Mahara is an inter-disciplinary research centre, owned by Oman Educational Services (OES) and designed to operate as a research site for smart, sustainable, innovative and vocational practices.

The centre is built to provide a platform for researchers and students to conduct research and experiments in order to develop solutions to a variety of environmental challenges.

Contextual and environmental surveys were undertaken to identify the ideal orientation of the centre’s buildings. As such, the design of the centre took into consideration the positioning of the different blocks and labs in relation to seasonal variations in the sun’s path as well as prevailing wind.

Mahara is organised into various blocks stacked to capture north-easterly breezes, alongside properly sized windows. As a result, natural ventilation in the buildings provides significant cooling benefits and allows for significantly reduced air conditioning requirement. Provisions for installing Photovoltaic panels are also considered to capture the sunlight.

Mahara will use information and communication technologies to improve quality of life and introduce research into smart building technologies, as well as robotics.

Moreover, Mahara is designed to drive OES green agenda via range of smart solutions, including water collection and irrigation, individual control light switches, renewable energy sources, etc.

The site will also house a vocational training centre, where job-specific technical training will be delivered.