ARB Bank, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ARB, the farmers' bank, was conceived as a series of earth-forms within an active farmland that will change with seasons. Cultivating the land amidst the desert landscape creates a strong sense of place and identity for the bank.

The project was launched in June 2002. The schematic design was completed in 2003 and construction completed in 2009.

In 2007, the ARB Bank project received an Emirates Glass LEAF Award for architectural innovation.

Rammed-earth contruction

The centrepiece of the project is a cistern, where water is collected, controlled and distributed. A 60m-tall monolithic rammed-earth cube rises from the cistern. The walls of the monolith act as a protective envelope against harsh Middle Eastern climatic elements such as sun, wind and sand, and urban conditions like noise and blast.

Rammed-earth construction, the technique of pounding moist earth into a formwork to create monolithic walls of earth, has been used for thousands of years. This traditional construction technique allows the use of inexpensive local materials in a thick walled system that maintains a high thermal mass leading to lower energy use. Within these protective earth walls an internal labyrinth of interconnected programme elements is located.

ARB Bank modern office typology

The project challenges the preconceived notion of office building typology by dividing its internalised office components vertically into three vertical precincts, yet weaving them back together with a complex tissue of open spaces.

The interlocked arrangement of the precinct creates a series of courtyards to maximise the interaction. A spiralling ramp runs along the monolithic walls, weaving together the interconnected courtyards and precincts.

The monolithic walls are penetrated by a sequence of "periscoping windows".

The periscoping window is an armature to control light and views, which allows one to see without being seen, a widely used concept in the Middle East in order to protect privacy. The windows create a phenomenal play of light and shadow, and allow intermittent glimpses of outside views.