Sustainability, Creative Design: This Is What's Trending In Home Design In UAE

Walk through a new villa in Dubai, and you will notice the difference in details. The marble and glass finishes are still there, but so are low-VOC paints on the walls, shaded courtyards that cool the air, and glazing that keeps the sun out while letting the light in. There are subtle shifts tied to sustainability that together signal something bigger: a new way of thinking about how homes in the UAE are being built.

As government codes tighten and buyers become more discerning, sustainability and materials are becoming the gold standard. The UAE's green building market is forecast to more than double to $15.5 billion (Dh56 billion) by 2032, and housing is at the centre of that growth.

Now more than ever, villas remain the most sought-after slice of Dubai's residential market. According to Hamptons International's 1H 2025 report, prime communities are seeing rents jump by as much as 50 per cent year-on-year, and developers are scrambling to deliver thousands more units in the next two years to catch the wave. The Dubai Statistics Center data shows that nearly three-quarters of homes built last year were not developer-driven but private villas commissioned directly by owners. That shift matters because it shows how deeply personal and competitive the villa market has become: families are building homes around their own long-term needs, not just buying off the shelf.

Savills points to the same shift, with villas and townhouses moving from niche products to the new core of Dubai's housing market. Developers are rolling out communities built around wellness, multi-generational living, and smarter design, making low-rise living less of an alternative and more of the standard for what it means to live well in the city.

The focus is no longer on how many homes will get built but on how they will be built. While stricter codes and rising costs are part of the backdrop, what really matters is how families want their homes to feel: cooler in the summer, lighter to run, and more connected to the outdoors.

Dewan Architects + Engineers, one of the UAE's longest-standing architecture firms with a portfolio that stretches from luxury villas to large-scale mixed-use communities, has had a front-row seat to the market's evolution. Its CEO, Ammar Alassam, said the way homes are being built in the UAE is no longer just about aesthetics.“The most significant shifts we are seeing in homebuilding design today stem from three converging priorities: climate resilience, wellness-driven planning, and data-backed value engineering,” he explained.“The expectation is no longer just to deliver a house, but to provide a high-performance living environment where shading, thermal comfort, and outdoor living are fundamental.”

Systems like Dubai's Al Sa'fat Green Building Code and Abu Dhabi's Estidama Pearl Rating are already tightening standards on glazing, shading, and energy use, and are set to become even more prescriptive this year. In a statement, Saeed Al Abbar, chairman of EmiratesGBC, said the UAE must go beyond new projects and decarbonise its existing homes if it's to hit global net zero targets, new builds by 2030, and all buildings by 2050.

Dubai's Al Sa'fat Green Building System lays out what sustainability really looks like in a home. It starts with the basics. Materials like low-carbon concrete, stronger insulation, high-performance glazing, and low-VOC paints make interiors healthier for owners. From there, it's up to architects and developers to get creative with design: shaded courtyards, deep overhangs, and layouts that let air flow naturally so houses stay cooler without heavy reliance on air conditioning. Energy efficiency is now a given, with solar-ready roofs, efficient cooling, LED lighting, and smart systems that monitor use. Water is managed through low-flow fixtures, greywater recycling, and landscaping that doesn't drain resources. And comfort is part of the equation, too. Green walls, quieter interiors, and cleaner air make homes feel better to live in.

Defining factor

“Sustainability has moved beyond compliance and is rapidly becoming a defining factor in market competitiveness,” Alassam said.“In Dubai and Abu Dhabi, green-certified properties are already seeing a measurable market advantage, and this aligns with global investor behaviour.”

Ghada Benitez, CEO of an international real estate firm that bridges sellers and buyers, agreed. She said:“Sustainability is no longer optional.” She points to growing demand for homes that balance luxury with lower operating costs, from energy-efficient glazing to smarter use of natural light.

Upfront, sustainable homes in Dubai cost roughly five to 15 per cent more to build than conventional ones, according to Betterhomes. In the long run, the Emirates Green Building Council estimates energy-efficient buildings can deliver 20 to 30 per cent energy savings, giving homeowners both lower bills and stronger long-term value. The investment is worthwhile. However, the returns are rewarding for homebuilders and developers. Green-certified buildings in the UAE can fetch up to nine per cent higher rents, and about 70 per cent of foreign investors say they're willing to pay a premium for sustainable features.

Benitez said her clients are willing to pay more for certified green homes.“Green-certified developments in Dubai move faster and achieve higher valuations... investors recognise the prestige of sustainable certifications, but also the practical benefit: reduced running costs and strong tenant appeal,” she added. The kinds of features driving that demand are getting clearer. Energy-efficient glazing, passive cooling strategies, recycled composites, modular construction, and low-carbon cement are all high on the list. Expo City has even published Sustainable Materials Guidelines that call for lighter facades, shading structures, greywater recycling, and tree-lined courtyards, Benitez explained.“These aren't just construction tactics. They directly improve yield by reducing operating costs and attracting premium tenants.”

Michal Hansen, partner and head of Exclusive Project Sales at Knight Frank, has seen firsthand how sustainability is shaping the high-end of the market.“In the luxury segment, homes built with sustainable materials and features often achieve price premiums as buyers look to create living spaces that genuinely enhance the way they live and feel day-to-day,” he said.“These buyers value long-term comfort and the lower running costs that come when sustainability is built in.”

Hansen says sustainability is starting to factor into buyers' checklists in very practical ways. Buyers want electric vehicle-ready parking, quality thermal-smart windows, and tech-enabled home systems, which are now part of their due diligence.

For international buyers, those preferences are shaped by what they see in other global markets. But, he adds that outside the luxury segment, green features usually translate into a faster sale rather than a noticeably higher price.

“Materials are now central to how projects are delivered,” Hansen said.“We see more use of energy-efficient glass, better insulation and lower-carbon concrete mixes.” Prefabricated components, or building parts, like wall panels, floor systems, and windows, are being manufactured in a controlled factory environment off-site and then delivered to a construction site for assembly. They are also becoming more common in construction as they shorten timelines and improve quality, Hansen explained.“Developers are choosing materials that balance efficiency, cost and sustainability, which is helping projects keep pace with market demand.”

If investors are chasing premiums, architects and designers are focused on how sustainability is actually built into homes. For interior designer Aarti Lakhwani, founder of Dubai-based Blended Spaces, that means starting with materials.“Sustainability is the need of the hour,” she said, pointing to her use of locally sourced timber and energy-efficient finishes. Her clients, she says, are moving away from cold minimalism towards warmer, layered homes that feel lived-in. Indoor-outdoor layouts have become a must, and families now ask for flexible rooms. This translates into wellness zones, home offices, and guest suites that can double up.“The concept of a home as a sanctuary is more important now than ever,” Lakhwani said.

Property adviser Ghada Benitez sees the same priorities shaping developer choices. She points to natural stone, Italian marble, sustainable timber, and smart glass being used to create homes that feel, as she puts it,“timeless yet future-ready”.

Lakhwani says the changes aren't only happening inside the walls.“There are exterior paint finishes we've used in projects that keep internal temperatures three to four degrees cooler than regular paint,” she told me.“They're not very expensive, but still durable.” Other options include GRP cladding, a lightweight concoction made of glass fibres and resin known to reduce emissions during production and holds up well against Dubai's heat and humidity.

But materials are just one part of the story. Lakhwani describes Dubai's design scene as a mix of global influences and local identity. International styles like biophilic design and luxury maximalism are in demand, but they're adapted to the region's character. Instead of stark minimalism, she says, homes lean towards warm, desert-inspired palettes, geometric patterns, and mashrabiya screens. Clients also want more craftsmanship, or pieces that feel bespoke rather than mass-produced.“The result,” she says,“is a design language that is both globally relevant and authentically Dubai.”

Some traditions will remain timeless in homebuilding.“Cultural expectations around privacy will also continue to shape layouts, with more nuanced integration of courtyards, screens, and zoning between formal and family spaces,” Alassam said. However, international buyers will continue to raise the bar, bringing hospitality-level expectations into the residential market. This real estate ecosystem continues to push the demand for amenity-rich environments and finely detailed facades in vacation homes as well as in villas being built for international families.

Looking ahead, Hansen believes sustainability won't be a selling point anymore, it'll be the default. Homes that offer better air quality, soundproofing, and low-emission materials will be expected as standard, Hansen explained. Construction will rely more on low-carbon concrete, advanced glazing, and prefabricated elements. And design will continue to lean on biophilic principles and outdoor integration, not just as a nod to lifestyle but as part of the region's identity. As Benitez put it:“In the next half-decade, UAE homes will be defined by sustainability as the baseline, not the add-on.”

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