Delegates from the second annual American Institute of Architects (AIA) Middle East Conference on Saturday received a guided tour of Education City, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development’s (QF) signature development.
The tour offered visitors a unique insight into the architecture of the campus, while highlighting QF’s commitment to quality, diversity and sustainability.
Held in Doha for the first time, the two-day AIA Middle East Conference was partially sponsored by QF. Bringing together industry specialists and government officials from around the region, delegates took part in a series of briefing sessions and informative panel discussions.
Ameena Ahmadi, technical director at QF’s Capital Projects, delivered a presentation titled ‘Type and Diversity within Education City’s Architecture’, which gave a comprehensive overview of QF’s flagship development highlighting some of its signature buildings, including the Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Hamad Bin Khalifa University Student Centre, the new Qatar National Library building and the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Education City Mosque. The presentation also showed how Qatari heritage has been reflected and re-interpreted in QF’s built environment through its different projects.
Ahmadi also discussed the overall design process, saying: “Qatar Foundation is committed to high-quality architecture and regularly invites high-calibre architects to contribute to Education City. Reciprocally, architects and students of architecture from all over the world have visited to learn more about what is being done here.”
“Education City is certainly recognised regionally and internationally and is also highly regarded nationally by various authorities as a model and catalyst for development.”
AIA Middle East is one of the largest chapters outside the US. Additional speakers included Mohamed Ali Abdullah, a cultural adviser, who discussed the Souq Waqif renovations, and Hiroshi Okamoto, a partner at OLI Architecture, who gave a presentation about the Museum of Islamic Art.
