Norwich-based LSI Architects has broken into the Qatar market by winning a major contract for the country’s first eco-villa after years of research and training.

Green features on the Eco Villa project will include an in-house energy generating system, water efficient plumbing and irrigation, and intelligent building control systems. The materials used will also be highly eco-friendly.

“We began researching The Gulf as a new market in response to the recession. I went on a UKTI trade mission to Abu Dhabi and Qatar in early 2010 and talked to packed meetings about LSI’s expertise in sustainable design.

The trade mission was followed by a series of one-to-one meetings in Qatar to establish our credentials and explore partnerships,” said LSI Architects partner Trevor Price.

LSI has been working with both the UKTI and the British Embassy in Qatar, and has completed training in Qatar’s sustainability assessment system (QSAS), one of the most comprehensive in the world.

“This [Qualifying in QSAS] led to us being invited, along with two other practices, to submit proposals for the Eco Villa to the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD), which is championing the project. It is wonderful news for the practice that our design has been chosen for the Eco Villa and we look forward to working on the villa from the autumn,” said Price.

“LSI Architects is an excellent example of a UK company that has invested time to develop relationships before winning their first project in Qatar,” said Bassam Al Tahtamouni, commercial attaché at the British Embassy in Qatar

Source: http://www.designmena.com/thoughts/uk-architects-break-qatar-ecovilla