DAR AL-ULOUM LIBRARY Abdulrahman Al Sudairy Cultural Centre (AACC)
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DISCOVERY + ENCLOSURE + TRANSPARENCY

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THE CONCEPT Discovery and enclosure were two main factors that shaped Sakaka’s old urban and architectural identity, where the non-uniform deep canyons (alleyways) that are created by several layers of thick walls with the palm trees around and inside neighbourhood, and staggered landscape, all of which creates these two factors. Discovery and enclosure are revived in this project, and transparency is introduced. discovery and enclosure are presented outside (landscape and building envelope), transparency is presented inside the library building through openness and visual connection between the spaces. 
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THE MASTERPLAN The masterplan is divided horizontally into three parts: East: The mosque and the large parking area. Centre: The library building and the plaza at lower level. West: Including the smaller parking area and the palm trees promenade including the underground park library.
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THE JOURNEY The journey begins once entering the campus, the visitor decides whether to go directly to discover the library as a centre of the campus, or to discover the landscape for a peaceful journey passing through the park library at lower level and reaching to the central plaza. The journey will take the visitor through three attractions: palm trees, ramps and umbrellas, and in every attraction the visitor will reach to the central plaza which is located at a lower level which creates a feeling of refreshment and enclosure with the presence of palms, arcades, umbrellas and water features and surrounded by staggered landscape and palms at higher level with an arcade, this variety gives the visitor an exciting experience when discovering the place. 
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SHADOWS As sun is the sustainable source of light, yet changing angles throughout the day/year, which made shadows in this project a main aesthetic parameter, shadows are very well studied and included in the design of the library’s facades and plaza to create a different piece of art and makes this place different each time visited at different timings. The palms, umbrellas and the staggered landscape, all of which creates a changing harmony of shadows on every wall/floor in the plaza and the library. 
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DAYLIGHT AND SUNLIGHT Daylight is allowed to illuminate the main library hall from the roof by creating a layer of light weight concrete eye-shaped panels looking towards northern sky with window to floor ratio of 10% which is adequate for desert climates for daylighting and heat gain/loss balance, with added complimentary artificial lighting just below the roof’s panels with sensors to guarantee uniform lighting in cloudy times of the year. Then the panels are covered with a “Ghatra”-shaped porous tents which is wore in Arabian cultures to protect people from the burning sun, here it compliments the eyeshaped panels in blocking direct sunlight from entering the library throughout the year and also protects the roof itself from direct sunlight and creates a “parasol roof” which allows air flow to lower down the temperature inside the library and helps in heat dissipation. Indirect sunlight is partially allowed to illuminate the pre-entrance lobby.
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LANDSCAPE The design of the landscape follows environmental and cultural ethics, the orientation of palm trees at north and north west creates protection for the site against dusty winds, then after filtering the wind, it will increase its velocity because of the courtyard (plaza) which exists at a lower level with the water features and deep canyons around the library will create wind tunnels, all of which creates a refreshing atmosphere with a better air quality in the plaza and around the library. Splash water fountains are chosen to provide fresh water for evaporative cooling, instead of still water fountains that would quickly absorb heat and loses its refreshing effect. Ramps are used as a main vertical connection between different levels with a slope of 5% to guarantee same journey for the disabled, with adding stairs and staggered landscape as sitting areas and study. Arcades and walls are put with the palms and umbrellas to create a trio of shadow source, as the sun angle changes through the day, the three sources of shadow will play together at different solar angles to create shadowed areas, yet not fully shadowed to allow heat dissipation which is created by indirect solar radiation and prevents green house effect. Alleyways that are created around the library building will provoke the visitor’s curiosity to discover it, and it will also create a better microclimate as it creates wind tunnels with its deep canyons. 
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THE LIBRARY Transparency inside the library is created by adding double glazing walls between the library main reading hall with the new roof and the entrance hall to allow the roof’s daylighting to light the entrance hall, then another visual connection is created between the pre entrance lobby with a higher percentage of glazing that allows indirect sunlight to hit the interior limestone walls for a welcoming feeling. The conference hall is moved under the pre entrance lobby to allow visitors to discover the library itself, and a separate entrance at the right side is connected to the conference hall, while an entrance at the left side is connected to the female’s library’s services. Administration and mechanical rooms are located at basement level with connections from the entrance lobby to allow more space at ground level for library and public services.
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ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES How to reach indoor thermal comfort with climate change and keeping energy at lowest rates? The library building is protected against solar gains and infiltration (heat loss) by creating two parameters 1: a double skin, 2: High thick walls surrounding the library, this will add another layer of solar protection, also will create deep canyons that creates wind tunnels that would benefit the plaza and will enrich the landscape with discovery alleyways. Geothermal cooling/heating is a renewable resource for cooling/heating the building, this resource is unchangeable and stable even when temperature is increasing above ground. Geothermal cooling/heating is a mechanical ventilating system that uses evaporative cooling for ventilating the building, through pipes dug under earth’s level with 3-6 meters for a stable temperature fluctuation of 25.4 °C, which is the average annual temperature for Sakaka. Water will flow through pipes underground instead of chillers and then flow upwards to an air handling unit at basement floor to adjust humidity and compensate the 3.4 degrees difference needed for the library i.e. 22 °C and for a uniform distributed fresh air to the library indoor spaces. The double skin system will include the mechanical ducts, this will prevent heat loss before cool air reaches the indoor spaces. The pipes loop can be located under the parking space and underground between the palm trees, the alleyways, and the plaza.
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MATERIALS Local limestone is chosen as a main cladding material for the library’s external skin and internal cladding for the pre-entrance hall, entrance hall and reading hall for a sense of authenticity and history. For the landscape, local limestone, sandstone, granite are used. 
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KEEPING THE OLD BUILDING For minimising the construction cost, the old building’s skeleton is kept, yet some changes have been made. 1- An opening above the entrance lobby in the 1st floor slab is made for a double height entrance and a visual connection between the entrance and the library and benefiting from the roof’s daylight. 2- Demolishing the existing conference hall’s building and substitute it with the pre entrance hall and relocate the conference hall at the basement floor in the same new added building. 3- Demolishing the existing envelope (external skin and roof) and substitute the external skin with a double wall enclosing MEP ducts in between them and for a more tight building with lowest infiltration rate that slows down the rate of heat exchange between the inside and the outside. 4- Adding another wall 4 meters away from the library surrounding it with openings to the entrance and central plazas. 5- Adding fabric shading between the building and the surrounding walls, 6- Adding a horizontal extension of a 5.3 meters to the building overlooking the plaza. 7- Adding administration floor at basement will need excavation between the foundation and slab on grade to add this floor otherwise a demolishing of the whole building is needed.
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RELOCATING THE PARK LIBRARY For allowing more pedestrian movement and clearer vision for the park, the park library is moved to the west side of the park facing North East orientation and having a roof garden and accompanied with its own courtyard, for better daylighting, less heat gain and quietness. The park library is connected with the plaza with a ramp and stairs, and connected with the park through the palm promenade with stairs. 
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THE PARKING AREA The parking area is divided into three parts, first part at East which is near to the mosque, second one at West, and third one at East which is near to the library, this part is closed on quiet days to be used for pedestrians and opened on busy crowded days by automatic rising bollards to protect pedestrians from accidental contact. 
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