KKIA Logistic Zone, Riyadh

The KKIA logistics centre is conceived as a productive and sustainable citadel. The design mitigates climatic conditions to encourage action to reduce the heat island effect, rainwater peaks, air pollution, and sustainable human development. A resilient landscape is a space capable of adapting to climatic and cultural changes, rooted in tradition but projected into the future. This approach fuses nature and innovation with an interpretation that interweaves social and ecological dimensions.

In logistics, landscape design must address both the productive and human dimensions. It aims to create a sustainable and efficient environment on the production scale. On the human scale, it focuses on generating quality and comfort. Relating to Salmaniah's historical architecture, the landscape achieves these goals through interconnected strategies, including introducing green areas and water elements for cooling through evapotranspiration and shading. These elements help to absorb heat from the pavements, reducing temperatures during the hottest hours. In addition, improving the quality of the streets with vegetation and canopies promotes walkability, energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions.

Given the area's size, another crucial role of the landscape is to encourage diversity while maintaining a cohesive identity. The master plan divides the plot into four smaller areas, each with a unique but solid identity. Differentiating materials, furnishings, vegetation, and orientation systems will give each area a distinct character.

The landscape design incorporates a vegetation gradient and a careful selection of plant species, with sequences designed to be efficient throughout the logistics area. A shading network supplemented by cooling systems at strategic points ensures walkability and usability during all weather conditions. The morphology of the landscape is the result of lessons learnt from studying desert environments; by playing with appropriate terrain morphologies, favourable microclimates have been shaped, which aim to maximise water collection and shelter the vegetation from the grazing sun. Stormwater management is addressed by designing four rain gardens near key nodes, which ensure effective water absorption and distribution. Identifying elements are carefully woven into the landscape, featuring furniture and materials chosen to diversify the user experience.