Doha-Qatar 8 December: In its quest to promote and implement sustainable environment construction and practices, the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) and BARWA & Qatari Diar Research Institute (BQDRI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 8th 2010, in the QGBC Headquarters to advance the knowledge on green buildings.

A milestone in the path of green and environment-friendly development, the MOU was signed by Eng. Issa Al Mohanndi, QGBC Chairman and Dr. Yousef Mohamed Al-Horr, BQDRI"S Chairman & Managing Director. The agreement will establish mechanisms enhancing knowledge on sustainability through dissemination of knowledge on sustainability in the built environment, offer training workshops and undertake research furthering the sustainability in the built environment.

"We are so pleased to reach this milestone and sign such an MoU with an organization such as BQDRI who share the same vision as us in promoting sustainability in Qatar through Qatar Sustainability Assessment System-QSAS , said Eng. Issa Al-Mohannadi, Founder and Chairman of QGBC. "The MoU is an example to all the organizations to join forces and collaborate to pursue the great Qatar National Vision 2030 for sustainable development. By working in close cooperation with all organizations and the construction industry, we will build affiliations across the board and share insights and information that align with our common ultimate goal to advancing greener and sustainable practices in the built industry for it is the question of safeguarding Qatar's natural environment for future generation'.     

Commenting on the MoU, Dr Yousef Al-Horr, Chairman and Managing Director of BQDRI said, "The agreement comes at a important time as it will open new horizons and encourage the adaption of greener practices in the built environment in Qatar'. Dr. Yousef Al Horr further stated that Qatari Diar and BARWA Real Estate Company current green projects under construction such as Lusail City which implement QSAS will become an example in the course of education advancing developing greener concepts and making Qatar an environment-friendly country'. Dr Yousef Al Horr emphasized that the MoU demonstrates the commitment of BQDRI and QGBC to accomplish the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 relating to developing a sustainable built environment, maintaining Qatar architectural and cultural identity while at the same time, supporting Qatar's economic boom".

The QGBC/BQDRI agreement has begun to bear fruits for the industry professionals as QGBC is hosting the first (QSAS) introduction workshop is sponsored by BQDRI and conducted by BQDRI/QSAS specialists. The workshop is offered for free on Dec 13th, 2010 at Al-Aaqool Atrium in Qatar Foundation from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

Qatar Sustainability Assessment System-QSAS, developed by BQDRI in conjunction with T.C. Chan Center at the University of Pennsylvania, is designed to create a sustainable urban environment which reduces environmental and ecological impacts and serves the needs of the local communities. The system specifically focuses on Qatar's environment which is directly affected by the built environment and health. The QSAS is developed to maintain and reflect Qatar cultural and architectural identity.

The workshop will introduce QSAS development, rating system elements, training requirements, project registration and submittal and QSAS Calculators and Toolkits overview. Eng. Ali Elshiekh - Project Manager QSAS, Eng. Ronaldo M. Dalistan - QSAS Specialist and Eng. Abdulrahim Alsayed - QSAS specialist will lead the session.

The session is an amazing opportunity for the built industry community as they have an exclusive chance to acquire knowledge of the QSAS system first-hand and its applicability with regards to Qatar built and natural environment.

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About QGBC and BQDRI
Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) is a non-profit membership driven organization with a vision to provide leadership and collaboration for Qatar in guiding and adopting environmentally sustainable practices for green building design and development; and to support the health and sustainability of environment, people and economic security for generations to come. To learn more about QGBC membership program and upcoming events, please visit: www.qatargbc.org or call, Administration Manager Rajaa Saleh at; 44540244/43 or email: info@qatargbc.org.qa  

The Council is supported by Qatar Foundation and H.H. Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al-Missned. It also has the international recognition being a member of the World Green Building Council. Through QGBC, Qatar joins a network of 80 national green building councils from different countries from around the world operating under the umbrella of the World Green Building Council which represents over 50% of global construction activity bringing together 15,000 companies and organizations worldwide making it the largest international organization influencing the green building marketplace.

The BARWA and Qatari Diar Research Institute (BQDRI); a joint venture between Barwa Knowledge, Subsidiary of Barwa Real Estate, and Lusail Real Estate Development Company, Subsidiary of Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company; is a non-governmental organization whose purpose is to promote healthy, energy- and resource-efficient building practices in Qatar.

BQDRI aims to build and strengthen a strong and vibrantr local, regional and global consortium and network of respected research institutions, consulting and technology companies, real estate estate and construction companies, governmental and professional organizations that have genuine interest and commitment to support the strategic objectives of the Institute to address the environmental challenges and empower the construction society to apply sustainable applications and practices.

Our vision is for Qatar to be a leader in the field of sustainable development, design and construction, and for BQDRI is to be one of the driving forces behind this transformation.

BQDRI Objectives

  • Knowledge Creation - BQDRI will engage in research relates to the development of knowledge and processes whose applications range from the building to the urban scale.

  • Research-based Consultancy - BQDRI will offer research based consultancy services on existing buildings and new construction projects as well as testing simulations and system integration.

  • Information Dissemination - BQDRI will provide educational opportunities for professionals through teaching & Research, training & workshops and publications.

  • Business Development - BQDRI will strategically partnering with local, regional and international organizations to develop strategic and innovative solutions in the fields of Renewable, Materials & Products Manufacturing, Recycling and Transportation

For further information, kindly contact:
Salah Al Ayoubi - Head of Marketing & Business Development
Mobile: +974 33068397
Email: salah.alayoubii@barwa.com.qa
Website: www.bqdri.org

© Press Release 2010