Darulaman Government Administrative Complex

Khatib & Alami (K&A) is undertaking a one-of-a-kind strategic development project with the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH) in Afghanistan. The Darulaman Government Administrative Complex (GAC) aims to decentralize major governmental activities from the city center by creating a suitable environment that will provide better accessibility, security and ease of operations. Kabul will see in the next years a salient governmental hub and a vibrant district that helps re-write a lost chapter of the city’s history and pins Afghanistan on the world map.

This grand multidisciplinary project is one of K&A’s most strategic and holistic projects.

The governmental hub is located at the foothills of Darulaman Palace, “the dwelling-place of peace”. The 1920s presidential palace that was left behind after political unrest is currently under renovation. The Darulaman GAC will touch Kabul’s identity and help reimagine the nation’s government renewal, modernization and its glorified past.

K&A made ample room for a close collaboration with the client and other consultants working in Kabul for the definition of the project’s guiding principles and success factors.

Spanning a site of 1 million m2 with a 1.5 million m2 built-up area, this grand multidisciplinary project is one of K&A’s most strategic and holistic projects, as it involves rigorous efforts in master planning, architecture and building services, landscape design, transportation planning and infrastructure design (water and wastewater, irrigation, hydrology, power and telecommunication).

Guiding principles

- Mixed-use governmental district: Promote a 24-hour secure and lively mixed-use neighborhood where people work, live, and play
- Integration with surrounding: Preserve the existing urban fabric and interface with surrounding uses (Educational, Administrative, Commercial, Governmental, Residential & Planned Areas)
- Sustainable development: Encourage and promote sustainable design approaches to ensure the resilience of the complex and its adaptability to changing natural and man-made conditions
- Clear identity of public realm: Develop a generous and interconnected network of open spaces that can host a variety of activities for the Kabul population
- Pedestrian-oriented: Design the neighborhood at human scale, promote walkability and capitalize on the area’s strategic positioning in terms of public transit
 

The master plan has a strong and bold identity, it is a landmark development and it shows a statement of a civic center. It is cleverly designed and brilliant. This is a legacy project, a once in a lifetime development, and it should expand to the rest of the city.” H.E. Sadat Naderi, - Minister of Urban Development and Housing, Afghanistan.