The concept for exterior walkways explores how to address the harsh climate conditions of the UAE while providing opportunities to experience the outdoors and creating places for gathering and social interactions. While new residential developments feature many green spaces, the street and walking experience in Middle Eastern cities do not sufficiently address the issues of thermal comfort. Many streets are too wide, pedestrians are very close to cars, and there is insufficient shading at junctions and existing walkways.

Our design proposal, named OASYSTEMS, combines shading techniques with active cooling components to create a distinctive branded element within urban spaces. By offering shade, ventilation, and mitigating the heat island effect, significant enhancements in thermal comfort can be achieved. This system enables the integration of design solutions that are suitable for both existing and new construction settings, offering maximum flexibility and adaptability to enhance everyday living and establish fresh attractions.

OASYSTEMS feature active and passive cooling strategies with integrated lighting, landscape and renewable energies, facilitated by automation and AI to create a more attractive, comfortable and safe environment for walking. The design is based on passive design strategies to leverage the surrounding urban environment, utilizing solar orientation and prevailing winds to enhance thermal comfort.

The modular system serves not only to provide shade and cooling but also functions as urban furniture, enriching the public space with greenery, enhancing safety by providing a physical barrier to traffic flow, and creating meeting areas for the community.

OASYSTEMS can be configured to improve mobility and accessibility by intervening in the roadways and giving priority was to pedestrians and cyclists. With minimal adjustments to the traffic flow for example direction, narrowing the street, expanding the sidewalk whilst placing both vehicular and pedestrian traffic at the same level, separated by the urban furniture components. Study of 11 international cities after public realm investments in the range of $60-900m concluding that successful placemaking initiatives can revitalize an area and act as a magnet for people wanting to both live and work in a place that offers an attractive, comfortable and secure environment, with consequent benefits for property values.

By integrating innovative active cooling concepts with sophisticated control and sensor technologies, energy consumption is minimized while also encouraging the use of renewable energy sources. Off-site manufacturing allows swift implementation and minimises disruption to existing infrastructure and the daily life of the public during implementation.