From the Chaco to Saudi Arabia: An Argentinian built a smart home near the desert and the Red Sea that received the world’s highest sustainability rating

Una constructora argentina culminó hace poco una casa tecnológica como pocas, qu’a su vez convirtió en la primera vivienda de Oriente con Certificación Platinum Leed (máxima qualification en sustentabilidad) y con la puntuación más alta internacional después de las obras qu’obtuvieron esta distinction en UNITED STATES.

It is a luxurious house built in Saudi Arabia, in an area close to the desert and the Red Sea, in Thuwal, 323 kilometers from the historic city of Medina (next to Mecca, the two “Holy Places” of the Islam) and 1,000 kilometers from Riyadh, the capital of the Saudi kingdom.

The door for the Yellow company to land in Asia opened shortly after the world learned that a pandemic, the coronavirus, was taking its first steps on the planet. Amarilla is led by engineer Ezequiel Miedvietzky, Argentinian entrepreneur from the Chaco and also an expert in finance. The architectural design of the house was designed by BMA, an architecture and urban planning agency based in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.

“The opportunity arose between late 2019 and early 2020 when we participated in a competition organized by KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, in Spanish, Rey Abdalá University of Science and Technology), a center for education located near Jeddah. One of the most prestigious institutions in the world. The competition was about being able to build the most sustainable and smartest house of the future,” Miedvietzky said.

They were awarded to lead the project and the construction of the Net zero home (i.e. a house with net zero carbon emissions) which has become an icon and obtained in 2022 the global sustainability award given by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), being the project with the highest sustainability score in history taking place outside of the United States.

On how the opportunity to build in Saudi Arabia was given, “it all started when we were invited to collaborate in the development and construction of houses and shortly after, at the Neom Experience Center, the city that recently presented the most revolutionary building in the world: The Line, which will be 200 meters wide, 170 kilometers long and 500 meters above sea level,” said Miedvietzky.

The so-called Net Zero Smart is an experimental house developed with KAUST University; seeks to “embrace nature” with the most advanced technology, to deliver a sustainable and smart, human-centered home.

Some technologies it includes are summarized below.

-Active geothermal energy: To support the air conditioning system, reduce consumption and improve performance. Among the professionals who carried out the project and with the engineering of Japan, they designed a system of 19 pipes buried up to 75 meters deep each. Within them circulates water which moves at very low speed in a system that consumes very little energy, it is cooled by the temperature of the earth and enters the system of the house which serves as the main air conditioning system.

– Passive geothermal energy: The temperature underground was much lower and with high humidity. They designed it using outside air that travels up to 50 linear meters 3 meters underground before entering the house, where the temperature is lower so that the air at the entrance is cooler . They managed to reduce the temperature by up to 4 degrees, without using energy.

-Generation of drinking water by the humidity of the air.

-Hot water generation thanks to solar panels.

-Low power consumption in the air conditioning system using geothermal energy.

– Infiltration irrigation to avoid evaporation by making the most of a scarce resource.

-Landscaping with native species, respecting the nature of the territory and reducing water consumption.

-Energy generation with photovoltaic glass panels.

-Energy generation with traditional solar panels.

– Energy storage and management by lithium batteries.

-Smart systemcontrolled and operated by 4 brains.

–Gray water system.

-Drone delivery system.

-Sensors of a diverse nature.

While the Argentinian company has its origins in the Chaco, where it is also often very hot, building in Saudi Arabia was a different challenge.

“We study each climatic component, from the ecosystem to its history, to understand how they lived thousands of years ago. To understand climate, you need to understand its context, the land, air and water. We study each variable and look for how to use it in a positive way. We investigated in Yadz (Iran) on the Badgir (wind sensors oh boring), which are characterized by this natural air conditioning system; we integrate them and combine them with new technologies,” Miedvietzky said.

To build the two-storey house (the execution of which required a projection of 7 months and 12 months of work) concrete structures were made, the same as in Argentina.

The design is always to thermally insulate the envelope from the outside, so that heat does not penetrate the concrete structure, as it is easily transmitted and then conducted to the house, causing excessive energy consumption.

The house is 650 m2, and later they will build other houses, still being analyzed, with 2, 3 and 4 rooms.

Amarilla’s development, engineering, and design team consisted of 12 people; they have worked with consultants and suppliers they have engaged in Spain, Germany, the United States, Colombia, Turkey, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Prices for houses like this start from around USD 2,000 per square meter and in luxury projects there are no limits: they can reach a cost of USD 10,000 per square meter.

“The ecosystem was used and we found very interesting variables to do so, such as the generation of water from the air through ambient humidity. The house is in one of the regions with the highest temperature and air humidity. We used it to design an innovative system with a company from Arizona (USA),” explained Miedvietzky. “It is, he says, a panel which, in turn, combines 2 solar panels and produces drinking water from the atmosphere. With energy the temperature of the central panel is reduced where the air condenses and collects the water droplets, we recover this water and through a pipe system it goes directly to the kitchen to supply the whole drinking water property. We produce up to 17 liters per day”.

About the shape Clever, the air conditioning operates using sensors that interpret the air temperature; lighting and curtains with sensors that adjust to the optimal level depending on the amount of natural light, it also detects when someone wakes up during the night and activates a dimming system so that if they want to go in the toilets it is not necessary to turn on all the lights; systems that integrate sound, games and also electrical appliances have been added. The ovens have a camera inside that allows you to see the cooking status of food from your mobile phone, among other things.

The exterior coverings were made with local natural products to reduce the carbon impact. They prioritized light colors because of their indices of refraction and isolation.

The structure is made of concrete, and is covered with a ventilated stone facade which allows insulation from the outside. The lenses have up to 3 layers with 2 air chambers.

Saudi Arabia is experiencing a building expansion process like never before. The most important projects are Red Sea Project, Al Ula, Qiddiya, Neom, Diriyah and many others. KAUST, as one of the most important and prestigious institutions in the region, is a fundamental player in implementing the guidelines and the future vision.

Amarilla with its Saudi partners carry out 5 important projects; mainly in the Al Khobar (Dammam) region and in Jeddah, but they also plan to build in Al Ula and Riyadh.

“The traditions are very similar to ours but with some differences. It is a culture where people visit the houses of relatives and friends a lot, so the living spaces are very important and large. In all the projects we design, there is a space called Majlis with a different layout of the armchairs where guests sit for hours drinking coffee, eating something and talking,” Miedvietzky added.

In parallel, they are also building in Argentina where they are working on a mega project that will be in Vicente López; in a synagogue and a community center in Palermo and in a building in Belgrano.

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