Atkins wins RIBA competition for Qatar school

Atkins has won the RIBA organised competition to design the Sherborne Qatar School in Doha.

Atkins successfully beat five other finalists for the scheme including Hopkins Architects, whose founder Michael Hopkins is a former Sherborne pupil.

Sherborne Qatar is a joint venture between Sherborne School in Dorset and General Trading Group Qatar represented by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Thani.

The competition was organised on behalf of the Sherborne Qatar board of governors by RIBA Competitions.

In a statement the board said Atkins had presented “interesting initial ideas of how the cultural identities of Sherborne Dorset and Sherborne Qatar might be expressed within the built form to represent their shared educational ethos”.

The board added Atkins had the experience and ability to successfully deliver the project in Doha.

Sherborne School was founded in Dorset in 1550 and has been established as a school in Doha on a temporary site since 2009.

Martin Pease, Atkins head of architecture UK,  said: “This success is testament to the hard work and collaboration between our UK and Middle East offices, and demonstrates Atkins truly global expertise.”