Saint-Gobain breaks ground for its first Multi Comfort House in the Middle East

Masdar City hosts project to demonstrate “technologies for optimising human experience within a built environment

French multinational Saint-Gobain has broken ground on its first Multi Comfort House in the Middle East at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s sustainable urban community.
A ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the project was held earlier this week by Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and CEO of Saint-Gobain, and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar. Present on the occasion were Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Ludovic Pouille, France’s ambassador to the UAE.
According to Saint-Gobain, the Multi Comfort House at Masdar City is one of 30 similar projects around the world. It is the first in the Middle East as well as the first in a “hot” region of the world. On completion at the end of next year, it will demonstrate Saint-Gobain’s “technologies for improving health and well-being by optimising the human experience within the built environment”.
“The UAE is a reference in construction development. It is building excellence, represented through Masdar City, (and) is a role model for all, and Saint-Gobain is proud to be part of it,” said Chalendar.
“Feeling good in a building is about having the perfect amount of light, the proper level of sound, the ideal temperature and a constant supply of fresh air. It is about design and technology, beauty and safety, efficiency and sustainability. This is precisely what Saint-Gobain can provide and demonstrate through this state-of-the-art Multi Comfort House to be constructed at Masdar City.”
According to the Multi-Comfort philosophy, homes that are more comfortable make for happier and more productive people, and are more sustainable as a result, said Saint-Gobain, which will further increase its UAE presence through the Multi Comfort House, as well as raise awareness of its innovative solutions addressing the challenges of sustainable construction, resource efficiency and climate change.
Saint-Gobain will build the 400sqm Multi Comfort House on a 2,200sqm site next to the Masdar City Eco-Villa. On completion, it will serve as both a Multi Comfort “experience centre” and an office for Saint-Gobain employees, while also providing training in the company’s products and solutions. It will be fully adapted to the UAE climate, the company added. German architecture and engineering consultancy, Obermeyer, will design and supervise construction of the project, expected to open by the end of 2019.
Saint-Gobain first developed the concept of Multi Comfort construction in 2004. It covers the four dimensions of light, air quality, temperature and acoustics within the home, as well as tertiary buildings such as shops, offices and public buildings.
“It is a privilege to… partner with Saint-Gobain in realising its first Multi-Comfort House in the Middle East,” said Al Ramahi. “Our towns and cities consume around two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of global carbon emissions. At the same time, the way our homes and offices are designed impacts our health, well-being and quality of life significantly.
“Saint-Gobain’s Multi-Comfort philosophy reinforces our own concept of sustainable urban development, which is based on the three pillars of economic, social and environmental sustainability. It also complements the Eco-Villa prototype opened at Masdar City last year, conceived as a template for affordable and highly energy- and water-efficient residential villas in the UAE. We look forward to further collaboration with Saint-Gobain in commercial sustainable real estate as we continue on our journey to realize the world’s most sustainable urban community here at Masdar City.”