Urban design and landscaping is complex no matter what the project. To be successful, it has to blend planning, landscape architecture and civil engineering with a macro and micro understanding of the local environment. When it comes to a giga-project on the Red Sea coast and its newly launched concept, ‘Coral Bloom’, the challenges become even more multifaceted and intricate. With this in mind, we spoke to Ian Williamson, Chief Projects Delivery Officer at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), to find out more about this groundbreaking project.
Saudi Projects Magazine: If a member of the public asked what you were trying to achieve in terms of urban design and landscaping on The Red Sea Project, how would you answer them in 25 words or less?
Ian Williamson: Our aim is to blend human ingenuity with The Rea Sea’s pristine natural environment, to achieve unique outcomes while preserving and enhancing the natural environment.
SPM: How would you describe the general philosophy of the urban design and landscaping stratagem?
IW: The Red Sea Development Company is committed to a regenerative approach to tourism – protecting and enhancing the destination has been our philosophy from day one. We create designs and plans that don’t just avoid harming the environment but aim to actively enhance it for generations to come, as part of our commitment to delivering a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040. This approach runs through all stages of the project, including our original master plan and future design and landscaping work.
For instance, our ‘Coral Bloom’ concept, created by lead architect Foster + Partners and located on our main hub, Shurayrah Island, was designed to blend with the island’s pristine natural environment. Biodiversity considerations take centre stage, with the plan designed to avoid disruption of the island’s landscape, mangroves and other precious habitats, and provide natural defences from erosion and rising sea levels. Through landscaping work, new habitats will also be created to enhance the island’s natural state.
SPM: What brief was given to architects/designers, and how do you work with them to get the best outcome?
IW: We wanted the final Coral Bloom concept to be inspired by the beautiful nature of the island, and we worked closely with Foster + Partners to turn that vision into a reality.
Shurayrah Island is the gateway to The Red Sea Project, so it’s important that it sets the standard in groundbreaking architecture and sustainable design. We want our guests to be awed by what they see when they first arrive at The Red Sea Project, and we believe our plans will deliver just that.
We select partners who are aligned with our vision for sustainability; Foster + Partners understand our ambitions for the destination, not only aesthetically but from a sustainability perspective, and we’re continuing to work collaboratively to achieve our goals.
SPM: What influences are being tapped into in a design sense?
IW: The Red Sea is a rich and unspoiled area of extraordinary natural beauty and diversity. The site encompasses an archipelago of more than 90 pristine islands, beautiful coral reefs, sweeping desert dunes and dramatic landscapes that include volcanoes, lagoons and canyons. We are using this stunning natural environment as our inspiration for our designs throughout the destination.
For our Coral Bloom designs, we took inspiration from the incredible flora and fauna found uniquely in Saudi Arabia, and this is what the final designs were based on.
As the vision for Shurayrah is based on enhancing the island’s natural state and providing an immersive barefoot luxury experience for guests, the hotels are designed to give the impression that they have always been there among the dunes. The island’s natural perimeter landscape will be enhanced to dramatic effect with all 11 hotels and villas nestled within landscaped dunes. The use of low-rise buildings will ensure the spectacular vistas remain uninhibited, while creating a sense of mystery for guests as the island slowly reveals itself.
SPM: How will renewable energy be utilised?
IW: Our ambition is to be the region’s first tourism destination powered solely by renewable energy, 24 hours a day. For context, a tourism project of this size, powered solely by renewable energy, has never been achieved on this scale anywhere in the world.
To help achieve this, at the end of 2020, we awarded our largest contract to date to an international consortium led by ACWA Power to design, build, operate and transfer The Red Sea Project’s utilities infrastructure. Under the agreement, we will be creating the world’s largest battery storage facility to guarantee the provision of renewable energy from solar and wind sources 24 hours a day. This, in itself, represents a saving in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere of around half a million tonnes per year.
This is an incredible milestone for us. Powering the destination with 100% clean and renewable energy will dramatically reduce our impact on the environment and set the standard for what can be achieved for future destinations.
SPM: How will the development affect the eco-system?
IW: We have taken active and measurable steps to minimise the potential impact caused by our activity at the site. Close collaboration with our partners and investment into smart construction techniques like off-site manufacturing will continue to assist in protecting the local environment.
Before construction even began, we partnered with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to deliver an ambitious Marine Spatial Planning simulation (MSP) to map out conservation areas at our site. The entire destination was divided into grids, and each grid was given a conservation value. As a result, only 22 of the 90 plus islands in our archipelago will be developed with nine designated as special conservation zones.
Shurayrah was one of the islands deemed suitable for development. However, we are still determined to ensure that there is as minimal disruption as possible to marine habitats, and as such, we have also adapted our marine construction techniques. Night-time working is minimised in order to preserve the extremely sensitive ecological environment of coral, nesting birds, nesting turtles and other species. The aim is to reduce noise and light disturbance above and below water to avoid confusing the wildlife. While we work, we always maintain vigilant visual inspection in the water for turtles and other mega-fauna to avoid potential collisions.
SPM: What materials will be used on Shurayrah Island to ensure sustainability and environmental awareness?
IW: We will use lightweight materials with a low thermal mass that are manufactured off-site, meaning more energy-efficient construction and less impact on the environment. These techniques and materials help us to deliver on our commitment to preserving and enhancing the Red Sea’s pristine environment.
Additionally, we are using green concrete where possible, which has a lower carbon footprint when compared to the standard product. Using green concrete reduces the CO2 emissions significantly, from 0.96 kg/ton to 0.11 kg/ton, respectively. Given the scale of development at the project, site-wide use of this product has the potential to make a significant overall impact on the destination’s environment.
Last year, we partnered with concrete experts, AlFalah Ready Mix, to supply the destination with structural low-carbon concrete, manufactured using recycled raw materials. This partnership is well underway and is currently producing around 1,200 cubic meters of concrete per day.
The designs aim to use timber and other sustainable materials, which are not only more sustainable but are inspired by local traditions and create natural, earthy, low-carbon buildings. The idea is also to provide good thermal insulation using materials that will age gracefully.
Delivering a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040
We have signed over 500 contracts to date, worth some SAR 15 billion We’re leaving 75% of our island archipelago untouched
The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and over 1,000 residential properties
SPM: Can you explain what is meant by ‘regenerative tourism’?
IW: All too often, tourism has been disruptive for destinations, negatively impacting its inhabitants’ well-being and the natural environment’s conservation status. TRSDC believes that nature is the world’s most important asset, and we all have a part to play in protecting it.
Regenerative tourism is the commitment to implement policies that don’t just minimise harming the environment, but which actively enhance it. We believe that protecting the environment is no longer enough, and we need to contribute to its regeneration. This includes local, natural and cultural assets as well as the quality of life of local people. This is why the company has pledged to contribute a 30% net conservation benefit by 2040 to not only protect but actively enhance the local area.
SPM: How are things progressing at present?
IW: This is a huge project and considering its size and our strict regenerative approach, we are pleased that we have made an incredible amount of progress in a very short space of time.
The Red Sea Project has already passed significant milestones, and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022 when the first hotels will open. The remaining hotels planned in phase one will open in 2023. Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea Project will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and over 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The destination will also include luxury marinas, golf courses, entertainment and leisure facilities.
We have signed over 500 contracts to date, worth some SAR 15 billion ($4 billion). Around 70% of the total value of key contracts has been awarded to Saudi firms, and we are committed to boosting the domestic economy in line with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s long-term plan for economic diversification.
The Landscape Nursery, the largest in the region at one million square metres, is fully operational and set to provide over 15 million plants required to landscape the destination.
There are more than 5,000 workers currently on-site, and more than 70km of the planned 80km of new roads are now complete.
We received our first off-site manufactured (OSM) units in 2020 to provide homes and amenities for employees at the Coastal Village when the first phase of the destination opens. Our Construction Village, capable of housing some 10,000 workers and designed to set new standards in worker welfare, is open.
SPM: What has been the biggest challenge in the area of urban design and landscaping?
IW: Our commitment to go beyond sustainability and set new standards in regenerative tourism often requires a more complex way of working to ensure we are preserving and enhancing the natural environment for generations to come. We’re leaving 75% of our island archipelago untouched, with the aim of achieving a 30% net conservation benefit in the next two decades. These are bold ambitions and no mean feat for a project of this size.
We are developing a regulatory framework that comprises of innovative policies and strategies to facilitate our ambitious sustainability and regeneration commitments. This includes the regulation of fisheries, removal of invasive species in the area, conservation zones and the expansion of green and blue habitats to encourage regeneration and carbon sequestration.
We have undertaken many studies on the use of pesticides, herbicides and controlled irrigation methods to ensure landscaping meets our regenerative tourism vision.
Many of the world’s leading landscape architects, local academic institutions and KSA Government (MEWA) have worked collaboratively with TRSDC to establish a plant palette and landscape design that are aimed to optimise the use of water.
Additionally, the remote nature of the project’s location and lack of basic infrastructure has posed challenges for us as we look to progress with our development plans, whilst ensuring we protect our natural environment at all costs. As such, we’ve invested heavily in innovative construction methods such as off-site manufacturing. This consists of building units in a modular fashion off-site in Saudi Arabia or beyond, and then transporting them to the project site for final assembly. The technique not only boosts efficiency and quality but also helps us reduce the number of people on the ground and the human impact on the natural environment.