Florentin neighborhood and has much to offer. Designed by Assaf Solomon, an architect, and designer of many hotels in Israel, this hotel is well worth staying in if you want to stay in a prime location in Tel Aviv. Besides having great amenities like a spa, cafe, bar, and fitness center, the hotel has a modern design that incorporates sustainable measures into its operation.

Firstly, they were the first hotel to ban single-use plastics. “The elimination of single-use plastics is an obvious decision and a forward step for the hotel industry,” says Danny Tamari, CEO and founder of The Vera. “We continually strive to build an environmentally-conscious society, and The Vera’s action reflects our vision of what a modern hospitality experience should be.”

In addition, The Vera uses locally sourced products they get from a company called Arugot, which their products are made from seeds in the western Negev. They also use an energy-efficient air-conditioning system and use eco-insulation.

3. Abraham Hostel

One of my personal favorites which I stayed in myself was Abraham Hostel. Located on Levontin St in a prime location in Tel Aviv, this hostel was much to offer. Environmentally, the hostel takes part in sustainable practices to encourage sustainable travel for its guests.

They encourage recycling by having recycling spaces throughout the hostel. They also use LED lighting and use timers for the shower heaters to conserve energy. In terms of food, they make accommodations for vegans and get their food from local sources. They encourage public transportation with awareness campaigns on buses, bikes, and scooters. The hotel created an entire sustainable guide to travel that they share with their guests and is up on their website.

They also have locations in Jerusalem. Eilat, Nazareth, and Sinai, although the Sinai location is rumored to have shut down over political issues between its local owners there.

4. Dan Hotels

This Israeli hotel chain has 18 locations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Herzilya, Eilat, Caesarea, North, and Haifa. They are highly regarded as being a sustainable and eco-friendly hotel. The hotels earned a 9.1/10 on the ETIC ethical and sustainable score according to the ETIC Hotels.

Most of the properties are made with isolated windows to increase thermal efficiency, which decreases the amount of energy needed for cooling and heating. They are also switching all our their lighting to LED, Neon lamps, or Fluorescent bulbs.

This energy-saving system that Dan Hotels are currently working to incorporate into all their locations works as a two-fold system, it saves energy lost while also being able to share energy generated from the air conditioning to heat the pools and so on.

5. Tzlil Hateva 

The Tzlil Hateva Hotel in Hosen is inspired by a wood cabin design that is located alongside the mountains and the valley. This hotel takes big steps to be an eco-friendly hotel. This hotel uses biomass as its renewable energy source, which reduces its emissions of greenhouse gases. It’s not a luxury hotel so don’t expect the look and feel of Tel Aviv or other hotels on this list, but it’s a decent budget option that puts sustainability into its practice.

Some of the other practices the hotel takes part in are getting materials for building from sustainable sources, using LED lighting, sustainable toilets, having low-flow toilets, composting organic waste, diet for vegetarians, and so much more. In addition, the hotel is part of the Travel Sustainable program, which is designed to adhere to the needs of the environment and sustainable development.

For more budget eco travel in Israel, here are some tips to avoid the very high prices of hotels. Israel runs a network of SPNI field schools and basic lodging. Usually set in Israel’s most untouched nature, an SPNI Field School in locations like Ein Gedi are a the nature-lover’s dream destination. SPNI Field Schools provide accommodation, and educational hiking and walking tours. Don’t expect the amenities of an eco hotel, but these sites are adequate for getting out into nature.

6. Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv – Diamond District

This luxurious hotel located on Aholiav Street in Tel Aviv is modern, elegant, and spacious. The hotel is part of the IHG Green Engage system, showing that sustainability is a major player in their operations. This system allows the hotel to measure and manage their impact on the environment by providing all information they need to reduce their energy, waste, and emissions.

Nestled in the sophisticated Diamond District among eclectic architecture and fashion boutiques, the Hotel Indigo Tel Aviv Diamond District hotel is designed to be an Art Deco reinterpretation of the world’s most precious stone.

The hotel was rated 9.3/10 on their ETIC ethical and sustainable score because they completed all requirements to be an IHG hotel. This means they have reduced their energy consumption by 25 percent. They also earned a bioscore sustainability level A. Similar hotels are found in countries around the world and this boutique hotel has a location in Oman and one in Dubai.

7. Hotel Saul 

Hotel Saul in Tel Aviv is the heart of Tel Aviv and commits to a range of sustainable practices. The Saul is the first hotel in Israel to be a part of the Green Key Program, which sets standards for global sustainability tourism. The Green Key Program, which started in 1994 pushes the hotel and other operations in the tourism industry to pledge to sustainable practices and technology.

The Shaul specifically, has numerous operations that are sustainable. Some of which include the separation of waste and locally sourced products. They also use LED lights and harness a Miso system for lighting which is a power-saving technology. They use an economical water heating system and use Sunergy windows which help to maintain room temperatures by use of natural light.

8. Desert Shade Eco-Lodge 

This lodge is for people who like to be out in nature. In the Ramon Crater, the Desert Shade Eco-Lodge is a hand-built, unique desert experience that is known for the breathtaking views of the night sky. This hotel is eco because it allows its guests to reconnect with nature and get away from the craziness of the world. It supplies many desert activities such as stargazing, Nomad breakfast, fire pits, and bedouin tents, as well as drinking wine from their boutique winery.

There are 7 eco-huts, which were made sustainably with mud bricks and straw. In addition, the lodge only uses composting toilets. If you are looking for an authentic desert experience, this is the place for you.

9. Fabric Hotel

This hotel in Tel Aviv is in a prime location on Nahalat Binyamin Street. Like many other green hotels, this hotel does not use single-use plastic and gets all of the food locally sourced. In order to promote sustainable travel, the hotel has free bikes available for its guests. The green spaces all use LED bulbs and the rooftop is a hit among guests. The directors of the hotel also own a chain of hotels, including Shalom & Relax, Tal by the Beach, Backstage Hotel, and more. All these hotels use similar sustainable practices to inspire and spread the sustainable tourism industry.

10. Alberto by Isrotel Design

This hotel has numerous sustainable practices with waste, water, energy, and nature. They take numerous initiatives towards sustainable waste management by not using single-use plastic, recycling, and water dispensers to promote reusable water bottle use. They have water-efficient toilets, showers, and the option to opt out of room cleaning so guests can reuse towels.

Food in the hotel is locally sourced and great for vegans. They use LED bulbs, and double-glazed windows, and have green spaces such as gardens and rooftops. They also invest a large portion of revenue in community/sustainable projects.

The post Eco luxury and sustainable hotels in Israel appeared first on Green Prophet.

While it is true that corporations shoulder most of the blame for our environmental concerns, the average person could play a vital role if everyone took action to save our planet. There are a lot of ways that you can decrease your own waste that goes to landfills. Some of the most popular include:

• Purchase food and beverages that come in recyclable containers.
• Use reusable shopping bags.
• Upcycle items that can’t be recycled, as often as possible.
• Purchase consumables with long lifespans to reduce waste.

Yet when most people consider how they can help their environment, their purchases of things such as furniture do not cross their minds. However, it is important to note that several tons of furniture go to landfills every year. A large amount of that furniture waste is not biodegradable. 

The cheaper the furniture, the sooner it will become too dilapidated to use. When you buy a new couch every few years, you’re sending a lot of waste to the landfills that you aren’t even considering. By contrast, when you purchase more expensive and durable furniture it lasts much longer, which means less landfill waste. Not only does better furniture stay out of landfills longer, but they also save you a lot of money in the long run when your couch could last 15 years instead of 5 years.

Ready to jump into buying more eco-friendly furniture? Here are some of the most eco-conscious furniture brands available online from 1stop furniture.

Ashley Home Furniture

Ashley is a home furniture brand that is familiar to most of the world. This brand sells furniture in 155 countries, and they are working hard to reduce their carbon footprint. Their overall sustainability plan can be found on their website and encompasses several initiatives. Their top priorities are reducing the energy required for manufacturing, eco-friendly waste management and disposal, resource preservation, water conservation, and develop more sustainable packaging.

Acme furniture

Acme Furniture is one of the most well-known furniture brands in the world, selling on popular platforms like Amazon and Walmart, as well as a myriad of online furniture stores. They have been working on making their own furniture more sustainable, and recently released an eco-friendly kids’ line of furniture that features soft fabrics and rounded corners made with renewable resources.

Aspen Home furniture

Aspen Home is another furniture brand with a global presence and sustainability measures. Aspen furniture can be found in almost any online furniture store, and its manufacturing process begins with sustainable materials. Their site boasts that they do not take any wood or veneers from rain forests, and use primarily sustainable lumber sources.

Furniture of America

A popular furniture brand for budget-minded or amateur interior designers is Furniture of America. While they are not as far along on the sustainability chain as those furniture brands mentioned above, they are making some effort to source sustainable woods and other materials for their manufacturing process. They also recently released a specifically eco-friendly furniture collection.

The post Why you should get your furniture from one of these eco-friendly brands appeared first on Green Prophet.

Is laminate wood flooring a sustainable option?

The short answer: it depends. The easy answer, probably not. The likely answer no way. Laminates are bonded together with toxic glues and made to look like wood. 

They look like wood and feel like wood but many of today’s low cost wood floors are laminate. That means they are made with crushed up wood and mixed together with glue, much in the same way magical cardboard bikes or bamboo plates and furniture are put together. Taking a natural material and then bonding it all together with plastic glue does not make a product green. Remember the ramen noodle guy? He can fix anything with ramen noodles and crazy glue. That’s what laminate flooring is and basically most bamboo products. Don’t get bamboozled. 

One one hand manufacturers use renewable resources but on the other hand, everything is held together with petrochemical-based glues which contain neurodisruptors and toxins.

The most eco way to make a wooden floor is to use reclaimed wood from building sites. Or from sunken logs brought to the surface and processed. With a little hunting around you can find gorgeous ancient wood that you can replane at a carpentry shop and you have an ancient 100% eco floor. Or maybe when you dig up the old tiles in your house you might find a perfectly gorgeous old wooden floor or another set of tiles. 

Another wooden floor option is to buy new planks from sustainably farmed wood. Look for the FSC stamp but that’s not perfect either. And the cost of wood since Covid hit the world has made reflooring or home improvements right now a not so sustainable option. 

Rcycling old wood into new laminate with veneeer is an option. In fact, most laminate flooring manufacturers now explicitly point out how sustainable and eco-friendly this flooring option is and use it as a major selling point for their product. I’d look at their safety and materials data sheets before buying laminate of any kid because it might contain formadehyde and all sorts of other toxins you’d be living and sleeping with. 

Most laminate products are flasely labelled. And if you seacrh on Google they will scream for your attention. That means that we need to perform our due diligence and proper research before we can truly walk away knowing we’ve done what’s best for the planet.

As laminate flooring is made from a mixture of potentially toxic resin (glue) and fiber-board, how the materials made can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

It is possible to find eco-friendly laminate flooring, but the chance is doubtful that it will be unless you find a very specific company. Look around. Ask your friends. Although, even the most sustainable of practices surrounding production aren’t worth much if the product itself isn’t very sustainable, further complicating the issue. You’d need to look into greenhouse gas emissions and life cycle of the product. 

Laminate Materials & Their Harvesting Checklist

To understand the ecological impact of laminate flooring, it should be understood exactly what it is made out of and where those materials are made from.

Sustainable laminate flooring that comes from FSC & PEFC sustained forests is essential to long term sustainability of this textile. About three ingredients make up the bulk of laminate’s four layer design. The topmost layer is typically made from aluminum oxide as a way to protect each individual plank while the rest of a plank is made primarily from fiberboard and resins.

The fiberboard needs to come from a sustainable place, as it is primarily made from wood. When laminate flooring is FSC & PEFC certified, it means that the wood used in the construction of each board comes from a forest that adheres to strict sustainability rules when it comes to how many trees and cut and in what configuration.

If laminate doesn’t carry this certification, there’s a risk that it was harvested from forests where clear-cutting and other bad environmental practices are in place. When harvested properly from forests that adhere to conservation rules laid out by governing bodies, the harvesting of the wood itself is eco-friendly.

Laminate Is Recyclable

When it comes to tile flooring and hardwood, very seldom are the materials recycled to be used in further building developments. The tiles often go to the dump and the hardwood will either suffer the same fate or become wood pulp at best, assuming whoever is disposing of the hardwood planks cares enough to make sure it goes to a recycling facility.

Laminate however is completely recyclable (in theory) though doubtful because of the toxins and glues in them. and there are many facilities equipped to separate the individual ingredients for reuse. The particle board interior layers are easily repurposed to give these materials a second life. If you have the energy for that.

Even the most battered and beaten laminate flooring can be sent to a chipboard center and properly converted into wood chips and fibers. Since only the top layer needs to be aesthetically pleasing, it doesn’t matter the condition of the individual planks being recycled. More often than not the new material used in the production of laminate flooring is the new layer close to the top with the design picked out by the customer. Check before you buy that your laminate is recyclable.

Waste From Other Industries Can Be Used

The wood fibers and chips that make up individual fiberboards present in laminate flooring don’t just have to come from other laminate floors, many other industries create massive amounts of bark, sawdust, or miscut wood, all of which can be sold to a laminate floor company for a fraction of the price and at a fraction of the environmental impact of felling new trees. You can make laminate from any sort of material, probably even ramen noodles. Remember: it’s not the material they are selling that you need to look at carefully. It’s how it’s all held together.

If you think about the sheer volume of industries that make use of wood and end up with lots of scraps at the end of the day, it is easy to see how the laminate flooring business can help put those scraps to better use. Very few products have the distinction of being able to deal with waste from other manufacturing processes, making this kind of flooring in a class of its own. That is a positive step.

Sustainable Creation Practices

The resins that keep laminate board together and at their strongest is primarily melamine, a resin recreated by a reaction of formaldehyde with a few extra toxic ingredients.

The overall amount of formaldehyde used in each board and at the factory as a whole has been on the decrease over time but it is a risky and toxic material. Laminate flooring that uses less formaldehyde is often marked with a CARB, P2, E1, or E0 designation that signifies a lower overall formaldehyde level. Think about whether you want to expose your office workers to this material before you cover the office in laminate.

When laminate flooring comes from FSC & PEFC certified forests, consumers can rest assured that no pesticides were used and that no heavy metals are present in any of the boards.

Even at the manufacturing plant most laminate flooring producers are tending towards equipment that has lower overall emissions to take advantage of the many different government incentives for doing so. This means that the manufacturing process is as environmentally friendly as possible, with new leaps in sustainability occurring on a very frequent basis. Again, look for materials data before you buy.

Installation Is Easy

No special adhesives are required to keep laminate flooring in place, this reduces the overall use of volatile organic compounds that are bad news for the health status of any living things nearby. This is true but if you are actually trying to isolate sounds in your home between floors you will need layers of plastic padding and piles of off gassing glue.

Laminate flooring can eliminate the need for VOCs altogether assuming you have purchased the variety that doesn’t need any adhesives whatsoever, which in today’s market is nearly all varieties. 

Laminate can be LEED Certified

In response to poor practices in design that lead to deforestation and pollution of the environment, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program was created in 1993 to work as a watchdog in the building sector that wishes to ensure sustainable practices.

Building materials and techniques are ranked based on their overall impact on the environment, with everything from emissions during production to ramifications of installation & use taken into account. Most laminate flooring holds a LEED certification of at least certified, with some even going as far as silver and above in overall sustainability. Again look at the materials in the resins.

This burden hinges on the manufacturer, as it is their responsibility to ensure that they conform to all of the requirements of LEED as well as only obtaining their materials from FSC certified forests.

Any manufacturer that has done so will display this fact prominently, so if you can’t find these certifications from a certain manufacturer then it is best to keep shopping around until you find one that you can confirm without a shadow of a doubt contributes to sustainable building practices.

Cork might be the better option if you can find cork board that’s glued together with a natural resin. Or tile, or upcycled old wood. Or maybe just keep living with the old floor. 

The post Can Laminate Floors Be Eco-Friendly? appeared first on Green Prophet.

Green office buildings improve the environment and employee health. For these reasons, more business owners like yourself are learning how to design a green office building. However, a lot of design details goes into the planning process of a successful building project. In order to decrease energy consumption and reap all of the benefits of a green office building, you must consider numerous factors. Fortunately, these factors can be easily implemented into your design. In this post, you will learn how to design a green office building for a better working environment.

Determine The Building’s Size And Shape

To begin learning how to design a green office building, you need to carefully consider the best sizes and shapes. Many business owners trying to build their own office buildings assume bigger is better. When it comes to green office buildings, this is not the case. Smaller is more efficient for your purposes. More complex shapes may also be more efficient. For example, Israel is home to the country’s first LEED platinum building, which has its own unique shape. Sketch, or have your architect sketch, various non-traditional building shapes that limit artificial usage. Once you have established the best size and shape for your building, you can move onto the next step in the designing process.

Introduce Green Materials

Continue the designing process by determining which materials are green and which are less efficient. Business owners who have successfully designed green office buildings use refurbished, recycled, and reclaimed materials. Some also use sustainable materials. At first glance, these products do not sound very safe to build with. However, the highest quality recycled, refurbished, reclaimed, and sustainable materials are reliable. Use environmentally friendly materials to design a green office building.

Rely On Natural Lighting

Another component to consider when learning how to design a green office building is natural light. The greenest office buildings rely on natural light and use little-to-no artificial light. To maximize natural lighting, include as many windows as you can in your office building. When the sun is shining, lights will be unnecessary. Put Ethernet-powered LED connected lighting in for employees working after dark. Such lighting can even be controlled from smartphones, which increases the chances of employees remembering to turn off the lights before leaving. Furthermore, you can automate facilities so that no electricity is wasted when there is nobody around. Using windows and automation, rely mostly on natural light to design a green office building successfully.

Limit Indoor Pollutants

The most efficient green office buildings limit indoor pollutants. In the middle east, there is more than enough air quality and pollution issues to handle outdoors. When designing for indoors, this is one factor that improves your employees’ health conditions. In non-green office buildings, employees breathe in low quality air that is filled with tons of harmful pollutants. To weaken pollutants that consume the air you and your employees breathe in, establish quality ventilation to filter the air. As a result, your employees’ cognitive performance will improve. Higher quality indoor air boosts employees’ decision-making skills, which enhances your company’s performance. Determine ways to lower indoor pollutants when designing a green office building.

Implement A Dual Plumbing System

Additionally, implement a dual plumbing system to design a green office building. Most office buildings overuse water daily. If every employee in a high occupancy building washes their hands on a daily basis, water usage skyrockets. To maximize water efficiency, use a dual plumbing system. This type of system recycles greywater for toilet use and, therefore, wastes less of the water you and your employees use. Even the largest office buildings can lower their water usage on a daily basis. Office buildings also use low-water use toilets and faucets to further enhance their water-saving processes. Utilize all of the above to design a water efficient green office building.

Whether you want to learn how to design a green office building for the well-being of the environment or your employees, you need to understand the best ways to design one. Firstly, create a smaller building design and consider non-traditional shapes that are more efficient. Opt for green materials such as refurbished and recycled products. Primarily rely on natural light and use Ethernet-powered LED connected lighting when artificial light is necessary. Develop a filtering system to reduce pollutants in the air. Finally, implement a dual plumbing system to make your building more water efficient. Now, you know how ot design a green office building.

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The park opened its doors in 1999, featuring 30 rides and water-based attractions, including the once-largest water slide outside of North America (which was later removed during park remodeling).  Another feature is a 59 foot high waterfall that activates every ten minutes. The park is themed around the tale of Juha, a charming rascal from Arabian folklore.

A press release stated that the water park achieved a compliance score of 84% against the Green Globe Standard for its “environmental efforts and sustainability management” which include use a special water filter that removes “up to 99.9% of all impurities and saves 25% of chemical consumption which leads to reduced energy and water consumption.” In addition, the park has replaced 85% of its lamps with LED bulbs which “have already resulted in significant cost and energy savings.”

Let’s step back for a moment and review this.  This is a recreational water park, in the tropical desert city-state of Dubai, a place that averages less than 6 inches of rainfall per year and sources 98% of its water from desalination.

Viewed this way, is a waterpark a pinnacle of certifiable sustainability or an egregious eco-boondoggle? 

Energy intensive desalination is a last resort in regions lacking natural freshwater sources.  It is expensive to build and run and has tremendous negative impacts to habitat at water intake areas, and to water quality and seabed chemistry at brine outflow points. As stated, it’s a last resort for sustaining life in inhospitable climates.

In 2013 Dubai opened the largest desalination plant in the water-parched United Arab Emirates, a facility with a generation capacity of 2,060 MW that can produce 140 million imperial gallons (MIG) of desalinated water per day. The project was to provide for increased urbanization and rapid residential development.  It’s not clear where water parks fit into the equation.

Last October, Mohammad Yousuf Al Midfa, executive director of Integrated Environmental Policy and Planning Sector at Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, warned that the UAE must eventually move away from its subsidized utilities regime, because low-tariffs encourages unbridled consumption of water and electricity. Abu Dhabi has the highest per capita water consumption in the world (around 550 liters) whereas in Dubai, consumption was reduced when subsidies were cut, he told Gulf News. When the environment agency recognizes the problem of unconstrained water consumption, how can projects that exploit the same be celebrated?

Green Globe Middle East Preferred Partner, Farnek Middle East LLC, independently verified the park’s sustainability ‘achievement’. Sandrine Le Biavant, Director of Farnek Consultancy, said, “In just one year, Wild Wadi has saved 9% on water consumption and reduced its carbon footprint by 7%, 10% on cooling and 5% on kitchen gas consumption, which is a remarkable performance.”

A remarkable performance, when gauged against what, exactly?

To be clear, Green Globe program is not a green building rating system, rather it recognizes and rewards sustainable practice and performance. To take part, an organization measures its baseline performance against an array of parameters, which is then audited by a third-party. It is a program of continual internal advancement, mandated as 3% annual improvement against prior audits to maintain certification.

Green Globe does not prescribe specific performance measures, nor does it benchmark organizational performance within a specific sector (as example, hotels of similar size cannot make comparisons between their respective approaches to sustainability, nor assess how successful those approaches are).

GGC can only be awarded to Green Globe Members that comply with at least 51% with all applicable Green Globe Standard indicators. These include implementing a sustainability management plan; community development, fair trade, and fair hiring; attention to cultural heritage; and lastly, environmental performance.

Wild Wadi, like all waterparks, has a voracious appetite for both energy and water. According to Green Globe criteria, the park should measure energy and water consumption, indicate sources, and adopt measures to decrease overall usage. Measuring and monitoring are best practices in any operation, effective ways to find areas that could be improved – for immediate reduction in utility use, and associated increases in profit. Does this call for special recognition as a sustainability standout?

Theme parks, golf courses, cruise ships, and almost every swank hotel and resort do need sensible metrics for improved environmental performance. It would be more effective to adopt rigorous building codes bespoke to this sector to make sure that sustainability is embedded from first planning, resulting in facilities that are maximally efficient from day one, and not leave them to aspire for incremental improvements over a lifetime. But this is the Middle East, where building codes are still maturing.

Making minor improvements to an operation that is, at its core, unsustainable, is positive action.  It reduces operational costs and may result in measurable ecological benefits, but it doesn’t change that the operation is inherently environmentally negative.

What comes to mind is my teenage stint in a burger franchise, where I took an order from a very large woman who wanted everything super-sized, to be washed down with a diet Coke.  Not much different from installing LED lights on a desert water slide.

High-performing projects that lead in best practices in energy, water, and environmental efficiency should be recognized for their excellence. Awarding mediocre performance likely encourages mediocrity, and feeds the perception of a cynical public that greenwashing is at play.

Wild Wadi Waterpark chose Juha as their iconic representative.  He’s a rascal, a comic figure who loomed large in ancient Arab literature, appearing variously thief and honest man, judge and social critic, charlatan and jester. Bet he’s having the last laugh.

Correction: This article, as originally published, erroneously referenced Green Globes rating system instead of Green Globe international tourism certification program.  The latter program recognizes and rewards sustainable practice and continual performance in the tourism sector, whereas Green Globes, operating under nonprofit organization Green Building Initiative, administers green building assessment and certification services.

*FYI, GGC certified the Burj Al Arab last year.

Image of riotous Wild Water Wadi fun from Jumeirah Hotels website

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A new “eco-mosque” that seeks LEED silver certification has recently opened in Dubai. Designed to set an example for other mosques and local residents, the Port Saeed mosque can accommodate 3,500 worshippers.

Let’s face it – aside from a few great initiatives here and there, Dubai consistently makes moves that are anything but green. Which makes it hard for residents to act upon their Earth-loving convictions much less nurture them.

That is why bringing Islamic environmental stewardship into the mosque is such a brilliant idea.

Tayeb Al Rais, secrtary-general of the AMAF, expressed his hope that this mosque will encourage future developers to embrace a similar approach.

“It is Dubai Municipality’s and the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities responsibility to guide donors who want to build mosques to follow green and eco-friendly standards, and this mosque could set an example of why it is a good move,” he told Gulf News.

Related: 5 Spectacular eco mosques of the world

“We hope the mosque will continue to remind worshippers of their duties towards the environment, of which we are the custodians,” he added.

In addition to solar-powered water and solar-powered exterior lighting, the facility is equipped with a lot of low energy LED lights attached to a smart system that detects the presence of worshippers. The air-conditioning system is similarly rigged to know when there are a lot of people inside.

Exterior lights are equipped with small solar panels as well, reducing the mosque’s overall dependence on the grid.

Perhaps most important, though, is the water recycling system. Water is a precious commodity in Dubai. It’s all desalinated water that uses a substantial amount of energy and involves unsavory consequences for marine life when brine is pumped back into the Gulf.

After one year, a team of representatives will determine whether the mosque meets the requirements of a silver rating for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Funding for the massive mosque – with nearly 14,000 square feet of built up area – was provided by an anonymous donor provided to the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation (AMAF), which inaugurated the new house of worship last week.

Shaikh Salih Al Maghmasi, an imam from the Al Quba Mosque in Madinah, delivered the first sermon at the mosque last Friday.

:: Gulf News

Image via Gulf News

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“Through this mosque, we hope to inspire many more such eco-friendly initiatives that are in line with Dubai’s vision for a sustainable future,” Al Rais told Gulf News.

The massive mosque, which will accommodate 3,500 worshipers, aims to achieve silver certification within the American Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system for green buildings. (Estidama’s Pearl Rating System – a green building rating system specific to the Gulf climate – only applies to projects in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.)

Mohammad Hassan, Investment Director at AMAF, said: “We have utilized latest green technologies…used water will be recycled and utilized in washrooms and for plant irrigation.”

The design incorporates LED lights, solar panels for exterior lighting and water heating, and energy saving taps to reduce water consumption.Sensors will control lighting and climate control systems according to prayer times and the number of occupants.

Building materials were selected based on thermal insulation performance to reduce heat transfer and to minimize the intensity of solar radiation streaming into the mosque. Exterior siteworks are underway, and the contract for granite works at the entrance of the mosque has been awarded.

Simple strategies that add up to smart building performance – something not often seen in Gulf projects where traditional energy sources are abundant and subsidized, and deep pockets can cover high operational costs.

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“We are very proud to be chosen again to create the national pavilion for the UAE,” stated Norman Foster. “Our challenge has been to design for two climates – to create a naturally cool, comfortable space for visitors in Milan, while considering the pavilion’s ultimate reconstruction in the Emirates, where there is a need to provide shade from the intense sun.”

Visitors to the 54,000 square foot pavilion will enter through what appears like a narrow slot canyon with 40 foot walls on either side of them. Similar in color to the buildings at Masdar, these walls mimic the appearance of the region’s numerous sand dunes in structure and texture.

In addition to their aesthetic value, the walls help to ensure a pleasant microclimate within the pavilion, which is one of 140 that will showcase a variety of techniques designed to support Milan’s 2015 Expo theme “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.”

Built into the walls is a material that absorbs carbon dioxide, an exciting new technique that could help to mitigate, in small measures, some of the greenhouse gases released into our atmosphere that are responsible for global warming and subsequent climate change.

A system of iPads with blue water-like screens will be arranged to look like an aqueduct, which once provided valuable life in the desert.

Equipped with an iPad that allows them to learn more about what they encounter throughout the pavilion, visitors will funnel upwards through the meandering canyon space to a ground level cafe, state of the art auditorium where workshops and demonstrations will be held, and a rooftop garden featuring drought-resistant plants native to the Gulf region.

Among the most pertinent technologies to be integrated into this pavilion, which is specifically designed to evoke the ambience and desert conditions surrounding Abu Dhabi, is a storm water runoff system and integrated photovoltaic panels.

Foster + Partners hopes to achieve  a LEED-Platinum certification for their pavilion, which will be dismantled and re-erected in Abu Dhabi once the expo is complete.

:: Arch Daily

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