Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
The embodied carbon of the Motion Museum was estimated using a hybrid life-cycle assessment approach that combines material intensity factors and regional emission data.
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Software and Databases: Calculations were based on the One Click LCA tool, incorporating data from the ICE Database v3.0 (Inventory of Carbon & Energy) and the EPD (Environmental Product Declarations) of locally sourced materials where available.
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Methodology:
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The gross floor area of 15,000 m² was used to normalize emissions.
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Quantities of major material categories—reinforced concrete, steel, glass, composite façade elements, and internal finishes—were extracted from the BIM model.
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Regional energy data from Qatar’s grid was used to adjust embodied carbon values for locally manufactured products.
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Carbon capture in materials such as laminated timber, recycled bamboo panels, and bio-composite finishes was calculated through material-specific sequestration factors (approx. 1.8 t CO₂ captured per m³ of timber).
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Scope of Inclusion:
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Included: structure, envelope, façades, partitions, flooring, roofing systems, and interior finishes.
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Excluded: temporary scaffolding, exhibition installations, and movable furniture.
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Operational Emissions / Energy
The Motion Museum was designed from the outset as a climate-responsive and energy-efficient cultural complex, integrating both passive and active sustainability strategies to minimize operational carbon emissions in Qatar’s hot-arid climate.
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Method of Assessment:
The operational emissions were estimated through a combination of dynamic energy simulation (using IES VE software) and regional benchmarks from GSO 2683 (Gulf Standards Organization) for energy performance in public buildings.
The estimated emissions are derived from the predicted annual energy demand (kWh/m²/year), multiplied by Qatar’s grid emission factor (0.46 kg CO₂/kWh). -
Key Passive Design Strategies:
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Parametric Façade Optimization: The double-layer lattice façade functions as an intelligent skin that shades the building envelope while allowing diffused daylight, reducing direct solar gain by approximately 55%.
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Natural Ventilation & Stack Effect: The museum’s central vortex atrium is designed to enhance vertical air movement, creating a passive ventilation chimney that expels warm air through roof openings.
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Thermal Mass & Envelope Performance: The use of high-insulation concrete cores and low-U-value glazing systems minimizes temperature fluctuation and heat transfer.
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Solar Orientation: Major openings are oriented toward the north and shaded east/west elevations to limit direct solar radiation.
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Active Energy Systems:
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Photovoltaic Integration: Solar panels on the roof canopy generate up to 18% of the building’s annual energy demand.
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Smart Building Management System (BMS): Automated control of lighting, HVAC, and shading devices optimizes performance according to occupancy and daylight levels.
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High-Efficiency HVAC Systems: Chilled beam and displacement ventilation systems reduce cooling energy consumption by 30–35% compared to conventional systems.
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LED Lighting & Daylight Sensors: Fully adaptive lighting strategy ensures minimal artificial lighting demand during daylight hours.
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Scope:
Included: HVAC, lighting, elevators, pumps, renewable energy generation, and auxiliary systems.
Excluded: exhibition equipment, user-controlled electronics, and temporary installations.
Afterlife
The design of the Motion Museum was conceived with a long-term vision that transcends its initial function. Although primarily designed as a cultural and exhibition space, the museum’s flexible structural grid and modular spatial organization allow for adaptive reuse in the building’s afterlife. The central atrium, open circulation paths, and wide-span column-free galleries enable future transformations into educational, institutional, or civic spaces without the need for major structural alterations. This foresight aligns with sustainable lifecycle thinking—ensuring that the building can evolve alongside the cultural and social changes of Doha in the decades to come.
The parametric design approach also supports flexibility. The façade and internal partitions are developed through modular digital systems that can be reconfigured, repurposed, or partially replaced according to new functions. Thus, the museum’s geometry—while dynamic and expressive—remains grounded in a logical, adaptable framework that anticipates its potential reprogramming.
From the outset, the project incorporated strategies that facilitate material recovery and circularity. Building components such as the parametric façade panels, structural steel members, and interior cladding systems were designed to be assembled through dry connections rather than permanent bonding, making disassembly and reuse possible.
Recycled aluminum for façade panels, locally sourced stone, and high-performance glass with modular framing systems contribute to a construction method that minimizes waste and enables materials to re-enter the production cycle at the end of the building’s lifespan.
In essence, the Motion Museum was designed not only as an architectural statement for the present but as a resource for the future—capable of being transformed, reinterpreted, and reborn through new uses and materials.