Zaha Hadid Architects' KAPSARC Earns LEED Platinum in Riyadh
The King Abdullah Petroleum Research and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Riyadh, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, has become the firm's first project to achieve LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council. Completed in the second half of 2017, the 70,000-square-meter complex houses five interconnected buildings: the Energy Knowledge Centre, Energy Computer Centre, a 300-seat conference auditorium that can also host exhibitions, a library with a 100,000-volume archive, and a prayer space (Musalla). The campus was designed in response to the challenging environmental conditions of the Riyadh plateau, incorporating energy-saving solutions that reflect the mission of the non-profit energy research institute it hosts. In October 2017, KAPSARC hosted the fourth edition of Saudi Design Week. Zaha Hadid Architects also won an international competition in 2016 for the Urban Heritage Administration Centre in Diriyah, though construction is pending confirmation.
Key facts
- KAPSARC is the first building by Zaha Hadid Architects to receive LEED Platinum certification.
- The certification was awarded by the US Green Building Council.
- The complex comprises five functionally distinct but interconnected buildings.
- Total area is 70,000 square meters.
- Facilities include an Energy Knowledge Centre, Energy Computer Centre, 300-seat auditorium, library with 100,000 volumes, and a prayer space.
- The design responds to the environmental conditions of the Riyadh plateau.
- KAPSARC hosted the fourth Saudi Design Week in October 2017.
- Zaha Hadid Architects won a 2016 competition for the Urban Heritage Administration Centre in Diriyah.
Entities
Artists
- Zaha Hadid
Institutions
- Zaha Hadid Architects
- US Green Building Council
- King Abdullah Petroleum Research and Research Center
- Saudi Design Week
Locations
- Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia
- Diriyah