Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar University (QU) celebrated the College of Law building receiving the Merit Award from Engineering News-Record (ENR), a prestigious global engineering magazine. Dr Omar Al Ansari, the president of QU, attended the ceremony at the College of Law, along with several faculty members and representatives from the project’s consultant and contractor teams.
The event agenda featured various segments, including speeches by the Dean of the College of Law, the project consultant (Khatib & Alami), and the contractor (Bojamhoor Trading & Contracting Company), followed by a video presentation about the award. The ceremony concluded with the official presentation of the award.
On this occasion, Dr Talal Al-Emadi, dean of the College of Law at QU, expressed his pride in the ENR Excellence Award, stating, "We are proud of the American ENR Excellence Award, which truly reflects the cumulative efforts made by the faculty and university staff, whose contributions are now bearing fruit. The College of Law building stands as an architectural masterpiece, symbolizing both the identity of the law and the local Qatari architectural heritage while aligning with global standards. This highlights the university’s commitment to excellence and the pursuit of sustainable design and construction. We are eager to fully utilize the building, making every corner a valuable resource for our legal professionals and the university community at large.”
Engineer Alex Hanna, vice president of Khatib & Alami Consulting Engineers in Qatar, added, "Khatib & Alami has strived to create a distinctive and precise design for the College of Law at QU. Our construction supervision team has been integral to bringing this vision to life. The combined efforts of QU, Khatib & Alami Consulting Engineers, and Bojamhoor Trading & Contracting have resulted in this new law building receiving the Merit Award in the Education-Research category of the ENR Global Best Projects Awards 2023.”
The ENR Merit Award is a highly regarded recognition in the construction and engineering industry, as part of the Global Best Projects program, which highlights outstanding construction and design projects from around the world. The Merit Award specifically honors projects that demonstrate exceptional quality, innovation, safety, and achievement.
The significance of this award lies in several key aspects, including the recognition of excellence and celebrating the extraordinary efforts of project teams—designers, contractors, and engineers—in delivering high-quality work. Winning the award sets the project as an exemplary model for success, inspiring other engineers and companies to strive for similar levels of accomplishment. Moreover, recipients gain enhanced credibility and visibility, which in turn leads to new business opportunities and a stronger reputation in the market.
The ENR Merit Award serves several important goals, such as celebrating the achievements of exceptional construction projects that showcase innovative design, safety, and positive societal impact. It also encourages continuous innovation by highlighting projects that set new benchmarks for the industry and contributes to the growth of the construction and engineering sectors by fostering the exchange of best practices and successful experiences. The ENR Merit Award serves as a significant motivator for construction and engineering professionals to deliver outstanding projects that positively affect the built environment.
The College of Law building at QU is located on a 52,000 m² site in the northwest of the campus, consisting of five floors (a basement, a ground floor, and three upper levels) with a total area of 53,000 m². The building commenced construction in 2018 and became operational by 2021. The building’s overall design draws inspiration from court structures, fusing the distinctive features of a courthouse with the university’s contemporary architectural theme. The structure employs a structural system of beams, columns, and girders, connecting three main blocks through two glass bridges. The building’s exterior features travertine stone, mosaic tiles, and glass curtain walls.
International standards such as NFPA, ASHRAE, ASTM, ASME, IPC, IEEE, IEC, and BS were followed throughout the design and execution stages. Additionally, the building achieved a four-star rating in the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for design and construction.
The design of the building accommodates approximately 2,500 students, featuring various classrooms equipped with modern technology, a 200-seat lecture hall, a 362-seat conference hall, and a mock courtroom for student training. It also houses faculty and administrative offices, dining facilities for both male and female students, kitchens, and parking for 282 cars in the basement, as well as 477 shaded outdoor parking spaces.