Lusail Real Estate Development Company (LREDC) has commenced application of the Qatar Sustainability Assessment System to ensure its entire commercial, residential and school projects in Lusail City are QSAS-certified. Lusail City’s adoption of the QSAS is part of the company’s efforts to ‘promote sustainable, responsible development and operation techniques’ that protect the natural environment and community health. Qatar Sustainability Assessment System is the Middle East’s first integrated and performance-based ‘green building’ assessment rating system of its kind. LREDC vice-chairman Mohamed bin Ali al-Hedfa said, “I am proud to announce our adoption of the QSAS as we strive to fulfill Qatar’s National Vision 2030 for sectors across the board to invest in sustainable and environmentally conscious initiatives. “As the developers behind the country’s largest domestic real estate project, Lusail City, we have a unique responsibility to serve as a national role model in sustainable development. We at Lusail are committed to leading the country’s real estate sector in achieving a responsible, forward-looking development community.” In order to receive approval for development design plans, consultants will hereafter be required to submit QSAS-compliant designs to LREDC for approval. The QSAS sustainable design guidelines cover a range of factors for considering submissions, including effects on traffic congestion and pollution, land use, harmful emissions, water consumption and its associated burden on municipal supply and treatment systems. Material use and disposal, indoor building air quality, cultural conservation and support of the national economy, and other issues related to building management and operation are also taken into account. These design submissions will be subject to a series of reviews by the LREDC administration before being moved forward to the QSAS Review Board at Barwa & Qatari Diar Research Institute. After the preliminary review, project applicants will be notified of any insufficient or incomplete sustainability criteria and will be given the chance to resubmit their designs for a final review and an overall design phase score in sustainability. LREDC acting CEO Essa Mohamed al-Kaldari said, “The Lusail QSAS will require every aspect of our projects to meet the highest standards in green building. Our goal is to design, construct, and operate our development projects to be environmentally-sensitive and energy efficient. We are confident these measures will result in a variety of environmental, economic and social benefits for local residents, from increased resource conservation to reduced operating and maintenance costs along with improved quality of life.” BQDRI Chairman Dr. Youssef al-Horr said, “The implementation of QSAS in Lusail City is a milestone in the progress of the system. Being the initial project to adopt the system in the country and region accentuates Lusail City as a leading sustainable development. “The adoption of QSAS in the assessment of buildings within Qatar and the Gulf region will create an architectural language, which adopts ideas from the past and adapts these to meet the current criteria of the system. As a result, a contemporary regional architecture is created as more sustainable.” http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=366705&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

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