RIBA Gulf student competition sees five winners

RIBA President, Ruth Reed with some of the student entrants
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In conjunction with last month’s launch of the RIBA Gulf Chapter, the results of a RIBA student competition—‘Urban Exchange: The Souk’—were announced at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

Chaired by Peter Jackson, Architect Advisor to HH Ruler’s Office in Sharjah, the jury included principal judge Sir Michael Hopkins CBE, Dr Yasser Elsheshtawy of UAE University, Dr Adil A. Al-Mumin of Kuwait University, George Katodrytis from the American University of Sharjah as well as two observers from RIBA Competitions.

Students were given the challenge of exploring new visions and developing design proposals for ‘the city’. The jury set the challenge of re-addressing the nature of street culture and its human activities in an urban context. Students were asked to choose a site in an urban context which they felt was in need of rejuvenation, and come up with ideas and concepts representing a modern interpretation of the souk.

“RIBA Gulf, by virtue of its stated aims of supporting the education of young architects and continuing professional development of practicing architects, is a fundamental way to positively influence the quality of architecture in this region,” said Simon Crispe, RIBA Gulf Chapter Ambassador and regional director for Atkins.

Overally, 19 student teams entered the competition and the judges were pleased to see a wide variety of responses to the architectural brief. Schemes largely fell into three broad categories: urban grain; building specific; the process and generic issues around the theme.

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Although no single winner emerged from the shortlist—the jury felt the aims of the brief hadn’t been fully met—the judges recognised quality elements within five schemes and thus, elected to commend five entrants equally.

“While the entrants might be disappointed that no 1st, 2nd, or 3rd prizes were awarded, this was not an easy competition brief,” explained jury chairman Peter Jackson. “Student architects are generally taught to focus a great deal on the form and function of individual buildings and, as a result, often fail to see buildings in relationship to one another, and in particular to the spaces we can create between them.”

Sir Michael Hopkins added: “The bringing together of the Schools in the GCC to think about issues of context, place and sustainability, in their related but particular areas, is a very valuable exercise, which it would be worthwhile to repeat…. I’d very much like to come back next year to help judge it.”

Regarding the future of RIBA Gulf and creating conscientious, eco-friendly places, Crispe urges a reconsideration of the traditional way of finding solutions in the built environment.

“The focus of the communication [between architects and clients] should be on quality of design, combined with support and promotion of quality education of architects at all levels, ages and experience to understand and address global challenges as never before,” explains Crispe. “The RIBA felt this was the time to foster those communications and reach out to not only its own RIBA architects in the region but all architects and students alike who are practicing and learning here in the Gulf.”

The RIBA Student Competition was sponsored by Geberit and commendations went to the following student teams: Shruti Gupta (School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi); Haitham Mohammed Al Busafi, Aliya A Sattar Al Hashim, Ahmed Abdullah Al Muqbali, Adi AL Farei (Sultan Qaboos University, Oman); Nasreen Al Tamimi (Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalunya, Spain); Esraa Ali Osman Mohammed, Marwa Ahmed (UAE University, Al Ain); Navid Nikpour, Islamic Azawd University (Dubai).

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