Gulf Organisation for Research and Development founding chairman Dr Yousef Mohamed al-Horr, Standardisation Organisation of the Gulf Co-operation Council secretary general Nabil Amin Almullah and Ministry of Environment’s assistant undersecretary for laboratories Dr Mohamed Saif al-Kuwari at the agreement signing ceremony in Doha yesterday. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed.
By Joey Aguilar
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Codes and standards that will help lessen energy and water use as well as carbon emissions of buildings, especially those in urban areas in the GCC region, are to be developed, according to an agreement signed in Doha yesterday.
The agreement was signed by Qatar-based Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (Gord) and the Standardisation Organisation of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GSO). They also signed a memorandum of co-operation related to this.
The move is expected to help lessen the depletion of natural resources and promote the construction of green buildings.
GSO secretary general Nabil Amin Almullah and Gord founding chairman Dr Yousef Mohamed al-Horr signed the agreement at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in the presence of Ministry of Environment assistant undersecretary for laboratories Dr Mohamed Saif al-Kuwari.
Gord, a nonprofit subsidiary of Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, is a government organisation located at the Qatar Science and Technology Park. Its purpose is to promote healthy, energy and resource-efficient, and environmentally responsible building practices in Qatar and the Gulf region.
By attracting and building a professional network of local and international organisations, Gord provides support to the construction industry in aiming to accelerate the adoption, development and application of sustainable solutions within the building environment.
While Gord wants to make buildings resource and energy-efficient by their design, GSO has been formed to unify different standardisation activities in the region and draws comprehensive plans based on the needs and potentials of member states.
“Green buildings maintain an economical and environmental balance while establishing an urban identity unique to the Gulf region,” Dr al-Horr explained.
Part of the MoU includes training of staff based on the principles and methodologies of the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS).
Gord has also launched its first workshop for the Eco-Mark system during the ongoing annual GSO meeting which concludes tomorrow at the QNCC. A number of architects, engineers, designers and other professionals in the field of construction are attending.
The new system will be utilised to evaluate and assess building materials used in the Gulf region.
Dr al-Kuwari noted that GSAS would now be mandatory in the new Qatar Construction Specification Code set to be launched by the end of this year.
He felt that these kinds of meetings encourage stakeholders in the construction sector to follow international regulations including the Eco-Mark system.
He stressed that the construction of green buildings was not “complementary to the development of regular buildings but an alternative to it”. He believed that the green building industry needed to make a genuine partnership between the public and private sectors.