carnegie mellon college of business and computer science in doha

carnegie mellon college of business and computer science in doha
photo © pygmalion karatzas
all images courtesy of legorreta + legorreta

the master plan of education city‘s campus in doha, qatar, designed by arata isozaki, is a harmonious blend of architecture and exterior spaces. the main feature is the green spine crossing the site from north to south. within this context, legorreta + legorreta was selected to design carnegie mellon‘s ‘college of business and computer sciences’.

exterior view from SE corner and front garden
photo © pygmalion karatzas

the college consists of a rectangular volume along the north edge, a semi-circular volume on the south edge, and an atrium in the center connecting to the distinguished axis. semi-public service areas such the food court, library, and lounges combine into series of volumes that are separated from each other by outdoor promenades providing daylight to the wings, multiple entrances, and connection points all around the site. the result is a succession of programs with an environment where teachers and students can interact, incorporating traditional concepts of islamic architecture such as arcades, gardens, and fountains. the atriums are covered at roof level, with pergolas creating coverage wherever necessary according to the time of the day.

interior view of the assembly and lounge area 
photo © pygmalion karatzas

(left) main entrance canopy and pergola
(right) interior view of the atrium traversing the building in the E-W axis and connecting to the green spine 
photo © pygmalion karatzas

kevin lamb, assistant dean for planning operations at carnegie mellon in qatar, says ‘legorreta uses rich saturated colors for his designs for the sunny climates of mexico and california, but has done projects all over the world. legorreta’s architecture is at home in the gulf region.‘ university architect paul tellers adds, ‘in response to both the hot climate and gulf building traditions, the new structure will be largely opaque on the south, east and west elevations.’ windows will face the three-storey courtyards that will be carved out of the mass of the school, and deep beams will span over the enclosed landscapes and the common areas to keep them in constant shade. meanwhile, the east and west entrances to the pedestrian commons will include water features in homage to muslim history.

bridges and pattern detail
photo © pygmalion karatzas

looking out over the lobby from the mezzanine level
photo © pygmalion karatzas

interior view of the cafe and dinning area
photo © pygmalion karatzas

‘in education city the government of qatar, under the leadership of emir sheikh hamad bin khalifa al thani and his wife, sheikha mozah bint nasser al-missned, has been investing the money earned by their country from oil and natural gas in education. it is a great challenge to design universities that symbolize the future of education in the arab world, demonstrating an openness to the western world while maintaining their own islamic identity. without a doubt these efforts in the field of education will transform this society and prepare it for the 21st century.’ – legorreta + legorreta

exterior view from SE corner and fountain sculpture
photo © pygmalion karatzas

panoramic view from SW corner 
photo © pygmalion karatzas

project info:

location: doha, qatar
area: 44,000 sqm
client: qatar foundation and qatar petroleum
associate architect: francisco cortina
executive architect: halcrow consulting engineers and architects ltd.
photographs: pygmalion karatzas

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