Said to be the first project outside of North America and the largest residential project outside of the US to achieve the certification, 82 of the villas have achieved LEED for Homes Gold, while the remaining villas will be certified as they reach completion.
Located between King Khalid International Airport and the city of Riyadh, the residential community is designed for the KAPSARC’s international staff and their families, which features 10 community buildings including three apartment buildings with retail, library, dining hall, recreation centre, natatorium, mosque, supermarket and bowling alley.
The scheme includes a 200-house residential community that features 11 house types and four main utility buildings. The residential communities provide a premier environment that helps KAPSARC attract and retain world-class research and development talent.
The design of the scheme includes two long, rectilinear apartment buildings, which flank the central dining facility and library. The horizontal sunshade structures of these modern, stone-clad forms complete the liner that defines the central plaza.
Providing an abundance of personal outdoor space, the apartments feature generously sized balconies as well as public outdoor space in the form of large roof decks. The apartments are a mix of one-storey and two-storey living units, offering lofts with two-storied living rooms and ample natural light.
Keeping in view the spirituality of the residents, it also features a Community Masjid, which has a high visibility within the community site.
The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) is an independent, non-profit institution established by Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah to focus on research in energy economics, policy, technology and the environment.
