Abstract
The paper investigates and analyses the urban design of the Albaha University campus from an economic and environmental perspective. With coronavirus pandemic, the education protocol, precautionary measures and social distance have been applied in order to achieve safety environment within the university boundary. The study analyses the university campus design in light of sustainable requirements, social distance protocol, employment of natural resources and application of urban sustainable design criteria. Regional urban planning and development needs to include attraction factors to boost the economy and trigger reverse migration. Establishing a university in the region helps significantly in terms of local urban growth but environmental aspects including energy conservation and management should also be considered for environmental reasons. The approach used in this study involved: (a) an environmental site analysis including an analysis of natural resources such as the wind, solar energy and annual rainfall to determine how such resources can be employed in the operation of the university; (b) a site visit survey analysis to investigate the sustainable use of the current facilities and open spaces of the university campus and the application of on-site renewable energy; and (c) a SWOT analysis to determine the role of the university in the local economy system. The urban sustainable design and possibility of using landscaping, shading devices, and solar radiation systems was investigated through building plans and a site visit to the campus. In addition, the form and fabric of the academic buildings was investigated to identify the application of shading devices, the windows design and use of insulation. The study highlights the fact that many buildings are still under construction while other buildings are still currently on plan. The paper concludes by giving some recommendations from an economic and environmental perspective.
Highlights
The Albaha region is characterised by its cooler climate, its agriculture [1] and its significant role in the tourism sector of Saudi Arabia [2]
Albaha is rich in natural resources and minerals compared with the other provinces of Saudi Arabia where the tourism and agriculture have a great impact on the local economy
This paper investigates and analyses the urban planning and design of the Albaha University campus, its open spaces and facilities, its building mass in terms of the climatic conditions, the potential employment of natural resources to partially operate its facilities and the role of the university and its facilities within the local economy and society
Summary
The Albaha region is characterised by its cooler climate, its agriculture [1] and its significant role in the tourism sector of Saudi Arabia [2]. Albaha is rich in natural resources and minerals compared with the other provinces of Saudi Arabia where the tourism and agriculture have a great impact on the local economy. The establishment of the Albaha University in 2006 was an important step in the development of the region as it helped contribute to the local economy. It prevented local migration but contributed to reverse migration that resulted in urban growth and development and encouraged local investment. To date there has not been an assessment of the university’s design based on the local climatic conditions and challenges, or its contribution to the region’s economic development and its performance in terms of the competition provided by the universities in nearby regions
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