Gulf Consult, established in 1967, under Eng. Ali Al Harbi’s leadership has evolved over four decades into a premier engineering firm, delivering landmark projects across Saudi Arabia. With a talented team, its focus remains on innovative, sustainable, and high-quality solutions. Bader Al Najada, a Senior Design Architect at Gulf Consult in Kuwait, brings extensive experience from leading firms, including SSH Design, Tbu, and BDP. A University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumnus, he is shaping innovative architectural solutions. The National Bank of Kuwait Children’s Hospital, that they constructed, won an International Architecture Award for 2025.
GDN: Can you describe some key qualities of the project?
Bader Al Najada: The project is the National Bank of Kuwait Children’s Hospital. One of the main qualities is a child-friendly design, which transforms an environment typically associated with potential harm into a space remembered with joy and happiness. It creates a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere where any discomfort and pain are overshadowed by positive and warm memories.
GDN: Can you share with us what sets your architectural film apart from others in terms of design philosophy?
Bader Al Najada: The architecture can be understood through two main aspects: the building’s mass and the overall master plan. We carefully considered the perspective of a child within the hospital, focusing on what they would see from their rooms. This guided the framing of the building’s mass to create specific views toward the outside. The design draws inspiration from a child’s scribbles, characterized by soft and spontaneous lines. By integrating these rhythmic lines with color, the design envelops the hospital, communicating a message to architects about the relationship between form and function. Our philosophy was to create a form that comes out from the spirit of the project and its users, embodying the principle that form follows function and function follows form.
GDN: Can you tell us how receiving the award impacted your professional approach?
Bader Al Najada: The award not only impact my professional approach but also gives me courage and provides encouragement to keep going in my design work. It reinforces my determination to continue exploring architecture and to contribute meaningful and improved architectural solutions to society, particularly benefiting families. Furthermore, it offers visibility and exposure to the architecture we are currently developing.
GDN: How do you envision the future of architecture in relation to urban development and technology?
Bader Al Najada: Architecture must embrace all advancing technologies. Urbanism has always been an integral part of architecture, and maintaining its connection remains essential. However, technology is evolving rapidly, including advancements in AI and sustainability. What was once just a concept in sustainability has now become perceptible through elements like signals, building blocks, and façades. The next step for architecture is to adapt these technologies and incorporate them into the architectural language itself.
