CATEGORY :

DESIGN

LOCALISATION :

SAUDI ARABIA

PROGRAMME :

MIXED-USE RESIDENTIAL

PHASE :

CONCEPT TO TENDER

SOFTWARE :

REVIT

SKETCHUP

AUTOCAD

PHOTOSHOP

ILLUSTRATOR

INDESIGN

NAVISWORKS

POWERBI

Modular Island

НKR designed the 60 residential buildings, from concept through tender stage, forming the largest modular residential project in the world. The project comprises seven volumetric typologies and six façade variations, balancing construction efficiency, architectural expression, and diversity at the scale of the masterplan.

Located within the masterplan designed by ВIG for a new industrial city and global trade hub, this island district develops a mixed-use community bringing together housing, hospitality, retail, sports facilities, a school, and a healthcare center. The residential units are based on a standardized module of 4.50 m x 7.20 m, enabling one- to five-bedroom apartments with precise off-site manufacturing, enhanced safety, and increased efficiency in construction processes.

Masterplan colour

07

volume variations

06

façades variations

48

module variations

Module variations

60

apartment variations

Apartment variations

As Block Lead, I oversaw the design development for certain buildings in Revit and coordinated the various disciplines through to the tender stage. This phase aimed to translate the masterplan into buildable modular proposals by defining the key spatial, technical, and economic parameters at the project scale.

As a modular project, assembly logic was integrated from the earliest design stages. For each of the seven façade typologies, assembly strategies were developed to maximize off-site prefabrication, defining interfaces, tolerances, and sequencing to ensure efficient and consistent implementation at the scale of the masterplan.

I contributed to the early façade studies by developing mock-ups and material research in coordination with suppliers, in preparation for a three-day client workshop during which key decisions were made. The typologies were then developed into coherent construction systems, integrating junctions, modular interfaces, and materials, with particular attention to tolerances and buildability.

During the detailed design and tender phase, consultations with modular contractors enabled the development of a fabrication-ready, agnostic system. Prototypes were used to test buildability and align design intent with prefabrication constraints, contributing to an approximate 30% cost reduction.