Carnegie Mellon College by Legorreta + Legorreta
Carnegie Mellon Business and Computer Science College in Education City Doha Qatar designed by architects Legorreta + Legorreta.
The Carnegie Mellon Business and Computer Science College is located on a site crossed by one of the main pedestrian promenade (Green Spine) of the Master Plan.
The project has been developed as a rectangular building along the North side of the promenade and a semi-circular building on the South side that creates, in the center, an atrium connected to the Green Spine. Both parts of the building are connected to each other by bridges on the upper levels over the Green Spine, while the ground floor remains open for pedestrian traffic.
The rectangular part of the building and the circular one were designed as a series of volumes which house the classrooms, the laboratories and the lecture halls and are separated from each other by outdoor courtyards.
The building is basically closed to the South, to avoid direct sunlight. Window screens and shading structures are used throughout to minimize heat gain. Triple skin external walls with heavy insulation provide an efficient barrier to the outside environment.
[text by the architects]
Location: Doha, Qatar
Area: 476,400 ft²
Lead Architects: Legorreta + Legorreta - http://legorretalegorreta.com
Associate Architect: Cortina & Käll
Executive Architect: Halcrow Consulting Engineers and Architects Ltd. (CH2M Hill) /
Yorke Rosenberg Mardall Architects (YRM)
Interior Design: Legorreta + Legorreta / Halcrow Consulting Engineers and Architects Ltd. (CH2M Hill) / Cortina & Käll
Landscape Design: Halcrow Consulting Engineers and Architects Ltd. (CH2M Hill)
Completion Year: 2009
Photography: Pygmalion Karatzas - https://www.pygmalionkaratzas.com
Photo shoot date: October 2013
Carnegie Mellon College of Business and Computer Science is located at Education City campus. The master plan, 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. Legorreta + Legorreta was selected to design four universities: Texas A&M Engineering College, Carnegie Mellon Business and Computer Science College, Georgetown School of Foreign Service and HKBU Student Centre.
The Carnegie Mellon College consists of a rectangular volume along the north side, a semi-circular volume on the south side and an atrium in the center connecting to the Green Spine. Semi-public service areas like the food court, library and lounges are in direct relation with the central atrium. These series of volumes are separated from each other by outdoor courtyards providing daylight to the wings and multiple entrance/connection points all around the site.
This succession of indoor and outdoor spaces creates an environment where teachers and students can interact, incorporating traditional concepts of Islamic architecture such as arcades, courtyards and fountains. The atriums are covered at roof level with pergolas creating a shading play according to the time of the day.
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 landscaped courtyards that will be carved out of the mass of the building, and deep beams will span over the courtyard and the common areas to keep them in constant shade. The east and west entrances to the pedestrial commons will include water features, another Muslim building tradition.”
The 44,000 sq.m. building will house state of the art classrooms, computer labs and the atrium will be the hub or “living room” of the building. It will include food services, a lounge, an assembly area and a campus walkway that passes right through the building, inviting the entire Education City community into Carnegie Mellon.
