The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh has unveiled its newest urban and community park, a vibrant public space at Parcels 1.13 and 3.03 designed to foster wellness and active living. As executive landscape architects for this project, Landworks Studio integrated diverse amenities and innovative detailing while pursuing SITES Gold Certification for sustainable development.
Designing for Active Living in an Extreme Climate
The design responds to the unique challenges of Riyadh's climate, creating year-round programming that capitalizes on extending use during the shoulder seasons to encourage active living and community interaction.
The park's design embodies several critical principles:
Climate-Responsive Design: Working within one of the world's most challenging climates, the landscape design creates comfortable outdoor environments through a combination of climate-responsive strategies, including shade structures, carefully selected vegetation, and microclimate interventions that make the space accessible throughout the year.
Programmatic Diversity: Rather than a single-use recreational space, the park integrates multiple amenities that cater to KAFD's diverse user group, including residents, office workers, and visitors, at various times of day and throughout the seasons.
Connectivity: As part of KAFD’s pedestrian network, the park anchors the Wadi—a 77,000 square meter below-grade corridor that weaves together the entire district into a unified, walkable landscape.
Pursuing SITES Gold Certification
Environmental stewardship has been central to KAFD's development from its inception. The district holds the distinction of being the largest LEED ND Stage 2 Platinum certified project globally, and this new park continues that legacy by pursuing SITES Gold Certification, one of the most rigorous sustainable landscape standards.
The SITES certification process evaluates projects across multiple sustainability criteria, including:
Soil and vegetation management
Materials selection and waste reduction
Human health and well-being
Water efficiency and management
For large-scale mixed-use developments, SITES Gold certification demonstrates a commitment to environmental performance that extends beyond individual buildings to the public realm, often the most visible and impactful component of sustainable urbanism.
Looking Forward
As urbanization accelerates globally and cities pursue more sustainable and livable development models, projects like KAFD demonstrate how landscape architecture can support multiple objectives simultaneously—environmental performance, public health, economic development, and quality of life.
We’re extremely proud of how this project is taking shape and look forward to its completion, projected for the end of 2025.
Construction Photos:
Project Team:
Executive Landscape Architect: Landworks Studio
Architect: CBT Architects
Engineer: WSP
Sustainability: Egis
Lighting: HLB Lighting Design
Water Feature Consultant: CMS
Signage: Professional Signs
Planting Specialist: Peter Thompson