Hai D3

Hai is a creative space in Dubai’s Design DistrictNamed after the Arabic word for neighbourhood, Hai helps to seed Dubai’s new design district with its pop-up cargotecture and its blueprint for an art and design community. Hai’s Arabian neighbourhood-styled layout features art galleries, workshops, a library, retail space, cafe, prayer rooms, outdoor terraces and landscaped courtyards

Designed by Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib who commissioned IBDA and Case Design, Hai is a unique bohemian complex built from 68 repurposed shipping containers, which makes it ideal as a test bed for d3. It has the flexibility to take a tried and tested approach to events and trends.

Although Hai will not be a permanent installation – it is designed to have a five-year lifespan at its original site – this pop-up neighbourhood can be disassembled and relocated easily. And by celebrating a new wave of architecture that thinks inside and outside the box, Hai is a living and breathing representation of the flourishing art and design scene in the region.

The development was designed as a neighborhood, bringing into fact that the masterplan of the whole Dubai Design District was meant to develop a community of artists within the region. Inspired with the efficiency of the traditional Arabic neighborhood planning, the project’s layout was designed to accommodate open spaces, which are further developed into landscaped “pockets” that serve as courtyards for each of the buildings in the complex. These courtyards not only complement the industrial nature of the architecture, but also promote activity, and consequently, vibrancy to the entirety of the site

Sustainability was key in designing the development, given the green building initiatives within the region. Passive cooling, through shipping containers designed as “wind towers”, were distributed around the site. These wind towers promote natural ventilation by catching high draft winds and funneling it towards the courtyards in the site. Also, passive lighting was employed in buildings with the use of full-height windows and high sidelights, as abundant sunlight is intrinsic in Dubai. These windows also frame both the landscape on site and the Dubai skyline.

These buildings are formed with the use of recycled 40-foot shipping containers that were crafted with the careful consideration to preserve its raw, industrial form. The use of these shipping containers allow an expeditious build and dismantling process that can be helpful to refabricating the architecture, if deemed necessary. Six different layouts of stacking were implemented, which was formed to directly respond to the space program of the site. Art galleries, a workshop, a library, retail spaces, as well as a cafe and prayer rooms were introduced in the buildings, which were arranged according to the facility’s use. Annex buildings were also introduced in the project, bringing in 20-foot service containers for toilets and storage, as well as an entrance piece that not only welcomes people to the district, but also serves as a multi-function space which artists can use to host movie screenings, gatherings, or outdoor workshops.