Let me explain
HOK designed the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology campus on the Red Sea as one connected meta-building: 27 buildings and 511,000 m2, designed and built in just under 30 months. A monumental roof inspired by the Bedouin tent spans the buildings, shading the facades and the pedestrian spine and helping natural ventilation, and is covered with solar panels. Solar-powered wind towers, inspired by the traditional Arabic house, passively create airflow in the walkways. A mashrabiya-like shading system protects windows and skylights from heat. The campus achieved LEED Platinum and was the world's largest LEED Platinum project at the time of certification. Would you rather shade a campus with one large roof, or shade each building on its own?