AMMAN — The
Jordanian Engineers Association hosted the JEA Student Architect Awards at the
Jordan Museum on Saturday, awarding first prize to Nadeen Shiqem, from the
German-JordanianUniversity (GJU), for her project “Behind the Wall.”
اضافة اعلان
Chief of the Jordanian Engineers Association Ahmad Al-Zubi, the Chairman
of the Architecture Division Board Ahmad Seyam, and the Director of the JEA
Student Architect Awards Shadi Abdulsalam attended the ceremony.
Abdulsalam previously told Jordan News that the award aims create a fair
and independent platform for local students.
The jury looks for projects that tackle local issues and provides an applicable
solution for the space and city.
Out of 24 projects, 9 projects were shortlisted and presented at the ceremony.
Mohammad Al-Qubbaj from the Jordan
University of Science and Technology took third place for his project “Eco
Machine,” while Farah Al-Qawasmeh from the University of Jordan took second place
for her project “Sweileh Community Farm.”
Behind
the Wall: A juvenile rehabilitation center
Shiqem’s project, Behind the Wall, tackled the problem of correctional
facilities and providing the right spaces and functions for troubled youth to
complete juvenile reform at Ras Al-Ain in Amman.
“During my site analysis research, two main observations came into play; the
lack of public spaces found in the area, and the site's history with rainwater that
somehow seemed to be repeating itself,” Shiqem said in an interview with
Jordan
News.
Historically, the street on which the site is located was formerly a stream
that collected runoff from the surrounding hills. Today, the stream still runs
underground and collects the rainwater that floods Amman’s old downtown almost
every winter.
However, with
flooding common every winter, the need for a rainwater harvesting system became
apparent, which in-turn led to the conceptual basis of this project.
“To create a center built on the basis of 'rehabilitation through
rehabilitation' became the (project’s) objective,” Shiqem said.
A prison wall is often perceived as the physical barrier between juvenile delinquents
and the public, so this was emphasized and turned into wall with ever-changing greenery.
The roof was turned into a water harvesting system supported by water
collectors that act as the main structural foundation of the project, and
finally, a public plaza was created as an extension of the neighboring Friday
market.
The green wall would be painted by juveniles, and would succeed in transforming
what was once seen as a barrier into the communicator.
Behind the Wall is a testament to the heart of Amman, erasing the social
stigmatization placed on juveniles, while communicating to the public what is
currently happening behind the wall.
“I’m very thankful for my supervisor, architect Thaer Quba for his continuous
efforts, the JEA for giving us such an opportunity, architect Shadi Abdulsalam
for directing and coordinating such a high standard competition, I am extremely
honored!” Shiqem said.
Quba said that he believes that the project succeeded in creating a new
typology that offers solutions for two major issues right now.
“What makes Nadeen’s project special, like many of the GJU students’, is her
approach. The humanitarian approach works on providing real solutions to
problems that face Jordanian society, where architecture is the tool and not
the goal,” Quba told
Jordan News.
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