Q Life Magazine Q Magazine December 2017 | Page 75

Looking to the future | | Downtown development largest collections of LEED-certified buildings globally, which makes it the world’s largest sustainable downtown regeneration project. The building designs not only reflect historic Qatari architecture that prioritises space, light and management of the local climate, but have been specifically designed to consume fewer resources, generate less waste, cost less to operate, and achieve a reduced carbon footprint. Local materials will be sourced to lessen the environmental impact of construction. The buildings in Msheireb Downtown Doha offer cooling facilities, smarter solutions for water and energy usage and use shading and orientation to promote natural cooling and reduce energy consumption. For example, the PV panels of buildings produce renewable energy equivalent to 4% of the project’s building energy use, while solar thermal panels produce energy to provide 75% of hot water demand. Average building energy use is reduced 32% through the use of high efficiency building envelope and systems and equipment, building shading and district cooling. An automated Waste Collection system will allow for source separation of three streams of waste, facilitating recycling and composting. From residential to retail, smart to sustainable, culture to cosmopolitan, Msheireb Downtown Doha is a template for developing a new model of urban living and a smart community, based in Qatari identity and heritage, that can be exported everywhere. 75