King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Maximizing daylight and outdoor comfort for everyone by planning for interaction among buildings.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) presented unique challenges in balancing daylighting, heat loads, and ventilation for its large public atrium space. Located in a hot climate, careful planning was required to control solar heat gain while allowing sufficient natural daylight. RWDI contributed by conducting daylighting studies for the atria, garages, and courtyards, as well as investigating the performance of solar chimneys using CFD modeling. Our analysis helped mitigate potential challenges, such as preventing contaminated air from entering courtyards due to rooftop laboratory exhausts. The daylighting study also minimized energy consumption and solar heat gains, contributing LEED points toward KAUST becoming the world’s first LEED Platinum campus.