SUMMARY

The Riyadh Metro Project provided me with invaluable exposure to the transport sector and strengthened my skills in effective communication, collaborating on a multi-disciplinary level, working directly with project managers, service consultants and internal teams located around the world. With people contributing to this complex multi-station project around the clock, communication, coordination and exceptional project management was the key to its success. Maintaining strong business relations through strategic planning and appropriate design solutions was also heavily focused on which gave me further insight into business development aspects of architectural practice.

Throughout the course of my contract I was involved in weekly coordination meetings, documentation of the median structures, proposing design options, compiling client presentations and collaborating within a multi-national environment. Being immersed in a diverse array of disciplines, skillsets and priorities created an incredibly inspiring, collaborative atmosphere which allowed my personality and passions to thrive. Working in such an active, fast-paced and stimulating design environment has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career development. Aligning this experience with my own goals, I am passionate about continuing to contribute to large scale projects which have a significant impact on shaping every day life in our growing cities. 

With each department focused on their goals and expectations, their micro-vision of immediate tasks always stayed connected to the macro-vision of achieving Arup's unified goal; to provide Riyadh with a world class transport system that is elegant, culturally relevant and easy to navigate. This level of interconnected aspiration and strong-willed purpose resonated with my holistic design framework to achieve inclusive, meaningful outcomes for all. I truly believe that the exceptional quality of work and dedication that Arup has put into servicing the people of Riyadh, will open up so many opportunities within the city for people and businesses to flourish, thanks to this much needed access to transport and infrastructure development.

Above is an example of the impact of service coordination to the lowering of the median structures. The lowering of these structures also had a favourable reaction from the client due to minimising material costs.

Various vent configurations and cladding treatments were discussed as design options with the client in response to their budget and visual brief requirements. The simplistic design which still conveyed their connection to geometric shapes and shades of gold was the most cost effective solution. However, the angles of the second two options caught their eye in relation to conveying a sense of movement and transition along the streetscape. Transparency across the street and the surrounding area was my main concern as obstructed visibility would hinder the sense of safety and wayfinding of the user. In response to this, we explored various design options for gold powdercoated steel wrapping at intervals over certain vents and perforated cladding for enhanced visibility where appropriate.

Artist's impression of perforated MS cladding