The goal of preserving and restoring the natural island's diverse mangrove habitat with its network of natural 'canals' became the inspiration for the design of the island landscape. The landscape scope consisted of continuous coastal walks, a marina, 4.5km of canals, three pedestrian bridges, over 20km of the streetscape, and a mix of open space amenities. Once complete, the new island city will be home to 55,000 residents.

Central Park lies at the center of the island. The winning park concept involved cooling the active areas of the park using passive techniques. Techniques included circulating cool water from the adjacent deep-water shipping canal to heat exchangers within the park. Cooler air is exhausted and settles naturally in sunken regions of the park. The park's design integrates a central road bridge, several pedestrian bridges, two understory parking levels, retail, restaurants, mosque, and civic buildings.

As the Middle East regional manager and business developer, Chris served as project manager and designer for Sorouh Real Estate's mega-development. As prime consultants for the public realm design, Chris managed a multi-disciplinary team of US and local architects and engineers.

After winning the international design competition, services included concept through to construction and bidding documentation.