Msheireb Downtown project recognized for its ground breaking sustainability practices
Qatar, September 27, 2011: Msheireb Properties' focus on innovation, sustainability and green building was recognised last night at the Qatar Construction Week Awards 2011, where the developer tasked with regenerating Doha's historical downtown picked up the Construction Sustainability Award at a gala ceremony at the Four Seasons Doha.
The Construction Sustainability Award was awarded to Msheireb Properties for the ground breaking sustainability practices implemented at its Msheireb Downtown Doha project. Construction Week chose the group's signature project as the "winning initiative that will make a positive contribution to the advance of environmental considerations in construction, while also demonstrating clear practical applications".
Mohamed M. Al Marri, Director of Projects, accepted the Award on behalf of the CEO Eng. Issa M. Al Mohannadi. Eng. Issa said: "We are honoured to receive this award which recognises our unique approach of developing projects that are sensitive to local norms, culture and environment and further underscores our leadership in actively promoting environmental awareness, sustainability and conservation. By creating the world's first sustainable downtown regeneration project we hope that this will serve as a bold new template for the incorporation of practices such as passive cooling, energy and water conservation and use of renewable energy and reduction of carbon emissions across the world."
Launched in 2009, Msheireb Downtown will have the highest concentration of LEED certified buildings in the world. The entire site will also be a LEED Certified Neighborhood Development (ND). The development focuses on 12 sustainability objectives that include maximising use of microclimate, reduction of car use, maximising water and energy efficiency, reduction of carbon emissions as well as facilitating community interaction and social exchange.
The Award acknowledges Msheireb Properties' role in leading the way, with the first neighbourhood regeneration project in the region to have integrated urban sustainability as the paramount design direction, creating a unique architectural language sensitive to Qatar's climate, culture and heritage.
Msheireb Properties has earned a number of other prestigious industry awards, including the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards in Cannes France and the 2010 Arabian Business Award for excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility.
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About Msheireb Properties
Msheireb Properties is a real estate company and a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation. The company was established as a commercial venture to support the Foundation's aims, as well as the goals of Qatar's 2030 Vision.
Msheireb Properties' mission is to change the way people think about urban living and improve their overall quality of life, through innovations that encourage social interaction, respect for culture, and greater care for the environment.
Msheireb Properties spent three years researching Qatari architecture and numerous approaches to urban planning all over the world with the most respected experts in the industry - in order to realise an architectural language rooted in the best of the past that may be preserved for and by future generations.
The company's name, Msheireb, means 'a place to drink water' and is the historical name of the downtown area of Doha. The company's corporate identity depicts the mouth of a stone well, a feature of traditional Gulf societies, and its distinct ink effect evokes classical Arabic calligraphy.
Msheireb Properties recently achieved ISO certification from the British Standards Institution for quality (ISO 9001:2008), environmental performance (ISO 14001:2004), and occupational health and safety (BS OHSAS 18001:2007).
The company has also earned widespread industry recognition, including at the MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects Awards in Cannes, France.
In May 2011 Msheireb Properties launched a dynamic research project with the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. This joint exercise will examine the potential for sustainable urban development in the Gulf and produce a shared intellectual resource, the Gulf Encyclopedia for Sustainable Urbanism, to encourage best practice.
For further information on Msheireb Properties please contact:
Chatura Poojari
+974 33257708
cabbasi@msheireb.com
Kamal Nasrallah
+974 66562779
k.nasrallah@asdaa.com
© Press Release 2011
