ABN AMRO BANK INTERIOR WORKS PROJECT,

DUBAI OUTSOURCE ZONE, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The Interior Works Project of the ABN AMRO Bank (now known as the Royal Bank of Scotland) situated in the Dubai Outsource Zone (DOZ) is a Commercial Interiors development consisting of call centres, offices and allied service units spanning an area of 99,863Sq. Ft. The fit out development was carried out within 2 large buildings that have been procured on a long term lease. Although the leased out base buildings are not LEED certified, they incorporate a number of sustainable features that have helped the pursuit of a LEED for Commercial Interiors Certification for the fit out development.
In keeping with ABN AMRO Bank’s global mandate on sustainability, the DOZ Branch commissioned the professional services of Green Technologies to carry out an Initial LEED Review which explored the feasibility of pursuing and achieving a LEED Certification of a Silver level, as per the Client direction. As a result of this Initial Review, it was noted that by complying with the necessary LEED requirements, a LEED Gold Certification could be aspired. Post the Initial LEED Review, Green Technologies facilitated the LEED Process for the ABN AMRO Bank Interior Works Project, conducting a series of Workshops with the Project Team and integrating the specific LEED requirements into the Design and Execution of the development. As a result of the documentation of these efforts and its review by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the Project has now been declared as a LEED Gold certified building (as of the 19th of December 2008) by the USGBC, under the LEED for Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 rating system.
The ABN AMRO Interior Works Project is the third building to be certified as a LEED Gold in the United Arab Emirates following the Wafi City District Cooling Chiller Plant One, certified in 2006 (also a Project of Green Technologies) and the Metito Headquarters Building, certified in 2007. Overall, it is the Fourth LEED Certified Building in the UAE.
The Project has hereby achieved two more significant titles in parallel, as the First LEED Certified Commercial Interiors Project in Dubai, UAE and the Middle East as well as the Largest Project to be LEED Certified in the UAE to date. The Project records extensive resource conservation measures gaining more than 43% Energy savings and more than 32% savings on Water. In addition to this, the Project also has been able to make use of Recycle Content for more than 25% of its materials requirement. The adoption of Green Housekeeping, Green Education, Integrated Pest Management and Preventive Maintenance Planning Policies are also highlights of the Project’s Certification. In addition, following are the sustainability features covering the development;

• Energy efficient, eco-friendly, recycled materials selection.
• Minimization of impact on environment associated with tenant changes by long-term lease.
• Segregation and recycling of waste during operations.
• Recycling and diversion of 75% construction waste from landfill.
• Usage of energy efficient ‘T5’ lamps, thereby saving 15% energy on lighting
  above ASHRAE 90.1 2004.
• Daylight Control, Continuous dimming and Step Switching.
• Usage of Energy Star rated office equipment/appliances only.
• ‘No Smoking’ facility.
• Deck to Deck partitioning of Printer/Copier rooms.
• Use of zero VOC adhesives.
• Use of low VOC (50 mg/L) paints below.
• Usage of CRI certified carpet systems.
• 100% covered car parking.
• Close proximity (within ¼ mile) to public bus lines.
• Close proximity (within ½ mile) of the community services.
• Comprehensive Transport Management system.
• Indoor sport facility.