Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD), the government entity aiming to position Qatar as the capital of green building, will construct an Eco Villa as an example of a sustainable, smart and healthy living environment. “The open-to-the-public landmark project will reinforce Qatar’s reputation as a leading advocate of sustainable development,” Dr Yousef Mohamed al-Horr, founding chairman of GORD, announced yesterday. The Green Villa has been designed to achieve a minimum score of four stars based on the GORD developed Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS), which has six stars as its highest rating. GORD has selected three consulting firms; LSI Architects, MYAA Architects & RHWL Architects to design the ‘Eco Villa’ on a public space. A committee has been formed with representatives from Qatar Museums Authority, Ministry of Culture, Arts & Heritage, Qatar University, Private Office of Emiri Diwan, and regional experts. “The Eco Villa exemplifies the vision of Qatar to be one of the global leaders in the pursuit of sustainable socioeconomic growth and development,” Dr al-Horr explained. The sustainable features of the Eco Villa include on-site renewable energy generation system, water-efficient plumbing fixtures and irrigation system, energy reduction, indoor lighting design, and intelligent building control system. The Eco Villa will be constructed using sustainable and recycled eco-friendly building materials that have low Volatile Organic Compounds emission rates. Indoor and outdoor gardens, water features, wind towers, wood panelling, smart use of daylight to provide indoor illumination through latticework and skylights, and a high roof to reduce the impact of heat are among the features of the Eco Villa. “The design has been finalised and construction will begin soon,” Dr al-Horr added. Once the Eco Villa is ready, members of the public would be able to visit the facility and learn about the sustainable, smart and healthy living environment.from gulf times.