King Abdullah Financial District wins Leed platinum certification
Saudi-based King Abdullah Financial District said it has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) ND Stage 2 Platinum certification, thus becoming the largest mixed-use financial centre in the world to secure this accreditation.
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Saudi-based King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) ND Stage 2 Platinum certification, thus becoming the largest mixed-use financial centre in the world to secure this accreditation from the leading global authority for green building.
Leed is a building certification process developed by the non-profit US Green Building Council (USGBC) that indicates a building or community was designed and built to be environmentally friendly in an aim to promote a higher quality of life.
Leed certification is an official recognition for projects that comply with the requirements prescribed within the Leed rating systems as created and maintained by the USGBC.
A state-of-the-art central business district in Riyadh, KAFD said this certification confirms it as a global centre for excellence in sustainability at every level - from its green building credentials to its robust public transport facilities and walkable infrastructure.
It has sustainability built into the core of its infrastructure. Its energy-efficient building initiatives include: district cooling plants that help reduce energy consumption required for cooling; use of LED streetlights instead of conventional lighting; and installation of renewable energy sources such as solar panels in several of its towers.
The mixed-use project based in Riyadh is also equipped with a site-wide automated waste collection system that collects and segregates recyclable waste, eliminating the use of garbage trucks on KAFD streets and thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
To encourage walkability, KAFD’s innovative design includes the Wadi, a shaded pedestrian walkway that sits 5.5 m below street level to provide a naturally cooler air flow.
Additionally, most of KAFD’s internal access roads are paved with concrete that has a high Solar Reflective Index (SRI) value - thus reducing the 'heat island effect' and supporting cooler temperatures throughout the development.-TradeArabia News Service
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