QATAR URBAN DESIGN COMPENDIUM
A toolkit for the country's urban development
This comprehensive three-volume compendium, put together by Makower Architects, is considered the most important and impactful design guideline book for the country’s urban development. It provides guidance on the rationales and principles of good urban design, and how to apply them. The book equips all the development players to understand the art of shaping a place, the interactions of the key components of physical development, the relationship of different levels of development process on achieving a high standard place that people want to live in, work, socialize, worship, play, visit or even invest and do business.
We created a model Qatari city on which to illustrate our guidelines
We created a model Qatari city on which to illustrate our guidelines
The QUDC was written at a time of urban regeneration within Qatar. Projects of national, regional and international importance were underway, such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup; the new Metro system; the regeneration of Doha’s downtown, centered around Msheireb and many more.
These fast-track, ambitious projects can have contradictory impacts. On the one hand, they have an immense positive impact on the social and economic growth of the country and its urbanization. On the other hand, many physical issues arise, such as a sense of disconnect, lack of consistent identity, poorly designed public realm,lack of walkability and space left over after planning (SLOAP).
Above is an illustrative model, showing how the principles in the guide can come together to create a typical urban area.
Example diagrams from the Guidelines:
1. Diagrams showing how a formal grid structure can be adapted to break up the monotony of straight streets without compromising the efficiency of the grid form.
2. Comparison urban grain studies.
3. ‘Complete streets’ diagram: allowing for safe travel by those walking, cycling, driving vehicles or using public transportation.
Some key principles contained within the document were: understanding Qatar's context, the creation of walkable spaces, designing places for people, climate responsive design, the creation of organic and irregular block patterns and providing a postive boundary to the public edge.
Location:
Qatar
Use:
Urbanism
Status:
Published
Size:
n/a
Client:
Qatar's Ministry of Municipality & Environment
Project Date:
2018
Collaborators:
WSP, Place Dynamix, Atelier Ten, DTZ, ARRUS
Awards:
