The role of engineering consultation offices to achieve sustainable environmental built environments in Saudi Arabian context

Abstract

Abstract. In Saudi Arabia, scientific solutions for achieving a sustainable built environment tend to be initiated in engineering consultation offices. These address a client’s social requirements, as well as the regulations for project approval at both the urban and architectural level. This paper investigates how far the role of engineering consultation offices meets environmental requirements in relation to the regulations as well as fulfilling social needs. The study primarily employed an analysis of a survey of experts that included members of engineering consultation offices, and decision makers in the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, along with a number of academics working in the field of the built environment. The sample included sixty experts from various institutes, including engineering consultation offices, the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing and universities. The analysis focused on the quality of these projects’ outputs in relation to environmental requirements, as well as the clients’ influence on the final output of the project in relation to social needs. The findings reveal that clients tend to play a significant role in the final design of projects prioritizing social considerations. This also indicates that some engineering consultation offices need to orient their designs to take into account environmental issues, including demonstrating them through the application of simulation tools. The panel of experts evaluated several solutions for improving the environmental design of the Saudi built environment and the study concludes by offering recommendations for both engineering consultation offices and their clients.