Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD), Qatar’s leading research, consultancy and training institute, organized its 2nd QSAS-CPD seminar called Indoor Environment Science and Impacts held on April 28, 2012, at Qatar National Convention Centre QNCC.

In collaboration with BG2 Global Solutions & Grigoriou Interiors the QSAS-CPD Seminar was structured around a half day session (4 hours) and the aim of the session was to raise awareness of the importance of wellbeing issues & to provide support for QSAS Indoor Environment criteria.

The talks was placed within the context of Interior Design and interior fit-out of (primarily) commercial spaces and was framed to: 
    1. Define what it takes to improve and deliver interiors that respond to users wellbeing; 
    2. Highlight the actions and issues that are required to implement each, particularly relating to the QSAS criteria; 
    3. Elaborate on the knowledge under the issues (what a project should be including); 
    4. Quantify the % gain that clients can benefit from applying wellbeing practices and the cost implication to clients businesses by not applying these.

Dr. Yousef Mohammed Al-Horr, Founding Chairman of GORD, said “Environmental wellbeing issues and the effects of buildings on human health, employee productivity and organizational prosperity are currently largely ignored and undervalued in interior design projects. Two main issues affecting wider adoption are a lack of awareness of the exact issues, and an inadequate understanding of the costs and value of practices that improve occupant wellbeing. This seminar raises awareness of these issues and examines the case for sustainable interior design."

Dr Al Horr added “Many design factors such as those included in the QSAS Indoor Environment criteria – acoustics, air quality, color, and lighting – can have a calculable impact on building occupants and ultimately the client bottom line. Job satisfaction, increased productivity, higher occupancy/lower absenteeism can result from applying knowledge that derives from an increasing body of research in this field. This session looks at all these factors; helps apply scientific research to the QSAS criteria and enables QSAS CGP to make more informed decisions about what practices add value and how these will contribute to sustainability success".

QSAS-CPD Seminar hosted world-renowned experts who discussed environmental wellbeing issues and the impact of buildings on human health, employee productivity and organizational prosperity. Speakers at the event were Professor. Derek Clements-Croome, University of Reading, who discussed ìVentilation impact on performance; Katie Livesey, Senior Consultant, BRE, who talked about Measuring the wellbeing benefits of interior material selection, Dr. Derrick Crump, The Institute of Environment and Health, Cran field University, who shed light on IAQ materials and impacts on human health, and Richard Francis of Gardiner & Theobald, who conducted a presentation on the topic ìHidden Value: The Financial Impacts of Sustainable Fit-Out.

GORD has established QSAS certification schemes that help professionals obtain various theoretical knowledge and practical skills and experience on QSAS implementation. The GORD Institute awards Associate Certified Green Professional (ACGP) and Certified Green Professional (CGP) certifications to candidates who have developed their knowledge and skills related to QSAS project management through participation in one of the three-day QSAS workshops and successfully passing the exam. 

GORD Institute also offers five levels of QSAS Qualification based on Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which is the membership grades mandatory credentialing requirement. The five levels are Green Card, Certificate, Advanced Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma. The Green Card is given to candidates who have completed the certification scheme for QSAS-ACGP or have attended the QSAS-CGP workshops, whereas the Certificate requires completion of theoretical knowledge and practical experience on QSAS implementation. The Advanced Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma require practitioners to obtain CEUs.