Kalba Beach – CO2 reduced urban development

BIOPHILIC NEIGHBORHOOD OF RAMMED EARTH STRUCTURES
3deluxe is currently designing a sustainable development at the coastline east of the Dubai Metropolitan Area. This urban oasis extends for over a mile along the Kalba Beach shoreline and consists of 15 buildings suited for restaurants, cafés, kiosks, administration as well as additional public services and a nearby parking area supporting e-mobility. It is embedded in a newly created biotope of subtropical vegetation and aims to be as carbon reduced in construction and operation as possible. Most visible feature of the building project is the rammed earth construction.

ARCHITECTURE OF ENCOUNTERS
The architectural concept of Kalba Beach enables in an unobtrusive way an exchange between visitors and natural surroundings. Open façades and spacious outdoor terraces with shading roofs consisting of lively natural rope structures promote the direct connectivity to the natural environment and make the stay within the development a serene and peaceful experience. Architecture and landscape no longer coexist as two static and isolated concepts, collectively they enable social interaction and promote inclusive diversity and coexistence of the various cultures, expats, tourists and locals. A mix of established cafe and restaurant concepts and young new concept ideas that meet the sustainable aspirations of the project will make this emerging "Culinary District" a highly attractive place.

LOW CARBON BUILDING METHOD WITH A FUTURE-PROOF PERSPECTIVE!
The walls of the commercial buildings are mainly constructed out of rammed earth components. Being an environmentally friendly, strong and on top extremely aesthetic material, rammed earth provides great potential for low carbon buildings in the future: rammed earth structures consist of compressed layers of local materials like sand, gravel, clay plus a stabilizer, resulting in low embodied energy, minimal waste and are mostly reusable after demolition. Thanks to its archaic expressiveness, rammed earth can be used as an exciting contrast to modern surfaces or concrete. The porous surface of the material also improves room acoustics and natural ventilation while maintaining a stable, balanced temperature level. It acts as a thermal storage mass and regulates the room humidity. In recent years, rammed earth has become popular amongst environmentally conscious architects and the global expertise of applying rammed earth in the construction industry is growing rapidly.

A HEALTHY BUILT ENVIRONMENT AT THE OCEAN FRONT
All service- and administrative buildings in the development will be constructed with sustainable wooden façades and all walkways and plazas will be made of wooden planks to minimize soil sealing as much as possible. All available space on the roof areas will be equipped with photovoltaic systems, which will provide a significant portion of the energy needs. The irrigation system will use grey water and is designed to maximize efficiency, while the plant selection of mainly local species reduces the hydration? demand. The districts waste management will use compost production to nurture the greenery.

NEW MODERN LOW TECH
Working with the traditional construction method of rammed earth, 3DELUXE is creating interesting new aesthetics by layering various earth tones in the compacted walls – a way to explore new combinations with contemporary materials and techniques giving the roughness of the traditional materials a strong and modern appeal. The individual structure of a rammed earth wall never appears monotonous, creating interesting, layered structures. The 3deluxe architects achieved to give the buildings a modern appearance by adding contrasting delicate details like wooden inserts, concrete frames and perforated wall panels. Nevertheless, the building designs remain minimalistic, pure and partly raw, Palm Springs Mid-Century flavor meets modern low-tech style.

SPACE FOR LOCAL START-UPS
The eastern coastline of the U.A.E. is more and more transformed into a green and sustainable tourist destination as a relaxed alternative to the busy west coast around Dubai City. According to the developer Shurooq the project seeks to promote local entrepreneurship by prioritizing the creation of business opportunities particularly for the region’s youth. We can therefore look forward to seeing new and interesting gastronomic concepts emerging at Kalba Beach in the near future.
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BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT
The project is developed by the Sharjah Investment and Developing Authority Shurooq. Construction will start in summer 2023, opening is planned Mid 2024. In recent years 3deluxe has already completed multiple award-winning projects within the Emirates, (Al Noor Island, Butterfly Pavilion, Al Heera Beach) and is currently working on three new and exciting projects along the eastern coastline of the U.A.E.

More to come soon!