New Civil Defence

Wadi Al Sail, Doha, Qatar

Client: Private Engineering Office
Built up area: 40,425m²
Scope: Design
Status: Completed (2012)

The new Civil Defence Headquarters is located in a prime location in Doha in Wadi Al Sail area, surrounded by Al- Ahli Hospital and Al Jazeera Network Headquarters.

The Government, represented by Private Engineering Office and Ministry of Interior, aimed to introduce the complex with new technical construction standards, meeting all international codes, especially health and safety. Our firm was appointed to develop a concept using the Qatari traditional style in the architectural vocabulary.

The complex comprises of five buildings: headquarters building which houses the officers and staffs offices, the club house, fire station, drill tower and mosque. All buildings are distributed in a well-designed landscape with consideration of the levels at that area.

There are two main entrances to the complex, one for the general public and one for the staff. The headquarters building was designed with an internal central courtyard in order for natural light to reach all offices. The internal courtyard also creates an oasis-like environment for the staff during long working hours. The club house is set at the back of the complex with educational rooms, auditorium, recreational facilities and swimming pool. It also provides accommodation for the night-shift staff.

All of the structures’ built up area totals to 40,500m², covering 40% of 30,772m² plot area. The traffic circulation was studied in detail and parking areas are provided both underground and on the ground to serve staff and visitors respectively. Fire trucks have their own access to the main road while the municipality has provided a dedicated traffic light to open the roads for the trucks when dispatched for an emergency. The project was completed in 2012 and started to serve the public in the same year.