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dr yOusEff aL hOrr, fOuNdEr aNd chaIrmaN Of gOr & d TaLks abOuT ThE grEEN raTINg sysTEm ThaT wILL sOON bEcOmE maNdaTOry fOr aLL NEw cONsTrucTIONs

crAfting A green legAcy

By SInD H U n A I R
this sounds presumptuous, it is not. And here is why. The entity in focus, Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GOR & D), previously known as Barwa and Qatari Diar Research Institute, developed Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS), the first comprehensive rating system for the country. Leading this organisation is Dr Youssef Al Horr, Founder and Chairman, GORD, who anticipated the need for a sustainability rating system and responded instantly, cashing in on the absence of such a system in the country. What makes QSAS special is that this assessment system is now being added to the Qatar Construction Code, which means we will be the first country to mandate its buildings (schools, government buildings and mosques) to construct sustainably. The Code will become functional by the end of the year and will include all the parameters of QSAS in phases, says Dr Al Horr. QSAS is the solution to the regions need to establish a single, consistent standard for sustainable development in the construction industry, he says. Focussed, clear and determined, Dr Al Horr rattles off facts and figures without an iota of doubt in this interview to Qatar Today. Coming up with an environmental rating system for Qatar was bold and innovative. How was the process initiated and what were the challenges? I have realised that the market here is responding more to the economical needs rather than the sustainability norms. Of course, we need to build and sell, but the quality of life within the buildings had to be considered too. For instance, energy preservation and water usage were never considered in the building process. The whole world was moving in the sus-

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tainable direction and Qatar had to act fast. There were small measures within the country, but they were very discreet. People used to do a lot of modifications to the international systems to suit the local needs. So we realised that there was a big gap between sustainable practices and what we do locally. To close this gap we needed a system with a framework which identified the sustainable agenda using local modes. Thus we started working on the QSAS. When we launched it five years ago, it was very basic. We developed ratings for schools, commercial and residential buildings. Then based on the huge response we received from the market, academia, government agencies, practising architects, consultants and even some contractors and regional bodies, we realised the potential of this rating system. Now the system has nine schemes and it might even be the most comprehensive system in the world, definitely much broader than the American LEED system. We have schemes that have not been included in other rating systems, like rating systems for mosques and sporting facilities, which are unique in the world. Unlike many international systems, the QSAS not only rewards green operations but also penalises companies for poor practices, which significantly raises the effectiveness of the system. LEED is supposed to be a widely marketed rating system. Do you envision some resistance in giving QSAS the needed push? In reality we did not face any resistance from any sectors. Everyone who works in this region realised the merits of the system. But what we do face, and I am sure we will continue to face, is that some parties will want to pursue LEEDS because it is a widely recognised and international rating system. But that does not matter to us as this is their prerogative. But we need to remember is that QSAS is soon to be part of the construction standards, so even if you take a LEED rating, all buildings will have to be QSAS certified as part of the countrys regulations. It is for this reason that we parted from BQDRI to become an independent body, GORD. All government buildings had to be certified through the QSAS rating and it was not appropriate for a private entity to certify them, so we are a non-profit independent organisation within QSTP which issues QSAS certificates. Civic buildings, schools and mosques will all need to be QSAS certified from this year as per the Ministry of Environment decree, No 28 for 2011. There is a grace pei Believe
the value of a person does not depend on his rank or his qualifications. the value of a person depends on what he gives to the society. what i do here is for the benefit of not Just one organisation but for the good of the community we live in. i am very proud of what i do.

of the decree to the public. I think it will be made mandatory after the summer. Who was involved in the formation of this system? Do you integrate changes as and when there is a need? We started the process after rounds of discussions and brain storming within our organisation. Then the system was developed through the exchange of ideas and with the cooperation of experts and researchers from the TC Chan Centre for Building Simulation and Energy Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. They have researched all the environmental rating systems in the world and QSAS integrates best practices from 40 global assessment systems to create the best green building benchmark. Now that QSAS is being adopted in the building codes what are the next steps for the organisation? The Qatar Construction Specification code Chapter 7 will be based solely on QSAS categories. It will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will be regulation for certain categories of buildings, and the whole spectrum of buildings will be included in the second phase. The next step for us will be to focus our research projects into themes related to sustainability of the built environment. We will be conducting research on energy performance of buildings, while eco materials will also be focussed on. Green concrete - or concrete from demolition waste - and high performance blocks used for construction are some of our focus areas. Renewable energy and the recycling of grey water will be looked into. Renewable energy is already a research topic in many of the institutions in QSTP. Will there be any collaboration? There will be collaborations and partnerships within QSTP and we will also look at ways to partner with Qatar University as they have the capacity and expertise for the implementation of great ideas. But what we are looking for is more international collaboration, from the UK, US and even the Far East. We are planning to launch a scientific journal in sustainable built environment. This journal, International Journal for Sustainability and Built Environment, will publish works of international standard in the areas related to QSAS. Scholars around the globe will be invited to participate and publish their breakthroughs, their patents,

maNagINg humaN rEsOurcEs

havE a cLEar vIsION EQuIP ThEm wITh ThE TOOLs aNd ThEN LET ThEm bE gIvE yOur TEam rEsPONsIbILITIEs aNd LET ThEm TakE ON ThE Task wIThOuT much INTErfErENcE LasTLy ENcOuragE ThEm NOT JusT mONETarILy buT ThrOugh wOrds Of rEcOgNITION
yoUr motivation
i think big and plan strategically, always.

Qatarisation
qatarisation is important but not to the extent that every expatriate should be replaced by a qatari. we should see the bigger picture. qatar is growing at a fast pace but qataris as a population are very limited and we will not be able to cope with everything. we need to have expertise from around the world, to help, support and complement us. we need to see qataris leading the growth with expatriates supporting us. to be a leading force to be reckoned with, qataris and expatriates need to compliment each other...

riod of three months for the deployment and of three months to start from the issuance

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so that the organisation will be a source for knowledge advancement. This will contribute to the whole research environment of the country. This will be the first of its kind in Qatar. How many buildings have used QSAS so far? The numbers are few, since the complete launch started only last year. With enforcement of QSAS in Lusail, we have started receiving many applications now. QSAS ratings are made compulsory for all buildings within Lusail. We believe that the mandatory enforcement of QSAS within the QCS will also speed up the implementation of the code across the country after the grace period. To monitor the whole QSAS code will take a 10-year deployment period which started last year. By 2020, QSAS will be compulsory in all ranges of building, from commercial to residential. Estidama, the Emirati rating parameter, claims to be the first regional rating system. Is that true? How does QSAS compare with it? Estidama is the first rating system in the region. It was developed well before QSAS. But it doesnt have as many parameters as QSAS. It is also not a performance-based rating system. These are its two major drawbacks. QSAS covers more typologies; we have nine while Estidama has just five categories. We are a performance-based rating system while Estidama is very subjective. QSAS has fixed parameters; it is based on figures and it is very specific, while Estidama uses criteria that are vague and not specific. This is because it is based more on LEED while QSAS has taken form from the best of the various systems that are practised globally with our own added flavour, such as the culture parameter. We believe that QSAS will be key in giving an architectural identity to the country because of the cultural factor that is included in its rating. But it is also true that the philosophy behind all these tools are the same and it is up to the people to decide which is best suited for them. Who does the rating for QSAS? Is it done by local bodies? We have three layers of working groups; the core technical team from the University of Pennsylvania, the second layer called

madE IN QaTar wILL wOrk

actual impact. The construction industry consumes truckloads of basic material, the manufacture of which consumes large quantities of energy. This results in massive emission of greenhouse gases. Materials fabricated with less energy would have to be produced locally if the construction code is to include the QSAS applications. If green concrete and other materials that GOR& D will research on will be available in Qatar without having to import it, then that would be make it easier for the construction sector to embrace the code. the expert review panel which consists of academia from around the world, who advise, assess and give feedback. We then have a third group, which is the local group, formed from our institute; contractors, loprove that there are savings and only then does the system gain value. Qatar Green Building Council is also actively promoting green construction. Do you have plans to work together? Yes, we have already signed MOU with QGBC to work together. We have also worked together on numerous other activities, like the QSAS awareness workshop for QGBC members. We have the same goals and there will be more partnerships. Do you think that the country has moved ahead in terms of environmental awareness? There is a visible increase in awareness. It was evident during our Green Building seminar, which we hosted some months ago. We were amazed by the response we received. It was much more than we could even handle. We had around 10,000 visitors to the exhibition and more than 500 professionals attended our workshops and seminars. Awards were also distributed to the highest QSAS rated buildings in the country. We awarded four buildings; New Qatar National Museum got four stars, Barwa Schools got five stars, Energy City Building in Lusail got a five star rating and Kahramaa Awareness Park got four stars. There is great interest in the country but the good thing is that the deployment is gradual. The one reason why Estidama failed was because it was enforced on all buildings from government buildings to private residences. There was a huge resistance from the public, because the people were not ready. Now Estidama is not enforced on all buildings, it is more of a voluntary programme

reen construction methods are perceived to be economically impractical. And that is a deterrent that makes construction companies think twice before they opt for 'green' construction methods. "But they are not so, not in the long-run," says Al Horr. But in an industry that is focused on short-term profits, it will take materials and methodologies that are readily available and at no extra cost to have an

wE havE schEmEs ThaT havE NOT bEEN INcLudEd IN OThEr sysTEms, LIkE raTINg sysTEms fOr mOsQuEs aNd sPOrTINg facILITIEs, whIch arE uNIQuE IN ThE wOrLd.

cal architects and private entities who review the designs. We wanted to have a mix of ideas and expertise and this is called a development approach. Sceptics call rating systems marketing tools. Comments. I do not agree with that. We need such systems to keep construction methods streamlined. But the guidelines should be laid out properly and points given with a specific method, and only then the implementation can become legitimate. The design and operations of the building should

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