The King Abdullah Financial District comprises seven development parcels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Programmatic components include office, residential, educational, sports, retail, cultural and religious components. The design vision proposes a separation between pedestrian and vehicular traffic, while including public spaces within each site. Protected skywalks will encourage pedestrian traffic, and a monorail system will promote the use of public transportation. A traditional wadi, a dry river bed to collect runoff, creates a continuous green open public space connecting the four developments and provides shelter for local plants and animals. Green roofs will provide additional landscaped areas.
SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES LEED Silver-Gold 30%
Water Use Reduction
High Indoor Air Quality Photovoltaics Wadi
for Water Runoff and Urban Cooling
With average temperatures as high as 109°F, Saudi Arabia’s extreme climate posed a challenge to the design of a series of transparent, yet energyefficient structures. This was accomplished by incorporating shading devices into the façade
and by angling its form to increase the shaded area of the building. The buildings are also connected by elevated, conditioned skywalks and at street-level around water features, creating a vibrant urban experience.
FEATURE: ENERGY Interactive Solar Shading Simulator In order to maximize daylight and views, yet control solar heat gain, the design team used specialized software to simulate the effects of orientation, form, and individual architectural elements. Façades were designed with an average of 40% glass, yet achieved a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) as low as .17. Approximately
20% less than required, this lower number indicates façade’s superior ability to block heat from the sun, which otherwise would need to be removed by air conditioning. This was accomplished through a combination of vertical and horizontal solar shading devices, louvers, and setbacks.
Mono-Rail System Habitat Restoration