Project Statement

This project is aimed at designing an ideal residential model suitable for the hot and humid climate of Jeddah city. Subsequently, this residential model was thermally evaluated using the ENVI-met software and compared with the current situation of Jeddah's neighborhoods, and Al-balad district. The results demonstrated the thermal success of the proposed residential model, significantly outperforming the current neighborhoods and slightly surpassing the thermal performance of the old neighborhood. Additionally, the proposed neighborhood excels in meeting the contemporary needs of residents by providing larger outdoor activity spaces, accommodating a larger population, and incorporating modern transportation means such as cars and buses.

Project Narrative

Urban heat, which can become extreme in certain climates, is considered one of the deadliest threats facing cities today. Yet the degree to which human patterns of development and design may impact urban heat is widely misunderstood. Extreme urban heat directly impacts humans physically, culturally, socially, and economically, and its effects extend to the environment by exacerbating drought in surrounding areas and threatening wildlife.

In early 2021, the Saudi government began demolishing unplanned settlements in the city of Jeddah covering an area of around 32 million square meters. The initiative aims to create sustainable residential neighborhoods to enhance the quality of life for residents faced with high crime rates, poor infrastructure, and health risks. This project presents ample opportunities to reconsider the design of residential neighborhoods in Jeddah, with a primary focus on climate considerations.

The residents of Jeddah have been suffering from extreme urban heat in recent decades. This is due to the built environment in modern residential areas, where concrete buildings are widespread, along with wide asphalt streets due to reliance on cars and a lack of public transportation alternatives. Moreover, horizontal planning, which increases the distance between residents and their daily needs, and the absence of safe and shaded pedestrian pathways suitable for Jeddah's climate, force residents to use their cars for daily errands. This significantly affects the behavior of residents during hot seasons, as they tend to prefer going to air conditioned shopping malls instead of spending time outdoors in the city’s public spaces. Leading to a significant increase in the number of shopping malls over the past two decades, and a significant change in the use and importance of public spaces in the city. All these factors contribute to the increase in extreme urban heat and excessive energy consumption for building cooling, exacerbating the cost of bills, pollution, and heat in the city. Therefore, Jeddah, today, is considered a nocturnal city, as its residents prefer to enjoy their time during the night rather than the day, primarily this is due to the discomfort caused by external heat in the city.

After the demolition project, we now have a significant opportunity to reconsider the design of residential neighborhoods. By revisiting strategies that mitigate the effects of extreme urban heat in the literature worldwide and analyzing traditional precedents in Islamic and Arab cities with climates similar to Jeddah, an ideal residential model has been designed to significantly reduce the impacts of extreme urban heat.

Drawing from the design principles identified through literature review and precedent analysis, an ideal residential model was crafted to suit Jeddah's climate and the local culture, aiming to improve the outdoor thermal comfort for its residents, especially during the summer months. This took the form of a standard 120m x 200m city block intended to house 3800 people and accord with expectations around open space access and contemporary modes of mobility within Jeddah.

Once the residential block design was completed, it underwent testing and evaluation using the ENVI-met software. It was compared to the currently existing situation in similarly dense neighborhoods in Jeddah to determine its effectiveness in enhancing outdoor thermal comfort and mitigating the impacts of extreme urban heat.