Notes on building well.
Field notes, technical essays and thinking from the studio — on climate, coordination, delivery and the craft of detailing in the Kingdom.
Written by the FIKR team
Climate · 6 min read
Designing for Riyadh heat, before the air conditioning
Orientation, mass and shade do more for comfort than any mechanical system. How we set passive strategy before a single duct is sized.
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Digital engineering · 5 min read · June 2026
BIM that actually coordinates
A federated model is only useful if clashes are resolved by people, not filed as reports. How we run coordination weekly instead of quarterly.
Studies · 4 min read · May 2026
From brief to buildable: what a good feasibility study answers
Zoning, plot efficiency, cost per square metre and programme risk — the four questions a client should have answered before design begins.
Craft · 5 min read · April 2026
Detailing stone in a dust climate
Joint width, drip edges and fixing tolerance decide whether a façade looks precise in year ten. Notes from site.