Commercial – Abu Dhabi – UAE
Private
35,000 sqm
2022
A Seamless Drive-Thru and Food Truck Experience Rooted in Climate-Responsive Design
This drive-thru and food truck development offers a dynamic and fluid experience for both drivers and pedestrians, creating a welcoming and accessible destination for casual dining and social interaction. Designed to optimize movement and comfort, the layout responds to environmental and urban conditions while enhancing user engagement.
The north-oriented plot is surrounded by a network of key streets, with its longest edge fronting a local arterial road. This strategic positioning ensures easy access from multiple directions, streamlining vehicular flow and enabling customers to enter and exit the site with ease. Whether arriving by car or on foot, visitors are naturally guided through a coherent, open layout that connects movement with atmosphere.
A major design driver was the prevailing wind direction, which guided the orientation and massing of the buildings. The main structures are carefully positioned to allow cross-ventilation through the site, channeling the wind along the length of the project and through the open plaza.
This natural airflow strategy helps moderate temperatures, reducing heat accumulation and creating cooler outdoor zones—even during peak summer months.
The architectural massing is intentionally split to form a shaded central courtyard, which serves as the heart of the development. This open-air court hosts outdoor seating and pedestrian zones, buffered from direct sunlight and wind-sheltered for year-round usability.
Each building is wrapped with a double-screen façade, acting as a thermal buffer that minimizes solar gain and improves indoor climate performance. This passive design feature not only reduces energy loads but also contributes to the project’s modern, layered aesthetic.
Together, these elements shape a climate-conscious, user-friendly environment—a contemporary destination where food, community, and comfort come together in a space that flows as effortlessly as the experience it offers.
