Estidama, a programme of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), has unveiled the latest version of its Pearl Rating System (PRS), the region's first sustainability rating mechanism for buildings.

The PRS is a program encompassing a Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS), a Pearl Community Rating System (PCRS) and a Pearl Villa Rating System (PVRS), introducing rating practices across the design and construction phases of development projects. The system provides a set of measurable guidelines for rating sustainability performance of communities, buildings, and large-scale developments of villas, across Estidama’s four pillars of economy, environment, society and culture.

The system addresses seven categories; Integrated Development Process, Natural Systems, Liveable Communities and buildings, Water, Energy Materials and Innovating Practice.  For each category, there are mandatory and optional credits as well as weights with maximum credit points delivered to each.

The PBRS will apply to general buildings, offices, retail, multi-residential buildings, schools and mixed-use projects whereas the PCRS addresses developments supporting a minimum permanent residential population of 1,000 people. For developments designed to accommodate up to 30,000 people, the system asks for division into individual districts each requiring a separate application.

“The PRS establishes Abu Dhabi’s regional and global leadership in sustainable urban development, and provides a reliable sustainability benchmark tool for the region at large as per Estidama’s cross-disciplinary approach,” said Falah Mohamed Al Ahbabi, general manager of Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council.

Through the application of the PRS, communities in Abu Dhabi will be equipped with walkable, shaded, well-connected streets and public realm that improve livability and reduce reliance on motorized vehicles. Buildings and villas will have a framework for measuring their sustainability performance and meeting sustainable goals by emphasizing water and energy efficiency, optimum selection of material, indoor environment quality and waste reduction.-TradeArabia News Service