move towards energy efficiency .” Newtecnic has put its MEP principles to the test on high profile mission critical projects such as Riyadh ’ s King Abdullah Financial District Metro Station , designed by the late Zaha Hadid . “ The primary achievement is energy consumption close to that of a temperate climate ,” explains Watts . “ For a large railway station , the amount of glazing , incidental daylight and solar incident has been reduced through the detailed design of the building . We ’ ve provided shading over glazed openings so there ’ s an
adequate level of daylight , but we have drastically reduced solar load therefore the cooling load has been reduced significantly . The geometry of the building encourages that shrink wrap of spaces . The way the façade controls that heat and light is critical to the building ’ s success .”
Elsewhere , Newtecnic is working on a new office tower under construction in the Middle East , employing large areas of opaque concrete façades . “ We only allow light in where it ’ s needed ,” reveals Watts . “ The glazed facades feature a thin double skin build up where we have a 300mm
44 June 2018