We are going to conclude this peculiar semester with final design studio reviews on May 3rd. In the last few months, we witnessed a sudden and quite dramatic shift in the way we understand and deliver architectural pedagogy. It was a challenging task to adapt to a new teaching methodology. Nevertheless, thanks to students’ enthusiasm and support from the international architectural community, I am confident to say that we managed to deliver another highly exciting and formative design studio course. We learned from experience, and we will continue defining creative educational solutions to adapt to these uncertain, yet thought-provoking times.
Meanwhile, it is time to announce another fantastic lineup of international professionals and academics who accepted the invitation to be with us for the final reviews of the Alzorah Coastal Wetland Institute project. We are immensely grateful (and also proud) for their interest in our activities. There is no better motivation for students to have the opportunity to discuss their work with such prominent members of the international architectural scene.
L' horizon est positif.
Critics
Benedetta Tagliabue is the director of the international architecture firm Miralles Tagliabue EMBT, founded in 1994 in collaboration with Enric Miralles. Among her most notable built projects are the Edinburgh Parliament, the Santa Caterina market in Barcelona, Campus Universitario de Vigo, and the Spanish Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, which was awarded the prestigious RIBA International “Best International Building of 2011” award. She has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Barcelona ETSAB.
Beatrice Bruscoli holds an M.Arch. from the Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Genova. She is an Adjunct Professor of Design Studio and architectural history at the University of Waterloo Rome program. She has been the Director of Knowlton School of Architecture - O.S.U. Study Abroad Program.
Kourosh Hajizadeh is the founder and principal architect in “Hajizadeh & Associates” and an assistant professor at the “Islamic Azad University.” In 2013 he won “the Architect of the Year” prize in the Middle East Architect Award. He is the winner of more than 40 international architectural competition prizes.
Sanjay Puri is the founder and principal of Sanjay Puri Architects and he has been a speaker and a judge at numerous international architecture events. Winning the World’s Best Housing project at the World Architecture Festival 2018, and the World’s Best Residential Project of 2017 at the LEAF Awards, the firm has now won 150 international architecture awards.
Ryszard Sliwka is a painter, educator, and architect based in bath, UK. He formerly taught for many years at the University of Waterloo, Canada. He has worked and exhibited in the USA, Italy, and Canada. His work is both figurative and abstract, focusing on the way painting deepens our experience of space and time.
Marco Sosa is an associate professor and Chair of Design in the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University. In 2014 he was part of the Curatorial Research team for the UAE National Pavilion, Architecture Venice Biennale. He is the co-founder of LIMass a research unit dedicated to promoting creative design solutions and spatial proposals within the UAE community.
Assistant critics
Hamsa Khalid acquired her bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the American University of Sharjah. Upon her graduation in 2018, she joined Whitespace Architects as a graduate architect. She worked on large scale residential and commercial developments in both Dubai and Cairo.
Mark Philip received his B.Arch from the American University of Sharjah. He is the recipient of the AIA The Henry Adams Medal 2019. He is currently an Architect and Urban Designer at Abu Dhabi Municipality Design Studio and an Adjunct Instructor at Heriot-Watt University.
Students
Hind Abusnana, Irine Pudukattukaran Aju, Malak Hani Al-Hawamdeh, Maitha Jasem Alhammadi, Niha Ali, Rose Alomair, Rand Ahmad Altobasi, Zainab Mansoor Bak, Ezzeldin Gamal El Samanoudy, Nadin Emad El Shirbini, Layan Omar Hashem, Rana Osama Hegab, Amerah Bint Ayaz Khan, Joel Vijayan Thomas.