At the end of August, I traveled to Dubai and Saudi Arabia for two projects we're working on with FX Fowle Architects. This, having been my first trip to the Middle East, was an incredible experience. Our team presented both projects to several client groups, took a tour of the souks in Riyadh, and ate iftar dinner every night after fasting for Ramadan. In Dubai, we visited the newly opened Burj Khalifa; the tallest building in the world [2,717 ft].

For these projects we are working with a large interdisciplinary consultant team in New York and Dubai, designing two urban landscapes in this harsh desert environment of the King Abdullah Financial District. We are at the tail end of a very fast design process in which we are creating custom stone benches and planters and working with native plants to represent the diverse plant life of the region. – Martin Barry