case studyCarnegie Mellon University Qatar: Campus Wellbeing Spaces
A multi-space campus design relationship focused on healthier environments for students, faculty and staff
Project facts
Client: Carnegie Mellon University Qatar
Location: Doha, Qatar
Sector: Universities / Higher Education
Role: Strategic wellness Design Consultant
Scope: 15 different campus spaces for students & faculty
Completed to date: 3 spaces delivered
Timeframe: 18+ month engagement
multi-space campus wellbeing design
Carnegie Mellon University Qatar represents Biofilico’s most substantial higher-education engagement to date, with a strategic design partner relationship extending through 2024-2026.
Working across a wide range of the Doha campus’s environments, we have supported the university in updating interior spaces that needed to better respond to student wellbeing, staff experience, social connection, study, movement and everyday campus usability.
So this is not a single-space case study. It is an ongoing campus relationship that reflects how wellness-led thinking can be applied across multiple user groups and functions within a university setting.
our wellness interior design brief for cmu-q
The broader brief has been to help Carnegie Mellon University Qatar strengthen the quality and identity of selected campus interiors through a healthier, more user-focused design approach.
Across the portfolio, the aim has been to create spaces that feel more supportive, more inviting and better aligned with the realities of contemporary campus life.
Depending on the space, that may mean stronger study conditions, improved social environments, more restorative staff areas, or movement and wellbeing environments that support healthier daily routines.
Rather than treating wellbeing as a single room type or one-off intervention, the relationship has allowed a broader campus-wide design conversation to take shape.
spaces completed on campus
To date, Biofilico has worked on a portfolio of 15 separate campus spaces across Carnegie Mellon University Qatar (CMU-Q).
These include a mix of student-facing, staff-facing and communal campus environments, reflecting a broader approach to campus wellbeing rather than a single project category.
Completed:
Student gym for men, another for ladies, and entrance area (120m2)
Academic Research Centre (ARC) student study area (500m2)
Student lounge with billiards, majlis seating, e-gaming, TV streaming and workshop area (300m2)
Music room
Arcade room
Student lounge
Full interior design, procurement of furniture & lighting
A multi-zone student lounge with billiards and a majlis style social area in the centre.
Arcade games room
Full interior design, procurement of furniture & lighting
An arcade games room for relaxation and downtime in between study sessions.
Music room
Full interior design, procurement of furniture & lighting
A music room with podcast recording facility for students to listen to vinyl records, play instruments and experiment musically while on campus.
Event space / streaming area
Full interior design, procurement of furniture & lighting
A workshop, event and TV streaming area for small gatherings and watching sports.
Student gym (women)
Full interior design services
A gender separated 50m2 ladies gym side by side, with beige acoustic ceiling panels, stainless steel wall panels, mirrored glass sections and Technogym equipment.
Student gym (men)
Full interior design services
A gender separated 50m2 mens gym with black acoustic ceiling panels, mood lighting, rubber roll specialist gym flooring and Technogym equipment.
Student gym lobby
Full interior design services
A lobby entrance area for the gym designed to act as a visible marker for those looking for the only fitness facility on campus, as well as a place to meet pre/post workout with colleagues.
Academic Research Centre (ARC) study space
Full interior design services
An extensive student study area with 5 colour themed zones offering a range of study scenarios, from standing desks, to communal desks, individual work pods and collaborative work tables, combined with a detailed acoustics strategy designed to reduce noise transfer between zones.
spaces designed / handed over on campus
spaces handed over for technical delivery by a local fit-out company or the building owners (Qatar foundation):
group activity room (30m2)
mindfulness room (100m2)
social affinity room (50m2)
operations department offices (800m2)
information systems lab (300m2)
computer sciences lab (500m2)
arts & sciences study area (150m2)
arts & sciences staff lounge (50m2)
Biology research lab study area (150m2)
outdoor library (600m2)
Operations Department offices
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A new home for the Operations Department featuring a reception area, communal workspace / events area, lounge, private offices operated on a hot desk principle, standing desks and an outdoor workspace/ social area.
Information Systems_Thinking Space
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
An events and group workshop space with multi-media screens on the back wall, a presentation screen and tiered seating.
Information Systems_Research Lab
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A dedicated Information Systems Lab with shared work stations for multi-disciplinary research teams.
Computer Science_Robotics Lab
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A functional yet futuristic robotics lab with work stations, in-built storage cabinets, suspended ceiling mesh, projection screen and safety flooring.
Computer Science_Embedded Systems
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A minimalist teaching space with work benches for students and a dedicated faculty bench with projection screen.
Computer Science_Research Lab
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A staff and faculty research office with a premium feel, ample storage, indoor planting, acoustic carpets and ceiling panels, as well as a meeting room and social area.
Computer Science_Student Study Area
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
An open-plan study area with a communal high table with stools, 4-person work tables, an acoustic work station and an acoustic phone booth.
Student mindfulness room
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
a student mindfulness room designed around three distinct zones for group workshops of up to 12 people, social interaction in small groups on sofas and moments of quiet downtime facing an image of nature
Student activity room
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
a group activity room for dance classes, yoga and holistic practices
Student social affinity room
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A female-only social affinity room that provides a safe space for female students to relax and interact amongst themselves in a quiet, private space.
Arts & Sciences Department study area
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A communal study area for students in the arts & sciences department.
Arts & Sciences Department staff lounge
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A faculty only lounge area for informal work, downtime and social interaction.
Biology Research student study area
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
A communal study area for biology research students featuring a 3D-printed triple helix structure made of upcycled plastic.
Campus Library Outdoor Study Area
Concept Design + Furniture Selection
An outdoor library study area reimagined with comfortable, durable outdoor seating to enhance productivity and study time for the students.
spaces currently in design
Business Administration Lab
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
a wall street trading room inspired classroom for business admin students, featuring a stock ticker on the wall, bloomberg screens, ergonomic furniture and non-toxic sustainable flooring
Student Affairs Events and Study Area
Concept Design + Schematic Design services
An informal study area and workshop / events space for the Student Affairs team on campus, intended to make students feel at home thanks to the comfortable, coworking-inspired aesthetic.
design priorities across campus portfolio
Across the CMUQ campus work, several themes have consistently shaped the design approach:
Healthier, more supportive environments for students and staff
Better balance between focus, movement, recovery and social connection
Spaces designed around real patterns of campus use
Improved comfort through materials, lighting and acoustics
A stronger sense of identity within key student and faculty spaces
Interior environments that feel calmer, more inviting and more usable day to day
The goal has not been to add superficial wellness features. It has been to improve how people actually experience campus life (see here for our separate blog post on this).
why wellness matters to cmu-q
The CMUQ relationship shows how wellbeing-led design can operate at a campus level rather than only at the level of one individual room.
By working across multiple spaces over time, it becomes possible to create a more coherent and meaningful wellbeing offer for the university community — one that supports academic life, staff experience, movement, social interaction and quieter forms of restoration.
For Biofilico, this project also reflects the direction of our work in higher education more broadly: helping institutions create healthier campus environments through focused, practical and design-led interventions.
contact us
If you are looking to create healthier spaces for students, faculty or staff, we can help shape the strategy and design priorities behind a stronger campus experience.
Registered office: 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE, UK
Spanish office: Montoya, Carrer d’Avila 32, Barcelona 08005, ESPANA