Doha: Qatar's Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has completed the final design compliance audit under the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for the new College of Medicine building at Qatar University, targeting a four-star rating under the GSAS Design and Build certification.

According to Qatar News Agency, the achievement surpasses the project's initial three-star rating and reflects Ashghal's commitment to applying high environmental and operational sustainability standards to educational facilities in Qatar.

The audit included a technical site inspection involving teams from Ashghal, the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD), the project's consultant and contractor. The inspection was aimed at verifying the quality of work on site.

The project incorporates a range of engineering solutions designed to improve energy and water efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and use environmentally friendly, sustainable construction materials.

The design also focuses on improving indoor environmental quality and thermal comfort, as well as the efficiency of air-conditioning and lighting systems, helping to reduce long-term operating and maintenance costs.

GSAS is one of the region's leading sustainability assessment systems. It provides an integrated framework for evaluating the environmental and operational performance of buildings and projects, covering areas including energy and water efficiency, land and material use, indoor environmental quality and management processes.