The project of student Bassam Khanfar titled “Dana Green Heritage" and supervised by Dr. Diala Al-Tarawneh from the Department of Architecture at the School of Engineering at the University of Jordan won second place in the Excellence Award for International Graduation Projects in Architecture for the year 2024.
The project “Dana Green Heritage" combines the social, cultural and architectural heritage of the village of Dana in the Dana Reserve and its biosphere in Jordan, as this project focuses on the preservation of medicinal plants and herbs through the establishment of new nurseries and advanced agricultural techniques. Including a cultural center that attracts experts, farmers and visitors.
The Excellence Award is proud to announce the winners of the International Graduation Projects Award for the year 2024. The winners were selected based on the award's evaluation criteria, which highlight ambitious and transformative projects that address local and global challenges through a comprehensive and in-depth understanding.
This award is open to students of architecture, with a focus on urban design, urban planning, architectural technology and landscape design from all over the world.
The award aims to recognize excellence in architectural design and education worldwide and showcase excellent architectural examples to promote and stimulate architectural debate.
This year, 587 teams and individuals participated in the Excellence Award for International Graduation Projects, representing 125 universities and 37 countries. The first prize for 2024 was won by Nguyen Thi Huyng Diem from the University of Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
The second prize winner was Bassam Louay Fawzi Khanfar from the Department of Architecture, School of Engineering, University of Jordan, supervised by Dr. Diala Al-Tarawneh. The third prize was won by Nguyen Thanh Hien from the University of Architecture in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The jury published their architectural comments on the winning projects, and the following is what was written about the “Dana Heritage" project, the winner of the second place from the Jordanian Architecture Engineering:
“This project beautifully explores how architecture can interact with pressing environmental and cultural challenges. The project focuses on the Dana Biosphere Reserve in Jordan, and successfully integrates traditional methods with contemporary sustainable practices.
The project focuses on preserving endangered medicinal plants, reviving traditional water-saving agricultural techniques, and promoting community engagement. By blending 600-year-old construction methods with modern innovations, the design seamlessly blends with the natural and cultural heritage of the site.
Beautiful narrative and decisive urban intervention enrich this architectural project, showing a deep sensitivity to the site's topography and environmental constraints, in addition to the use of local materials and a commitment to minimizing environmental impact that demonstrate the project's thoughtful and designed approach, through comprehensive research and strategy. It was found that there is room for improvement in technical details, especially in relation to the steep terrain and water scarcity.
Despite these challenges, the project stands out for its ability to promote biodiversity, community cooperation, and sustainable development, making it worthy of the second prize."
Link to the interview of Dr. Diala Al-Tarawneh and student Bassam Khanfar with the University of Jordan Radio
