Universities in Libya

Ten new universities open Libya up to the West.

More than a decade of experience in masterplanning universities and colleges helped us win this contract.

Around 60 BDP staff across 11 disciplines collaborated to design universities in the Sahara Desert, in the mountains and on the coast.

The schemes have been designed entirely around local settings, microclimate and culture, while conforming to an over-arching academic plan.

Eighteen faculty types — covering all Engineering, Humanities and Health Sciences sectors — accommodate 38,000 students and there are 15,000 student residential and 600 staff units.

Brief

  • formulate and design ten universities
  • locate in desert, mountain and coastal settings

Results

  • world-class higher education learning environments with capacity for expansion
  • international centers of excellence catering for the region and sub-Saharan Africa
  • sustainability agenda within Libya advanced
  • capable of withstanding 40C+ summers and freezing winters whilst minimizing energy use

Facts

Location: Libya: Sabha, Brak, Marzuq, Awbari, Gharyan, Nalut, Zintan, Sabratha, Surman, Zuwarah
Client: the Libyan government’s Organisation for the Development of Administrative Centres (ODAC)
Construction cost: circa £1200m
Principal construction period: 2009-2012

Integrated services

masterplanning, architecture, space planning, environmental engineering, structural engineering, sustainability, acoustics, lighting, landscape architecture

Links to images