WINNER GCC AME INFO SOCIAL PROJECT OF THE YEAR

Kuwait

Kuwait National Library

Entrant: The Associated Engineering Partnership

Client: Ministry of Public Works, Special Projects Administration and National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters

Main contractor: Al-Hani Construction & Trading Company

Project/programme manager: TAEP Kuwait

Description: Kuwait National Library is the country’s key facility for preserving informational, cultural and educational resources. The library has embarked on an ambitious programme of modernisation, both structural and technological. Digital and printed publications are being collected by the library and made available to the academic community. Located a few minutes’ walk from the site of the first 18th-century settlement in Kuwait, the building is designed to complement the historic buildings that surround it. To match the colour of the granite, designers and contractors took samples to out-of-country quarries to obtain the best colour matches. In some cases, local facilities treated the granite to provide the best match or finish.

Saudi Arabia

Madinah College of Technology

Entrant/client: Technical and Vocational Training Corporation

Main contractor: Lada for Trading & Contracting Company

Project/programme manager: Fatooh al-Wardani

Description: The Madinah College of Technology is providing the Saudi Arabian labour market with skilled individuals in the area of science and technology. The Saudi Education Ministry is seven years into its 10-year scheme to raise the kingdom’s education standards. A massive programme of school building is included in the plan to accommodate the kingdom’s growing population. Key targets in the scheme include eradicating illiteracy and reducing the failure rate to 5 per cent in elementary schools and 8 per cent in secondary schools.

UAE

The City Hospital, Dubai

Entrant: Al-Ahmadiah Aktor

Client: EHL Management Services (formerly known as Welcare World Health Systems)

Main contractor: Al-Ahmadiah Aktor

Description: The City Hospital, a joint venture between Medi-Clinic International, the Varkey Group and General Electric, was seen as a major contribution towards Dubai’s vision of becoming a world leader in healthcare. The facility was the first major hospital to open at Dubai Healthcare City. The $100m, 210-bed state-of-the-art hospital is among the largest and most advanced private healthcare facilities to serve the region. Employing about 500 doctors, nurses and technicians from around the world, the hospital offers the latest medical technologies and a large number of specialised treatments.

Qatar

American School of Doha Expansion Programme

Entrant: Hill International

Client: American School of Doha

Architect & Planner: William Skelsey, ASLA, in association with Hillier

Design Consultant: Arab Engineering Bureau

Main Contractor: Al Sraiya Trading and Contracting

Description: The American School of Doha (ASD) went through an expansion and renovation programme in 2006-09, during which it tripled its enrolment and added classroom, science, sports and arts spaces to its expanded campus. The original campus is on a 33,000-square-metre plot. ASD acquired an adjacent 55,000 sq m plot, where it commissioned the building of a new middle/high school, incorporating classrooms, a gymnasium, indoor pool, 600-seat performing arts centre, library and 300-seat cafeteria. This addition provided the school with 28,000 sq m of built-up area, as well as space for sports fields and green areas across the campus. The original building was renovated and expanded, nearly doubling its size to 15,000 sq m, and reconfigured as an elementary school. ASD paid particular attention to sustainability and incorporated many green building ratings guidelines in the design. ASD had to make decisions about accepting new applicants and signing up staff at least eight months in advance of the scheduled opening of the new facility. A flexible incentive scheme was introduced to encourage the contractor to finish the project on time.