King Abdullah Convention Center

This massive, state-of-the-art complex consists of several hundred planting panels joined to form a living roof. The panels were filled with native grasses to blend in with the local landscape and minimize irrigation water requirements. 

The irrigation design was created to work in an environment with temperatures that would cause standard pipe to melt. Municipal reclaimed water supply was used for irrigation, using braided silicone tubing. The drip system drains into storage tanks for reuse after each watering cycle to prevent water left in the pipe from superheating and damaging plant material. Water is also run through a chiller before going to the plants. The entire system was designed to be controlled by a two-wire central control system complete with soil moisture sensors to efficiently regulate irrigation cycles. 
Because every panel has a different exposure, slope, and elevation, dozens of soil moisture sensors were specified to feed detailed information to the computerized irrigation control system. Irrigation runtime is to be calculated based on actual soil conditions in each of the planted panels. The project will meet LEED Platinum certification. The building also features extensive green walls throughout the interior, helping to bring the landscape inside.