Tag: featured

Designed to Last: An Integrative Approach to Maintenance Systems

. This is the sixth in a series on the relevance of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) in architecture. In preceding posts, we explored the broad reasoning behind building maintenance, the three principle approaches, cost-effective means of implementation , and the importance of the building envelope. In part 5, we discussed the need to consider maintenance requirements during…

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KAFD and PIF Tower illuminated for Saudi National Day

. Riyadh’s new world-class financial district and its tallest structure, the PIF Tower designed by Omrania and HOK, were lit a brilliant shade of green, the national color, during Saudi National Day.   At times, architecture signifies the spirit of a nation. Omrania and HOK designed the PIF Tower, an 80-story skyscraper within the King…

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New photos highlight the KAFD Grand Mosque

. The KAFD Grand Mosque was designed by Omrania as a total work of architecture, art, landscape, and urban design. New photographs beautifully reveal some of the mosque’s key design features.   Until recently, the architecture KAFD Grand Mosque, inspired by the crystalline geometries of naturally occurring “desert rose” sand crystals, was only partially recorded…

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The Promise of Green

. In the fourth and final part of our series, we explore outcomes from the first 20 years of Sustainable design. Whilst the promise of green buildings was heralded as the new frontier in Architecture, we ask if the initial promise has been delivered, and how some of the initial shortcomings and failures in this…

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Hilton Riyadh Amenities And Public Areas Redefine Contemporary Hospitality

. Upscale restaurants, a sleek business and conference center, banqueting halls, a generous concierge lobby, indoor swimming pools, and an extensive fitness center are among the deluxe amenities and public spaces that distinguish the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences.   At the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences, 5-star hospitality goes beyond the comfort of the…

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Safe and Sound: The Need for Practicality in Maintenance Systems

. This is the fifth in a series on the relevance of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) in architecture. In preceding posts, we explored the broad reasoning behind building maintenance, the three principle approaches, cost-effective means of implementation , and the importance of the building envelope. Here in part 5, we look at how maintenance provisions need to…

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Radisson Blu offers distinctive public and amenity spaces

. From the entrance lobby to stylish lounges, restaurants, garden, and health and fitness spaces, the hotel offers numerous custom-designed attractions outside of the private guest rooms and suites.   The Radisson Blu Hotel & Residences, located within Riyadh’s exclusive Diplomatic Quarter, was always conceived as more than a collection of luxurious rooms. From the…

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Inside the Presidential, Royal and Bridal Suites at the Hilton Riyadh

. Exclusive, sumptuously designed suites provide the highest level of luxury hospitality at the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences.   Asked to design hospitality environments of unsurpassed elegance, Omrania and David Wrenn Interiors accepted the challenge of designing the Presidential, Royal, and Bridal Suites at the Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences. These lavish, exclusive suites…

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A new gateway development takes shape in Makkah

. Omrania is honored to serve as the lead design consultant for the new “KAAR Gateway” mixed-use development in Makkah.   Sited at a crucial juncture near the Masjid Al-Haram (Great Mosque), this six-building development stands at the edge of the King Abdul Aziz Road (KAAR) urban development project that will dramatically modernize Makkah. In…

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Omrania Directors Salute Team Members Working from Home

. Amid the pain and difficulties of the covid-19 pandemic, Omrania’s leadership team sends a message of hope and appreciation to our hard-working colleagues and staff members who continue working from home. “This is a thank-you note to all colleagues at Omrania for keeping work going through this worldwide crisis,” says Basem Al-Shihabi, Managing Director…

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SEC Headquarters Features High-Performance Building Envelope Design

. Conceived as a new model of energy efficiency and environmentally sustainable design in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) Headquarters includes a 1.2-megawatt rooftop solar array and a high-performance building envelope that minimizes solar gain while filtering daylight within the work environment.   From conception through construction, Omrania worked with the client, SEC,…

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Water, water, everywhere?

. In the third part of our four-part series, we explore the critical issue of water scarcity and how the built environment has contributed and might contribute less to the diminishing of our most precious naturally occurring commodity; not oil or gold, but water.   By: Marcus Leyland – Chief Architect   As an arid…

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