Dubai, UAE - 15 December 2013: Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development has won two of this year's prestigious Construction Week Awards.
The awards for Sustainable Project of the Year and Health and Safety Initiative of the Year were presented to Ameena Ahmadi, Architecture Manager at Qatar Foundation Capital Projects and Facilities Management, at an exclusive ceremony held on Wednesday in the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai.
This is the ninth year for the Construction Week Awards, which have attracted extensive interest from companies and individuals across the GCC construction industry. The awards seek to recognise and reward individual excellence, corporate prowess and project success, across a total of 16 categories.
The Male and Female Student Housing project, which is located within the Education City campus in Doha, was chosen as the Sustainable Project of the Year for having demonstrated the most significant contribution to sustainable development over the last year. The environmentally-friendly project was singled out for having made a measurable impact above and beyond the norm for this style of development.
Qatar Foundation was also recognised in the Health and Safety Initiative of the Year category for its holistic initiative for Workers Welfare, which mandates minimum standards of quality of life across the migration cycle.
Over the last year, the organisation has succeeded at setting forth minimum mandatory requirements for quality of life with respect to recruitment and employment, living conditions, transportation, working conditions and general treatment of workers engaged in construction and other projects at Qatar Foundation.
Engineer Jassim Telefat, Group Executive Director of Capital Projects and Facilities Management at Qatar Foundation said, "At Qatar Foundation, we are working on several fronts to achieve the organisation's noble mission, which is aimed at unlocking human potential and raising the overall standards and quality of life for every individual in the country. We acknowledge the importance of these awards, which reflect appreciation for our organisation's endeavours, whether in terms of construction projects that raise the banner of sustainable development, or initiatives that are designed to secure better living and working conditions for all our workers."
Engineer Telefat added, "The Student Housing project and the Workers Welfare Initiative serve a single purpose and message, which is that people are at the heart of what we do. Qatar Foundation's efforts in the field of education, science and community development point us in the right direction and allow us to provide the best environmental practices and community welfare, in order to preserve the rights of workers and to conserve our environment through the rational use of basic resources."
In October 2012, Qatar Foundation signed the Migrant Workers' Welfare Charter, confirming its strong belief that dignified living and working conditions are integral to improving the quality of life for all workers in Qatar. By putting in place a stringent monitoring system, Qatar Foundation has also committed to ensuring that the regulations outlined in its Qatar Foundation Mandatory Standards of Migrant Workers' Welfare are adhered to by every contractor across its diverse portfolio of projects.
As a true reflection of its environmental ethos, this is the fourth accolade that Qatar Foundation has received for its student housing development. It was most recently presented with the Big Project Middle East Construction and Sustainability Award of Excellence in the Sustainable Solution of the Year category. It has also won the Cityscape Award for Emerging Markets in the Residential (Built) project category and honoured by the US Green Building Council.
The Male and Female Student Housing project, located within the Education City campus in Doha, was developed by Qatar Foundation and designed by Burns & McDonnell, in partnership with architectural firm Treanor Architects, green building consultants Vertegy and ASTAD Project Management. It is currently the only platinum LEED certified student housing complex in the world, earning 12 Platinum LEED certifications in the category of 'New Construction' from the US Green Building Council. The complex is also the world's largest collection of platinum LEED certified buildings in one area.
The development comprises two individual male and female complexes. Each complex spans 36,000 square metres and boasts five residential buildings as well as a community centre. State-of-the art sustainable technology and energy-efficient systems are used throughout the entire complex.
To assist the students in tracking their green footprint, each housing unit contains a monitoring system that tracks an individual's water and energy consumption. The complex is also equipped with clean power sources; a solar-panelled roof and wind turbines that generate energy at gusts of 10 kilometres or more.
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Qatar Foundation - Unlocking Human Potential
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development (QF) is a private, non-profit organization that is supporting Qatar on its journey from carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential, for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world. Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
QF's work encompasses education, research and community development. World-class universities are brought to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. At the same time, QF builds Qatar's innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercializing solutions through key sciences. The Foundation also works to foster a progressive society while enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar's heritage and addressing immediate social needs in the community.
For a complete list of QF's initiatives and projects, visit www.qf.org.qa
© Press Release 2013
