The Hamad bin Khalifa University student housing complex consists of two distinct sites in the southern zone of Doha’s Education City. The female housing is located at Shamali Village, and the males are accommodated at Janoubi Village. Altogether, the complex can house 1,200 students over a total built-up area of more than 76,000 square metres.

These sites comprise the world’s largest collection of US Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum-certified buildings.

Three windmills, along with solar panels (placed on the roof of parking lots and residential building terraces), generate between 12 and 15 per cent of the overall power in each village. The buildings were designed to use more natural light than electricity.

Consumption of water is 40 per cent less than in similar non-LEED-certified buildings due to the installation of low-water fixtures (showers, sinks, toilets), the re-use of water from showers and sinks (grey water), the use of drip irrigation instead of sprinkling systems, and the avoidance of wasting fresh/potable water on irrigation.