Dohaland to host third regional meeting of the council on tall buildings and urban habitat

Dohaland today announced that it will host the 3rd Regional Meeting of the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) Qatar Chapter at the floating Knowledge Enrichment Centre, on 30th November, 2010. The conference will be attended by an audience of prominent businessmen, architects, engineers and construction professionals from across the world.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, based at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago USA, is an international not-for-profit organization founded in 1969 and supported by architecture, engineering, planning, development and construction professionals. The Council is designed to facilitate exchanges among those involved in all aspects of the planning, design, construction and operation of tall buildings.

"We are delighted to host the prestigious third Regional Meeting of the CTBUH at the Knowledge Enrichment Centre. Dohaland has consistently shown its commitment to knowledge sharing, and the fact that we continue to host and participate at top level events in the industry is testimony to the status Dohaland has achieved in such a short time. The Musheireb project is a showcase of how to successfully combine modern design using traditional architectural values with sustainable construction practices. We are delighted to share our approach and learnings with our peers across the region," said Mohammed Al Marri, Director of Projects, Dohaland.

"I believe that Dohaland's ethos of knowledge sharing complement those of the Council's, which aims to disseminate multi-disciplinary best practice information about tall buildings and sustainable urban built environments, and facilitate business exchange amongst its international network. We look forward to advancing our agendas in a cooperative and collaborative effort," said Professor Sang Dae Kim, CTBUH Chairman.

The conference will also include a keynote presentation by Dohaland on its Musheireb development, the world's first sustainable downtown regeneration project, and its pioneering efforts especially in the field of sustainability. The project aims to provide shaded pedestrian lanes and walkways combined with well defined routes for road traffic, create integrated mixed-use community promoting walking, cycling and public transport use. The development is also designed to maximise the use of microclimatic effects to enhance thermal comfort, reducing car use and congestion, while improving connectivity across the wider city area, maximizing water efficiency and reducing water consumption across the project, and maximising energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

CTBUH Country Representative and Trustee Bill Maibusch believes the event further enhances Qatar's rising standing in the industry. He said: "The country's position as a hub of regional architecture is getting stronger every day. With projects like Musheireb, and Dohaland bringing important issues like sustainability to the fore, the future looks bright for Qatar."

Dohaland, and its signature project Musheireb, have been attracting global interest since the project's groundbreaking ceremony back in January 2010. Recently, Dohaland participated in the Dammam Symposium on sustainable urban development, where Dohaland's CEO Eng. Issa M. Al Mohannadi presented Musheireb as a case study for the region. Dohaland also showcased the project to an international audience at the global EXPO REAL held in Munich Germany, last October, while the Knowledge Enrichment Centre hosted several symposia and meetings on sustainability and green building.