Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) will begin moving in December to its new building. The shifting to the four-storey, over 500,000sq ft building, is scheduled for completion on January 2, 2017.
NU-Q has been housed at the Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar building since it established programmes in the Education City in 2008.
The new building was recently awarded a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, a mark of quality and achievement in construction. Specifically, it recognises buildings that are healthier, more productive places that also reduce stress on the environment by encouraging energy and resource-efficiency.
The building, designed by the internationally renowned architect, Antoine Predock, combines contemporary design with cutting-edge technology, in an environmentally-friendly facility.
The structure is inspired by the region’s desert landscape, and embodies subtle elements that express Qatari culture, climate, and location. The Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects Directorate oversaw the construction and completion of the building.
It is also designed to facilitate the functions and purposes of a modern school of media and communication - global and digital in all of its concerns. Some of its main features include: three video production studios, two 150-person lecture halls, a world-class multimedia newsroom, a two-storey research library, as well as an in-house museum, The Media Majlis at NU-Q.
“It has been five years since we broke ground for the new building and it has taken significant team work to get this building completed. When finished, it will be the premier journalism and communication school in the region. In fact, with its state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, it could be argued that it will be one of the finest in the world,” said Everette E Dennis, dean and CEO of NU-Q.
NU-Q’s students will have access to a black box theatre, where they can build their own sets and film short videos.
They can also use various film screening rooms, and a sound effects studio to produce their work. NU-Q’s undergraduates will also have access to cutting-edge filming equipment and editing programmes to create high-quality films, documentaries and news shows.
For journalism and broadcast students, the newsroom will define their experience as undergraduates. The interactive space will enable students to learn how to run entire news shows and simulate correspondent reporting scenarios. The space is fitted-out as a real news studio with access to live newswires and a fully decked-out control room.
Another distinct feature in the building will be a three-storey tall multimedia screen with grids that will allow for multiple displays – including international news channels, visiting lectures, and student and faculty videos.
The LEED certification was awarded by the US Green Building Council, an organisation that identifies buildings that are resource efficient, use less water and energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The required number of points to achieve a LEED Gold rating is 39 and NU-Q’s new building has scored 41 points in total.
The building complies with multiple LEED categories related to sustainable sites including: water efficiency, energy conservation, material selections and indoor environmental qualities.
Some of its sustainable components are the building’s proximity to existing community services and pedestrian access to public transportation, the landscaping of vegetated open spaces and roofs, a highly-efficient irrigation system that reduces water consumption by 50%, and the use of regional materials in its construction wherever possible.
A view of the new building of Northwestern University in Qatar.
