Megan Holder
Megan Holder is a LEED® Accredited Professional and Associate with the HOK Planning Group, a division of HOK that focuses on master planning, landscape architecture and urban design projects throughout the world. Holder received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Texas A&M University, and since joining the firm, has worked on projects ranging from thousand acre master plans for new cities and universities to detailed landscape architecture projects for streetscapes and community gardens. Her specific specialty is in large scale master planning projects for colleges and universities, including extensive experience in the Middle East + Asia. Holder was one of the integral team members for the planning and landscape strategy on KAUST. From the initial concept phase, which began in October 2006 through its completion in September 2009, she was dedicated to the creation of this state-of-the-art LEED Platinum campus and supporting environment.
Case Study: KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science + Technology): A Lesson in Bridging the Gapbetween Tradition + SustainabilityKAUST is a new international, graduate-level research university established to drive innovation in science and technology and to support world-class research in areas such as energy and the environment. The 6.5-million square foot, university and new town for 10,000 – 12,000 was built on a picturesque 3,200-acre site along the Red Sea on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, near Jeddah.
KAUST's new campus is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's first LEED certified project and the world's largest LEED Platinum project.
The design team responded to a set of extraordinary challenges. In the context of an extremely hot, humid climate, they were asked to create a low-energy, highly sustainable project. The team was challenged to create a contemporary work of architecture that would resonate with the global scientific community while being firmly rooted in local Saudi culture. Finally, the team was asked to design an institution of the highest physical quality at a historically unprecedented speed – from conception to completion in just three years. Because the research and development of renewable resources drives KAUST’s research agenda, sustainable development is integral to KAUST's overall mission. By integrating sustainable measures into the site planning, the community, the building design and the campus operations, the university is demonstrating new ways to build in the region and promoting responsible stewardship of the environment.
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