Low-EMF certification specialist EMFIS® has been appointed to measure and certify electromagnetic hygiene at EYWA Way of Water, an ultra-luxury waterfront residential project located on the Dubai Water Canal in Business Bay. Developed by R.Evolution, the development is integrating advanced electromagnetic shielding at the design phase alongside a target suite of international benchmarks, including LEED Platinum, WELL Platinum, and WiredScore Platinum.

Designed by OAD (Zane Tetere-Sulce) with John R Harris & Partners serving as consultant, the project comprises approximately 65 residences, including 2- to 5-bedroom apartments, duplexes, and a penthouse. Expected to complete delivery around 2028, the development builds on EMFIS's earlier certification of EYWA – Tree of Life, expanding the methodology across a larger residential footprint.

The initiative focuses heavily on bedroom environments, utilizing infrastructure and shielding choices designed to reduce low-frequency electric fields by up to 98.7% and high-frequency electromagnetic fields by up to 81.8% based on third-party testing, all while maintaining room aesthetics.

Addressing an Overlooked Environmental Factor

Indoor electromagnetic exposure—generated by continuous internal wiring, Wi-Fi networks, smart systems, and external 5G infrastructure—remains largely unaddressed by standard healthy-building frameworks. With the World Health Organization classifying radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic, European regulators have begun taking precautionary steps, such as France banning Wi-Fi in daycare centers and Switzerland setting precautionary limits for schools and hospitals.

The integration comes amid rapid growth in the global wellness real estate market, which the Global Wellness Institute values at $876 billion and projects to reach $1.8 trillion by 2030. In the UAE, the sector expanded from $3.3 billion in 2017 to $14.6 billion in 2025, growing at 21% annually. While general wellness properties command a 10% to 25% price premium over conventional equivalents, EMFIS benchmarked data indicates that low-EMF certification delivers an average added value of roughly 14%.

Industry Perspectives

Federico Marangoni, Founder and CEO of EMFIS®, emphasized the shift from external environmental impacts to internal human health. "Green building told us how a building treats the world outside it. The next question—the one EYWA Way of Water is helping answer—is what a building does to the people inside it over the course of a lifetime," Marangoni said, noting that electromagnetic pollution has lacked standardized measurement tools until now.

Mariska Stoffel, Director of Design & Development at R.Evolution, highlighted the connection between indoor environments and long-term wellbeing. "When people spend around 90% of their time indoors, we are shaping the environment where much of daily life happens," Stoffel stated, explaining that sleep and recovery served as key drivers for integrating low-EMF benchmarks.

Shailesh Bhandari, Director at John R Harris & Partners, added that integrating the electromagnetic environment into initial designs extends sustainability principles into emerging health domains. "Partnering with EMFIS® reflects our belief that truly well-crafted spaces actively support the health and longevity of those who inhabit them," Bhandari remarked.

Founded on research from Switzerland's École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and recognized by Switzerland’s national standardization body (an ISO member), EMFIS® operates across eight countries in Europe and the Middle East, maintaining a GCC showroom in the UAE. The company reports a growing pipeline of developments across the region embedding electromagnetic certification directly into early-stage architectural design.