Our Dubai Campus

Dubai Campus and Sustainability

Our Dubai campus encapsulates our efforts to develop and promote smart construction as a blueprint for sustainable development. It is the home of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction, which fosters creative collaboration between researchers, industry and government. Sustainability has been embedded into the development of our Dubai campus, combining state of the art technology with proactive policy to create a hub for learning and innovation.

A blueprint for the future 

Recognising the key importance of social and cultural factors in promoting sustainability, our Dubai campus was designed and built specifically to embrace the principles of sustainability, actively raising awareness of local, regional and global environmental matters while promoting a diverse and inclusive social and cultural environment. Subject to annual key performance indicators for sustainability performance, we are ensuring that our staff and students are supported in embedding environmental considerations into their everyday activities and decisions.

Building in Sustainability

Awarded Gold status by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the most widely used green building rating system in the world, our campus provides the ideal environment in which to thrive. A holistic approach has been taken in designing a campus that takes into account sustainability considerations and user experience, health and wellbeing. Our equipment and appliances are designed to optimise energy performance.

From kitchen appliances to industrial equipment, the vast majority (94%) of electrical equipment is ENERGY STAR rated. Almost all (98%) of campus lighting is connected to occupancy sensors and 63% connected to daylight sensors, resulting in a 34% reduction in lighting power consumption compared to ASHRAE/IESNA baseline consumption levels.

All of the campus lighting is provided by energy-efficient LED bulbs. HVAC Zoning with smart controls – we minimise energy consumption by using HVAC equipment with smart demand-controlled ventilation. By using demand-controlled ventilation initiated by CO2 sensors, ventilation needs automatically adjust to occupancy levels. This helps in avoiding unnecessary energy wastage from the HVAC system and ensures the system works only on demand, and turns off when no-one is present.

Dubai Campus Sustainability updates

• My Green Lab - Heriot-Watt University Dubai was recently awarded a prestigious Gold certification from My Green Lab, the first academic institution in the UAE to achieve this feat. This recognition is a testament to the university's commitment to a zero-carbon future and positions the university as a global leader in laboratory sustainability best practices.