Yas Island (UAE) – Zone K

An aerial illustration of a modern coastal development plan, featuring residential areas, green spaces, and commercial buildings, with a labeled distance indicator for scale.

Modern residential building with an outdoor swimming pool and landscaped terrace area.

A modern architectural corridor featuring geometric lattice structures that allow natural light to filter through, with green plants adding a touch of nature to the design.

A modern residential building featuring a communal outdoor area with a swimming pool, greenery, and individuals engaged in various activities.

Modern buildings illuminated with blue lights at night, featuring a palm-tree-lined street and reflections on the glass facades.

A group of people gather around a brightly lit, modern outdoor setting with palm trees and a decorative fire feature in the evening.

architect:

Innovarchi

client:

Aldar

Terms:

48 months

project type:

New Build

Strategy:

Innovative

date:

June 2008

CLA & Innovarchi Architects formed a joint venture after being invited to submit proposals for the new Yas Island Zone K development for Aldar Investments. Contemporary designs inspired by biophilia encompassed diverse aspects of the environment and extended to building materials, finishes; casework and furniture.

Biophilia is the idea that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature.

The term translates to ‘the love of living things’ in ancient Greek (philia = the love of / inclination towards), and was used by German-born American psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness (1973), which described biophilia as “the passionate love of life and of all that is alive.” The term was later used by American biologist Edward O. Wilson in his work Biophilia (1984), which proposed that the tendency of humans to focus on and to affiliate with nature and other life-forms.

Design in Details

CLA Innovarchi JV worked closely to create a flexible design, formed by the use of modular shapes, that were easily customised to individual sites. This meant the designs were adaptable to all Zone K sites.

Emphasis was on a “Village-Focussed” living, thus creating a wonderful place to live with a beautiful garden gateway precinct that was based on proven Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles. As a true Multi-Disciplinary JV, we guaranteed fully integrated with environmental design, building services, structural and civil.
This innovative approach provided the Client with design flexibility, cost efficiency, speedy construction, easily staged construction, highly buildable design and robust enduring commercial viability.

[Aldar]

client

[Innovarchi]

Architect

[KBR]

Project Manager

[$250m]

cost

Incredible Result

The Client was overwhelmed by the design which resulted in highly desirable residential apartments with generous living spaces, natural light, courtyard views and careful transition from Public to Private Space.
The commercial returns ranged from 5% for 1 bedroom apartments to almost 25% for the 4 bedroom villas. CLA & Innovarchi worked closely with Aldar Marketing to develop the brief that would result in a successful launch and “Off-Plan” sales.