A Comparative Analysis of Retrofit versus New Construction : The case study of Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment headquarter (MBRHE)

摘要

The UAE has made significant strides since 2006 to drive the green building agenda. While the UAE continues its advancements in regulating and promoting sustainable design and construction practices, it is crucial to exert effort on public governmental building in particular. The aim of this comparative analysis of new construction versus retrofitting the existing building is to study and compare both approaches in terms of energy performance, feasibility and functionality (architectural design). MBRHE new headquarter was selected as a case study to propose two design alternatives following the same design guidelines to be able to compare new construction versus retrofitting the existing building. This study acts as a pilot project that can be extended to the broader scenario of governmental buildings, to address the sustainability agenda of the UAE. The results of the study show that retrofit allows achieving a building with energy performance and design functionality than a newly built on, with less initial cost and carbon footprint.