Adaptive reuse in the UAE

For decades, Mina Zayed’s geographical location and historical significance have solidified its position as a cultural crossroads, a hub of trade and commerce within Abu Dhabi. Nestled amidst the bustling traditional markets along the water’s edge lies a linear grid of versatile warehouses, poised to undergo a remarkable metamorphosis into MiZa - an emerging innovation-focused neighbourhood for diverse entrepreneurial communities.

Forming the first phase of the masterplan, our designs for three sites, Warehouse 421, MAKE+SEAF and HEYR, will seamlessly blend heritage with cutting edge concepts, by harnessing the potential of the existing warehouse structures and urban architecture.

Our expansion to Warehouse 421, an established art gallery, office facility and artist residences, will offer commercial units to creative entrepreneurial startups. MAKE+SEAF will form a catalyst for innovation with an inclusive makerspace and artist university. While HEYR will house a flexible workplace ecosystem, for a varied community of practitioners to undertake peer-driven learning and project collaboration, to accelerate career development.

Dubai's Knowledge Park is home to the new 218,000 sqft Heriot-Watt University campus, hosting nearly 4,000 students from 105 different nationalities. The design converts an existing office building into a campus that evokes a sense of ownership, a place of creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking. The building was repurposed with targeted interventions to maximise floor to ceiling heights and adaptable elements for flexibility. Notably, the lecture spaces can be easily divided into smaller sections, and the Town hall area can be customised with movable partitions and 'Hellerup' Steps, serving as both informal seating and an auditorium.