Oudi Al Khalediah : experiencing Najd lifestyle in eco-lodging and recreational spaces

Abstract

This thesis aim is building a sustainable in a traditional, vernacular way lodges for Saudi people reflecting the past in a modern way in Saudi Arabia. As well as a recreational space with a restaurant welcoming citizens from all ages, since this area needs such a project to come back to the old past and feel it again, due to the rapid development that occurred till now. So, I started by analyzing and well understanding the site as well as its history, geography, climate, and land regulations, then I discover many problems and potentials after many visits and meetings. Finally, I determined my objective, aim, and benefits. So, in order to well integrate my project and reflect the past, I searched on the typology of vernacular houses in Saudi Arabia, the materials, and the method of construction. This will meet the needs and love of Saudi Arabian people as well as remind them their past which was destroyed by the raise of Saudi Arabia that started with the discovery of the oil by the Americans in 1938 in Dahran. Due to this discovery, Saudi life switched and turned to a new world. The country started to develop and become rich through years and transformed from rural to an urban city and evolved economically, socially, and environmentally. This will boost the economic situation of the country as well as the construction of the desert. This led to import engineer and workers from foreign countries as well as recruiting foreign expertise and start to build quickly and randomly, unfortunately they were not applying sustainable and vernacular designs in buildings and won’t think about the climate and traditional designs.