One of Doha’s most impressive features is Education City, a sprawling complex on the outskirts of town that houses several U.S., U.K. and of course Qatar University. During my visit in February, I was wowed by the stellar architecture, beautiful public spaces and  unbridled enthusiasm that drifted through the complex’s open spaces.

Now student living will become more sustainable due to a new student housing complex that will open next year. The Qatar Foundation (which is behind the programs at Education City) project will feature solar panels generating energy atop parking structures, solar generated light bulbs, wind turbines, water recycling and key cards students must insert once they enter their rooms in order to access electricity. Most building materials will come from a 500 mile radius, and many of the buildings’ structures will be prefabricated, reducing waste and energy needed for construction. Naturally the facilities will score LEED certification.

With the effervescent Chris Silva leading this green building program, students will learn more about sustainability by context. Screens will flash red, yellow or green depending how daily energy consumption compares to the previous day, and students living within various floors will compete to gauge who can be the most energy efficient. Considering Qatar’s per capital carbon footprint, this will be a great start. This student housing project is one more reason why Qatar is becoming a leading Middle East and global sustainability laboratory.

Via The Peninsula, Gulf Times

Images courtesy Leon Kaye & Burns & McDonnell

Qatar, Doha, Education City, sustainability, green building, Qatar Foundation, Chris Silva, solar, water recycling, architecture, Chris Silva, energy efficiency, LEED, Qatar University

Rendering of new student housing complex at Education City

About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.