VISITORS to Riyadh at the end of summer 2012 can expect to see a futuristic complex fashioned in the form of crystalline cellular structures sprawled over an 887,000-sq-ft site against the desert landscape.

This striking edifice, which will house the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre (Kapsarc), is now beginning to take shape, following the recent award of a Dh1.98-billion ($533-million) construction contract to Drake & Scull Construction (DSC). Located 8 km south of King Khalid International Airport, the complex has been designed by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid. This icon of modern-day Saudi Arabia will feature stunning architecture, be built using state-of-the-art BIM (building information modelling) technology and will be at the frontiers of sustainable design, befitting the institution it is designed to accommodate.

Kapsarc is a future-oriented research and policy centre committed to energy and environmental exploration and production and analysis. It strives to produce viable, responsible energy thinking and strategies for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world. The centre will undertake independent research in energy markets and policy, energy and environmental technology, energy data and modelling, and related fields of study.

The project, developed by Saudi Aramco, was recently awarded to DSC in Saudi Arabia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Drake & Scull International (DSI). Work will be carried out over a period of 22 months, and it is expected that the centre will open by August next year.

“The Kapsarc project win is a historical milestone for DSI in Saudi Arabia. We are delighted to have been selected to execute such an iconic project, which substantiates our continuous effort to further expand and momentously grow in this promising country,” says Khaldoun Tabari, CEO of DSI.

DSC will execute the civil, architecture, interior architecture, electro-mechanical, external road and parking facilities, infrastructure works, site works and landscaping works. It will undertake the following project elements: the basement, which connects three main buildings with access tunnels; five core buildings (research, conference and IT centres, library and musallah or praying area); and structural and façade works; interface with novated contractors; and PMT (programme management team) offices.

Kapsarc will resemble a cellular structure of crystalline forms. Composed of a network of three-dimensional, six-sided cells with many junctions and bonds, its design is based on the concept of connections. The modular, adaptive building will be made up of a series of shaded outdoor spaces, courtyards, entrances, meeting areas, indoor gardens, corridors, underground tunnels and roof terraces. The centre will consist of eight basic areas: basement, research centre, library, conference centre, musallah, IT centre and back-up, ancillary buildings, and canopy.

The basement area will link the research centre, library, and conference centre. It will have a public access tunnel and contain major plant-room areas. The basement level is at -6.70 SSL (structure surface level) and covers a total gross area of 16,785 sq m. Since it lies below the flood level, it will be waterproofed from all sides.

The research centre, the hub of Kapsarc, will consist of three levels, covering a total area of 23,685 sq m and with a capacity to accommodate around 350 people. The building is made of a group of similar three-dimensional cells, organised around a central courtyard with north-south orientation. A multi-level public lobby will link all departments of the centre, which include administration, research and executive.

Considered as the public face of Kapsarc, the library will be directly connected to the Place of the Icon, the central connecting point of all buildings at the heart of the project. This place, which serves as the central meeting point, has steps designed to allow for seating. From this vantage point, viewers can enjoy the view of the buildings, landscaping, and water features in an outdoor shaded environment.

The library will be made up of five interlocking hexagonal cells that vary in height. Consisting of two levels with a floor area of 14,832 sq m, it has been designed to be at the cutting edge, and will house both a digital library (books obtained from online sources, to save paper) and physical shelves to store books.

Kapsarc will employ state-of-the-art BIM technology

In addition, there will be a conference centre – a premium venue for meetings and large conferences with a seating capacity of around 320 people. It will consist of five cells, built on two levels spread over 21,318 sq m.

Providing a spacious praying area, a musalla will be built using structural steel in the centre of the masterplan. It will comprise four cells, featuring a lobby, courtyard and a prayer room spread over 1,320 sq m.

Kapsarc’s state-of-the-art IT centre will be a one-storey building housing a data centre and office spaces. The building will have three cells with a built-up area of 4,504 sq m on two floors.

Besides these facilities, the Kapsarc centre will also contain a visitors’ centre, two gate houses, a guard house, screening facilities and three bus stops over a total gross area of 933 sq m and net area of 606 sq m.

The site will also have a unique canopy on the ground level, which will cover an area of 11,800 sq m. It will be made in a hexagonal grid with treated exposed steel and PTFE (poly-tetra-fluoro-ethylene-Teflon-based material) as the shading material.

The centre’s construction will employ a variety of sustainable building techniques and advanced technologies. Arranged to temper the light and heat of the desert environment, and utilise wind to cool facades and outdoor spaces, the design will bathe the interiors in carefully controlled, soft light. Building and landscaping will work with the dry-land ecosystem but take advantage of seasonal breezes to offer temperate zones and improve pedestrian comfort. Energy-efficient light sources such as LEDs, powered outside the grid using photovoltaic elements, will give the landmark a crystal-like identity at night time.

The entire complex will be Leed Platinum rated, which is the highest level achievable under US Green Building Council specifications.

Status
DSC has deployed around 1,200 people on the Kapsarc site and the number is expected to grow to around 3,500 in a few months time.

“The design coordination process is almost over. The substructure (foundations and basement) work has also been completed. Currently, primary steel erection is ongoing for the IT centre and the conference centres. The superstructure concrete works has also started at the research centre,” a spokesman for DSC says.

Challenges
The Kapsarc project, besides being an icon, presents some unique challenges as well, says the spokesman. “It is a pioneering concept that calls for very high levels of attention to detail and coordination. The design of the campus is unique, with complicated structural geometry. The design of the external façade and support steel elements require extensive coordination.”

He says that while the building itself is normal sized, the specifications for Kapsarc set new benchmarks when it comes to the level of detail involved. “For example, cladding work specifications in most projects do not exceed parameters for two layers, whereas with Kapsarc, DSC will be handling cladding works with six layers of custom specifications,” he points out.

“Projects like Kapsarc also require very high level of technological sophistication, which is why DSC is leading the way with state-of-the-art 3D BIM models that maximise efficiency. Interfacing with other packages like the Kapsarc residences and Kapsarc utilities adds another layer of complexity to the project.

“Upon completion, Kapsarc will also be a Leed Platinum building, which means that the energy standards and specifications must be 100 per cent compliant. DSC will ensure that the models adopted in construction, besides the building itself, will set the regional standards in energy-efficient construction and sustainable development,” he adds.