Creating a science community

Since the Islamic Golden Age, the period between the 7th and 15th centuries when Islamic scholarship flourished in the Middle East and throughout the known world, scientific exploration has been an integral part of the evolution of this region.

Jabir ibn Hayyan (721-815), the father of modern chemistry, is said to have influenced Roger Bacon and Isaac Newton with his work. Al-Khwarizmi (780-850) gave the world algebra and the algorithm.

Al-Battani (850-929) determined the 365-day year and developed modern astronomical tables and the precession of the earth's axis.

Al-Haytham (965-1039), the accepted father of optics, proved the modern intromission theory of vision in his Book of Optics. And, his use of quantitative, empirical and experimental methodology in his experiments led to his pioneering the modern scientific method.

While extensive, these examples are just a fraction of the depth and breadth of scientific scholarship and collaboration that originated in the Middle East. While there has been a palpable shift toward commercial development in the modern Middle East, New Jersey-based CUH2A is building DuBiotech as a hi-tech, cutting-edge reminder of those scientific origins.

"The history of science in this region is very deep. Most people don't realise that it goes back thousands of years. This project brings science back to this region and places it at the forefront for the community at large," says Tom Smith, principal of CUH2A.

DuBiotech's function

The first of Dubai's initiatives under the 2015 Vision, which emphasises a commitment to creating a sustainable knowledge-based economy, DuBiotech represents the first super-community or ‘cluster' in the region to be wholly dedicated to scientific education, innovation and commercialisation.

"DuBiotech is clearly a very functional building," says Brian Kowalchuk, global design director and lead architect on DuBiotech. "The masterplan was designed around a competitive series of buildings that so many science parks lack today. We've worked in Shanghai, throughout Europe and the UK and part of the issue [with DuBiotech] is ‘How can we be competitive?' and ‘What will inspire companies to want to come here?'"

The masterplan incorporates 15.8 million ft² of space (30 million ft² of built space), which has been zoned and earmarked for various industries affiliated with Life Sciences. Warehouses have been constructed to store myriad biotech and pharmaceutical products awaiting export. Office space has been included to house legal, financial, R&D, sales/marketing and venture capital organisations for those companies in the industry looking to establish their regional offices.

Affordable entertainment and hotel facilities are included to service the scores of people who will inevitably attend DuBiotech's international conferences and exhibitions. Residential facilities, schools, universities, hospitals and retail space will complete the range of options available to visitors and residents of DuBiotech.

"All these groupings of buildings tie back to the headquarters. They're all connected via a series of walkways and roads and underground parking facilities," says Kowalchuk.

DuBiotech's mandate calls for it to be the ‘regional centre of excellence in biotechnology' and its strategic goals include: Creating, developing and advancing research in the region; fostering a framework that inspires innovation and collaboration; offering a world-class physical infrastructure to business and academic entities operating in the region.

"The whole site was designed for collaboration. If there are going to be 1,000 companies here, we want those scientists to collaborate and engage in creative science. It's a layered system where different sized universities or commercial clients take different sized plots. DuBiotech also incorporates manufacturing, storage and pilot facilities, retail space as well as the professionals to make these units function. This really helps to create a true community," says Kowalchuk.

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