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Basil, Frank E.
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AI Kharj Royal Saudi Air Force Complex (a.k.a. Technical University)

Files includes 411 drawings, 23 presentation boards, and 10 photographs. The A1 Kharj RSAF Complex provides facilities for the King Faisal Air Force Academy and Tactical Airlift squadrons that were stationed at Riyadh airport. The Complex was intended to become the central maintenance and supply depot for the RSAF. The site is in close proximity to the Damman-Riyadh railway and the AI Kharj-Haradh road which are the main arteries for transportation. The total area required for the plan is 52.3 hectares. Function was the governing principle for the design. Common academic facilities are clustered on the central uppermost plaza under the shading structures of the water towers. The residential blocks are oriented toward the richly landscaped side courts. The King Faisal Air Force Academy itself is a sand-coloured stepped pyramid, a form that is economical for the desert and accommodates a village density. The Academy is designed for 1,500 students and 300 faculty. The three colleges, along with their supporting religious, command, housing, recreational, athletic and support services, are contained in one large multi-levelled structure.

Air Defense Headquarters (a.k.a Air Defense Command Headquarters)

File includes 13 drawings (1 site plan, 7 plans, 2 sections, 2 elevations; 1 combination drawing: 1 section/elevation), 2 presentation boards (1 site plan, 1 plan I perspective), and 35 prints of model. The Air Defense Headquarters houses the Office of the Commander of the Air Defense Forces and his assistants, Research and Development, the Directorate of Planning Projects, Public Relations, the Finance, Military and Civilian Personnel Departments, to name a few. In addition, the Headquarters incorporates a mosque, barracks and a mess hall into its scheme. The site is approximately 4 hectares with walls bermed on all sides. This prevents water drainage into the Headquarters, as well as acting as a security wall. The site is divided into three zones: a service zone; a transitional zone, formally landscaped to create an appropriate entry for the Headquarter Building; and the platform zone, on which the building sits. A central spine divides the site in a north-south orientation, which also acts as an artery for all the shared facilities. The 20 250 m2 building is a limestone-clad stepped pyramid, taking full advantage of the desert light. Its height was restricted by the flight path of a nearby airport and consequently the gardens and entrance are below grade level. The roof is also stepped in form, a concrete shield sheltering an inner landscaped garden, which all administrative offices face.

Islamic University of Madinah

File includes 604 drawings, 33 presentation boards, 150 photographs, and 1 model of the entrance gate. The Islamic University of Madinah is distinguished both by its religious location and by the fact that it represents a centre for the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Islamic heritage. It is situated at the Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, an oasis town surrounded by the desert and the rocky mountains. The valleys are the source of its water supply. The 120 hectare site also incorporates existing buildings. The university campus is characterized by the integration of teaching and living spaces organized around a hierarchy of courts. The Mosque and Faculties occupy the centre of the campus. Low buildings, not exceeding four storeys, maintain a human scale. The main gate faces the City of Madinah and the axes of the buildings are aligned to acknowledge the religiously significant Qibla in Makkah. The prominent arrival court is landscaped with water fountains and gardens as a forecourt to the main Mosque. The residential buildings are clustered, as are the Faculty buildings, housing about 2 000 students in nine-person dwelling units. Covered pedestrian walkways link the facilities beyond the campus core, such as the sports facilities, faculty housing, and commercial districts. The architectural style is based on Islamic forms: simple massing, grouping buildings around courtyards, and orientation of individual components within buildings towards courtyards, which are a source of natural light, air, and visual relief. Courtyards, arcades around courtyards, and gateways to individual buildings are the repetitive elements found throughout the campus.