The future of villas

In honour of the

Estidama Pearl Rating System

- the green building code that goes into effect on September 1st for all new buildings in Abu Dhabi - here are a few of the designs submitted by students for more sustainable and culturally sensitive villa designs. Read more about Estidama

and

.

I like this one from

Ajman University of Science and Technology

. The asymmetric mash-up of structures creates interesting spaces and shaded havens. It also looks sharp in all-white, but I doubt that it what it would like in the end. The

Urban Planning Council

started the contest, as it is overseeing the construction of some 17,000 villas in Abu Dhabi over the next five years for Emiratis.