Msheireb Properties, Qatar’s leading sustainable real estate developer, has won the Sustainable Project of the Year and Sustainability Initiative of the Year awards during a function at the Construction Week Qatar 2013 Awards in Doha. In recognition of Msheireb Properties’ pioneering work in sustainable urban regeneration, the judging panel described Msheireb Downtown Doha as a “winning initiative that will make a positive contribution to the advance of environmental considerations in construction, while also demonstrating clear practical applications.”
Inspired by the vision of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Msheireb Properties, Msheireb Downtown is the world’s first sustainable regeneration of a downtown area in an urban environment. The aim of the project is to recapture Qatar’s heritage and architectural traditions that have been overlooked amid rapid development across the Gulf.
“We are absolutely delighted and extremely proud to have won the awards, especially as sustainability underpins all we are striving to achieve at Msheireb. On a company level, it shows that we are moving in the right direction through the development of Msheireb Downtown Doha and that our efforts to build a truly sustainable city have been recognised and appreciated,” said Abdulla Hassan al-Mehshadi, CEO of Msheireb Properties.
Sustainability is central to the Msheireb Downtown Doha project and sustainable principles have been fully integrated into its design: the preservation of existing heritage sites, the use of natural light and ventilation, the installation of photovoltaic solar panels and the efficient use of water and electricity.
By using these methods, Msheireb Properties is aiming to reduce energy consumption in Msheireb Downtown Doha by 32% once the project is complete.
Msheireb Downtown Doha is targeting an average Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certifications for all buildings within the development thus making Msheireb Downtown the project with the highest concentration of LEED certified buildings in the world.
The Construction Week Awards range across 16 categories and were set up to recognise and celebrate initiatives and companies which have achieved excellence and innovation in their field.