Desert-inspired campus building in Riyadh honored for “new and cutting-edge design” in global awards program.
The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) School of Public Policy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, designed by HOK, has received an International Architecture Award in the Schools and Universities category. Organized by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, the International Architectural Awards program recognizes distinguished buildings, landscape architecture and urbanism worldwide.
KAPSARC is an advisory think tank specializing in global energy economics and sustainability. The postgraduate school is a hub where KAPSARC researchers, students, staff, faculty and visitors come together and collaborate. Located along the wadi, a seasonal watercourse that channels stormwater and cooler air, it anchors daily life on the campus and strengthens connections between the Research Center, community facilities and future development.
“We set the School between housing and research so that education bridges the gap between home and work,” said HOK Design Principal Roger Schwabacher, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. “Three lifted wings frame shaded courts, draw breezes across the ground plane and turn a walk along the wadi into places to meet and learn.”
Architecturally, three rectilinear wings rise over the wadi to create a sequence of shaded outdoor rooms. Signature program spaces, including the cafeteria, auditorium and daycare, appear as sculptural volumes at the ends of the bars, acting as social anchors within the landscape.
Inside, linear bars organize spaces along vertical atria. Bridges link the wings and provide bright collaboration zones with long campus views, reinforcing the School’s mission of openness and exchange.
The design emphasizes environmental performance. The building’s three wings are oriented with their main facades facing north and south. This limits solar heat gain while maximizing natural light. The northern elevations feature more glass, while the southern ones incorporate shading devices that block glare and direct summer sun.
The award was celebrated at The Chicago Athenaeum’s official Awards Gala Reception and Ceremony on Sept. 20, 2025, in Athens, Greece. The project also is included in “The City and the World” exhibition, which opened Sept. 19 at the newly expanded Contemporary Space Athens.