This new building, designed to house the offices of the Qatari Minister of Municipal Affairs & Agriculture, fits seamlessly into Qatar’s scorched, desert landscape. Its design has been inspired by the cactus: it features large, energy-efficient sun shades which open and close depending on temperature, in much the same way as a cactus opens and closes its stomata. The offices have an adjoining botanical dome full of cacti and other plants.

This new building, designed to house the offices of the Qatari Minister of Municipal Affairs & Agriculture, fits seamlessly into Qatar’s scorched, desert landscape. Its design has been inspired by the cactus: it features large, energy-efficient sun shades which open and close depending on temperature, in much the same way as a cactus opens and closes its stomata. The offices have an adjoining botanical dome full of cacti and other plants.