Georgetown University: School of Foreign Service in Qatar

LAS Building

At the present time, SFS-Qatar is located in the Liberal Arts and Sciences building, commonly known as the LAS, where the Administrative functions and Academic programs are currently in their third year of operation. The facilities department has been instrumental in the space planning and re-allocation of spaces for the growing needs of the School and will continue to do so until the completion of the new SFS-Qatar building in Education City.

New SFS-Qatar Building

The design for the new SFS-Qatar building to be located in Education City is in its final stages. Construction for this new high profile building being provided by the Qatar Foundation under the direction of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah is scheduled to begin in 2008. The building is being designed by the Architectural firm of Legorreta + Legorreta of Mexico with Langdon Wilson International from Los Angeles, CA. USA as the Executive Architects. Perl V. Tinio, AIA joined SFS-Qatar in the summer of 2006 as Project Executive Architect and Director of Facilities. He is based in Doha and is representing the University in the design stages, during construction and building occupancy.

The design of the new building brings together similarities with the main campus in Washington, DC and the interpretation of the Design Architect for the buildings in the Gulf Region.

Design Features

The Common Areas
Designed to be a major gathering place for the occupants as well as visitors alike, the Commons area has a three storey height atrium with skylights that will allow natural light into the space. It will be used for special events and can accommodate a banquet seating capacity for 250 persons. The flags representing the different nationalities of the students enrolled at the School will be prominently displayed in one section of the Commons.

The Auditorium
For larger events, including but not limited to lectures, panel discussions, and small musical presentations, an auditorium with a seating capacity for 350 persons has been incorporated in the design

The Centre for International and Regional Studies (CIRS)
Designed to host international conferences and meetings with various local and foreign delegations, the CIRS is located in an open courtyard within the Academic wing. It contains a Conference/Meeting Room with custom-designed tables that form a circle to accommodate up to 40 participants.

Classrooms, Seminar Rooms, Lecture Room and Distance Learning Rooms
Forming one of the major design areas of the building, the rooms will contain the latest in A/V equipment to be used for instructional purposes. The Distance Learning Room will be equipped with the ‘Telepresence’ technology to allow for distance learning, not only between Washington, DC and Doha initially, but with the continuous advances in technology, throughout the rest of the world.

Library
The facility will house one of the most extensive collections of books and materials that will be available not only to the students of the School of Foreign Service, but to the rest of the population at Education City.

Open Areas, Water Features and Courtyards
The introduction by the Design Architect of open courtyards and open spaces allows natural light to penetrate into the building’s interior. The use of water features both in the interior and also at the exterior of the building will also add to the character of the new building.

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