Green Buildings Rise in Oil Rich Persian Gulf States
From NBC News
By Michael Casey
DOHA, Qatar — With massive steel Sidra trees sprouting from the base of the building and a 9-meter (yard) high sculpture of a spider in the lobby protecting a sack of grey and white eggs, Qatar National Convention Center is hard to ignore.
But it’s what most visitors don’t see that may become the building’s lasting legacy in a region far better known for over-the-top excesses than conservation.
From the sustainably logged wood used in its construction to the 3,500-square-meters of solar panels on the roof, the building designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki is considered one of the most environmentally sound convention centers in the world.
“We want to change people’s mindsets,” said Ali al-Khalifa, as he led a visitor through an exhibition hall where dozens of ceiling windows helped cut down on electricity. It will take center stage in November when it hosts the U.N. Climate Change Conference, the first to be held by a top oil producer.
“We have to make something stay friendly to the environment. We are part of this Earth,” said al-Khalifa, the chief executive officer of Astad Project Management which oversaw the construction. “All the oil and gas countries are moving to a green concept to ensure the new generation understands they have to preserve this energy and have something efficient.”
