Full circle

Arab Engineering Bureau is rounding off the corners at its Business Park Project in Doha.

Located on an 110,000m2 site on Doha's Airport Road, Arab Engineering Bureau's (AEB) latest project in Qatar is one of its biggest yet in the country.

The Business Park will eventually include six office buildings, a 300-room hotel and serviced apartments set around a striking, elliptical-shaped conference centre, formed from steel and clad in aluminium.

AEB estimate that the project is around 30 lifts from completion, and with just under 1,400 workers onsite every day,the firm is racing to see the development finished before its 2011 deadline. "Construction is going on full speed," said senior architect Sammy Juntilla.

AEB's portion of the development amounts to some 23,771m2, which will form part of a wider business district. The firm has used curves and elliptical shapes for the buildings to create a dynamic composition and at the same time allow a fluid pedestrian network, but the curves in both the conference centre and the hotels have been a particular challenge during construction, Juntilla explained.

"The ellipsoidal shape of the conference centre using structural steel and the curvature for the hotel have been the most challenging part of the design," he said. "That needs a lot of efficient coordination, control and monitoring of all trades."

All of the buildings within the complex are aluminum and glass clad, with accents of stainless steel, and Juntilla admitted that sustainable initiatives are "limited to the use of some materials like Low-E glass to reduce energy consumption and the introduction of LED lights."

That said, in design terms the Business Park is unique to Qatar due to its compelling curved form, centered on the conference center. "The concept was driven by the organic shape, where curves are emphasized. The focal point of the project is the egg-shaped conference facility," Juntilla said.

A lot of thought has gone into parking and access also, and numerous vehicular access points and parking zones have been integrated into the design to avoid overcrowding and traffic congestion.

The development is racing ahead in Doha, and fulfilling the 2011 completion date is looking increasingly likely as the summer rolls on. Interior design and fit out of the hotel and conference centre is being undertaken simultaneously with construction work, with the former due for completion in October 2011, six months ahead of the construction deadline, which is April.

Juntilla said that seeing such an ambitious and unusual design coming to life, especially on such a large scale, was very rewarding. "I think every architect will always be proud and delighted to see his designs become reality," he said.