Thesis Title: Sustainable Architecture in Hot Desert Climate of Saudi Arabia
Student: Turki Alzahrani, NewSchool of Architecture and Design Master of Architecture program. Class of 2013

Thesis Advisor: Mitra Kanaani
Rendering Credit: Turki Alzahrani/NSAD

Thesis Summary: With the rise of global warming, the consideration of comfort within a controlled environment is critical, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Currently, the concern for designing solely based on aesthetics is dominating the field of architecture within this region, creating a negative impact of the quality of the built environment.  Namely, the energy efficiency in Saudi Arabia is not taken into account in building designs the same way it is in other countries.  In fact, the numbers of designed buildings for sustainability in Saudi Arabia are still limited compared to the size of traditional buildings and “ill” buildings, with the high cost in the consumption of the energy, and the solid substances that used in the buildings. This begs the question of how well these modern buildings respond to environmental conditions and fulfill climatic comfort needs.  This thesis attempts to investigate ways of using sustainable architecture for a desert climate to achieve better levels of energy efficiency in a research facility. Extensive research has proved performative architecture to be a viable solution for extreme climatic issues such as heat. With the incorporation of responsive building materials and data analysis, this conceptual research facility becomes a paradigm for architects, encouraging site-specific architecture that addresses the welfare and health of its end users.

See more: Work produced by graduating students from NewSchool of Architecture and Design, located in San Diego, will be displayed at the NSAD Student Thesis Exposition on June 21, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The school is located at 1249 F Street, San Diego, Calif. 92101. The event is free and open to the public. Contact PR Manager Anna Cearley for more information: acearley@newschoolarch.edu

 About NewSchool of Architecture and Design

NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NSAD), founded in 1980, is located in San Diego, California. For the past two years, DesignIntelligence has ranked NSAD among the top 10 undergraduate architecture schools in the western United States in its publication “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools.” NSAD is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), a national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. NSAD’s Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture and Executive Master of Architecture programs are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NSAD also offers a pre-professional Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, along with a Bachelor of Science in Digital Media Arts, a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management, a Master of Construction Management and a Master of Science in Architecture. The school’s expanding global design education offerings include a new Bachelor of Interior Design program available in 2013–2014. For more information, visit www.NewSchoolArch.edu.