The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) was adjudged the “smartest” building in the Middle East during a special event held in Riyadh on Monday.
The KAPSARC modular complex, designed by Zaha Hadid, the famous Iraqi-born British architect who died in March this year, achieved the highest evaluation among all entries from Saudi Arabia, with impressive scores across all three smart building categories.
Built using the most advanced methods and technologies, KAPSARC achieved the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Gold Certification outside of North America for the center’s residential facilities.
The evaluation criteria were developed as part of the Honeywell Smart Building Score, which was launched in March 2016.
The research evaluated 620 buildings across seven major Middle East cities: Abu Dhabi, Dammam/Dhahran, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait City and Riyadh.
A smart building is one that is connected, safe, energy efficient and, ultimately, helps improve the quality of life for its occupants and users.
KAPSARC was recognized as the smartest building in appreciation of its dedication and investment in smart building solutions and its best practice case as an example to be followed in Saudi Arabia and across the wider Middle East.
It was founded as a nonprofit global institution for independent research into the economics of energy, to contribute to societal well-being and prosperity.
From its base in one of the world’s most important energy-producing regions, KAPSARC develops economic frameworks to reduce the overall costs and environmental impact of energy supply, increase the value created from energy consumption and achieve effective alignment between energy policy objectives and outcomes.
It collaborates with leading international research centers, public policy organizations, and industrial and government institutions, freely sharing knowledge, insights and analytical frameworks.
KAPSARC studies topics of global importance — with a particular focus on the Middle East, China, India and East Africa — both in terms of the impact of policies on these countries’ societies and the spillover to interconnected global markets. The center draws upon the talent and expertise of an international group of researchers comprising more than 15 nationalities.

Source: Arab News