Cambridge, MA– The new College of Life Sciences, designed by architecture firm CambridgeSeven in association with Gulf Consult, has been selected as the national winner in the Education category of this year’s 2021 MEED Projects Awards, in association with Mashreq.
Patricia Intrieri, AIA, lead architect on the project and a Principal of CambridgeSeven, will attend the award ceremony in Dubai on December 8, 2021 along with Najla Alghanim, Chairman of Gulf Consult.
“CambridgeSeven is honored that MEED selected the College of Life Sciences as the Education Project of the Year,” said Patti Intrieri. “Working with Kuwait University to envision a bold new campus for the disciplines of art, environment, and information technology was an opportunity for us to apply fresh thinking to education infrastructure. Through decades of work with international partners in Kuwait, including Kuwait University and Gulf Consult, we are proud to have made an indelible contribution and hope the COLS will be a catalyst for future growth for generations to come.”
As part of CambridgeSeven’s ongoing work with Kuwait University, the firm was called upon in 2008 to design an all-new, 74,322sm College of Life Sciences (COLS) at Sabah Al-Salem University City (SSUC) in Shadadiyah, Kuwait. CambridgeSeven, in association with Gulf Consult, reimagined traditional Arabic design into a non-traditional approach for this two-building complex for environmental and family sciences. The building’s form, sculpted in response to extensive environmental analysis, reinterprets the Arabic mashrabiya (screen) to provide an innovative system of shading that directs views and mitigates solar glare, while sloped facades allow the building to self-shade.
Inside, organizing atria function as modern wind towers and reinforce interdisciplinary visibility and connection among programs. The COLS serves 3,000 students and supports a multidisciplinary approach to education and research. Its nutrition and production labs, as well as a mental health clinic, are open to all, showcasing the entrepreneurial and community value of the students’ work.
