CambridgeSeven set out to source materials that could bring its vision for a public gathering place, a 40,000 square foot atrium on the sprawling desert campus of the CBA, to life. The materials would need to withstand extreme desert temperatures that fluctuate between a frigid 4 degrees Celsius and a steaming 48 degrees Celsius, offer natural daylight and circulate cool air over a campus the size of New York’s Empire State Building rotated on its side.

The design called for white light to diffuse deep into the space, imparting the feeling of an expansive outdoor garden. Smart classrooms surround the atrium to maximize student and faculty interactions between classes as they pass through the core of the university. The open, airy location also offers students exposure to natural daylight while they socialize and relax between classes.

“The CBA atrium features an enormous sawtooth skylight inspired by Greek agora — an ancient public space — but designed for air control in hot climates like Kuwait,” Marc Rogers, CambridgeSeven Principal, said. The skylit central atrium is the heart of the building where informal interactions between faculty and students and community fosters the exchange of ideas.

During the design, CambridgeSeven established four
overarching performance goals for this project:

• Bright and controlled daylighting using external façade shading
  devices
• Strategic use of engineered light-diffusing elements
• Thermal performance
• LEED-certifiable sustainability

CambridgeSeven selected the Advanced Glazings Solera®, an engineered daylight diffuser that transforms raw sunlight into soft, gentle, practical daylight that fills an entire space. Solera® allows natural daylighting while providing high thermal performance, giving the benefits of natural light without the glare.

Advanced Glazings Ltd. is proud to have worked with CambridgeSeven and our partner, Future Glass, in Dubai on the Kuwait College of Business Administration complex, completed in 2018. The result is an amazing occupant experience with beautiful, diffused natural daylight for the more than 4,000 students and 820 faculty members on site. The Kuwait College of Business Administration Women and Men campuses comprise a total area of 850,000 sq ft and obtained a LEED Silver certification.

Click here to read more about our Solera Engineered Daylight Diffusers