Carved by Water
The Geological Logic Behind Wadi Landscapes Wadis are among the most overlooked opportunities in the urban environment. At first glance, they appear to be leftover spaces between developments, too irregular to build on and too unpredictable to manage. In reality, they are something far more compelling — active geological systems, continuously shaped and reshaped by water, sediment, and gravity. When […]
King Fahad Cultural Center
A Park of Culture, A Landscape of Art The King Fahad Cultural Center (KFCC) is one of Riyadh’s landmark destinations for art, performance, and culture. Located along the edge of Wadi Hanifah, the center forms part of the broader environmental vision led by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), which has guided the rehabilitation […]
Rethinking “Invasive”?
Context-Specific Use of Prosopis juliflora in Riyadh Executive Summary The classification of Prosopis juliflora as an invasive species in global and regional plant lists should not automatically justify its exclusion from urban planting strategies in Riyadh. Over more than 50 years of observed use, there is no substantive evidence of invasive behaviour under local environmental conditions. From the seventies of the […]
Designing Cooling as Infrastructure in Hot-Arid Climates
Introduction Cities in extreme climates heat up because of how they are built — with large areas of exposed paving, limited canopy cover, and materials that absorb and re-emit heat. The result isn’t just high air temperatures, but intense surface heat that affects how people experience outdoor space. Urban greening is often presented as a solution. But the […]
Cultivating Resilience
Planting and Irrigation Practices for Desert Landscapes Megaprojects in Saudi Arabia and greening programs across the Middle East are reshaping desert cities at a global scale. What succeeds here informs urban resilience strategies from the Mediterranean Basin to South Asia. In this landscape, every tree planting and every irrigation cycle becomes a test of endurance […]
