KEO International Consultants, a global provider of consulting solutions for the construction industry, has completed the design for Diyar Al-Kuwait’s mixed-use development at Lusail in Qatar.

The $800 million project, situated on a 70,000 sq m waterfront site, will provide 130,000 sq m of office space, 30,000 sq m of retail space and 640 residential units as well as 27 four-bedroom townhouses. Two basement car parks will provide 4,070 spaces for residents and visitors.

Raj Patel, design director at KEO, described the design composition as being inspired by traditional courtyard planning and the facades as a response to the environmental conditions. 

Three office towers are situated along the northern portion of the site with their address along the main street and step from 25 storeys at the northeastern corner to 29 storeys at the northwestern corner of the site.  Elevated sky gardens are located in strategic locations of each tower to offer tenants a connection to nature and break up the mass of the building, he said.

The retail mall along the northern portion of the site meanders from the west to the east intricately connecting the office tower lobbies with several ceremonial drop-off courts to the office buildings and retail mall.

The residential buildings of the project are situated along the eastern and southern portion of the site to provide residential units with excellent views of the water.  These buildings float above four-bedroom townhouse units which are located on the podium level.

The facades of the different components are inspired by traditional mashrabiya designs and deal with transformation of patterns, protection from the sun’s rays, and privacy. 

The office building creates beautifully patterned facades using various sizes of stone and glass. The retail mall has skylights and entrance volumes wrapped in a random lace-like pattern to create shadows that mimic the quality of light found in traditional souqs.  The residential buildings play with an array of stone, metal, and glass to provide maximum views of the water from the units within, said Patel. -TradeArabia News Service