NEW Headquarter building Design
Ministry Of Human Resources & Social Development
The project is a new headquarters building of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development that will set a benchmark for governmental buildings in the kingdom, creating a modern workplace that integrates state-of-the-art smart building technology enabling the Ministry to transition towards the concept of the digital office.
Massing Strategy
The massing of the proposed design has been conceived in the form of three parallel volumes running in the north-south direction and creating two internal atria that bring daylight deep into the internal place. The two atria are joined in one large hall on the ground floor that is protected from the sun, providing an active and comfortable place that will become the heart of the Ministry building. The atria connect visually to plots A and C, which will feature landscaped spaces in the future, creating visual and spatial continuity between inside and outside. The north-south orientation also helps minimize direct solar hear gain to the internal space.
The three volumes vary in height and are shaped to produce elegant curving profiles echoing the natural landscape in Saudi Arabia. The variation in height produces different relationships around the building, creating varying compositions when the building is viewed from multiple angles. This layered composition is designed to achieve adequate profile on every side of the site, addressing King Fahd Road with swooping curves, and presenting large window frames to the north and the south opening up to the landscape and the views. Along the western edge, the façade is more enclosed to create a better relationship with the residential surrounds. The roof floors have been designed to accommodate external terraces that create space for external activities.
Facade Concept
The building has been designed with sustainability in mind, aiming to develop a smart approach that helps reduce the impact of the building and its energy consumption. The external design of the building forms a large part of this approach, starting from the orientation and the massing of the building which is designed to passively reduce heat gains while allowing daylight into the building, moving onto the façade which responds to the different orientations and aspects of the building with an intelligent solution.
The east and west facing façades feature large external louvres which provide the most efficient protection against direct solar radiation while reflecting daylight into the building. The profile of the vertical fins is shaped to produce a deflection point tracing a swooping curve along the façade and echoing the building profile itself. This produces a simple and elegant design that creates the modern, elegant image of the Ministry headquarters.
To the north and the south, large window frames define the three volumes of the building, creating a contrast with the east and west façades and helping define the edges of the three volumes. The north façade is all glass, while the south façade is protected from the sun with glass louvres helping emphasise this contrast. To the east and west the louvres sit in front of external terraces that allow the staff access to the outside space on every floor, while the central volumes features the offices of the upper echelons, starting from the Minister at the top, one floor below the dedicated hospitality suite. Those offices overlook the piazza and garden to the south, benefitting from great views and aspect.
The three volumes are elevated to emphasise their distinctive geometry and reading, sitting over a glazed screen that encloses the ground floor activities. To the south two volumes extend outside, defined by swooping curves, and forming
and appropriate base for the building. Those volumes echo the design of the building and ground it in a dynamic and aesthetically complementary manner. The east volume
hosts the multipurpose hall which benefits from access
to a neighbouring external space that could be used for events when the weather allows. The volume also makes the multipurpose hall clearly visible from the outside. It will have a dedicated reception and entrance space close to the VIP space and away from the central space in the building, providing the necessary segregation. To the west, the protruding volume hosts a staff canteen which also features external seating.
The two internal atria are clearly defined from the outside with a louvred glass enclosure that allows daylight into the space while protecting from the sun. The roof of the atrium is serrated, producing north-facing skylights that will flood the space with light, and south-facing panels that will be used to install PV panels to help generate renewable energy. The atrium roof is accessible to aid with maintenance and cleaning.
The combination of the glass screens and skylights will create two well-lit atria that are flooded with light, merging at the ground floor to form the large double-height internal hall that will be the hub of activity within the building. This place can be used for daily activities as well as large staff gathering and special events, providing an active arrival and interaction space.
The configuration and fit-out of workplaces have evolved significantly since the mid-20th century. Regimented rows of desks, highly cellular offices and cubicle farms are no longer considered adequate to meet the needs and demands of the modern workforce. New models of working are fostered through environments that encourage collaboration and interaction. Agile working workplaces provide a variety of different working environments that meet the needs of different working activities, from concentrated individual work to interdepartmental workshops. The new ministry building looks to the recent developments in workplace philosophy and synthesises the best practice into a new model of working that is particularly suited to meet its needs. It is forward looking and will become an exemplary catalyst for transformation of the work environment in Saudi Arabia. This new work environment will encourage interaction and collaboration between departments and beyond the ministry, and will facilitate creative thinking to provide new solutions.
Atrium Edge Treatment Strategy
Materials & Color Palettes
The masterboard of materials and colours introduces three tiers within the building, they are connected to give the building its image while creating clear identity for the three key zones within. The public areas and the VIP areas have a more classic feel while the typical floors have a contemporary feel animated by the colour scheme based on the 4 colours.
An alternative strategy has been proposed as a value engineering exercise that would see a proportion of the standard atrium edge detail timber replaced with alternative materials. The suggestion is for the vertical face to be a cast material, such as precast concrete, GRC, or FRC, cast into a bespoke mould that maintains the dimensions and rhythm of the timber features. The ceiling soffit could be in a slatted metal panel, again with a rhythm to match the typical timber design. The special features, bridges, and lower levels would be maintained in timber.
The specific distribution and proportion of timber to alternative materials has been set out in a separate study and can be reviewed if selected.
