Aga Khan Award for Architecture Announces 2022 Jury

Aga Khan Award for Architecture Logo
Aga Khan Award for Architecture Logo
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Aga Khan Award for Architecture Announces 2022 Jury

Aga Khan Award for Architecture Logo
Aga Khan Award for Architecture Logo

The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which amounts to one million dollar, has announced the names of the Master Jury for 2022.

The nine-member jury will include Nada Al-Hassan, an architect specialized in international cultural and sustainable development policies in Paris, Kader Attia, an artist who lives and works between Berlin and Paris, Frances Kere, Associate Professor of Architectural Design and Participation at the Technical University of Munich, Amale Andraos, Dean of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University, and director of the WORKac architecture firm in New York, Dr. Sibel Bozdogan, Visiting Professor of Modern Architecture and Urbanism at Boston University; Nader Tehrani, Dean of the Cooper Union's Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at Cooper Union in New York and founding principal of NADAAA, Boston and New York. Mrs. Lina Ghotmeh, founder and principal of Ghotmeh- Architecture in Paris, Anne Lacaton, Founder and Director of the architecture firm Lacaton and Vassal, Paris- Montreuil, and Professor Kazi Khaled Ashraf, Director-General of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes, and Settlements in Dhaka.

Once the jury selects a shortlist of projects, the projects will be thoroughly examined on sight by independent experts, most of whom are either architects, urban planners or structural engineers. The jurors will then convene for a second time in summer 2022 to study the examinations made on-site and select the final winners of the award.

Selection does only account for the provision of people’s material, social and economic needs, but their ability to stimulate and respond to their cultural aspirations. Particular emphasis is placed on the extent to which the projects use local resources and the appropriate technology in innovative ways that can inspire similar efforts elsewhere.



Saudi Northern Borders Witness Return of Diplotaxis

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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Saudi Northern Borders Witness Return of Diplotaxis

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

The Saudi Northern Borders region, renowned for its diverse desert landscape, is witnessing the resurgence of the Diplotaxis, a vibrant yellow-flowered species that had become increasingly rare.
This resurgence is attributed to continuous conservation efforts, including the establishment of wildlife reserves and the implementation of stricter environmental protection laws, according to SPA.
Diplotaxis is an annual plant in the Northern Boreders region, typically reaching half a meter in height. Its hairy leaves, an adaptation to the harsh desert climate, help retain moisture. The plant thrives in gravelly soils and blooms in spring with fragrant yellow flowers.
Aman Environmental Association Board of Directors Chairman Nasser Al-Majlad told SPA that the early rainfall this year fostered the growth of numerous plant species, including Diplotaxis, which had been absent from the area for several years.
The Northern Borders region boasts a rich variety of plant life, including aromatic, seasonal, and annual species.

This diverse flora plays a crucial role in combating desertification, stabilizing soil, increasing biodiversity, and enhancing the region's environmental health. Moreover, it contributes to the region's tourism appeal.