Interview with Architect Firm: Atkins on Bahrain World Trade Center

1. Having successfully executed so many diverse projects, tell us about your experience of designing the
Bahrain World Trade Center, located in Bahrain?

Large-Scale Building Integrated Wind Turbines in the Bahrain World Trade Center

The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) is a 240m (787ft) high twin commercial office tower complex located in
Manama, Bahrain. The towers are the focal point of a masterplan to rejuvenate an existing 5* hotel and shopping mall
on a prestigious site overlooking the Arabian Gulf in the downtown central business district of Manama, Bahrain.

The concept design of the Bahrain World Trade Center towers was inspired by the traditional Arabian “Wind Towers”
in that the very shape of the buildings harness the unobstructed prevailing onshore breeze from the Gulf, providing a
renewable source of energy for the project.

The towers are well known for their striking architecture that mimics an ancient Arabian “wind tower” design. What
truly sets the BWTC apart, however, is its status as the first commercial building to fully integrate three large-scale
wind turbines into its design. Collectively, the turbines are capable of generating a significant percentage of the
building’s total electricity demand each year.

How the Project Came About

Whilst the impetus for this innovative design solution came entirely from Atkins’ Chief Architect, Shaun Killa, the
Client readily embraced the concept to portray to the world that Bahrain is committed to options that reduce demand
on fossil fuel energy reserves and will move urban and building design in desert climates in a more sustainable
direction.

The complexity of integrating large scale wind turbines in a building structure is not to be underestimated and the
Client expects a key benefit from this project to be the knowledge and experience gleaned which can then be
disseminated to design teams globally.

Like many architects around the world, the Atkins design team in the Middle East has considered design solutions
that incorporate sustainability and have investigated the concept of utilising integrated wind turbines on several
previous concept designs. The wind climate in the Arabian Gulf with its dominant sea breeze characteristic is
conducive to harnessing wind energy and allows designers to move away from the more conventional omni-
directional solutions and consider unidirectional wind turbine options that in many respects, lend themselves to the
large scale integration in buildings.

Research by Atkins has shown that the large scale integration of turbines into buildings mostly fails because of the
excessive cost associated with the adaptation of the building design, and also as a result of high research and
development costs for special turbines. From the outset this project had as its primary basis of design the utilisation
of conventional technologies and the development of a built form that would be sympathetic to receiving wind
turbines. The premium on this project for including the wind turbines was less than 3.5% of project value.

So with the benefit of a favourable wind climate and a design philosophy that minimised turbine R&D / building costs,
Atkins, with a team of world leading technologists moved forward with the design and addressed the key issues of:
• Producing technically viable solutions;
• Balancing energy yield / benefit with investment

2. As a chief architect responsible for the design of the Bahrain World Trade Center, can you describe
the challenges faced by you in designing this state-of-the-art structure?

The Bahrain World Trade Center sets a technological precedent that sets new standards in sustainable design.

1|Page
For anything which is truly innovative you would expect to meet challenges along the way. During construction and
installations of the wind turbines Rambøll and Atkins’ global engineering team identified and resolved numerous
potential technical problems. Among the most serious was vibration, cured by inserting rubber bearings at the
bridges’ ends.

Of particular significance was the challenge in lifting the three wind turbines, which weigh 68 tonnes each, and the
three bridges which weigh 11 tonnes each. A 270m crane was installed between the towers to facilitate this.

However, none of the challenges we faced were insurmountable and thanks to teamwork and some very clever
engineering, we’re left with a project which is truly successful.

3. What are the salient technical and special features of the project?

The BWTC is the first of its kind in the world to use wind energy harnessed by three massive turbines, which provide
11 – 15% of the office towers’ electricity needs – equivalent to lighting 200 to 250 homes for a year.

In parallel to this ground-breaking renewable energy design the building incorporates many passive energy reduction
measures including:

 Buffer spaces between the external environment and air conditioned spaces – examples include a car
park deck above and to the southern side of the mall which will have the effect of reducing sol air
temperature and reducing conductive solar gain;
 Deep gravel roofs in some locations that provide kinetic insulation;
 Significant proportion of projectile shading to external glass facades;
 Balconies to the sloping elevations with overhangs to provide shading;
 Where shading is not provided to glazing, a high quality solar glass is used with low shading co-efficient
to minimise solar gains;
 Enhanced thermal insulation for opaque fabric elements;
 Dense concrete core and floor slabs presented to the internal environment in a manner that will level
loads and reduce peak demand with associated reductions in air and chilled water transport systems;
 Variable volume chilled water pumping that will operate with significantly less pump power at part loads
than conventional constant volume pumping;
 Low pressure loss distribution for primary air and water transport systems that reduces fan and pump
power requirements;
 Total heat energy recovery heat wheels of fresh air intake and exhausts to recover ”coolth” from the
vitiated air and recover it to the fresh make up air;
 Energy efficient, high efficacy, high frequency fluorescent lighting with zonal control.
 Dual drainage systems that segregate foul and waste water and allow grey water recycling to be added
at a later date;
 Connection to the district cooling system that will involve sea water cooling / heat rejection and much
improved levels of energy conversion efficiency;
 Reflection pools at building entrances to provide local evaporative cooling; and
 Extensive landscaping to reduce site albedo, generate C02 and provide shading to on grade car parks.

4. Tell us about the state-of-the-art designs used in construction of the building?

The value of Carbon Critical Design™ is of increasing importance within society. Green building design can no
longer be considered a superfluous extra; it is an essential component of all future design. The necessity of investing
in a greener future is high on the political agenda of governments and peer groups of most countries. Organisations
such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Methods (BREEAM) are setting standards that will no doubt become compulsory.

Buildings that represent the World Trade Center organisation are by nature emblematic of the city they are located in
and are recognised internationally. In becoming an associate of such a prominent organisation, it was important that
Atkins put forward a concept design that was not only strikingly beautiful, but one that would also break new ground
2|Page
in environmentally friendly design. It was also important to create a highly sustainable building that would become a
world first in integrating wind turbine renewable energy in Bahrain, showing global leadership in innovation and future
concern for the environment in what is considered as an oil rich region. This also would create a great sense of pride
for Bahrain as it would lead the Middle East region into adopting a more sustainable future.

5. Describe the unique construction aspects of this structure in terms of architectural design?

The foundations for the towers are a piled raft varying in thickness according to loading. Beneath the main core the
thickness is 3 metres, reducing to 2 metres beneath the raking columns. Pile sizes are typically 1200mm diameter
beneath the main core reducing to 1050mm diameter beneath the raking columns.

Pile loads vary beneath the raft with a maximum safe working load of 18MN required beneath the main cores. The
piles are designed to resist loads predominantly in shaft friction.

Pile loads vary beneath the raft with a maximum safe working load of 18MN required beneath the main cores.
Ground conditions comprise reclaimed land and superficial deposits over weak carbonate rocks over limestone. The
piles are designed to resist loads predominantly in shaft friction through the weak carbonate rocks.

The extreme climate in Bahrain and the presence of chlorides and sulphates in the ground and atmosphere require
special precautions to avoid problems with durability of steel and concrete structures.

For concrete structures, durability was achieved by adopting a combination of the following measures:

Specifying high quality, dense, low permeability concrete

Tanking was an SBS modified bitumen system.

The Turbines

The key structural components of the turbines have been strengthened to increase safety and to ensure building user
comfort. The basic components of the turbine are identical to the ones you would find on any normal mounted
turbine.

Atkins searched the market for some time before ending up with Norwin in Denmark, who was willing to take on the
assignment of supplying the turbines. The lead time was approximately 14 months. The supplier of the turbines
(Norwin) was involved in the project from the very start and close co-ordination took place between the designer,
supplier and contractor throughout the entire construction period and this work is still ongoing.

Installation of the turbines: The nacelles were lifted onto the bridges using the main tower crane. This was done in
parallel with the installation of the three bridges. When all three nacelles were installed the rotors were installed,
again using the main tower crane. The three blades used for each rotor were assembled on ground and the entire
rotor was lifted into its final position and bolted to the main shaft.

6. What kind of cutting edge technology has been adopted in reducing the overall cost of construction of
this building?

Research by Atkins has shown that the large-scale integration of turbines into buildings mostly failed because of the
excessive cost (up to 30% of the project value) associated with the adaptation of the building design, and also as a
result of high research and development costs for unique turbines.

We avoided this on the Bahrain World Trade Center by using conventional technology and designing a building that
would be sympathetic to the integration of wind turbines and the premium for achieving this was around 3.5% of the
project’s value.

3|Page
7. Tell us about the duration under which this project was completed?

The design and build of the BWTC was a fast-tracked programme. The initial site planning and research into turbine
technology commenced in late 2003, with detailed design commenced in early 2004 and construction starting soon
after.

The turbine research, turbine feasibility and bridge design were completed in early 2006 and the bridges and turbines
were installed in 2007. Turbine operation formally commenced in April of 2008 and following eight months of daily
safety and regulatory testing received official certification from Bahrain’s Electricity Distribution Directorate in January
2009. This meant the system could be set to an automatic mode to supply the two towers with electricity.

8. What is the total built-up area under which this project was executed?

120,000 sq m total built up area

9. Can you elaborate on the designs of the exteriors of this slender tower and its uniqueness?

A deep understanding of wind behavior gained from 25 years of sailing prepared architect Shaun Killa to successfully
promote the largest-ever integration of electricity generating turbines into a building, the Bahrain Word Trade Center.

The design of the BWTC twin towers is derived from the concept behind traditional Arabian wind towers: Tapering to
a height of 240m, each tower is visually anchored to the ground by a concertina of curved, sail-like forms. With
elliptical floor plans, the towers are linked by three bridges spanning over 30 m with a 29-m-dia wind turbine at their
centres. In plan, the sail profiles of the two towers funnel the onshore breeze between them as well as creating lift
behind, thus further accelerating the wind velocity between the twin structures.

Tapering as they rise, the towers reduce this funnel effect, countering the increasing wind speeds with height, and
making conditions around the turbines roughly the same. This phenomenon is one of the successes of incorporating
the world’s first integration of turbines with a commercial tower structure. A Danish team of the design firm Rambøll
Denmark A/S and turbine manufacturer Norwin A/S engineering worked together for the three bridge/turbine
assemblies.

Overall, the integration of the wind turbines into the building design, while technically challenging, has made a
significant impact on the sustainability and clean energy credentials of Bahrain. It has very much become a symbol
of Bahrain, in the same way that the Opera House is representative of Sydney or the Eiffel Tower is synonymous with
Paris.

10. Can you describe the eco-friendly norms adopted in the construction of this state-of-the-art
structure & how was the design planned?

Sustainability was incorporated from the beginning. In its design, the BWTC takes advantage of the location to
maximise the energy that can be captured from the sea breeze. Unique to this building, and rising to the challenge of
incorporating renewable energy solutions with sustainable architecture, the design provides for these three 29m
diameter wind turbines to be horizontally supported between the two towers. The integration of large scale wind
turbines into a building has involved extensive research and development by probably some of the most capable
specialists available.

Atkins architects undertook months of meticulous research, including extensive dialogue with turbine manufacturers
before and during the concept feasibility study and design development stages. Technical validation included the

4|Page
incorporation of environmentally responsive design elements, different wind regime analysis of turbine performance
and SARM (Safety, Analysis & Risk Management) analysis validation.

The turbines produce between 11 and 15 percent of the total electrical consumption of the building. This
phenomenon is one of the successes of trying to resolve the world’s first integration of turbines within a commercial
tower structure.

The BWTC building has other environmentally responsive design elements, which reduce carbon emissions
compared to most structures in the region. Bahrain is conscious that being the first building in the region to
conceptualize such pioneering architecture, the BWTC stands as a leader in the adoption of environmentally
responsible practices for the country and region as a whole.

The environmental aspects of the project create a landmark that is concerned with sustainability and the future,
namely the depletion of fossil fuels. As a result, Bahrain has developed the first of its kind within the market, and
added to their capital value programmes that will be developed around this focal point on Manama’s coast.

11. What are the key aspects considered while designing such a tall structure for seismic and wind
forces?

Many of the technical challenges in relation to the turbines were analysed during the detailed design stages of the
project. Extensive wind tunnel modelling that was latterly validated by CFD modelling, proved that the incoming wind
is in effect deflected by the towers in the form of an S-shaped streamline which passes through the space between
the towers at an angle within the wind skew tolerance of the wind turbine. Engineering predictions showed the
turbines are able to operate for wind directions between 270° and 360°, however, caution has been applied and
turbine predictions and initial operating regimes are based a more limited range of between 285° and 345°.

At all wind directions outside of this range the turbine will automatically adopt a “standstill” mode. It is no coincidence
that the buildings are orientated to the extremely dominant prevailing wind.

The funnelling of the towers has the effect of amplifying the wind speed at the turbine location of up to 30%.

This amplification, in conjunction with the shape of the towers (larger effect at ground) and the velocity profile of the
wind (lowest at ground) has the effect of balancing the energy yield to the extent that the upper and lower turbines will
produce 109%and 93% when compared to 100% for the middle turbine.

The full power of about 225kW will be achieved at 15 to 20m/s depending on air density. In the event of extremely
high wind speeds under operating or standstill modes, the tip of the blade extends by centrifugal force and rotates to
act as a self regulating governor brake, through the exertion of a drag force.

The bridges are ovoid in section for aerodynamic purposes and are relatively complex structures because they
incorporate maintenance free bearings where they connect to the buildings to allow the towers to move 0.5m relative
to each other. In addition, the bridges that span 31.7m and support a nacelle with a mass of 11 tonnes have been
designed to withstand and absorb wind induced vibration and vibrations induced by both an operating and “standstill”
turbine. Analysis by the bridge designer has been undertaken to estimate the natural frequency of the bridge and to
ensure it does not conflict with the frequency of exciting vibrations of itself or the building. Further precautions are
included in the design to allow the bridge to be damped, if in practice vibrations are found to be problematic during
commissioning. These precautions include the facility in the design to add spoilers to the bridge and to adjust the
tuned mass damper.

The bridge is a shallow V-shape in plan (173º) to take account of blade deflection during extreme operating
conditions and to afford adequate clearance and thus avoid blade strike. Under these conditions, blade clearance to
the bridge of 1.12m is achieved. The worst scenario is with blade tips extended giving a factor of 1.35 safety margin,

5|Page
and under this condition adequate clearance is still achieved. Additionally a laser blade position monitoring system is
incorporated that will set the turbine to standstill if deflections become excessive.

The design process lasted for 18 months, including extensive dialogue with turbine manufacturers before and during
the feasibility study and design development stages to guarantee both the safe operation of the system and minimise
any structural or vibration impacts on the building. The turbines are a “stall control type” which passively limits power
produced as wind speed increases. When wind speeds do exceed safe limits (20m/s) the turbines cut-out and then
brake to a standstill. The uni-directional turbines selected use a simple gearbox mechanism that requires simple
maintenance every 4 months, with a more thorough service undertaken once a year. The blades should last for up to
20 years, while the generator and gearbox should last for up to 50 years.

Ultimately, design modelling predicted that the three 225kw horizontal axis wind turbines would satisfy between 11-15
% of the total electrical demand of the office towers, a reduction of approximately 1,500 tonnes of carbon per year.

Structures

The twin towers are framed predominantly in reinforced concrete, with structural steelwork used for the clad steel
tower, panoramic lift enclosure and mezzanine floors. The total height of the structure is 240m above ground floor
level and the single storey basement is at a depth of 4.5 metres.

The primary structure comprises main and secondary reinforced concrete cores, reinforced concrete columns and
floor plates typically having a storey height of 3.6 metres. Where the structure tapers in elevation, raking columns
follow the sloping face.

The towers are typically mirrored about the axis of symmetry, although there are some differences over the height of
the podium.

The wind load on the towers is predominantly resisted by the main concrete core that encloses the four main lifts and
the adjacent, escape stairs, plant spaces and risers. About the weak axis, the secondary core relieves some of the
load on the main core.

Four raking columns triangulate the cores, resulting in a relatively stiff framework. The outer pair of raking columns
following the arc on plan also have a stiffening effect about the minor axis and tend to attract reversible forces under
wind loads.

At the upper levels the secondary core first terminates and the main core then extends to the height of the highest
office floor. When this also terminates, the panoramic lift core extends further stabilising the duplex offices and
viewing gallery. Above this height the top clad section of the building is framed in lattice steelwork construction to
reduce weight.

This plan shape and the mirrored arrangement of the twin towers funnels the prevailing wind in much the same way
as a Venturi tube. Whilst this effect is advantageous in terms of wind turbine operation it does mean that wind loads
on the towers are elevated, particularly locally.

The structure is also unusual for a high rise tower in that the centre of gravity, centre of mass and centre of stiffness
vary from floor to floor, progressively moving towards the panoramic lifts at height. This also results in a tendency for
dead load sway, although the effects are not excessive because of the stiffening effect of the raking columns and the
concentration of piles beneath the main core reducing base rotation.

12. Can you tell us about the state-of-the-art facilities made available inside the building?

6|Page
The state-of-the-art development also cleverly combines the essential elements of business and leisure with cutting-
edge corporate offices and leisure amenities including exceptional shopping, fine dining and casual dining
restaurants, cafes, a health spa, a five-star hotel and a range of other services. Each tower provides 32 levels of
high-tech office accommodation with expansive sea and city views. The towers include sophisticated SMART
features from world-class connectivity to surveillance and security systems, high speed passenger lifts and meeting
and conference rooms.

The MODA Mall, is the Kingdom’s ultra-modern fashion destination, located on the ground floor of the Bahrain World
Trade Center (BWTC). Comprising a veritable who’s-who of the fashion world, MODA Mall is home to some 160
exclusive brand name boutiques offering the latest fashions some of which have never been represented before in
the Bahraini market.

The sweeping staircases, glass domes and brushed steelwork lend a modern look and feel to the mall. This mixed-
use design reflects the current regional lifestyle trends, with today’s modern lifestyle requiring the combination of
business and leisure within one convenient location.

13. Tell us about some of the special features of this unique structure, in terms of colour and Aesthetics?

Its sleek design and crystal blue ‘sails’ can be seen from anywhere in downtown Manama and have come to define
the Bahrain cityscape.

On the ground level of the BWTC you enter the building via a breathtaking glass-domed entrance court, fitted out with
cool marble floors and brushed steel features that are architecturally in keeping with the design of the BWTC’s
towers. The cool colours and sleek aesthetics create an ultra modern backdrop against which luxury brands and five-
star hospitality meet architectural ingenuity and flair.

The mall is built around a unique concept that combines the elements of wind, water, motion and the veil. Each
corresponds with the distinctive shape, design and technology behind the development’s iconic sail-shaped towers,
which overlook the Manama waterfront and have been created to veil and harness the wind’s energy and motion.
Carried into all aspects of MODA Mall’s design, these elements set the scene for a truly one-of-a-kind, sensory
shopping and dining experience.

There are three sky lit courts (the Centre Court, the Garden Court and the North Court) providing centrepieces
connecting the three key ground level components of the overall development (the existing and new parts of the
MODA Mall and the Sheraton Hotel). These focal points provide stunningly finished spaces for relaxation, events and
social congregation.

There are also two external water features, one at the ground floor main entrance, with the other at the third floor
podium entrance. In addition, there are two reflection pools within the main entrance leading into the centre court.

The interior and exterior features are fresh, modern and reflect the high-tech, 21st century spirit of the entire
development further enhancing the high profile, world class stature of the development. More importantly, however, is
the standard that the BWTC has set throughout the world in terms of sustainable buildings and the potential it carries
in influencing future projects.

7|Page