The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, is currently well on its way to becoming the first LEED building the kingdom has ever seen. Add to that the fact it is pursuing certification at the Platinum level and that it will become one of the world's largest LEED projects, and you have a landmark development.

The project team, consisting of HOK, Aramco, Oger International, AEI, and RGV, implemented a number of design strategies to deal with the environmental, climatic, and regional limitations the project faced, including:

• Harsh morning and evening solar gain, addressed through shading and orientation design;
• Prevailing winds from the Red Sea, utilized as a cooling mechanism for the building through the implementation of two solar towers that create a natural ventilation effect for the building;
• Sensitive marine habitats of coral reef and mangrove forest, protected by a 165-foot buffer zone that separates the ecosystems from the development;
• High value of potable water in the region, dealt with by planting native and adaptive plants throughout the campus, routing all wastewater to a treatment plant which is then reused for irrigating plant-life, usage of efficient irrigation systems, and the reduction of the overall demand for the campus buildings by 40% with low-flow lavatories and faucets, and waterless urinals.

In addition, KAUST also purchased enough green power to cover 35% of the entire project's electricity usage over 2 years, a commitment that has a similar impact to planting 381,992 trees, not driving 94,718,349 miles in an average U.S passenger car, or not driving to the moon 396 times in the same car!

Learn more about the University's sustainability plans now, or find out how Renewable Choice can help your next LEED project achieve the Green Power Credit by visiting us.

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