King Khalid University, Abha

Location: Abha, Saudi Arabia

Client: King Khalid University

Principles developed for the planning and architecture of the campus respond to physical and environmental conditions while nurturing traditional culture and values in the realization of a sustainable architecture. The social core and primary generator of campus form is the pedestrian street and the adjunct spaces of plaza and courtyard. Vehicles and parking are kept to the edge of the main pedestrian areas throughout the campus. Cultivated landscapes with predominantly indigenous species are confined to developed areas. Sub-soil irrigation will be sourced from recycled gray water. On the higher elevations planting will be designed to reduce soil erosion and land-slides. Architectural Form and urban order are reflected in typological forms, in the massing and articulation of building elevations and in architectural detail derived from local traditions.