SUSTAINABILITY
Since the discovery of oil and gas in the 1930s, the small fishing village of Doha has grown to create a sprawling city. Greater prosperity and the rise in private car use have fuelled suburban expansion which has weakened the city's centre of gravity.
The Musheireb will revitalise the historic core of Doha itself, giving families the opportunity to live in beautiful homes and enjoy the benefits of a strong, well-served local community.
ENRICHMENT
The car-dominated lifestyle and isolated social norm of the suburbs will be replaced by beautifully designed and compact city neighborhoods where family homes will be within easy walking distance of schools, shops, public squares, mosques and other cultural activities and the majority of vehicles will be below ground.
As in Doha, organic courtyard patterns embody deep-rooted family traditions of privacy and security. Townhouses will be arranged as 'fireej' clusters, each sharing a communal majilis and courtyard garden. This is the revival of a time-honoured urban form, the nucleus of Qatari society.
HERITAGE
Much of the historic street pattern is retained including Kahraba street and the line of the old Wadi. Overlaid with the curving lines of historic streets, a contemporary grid of urban blocks is created, interwoven by an intricate lattice of lanes, sikkas and small urban spaces.
ENVIRONMENT
By understanding the local climate, by maximizing shade and by using the prevailing wind direction, the Masterplan optimizes the pedestrian environment, with colonnaded streets, living roofscapes and water features within the landscape.
INNOVATION
Using the latest in sustainable technology, combined with traditional techniques of climatic design such as shading structures, wind catchers and massive construction, high levels of performance will be achieved with minimum wastage and low levels of pollution.
