KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY CITY-KECDAR AL-OMRAN 1

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY CITY-KECHospitality Service Apartments Precinct - Plots N25, N26, N29 & N30Planning, Architectural & Engineering Service - Stage 1

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY CITY-KECDAR AL-OMRAN 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction1.1. Purpose and Vision1.2. How to use this Document 1.3. Local Area Plan Context

2.1. Purpose and Scope 2.2. Planning Controls

2.2.1 Land Use and Zoning 2.2.2. Access Strategy 2.2.3. Parking Strategy 2.2.4. Development Control Parameters (Plot Regulations)

X.1. Land Use Plan X.2. Maximum FAR Plan: Individual Plot BriefsX.3. Maximum Building Height Plan

3.1. Urban Design Vision 3.2. Planning and Urban Design Objectives 3.3. Architectural and Urban Design Strategies and Guidelines

3.3.1 Urban Design Guideline3.3.2 General Architectural Guideline3.3.3 Detailed Architectural Guideline3.4. Landscape Design Guidelines3.4.1 Landscape General Guidelines3.4.2 Softscape Design Guidelines: 3.4.3 Hardscape Design Guidelines: 3.4.4 Street Furniture3.5. Sustainability Guidelines

2. Planning Regulations

3. Design Guidelines

4. Administration and Procedures

Appendix: Parcels Framework Plans 66

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INTRODUCTION 01

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY CITY-KECDAR AL-OMRAN 5

1.1 Purpose and Vision

Knowledge Economic City (KEC) is organized into a series of local areas, each with their own character, ambiance and significance for achieving the master developers’ vision for KEC. Common design elements and features provide visual and physical design continuity, making each local area an integrated with the overall city.

Local Area Plans (LAPs) provide area specific planning regulations and design guidelines that will guide development of local areas towards the planned vision for the local area and KEC as a whole.

Blocks N25, N26, N29 and N30 are to be developed as an integral part of the Catalyst Core, and one of the first phases of the building of Knowledge Economic City (KEC), within the corresponding Master Plan. It will also showcase the quality of built form, public realm as well as character of KEC within Medina. The development of this precinct entails a plan for hospitality service apartments on land defined by plots N25, N26, N29 and N30.

The planning regulations and design guidelines contained in this LAP should assist in subsequent stages of the design and development of the precinct, in order to produce quality buildings and positive contributions to coordinated access arrangements and the public realm.

1.2 How to use this Document

This LAP report is divided into the following four parts, with each part informing or guiding a different aspect of the development process:

• Part 1 – addresses the vision for blocks N25, N26, N29 and N30 and the LAP’s relationship with the Development Regulations.

• Part 2 – provides the detailed framework of planning and land use regulations.• Part 3 – provides design guidelines, which inform the look and feel of blocks N25, N26, N29 and N30.• Part 4 – provides the administrative procedures guideline to be followed in the planning for blocks N25, N26, N29 and N30.

In addition, we have provided an appendix illustrating Parcel Framework

Plans, which highlight essential components of the plan, including a land use framework, the maximum FAR Plan and a Building Height Plan.

1.3 Local Area Plan Context

The boundary of blocks N25, N26, N29 and N30 Hospitality Serviced Apartment Precinct has been indicated within the land use plan for all of KEC (Figure 1.a), consisting of approximately 14 hectares of land, designated as Medium Density Residential / Commercial, for High Value Service Apartments, catering to pilgrims visiting Medina throughout the year. The location of the precinct corresponding to this plan, is closest to the Haram as it is geographically located at the northwest corner of the KEC project site and part of the Catalyst Core. The KEC Master plan also designates the blocks for an FAR of 2.5 (Figure 1.b), permitting a building height range of 6 to 8 stories (Figure 1.c).

The core’s Visitors Centre is designated to the south of the precinct. To the north-east, is the knowledge campus and museum complex, as well as a retail hub adjacent to it. Connections to these amenities integrating the precinct with the rest of the Catalyst Core District is key to this first phase of KEC. To the north-west of the precinct, a gated, low density villa community is currently being developed.

The Precinct Site Plan indicates the general layout of the precinct within the immediate context of the catalyst core, and has been illustrated in Figure 1.d (provided as part of the drawing package at a scale of 1:5000).

INTRODUCTION

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Figure 2.b: Access points to the Frontage Roads of the Precinct Figure 2.b: Access points to the Frontage Roads of the Precinct

Access to Frontage RoadsFrontage Roads

Access to Frontage RoadsFrontage Roads

Based on Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip generation methodology, the proposed project is expected to generate no more than 1,382 incremental trips (621 entering, 761 exiting) during the weekday morning peak and 775 incremental trips (387 entering, 388 exiting) during the weekday afternoon peak hour. On a daily basis, the proposed project is expected to generate no more than 12,908 incremental trips, (see the tables above).

By looking at the distribution of the generated trips in the AM peak hour (621 in trips and 761 out trips, it is concluded that there will be no negative impact on the surrounding road network ,because the streets have 2 lanes or more in each direction.According to the generated trips at the peak AM and PM hours the operating conditions (Performance) at the access points of the project would be at a good Level of Service (LOS). The proposed design would not accommodate any queue length especially at

the major road access point. This high level framework is accommodated within the provided right of ways, and is reflected in the ingress and egress both for site and underground parking, site circulation, pedestrian movement, considering segregation between public and private spaces, and described in the following pages.

The following are key features of the precinct’s, access and circulation concepts:

General Precinct Access:

There are four access points to the internal frontage roads of the neighborhood. One access is at the eastern major arterial type 2, the other three accesses are at the western and southern minor arterial roads (Figure 2.b).