New building work at West Riffa Girls’ School begins

Construction Projects Director at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Mariam Abdulla Ameen, yesterday stated that the work on constructing an additional academic building for the West Riffa Intermediate Girls School has begun after being tendered in favour of Zaedon Building Construction at total cost of BD787,639.

Work is expected to continue for 18 months. The Construction Projects Director said that the MoW has completed the design work, and is now supervising the project, adding that the Ministry of Education is keeping up with the constant need of building many schools in line with the expansion plans. “This is in order to provide education to as many students as possible, and to have schools closer to their residences.”

Ameen added that with the building’s design, the MoW has considered the modern needs for the Ministry of Education to provide a convenient and engaging environment. The building will be built on a 2,238 square-metre space, with three floors that contain 16 classrooms in total, provided with modern educational equipment as well as special classes for family education and art subjects, in addition to service facilities.

The building is designed for longevity with the concept of green buildings and energy rationalisation in order to preserve the environment and natural resources. Thermal insulation for surfaces, walls and roofs, and windows will be used to reduce electricity costs, of which air conditioning is a big part, the official said.

The design also provides ease of movement for students and teachers of special needs or pregnancy, by implementing slopes at the entrances of the building in addition to providing elevators to facilitate movement between floors, as well as spacious restrooms that fulfil their needs, she added.