NEWS, DATA, ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC INSIGHTS FOR ARCHITECTS IN THE GCC INTERVIEW Tony Kettle discusses opportunity in the GCC 20 INSIGHT Explore the challenges of waterfront development 16 Sharjah Architecture Triennial promises to address global warming 26 ARCHITECTS AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE AUGUST - NOVEMBER 2019 / VOLUME 13 / ISSUE 08190724_Architect Middle East-op.indd 124/7/2019 6:51 PMcontents VOLUME 13 ISSUE 08 AUGUST - NOVEMBER 2019 ADRIAN LAHOUD FROM THE SHARJAH ARCHITECTURE TRIENNIAL URGES ARCHITECTS TO WORK AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE 12 Industry Insights 26 Sharjah Architec- ture Triennial 32 Special Report Get the latest industry news from the Middle East and North Africa MEA speaks to curator Adrian Lahoud about the event’s theme Check out our special report on accessibility in the UAE MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT / 08-11.19 / WWW.MIDDLEEASTARCHITECT.COM CONTENTS / 312 INSIGHT This issue introduces Jordanian architect and youth activist Os- said Aleitan, as well as explores a villa from Dubai and the chal- lenges of waterfront projects Download the App KEEP UP-TO-DATE For all the latest news check out www. middleeastarchitect. com SUBSCRIBE: www.itp.com/subscriptions 16 38 08 NEWS HIGHLIGHTS Get the latest news from the region’s industry, including business announce- ments and updates on architecture awards 26 COVER STORY This issue’s cover story delves into the Sharjah Architecture Triennial’s inaugural theme, ‘Rights of Future Generations’. With insight from Adrian Lahoud, the triennial’s curator, we learn what to expect from the programme 20 INTERVIEW MEA speaks to Kettle Collective’s Tony Ket- tle who shares insight on launching regional offices in Dubai and Muscat. He also dis- cusses particular op- portunities in the GCC and what new projects his international com- pany is working on 32 32 SPECIAL REPORT The UAE’s implemen- tation of accessibility acts dates back to 2006 – so what has the country done since then in terms of becoming more barrier-free for people of all abilities? MEA speaks to different ar- chitects to see where the UAE stands 38 PROJECTS Omrania’s recently completed KAFD Mosque in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was designed to reflect a geometric expres- sion of a desert rose. Shortlisted for various awards, MEA looks at the building’s design MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT / 08-11.19 / WWW.MIDDLEEASTARCHITECT.COM 4 / CONTENTS PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Group Publishing Director Ian Stokes Editorial Director Greg Wilson EDITORIAL Editor Rima Alsammarae Tel: +971 4 444 3255 email: rima.alsammarae@itp.com Digital Editor Aidan Imanova Tel: +971 4 444 3497 email: aidan.imanova@itp.com Published by and © 2019 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC ADVERTISING Sales Manager David Bentley Tel: +971 4 444 3396 email: david.bentley@itp.com ITP DIGITAL Advertising Director Riad Raad Tel: +971 4 444 3319 email: riad.raad@itp.com ITP LIVE General Manager Ahmad Bashour Tel: +971 4 444 3549 email:ahmad.bashour@itp.com PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Photographers Rajesh Raghav, Efraim Evidor, Adel Rashid Staff photographers Aasiya Jagadeesh, Ajith Narendra, Fritz John Asuro, Yuliya Petrovich, Jessica Samson PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith Production Manager Basel Al Kassem CIRCULATION Director of Conferences, Circulation & Data Michael McGill Head of Circulation Vanessa D’Souza MARKETING Director of Awards & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP GROUP CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Subscribe online at www.itp.com/ subscriptions The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. Architectural discourse has long presented a platform to address modern day challeng- es – through it, professionals are able to de- sign solution-oriented projects that answer various needs, from housing to schools. And with climate change the biggest chal- lenge confronting humanity worldwide, architects have begun looking at ways they can help. Throughout this issue, we look at various initiatives within the field that are attempting to explore global warming through an architectural lens. This issue’s cover story, for one, sits down with Adrian Lahoud, the curator of the inaugural Sharjah Architecture Tri- ennial (pg 26). With the theme ‘Rights of Future Generations’, the event offers a platform for various architects, artists and academics to exist in relation to one an- other, prompting discourse and dialogue among local, regional and international audiences. Inherent to the theme is a commit- ment to address climate change as the most urgent challenge today. Through its exploration of how particular conditions in the ‘Global South’ produce unique re- lationships between human beings and the environment, the triennial seeks to bring awareness to specific models – ones that allow interacting and living with the environment, rather than sepa- rating ourselves from it. “We hope to open up discussion and empower our audiences to become ac- tively involved in this discussion,” said Lahoud, “and in the imagining of what the rights of future generations might mean.” As a practice, architecture holds a key role in addressing climate change; how- ever, to lever this potential, we must move away from the extractive and exploitative models that dominate archi- The power of architecture lays in its ability to confront modern day challenges Addressing climate change RIMA ALSAMMARAE Editor of Middle East Architect EDITOR’S COMMENT MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT / 08-11.19 / WWW.MIDDLEEASTARCHITECT.COM 6 / COMMENTtectural practice, explained Lahoud. “We are at a point of ecological col- lapse, and one fact must not be ignored: the sites, regions and populations most immediately and irreversibly threat- ened by climate change are the same ones that face regimes of global socio- economic extraction and exploitation,” he said. “Valuable insight can there- fore be drawn from paying attention to existing social struggles at the frontline of climate change, including indigenous ones.” According to Lahoud, the Western ontological distinction between hu- mans and the environment is a particu- lar problem – architecture is viewed as ‘shelter’ from the environment, thereby validating land grab and resource ex- traction. Human history, he said, offers a myriad of examples of alternative so- cial orders, of relationships between humans and other beings that evolved according to various beliefs and prac- tices, and through these examples, we might understand our agency and relationship with the world differently. Elsewhere in the issue, Jason Ho of LWK+Partners also discusses the urgent need to address and discover solutions for the impact of future developments on the existing natural environment (pg16). The comments were part of a larger conversation that addressed wa- terfront development in the GCC. “With the advanced technology that we have today, we should be able to ad- dress and tackle these risks on lives and property,” he said. On a separate note, Middle East Ar- chitect is making a few changes: in fol- lowing the trend of digitisation and the reduction of printed materials, this will be the last print issue of the magazine until November. We will be going quarterly, and be- tween issues, we will continue engaging and informing our online and digital readership, so make sure to keep check- ing in with our website, where you will continue to get the latest news on the region’s architecture industry. MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT / 08-11.19 / WWW.MIDDLEEASTARCHITECT.COM COMMENT / 7 Al-Qasimiyah School in Sharjah – one of the two venues that the emirate’s architecture triennial will take place GOT A COMMENT? If you have any comments to make on this month’s issue, please e-mail rima.alsammarae@itp.comRIBA declares state of climate emergency urging architects to standardise sustainable practices The Royal Institute of British Archi- tects (RIBA) has announced a five-year plan of action to tackle climate change after declaring a state of climate emergency. “The climate emergency is the big- gest challenge facing our planet and our profession,” said RIBA president Ben Derbyshire. “But to have a significant impact we need to do more than make symbolic statements – we need to turn warm words into impactful actions.” The five year plan aims to standard- ise sustainable practices within the architecture industry in Britain by im- proving government policies through lobbying and reducing the organisa- tion’s own carbon footprint. The RIBA has also pledged to support the UK government’s drive to make the country carbon neutral by 2050. Derbyshire added: “Architects need to transform the way we practice and along with our fellow professionals around the world, make changes that will impact at a global level.” A number of international archi- tecture firms have already declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, including Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, David Chipperfield Architects, as well as AL_A, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and Alison Brooks Architects. These architecture firms have called on others to follow suit and join their campaign group called Architects De- clare, which encourages clients to com- mission more sustainable buildings. This year the United Nations warned that humanity has just 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or risk catastrophic effects on climate. Many architects across the Middle East have also expressed a sense of urgency in creating responsible architecture. “The city of Dubai has now matured to a stage where architects should demonstrate their sense of responsi- bility to produce responsible architec- ture, notwithstanding the absence of the governance of a local professional body,” said Samir Serope Daoud, chair- man and principal design architect at Diar Consult. MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT / 08-11.19 / WWW.MIDDLEEASTARCHITECT.COM 8 / NEWS HIGHLIGHTSEgyptian architect Ebtissam Moustapha wins Egypt’s state award for excellency The Netherlands pavilion for Expo 2020 to produce water from desert air The Netherlands pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai will display a number of ‘inventions’, one of which includes the production of water from desert air through solar power. The Dutch Consulate has also an- nounced that the pavilion has already started construction. The pavilion will feature a biotope, designed by V8 Architects, which con- nects water, energy and food in a circu- lar way, and will be constructed entirely from locally-available construction ma- terials, minimising transportation. Last month, Dutch Consul-General and Commissioner-General, Hans Sandee, presented a bottle of water harvested from air in the Netherlands to Najeeb Mohammed Al Ali, executive director of Expo 2020 Dubai. “It is important to realise our respon- sibility towards our planet and future generations. By showcasing home- grown solutions that link the issues of water, energy and food, we are keen to contribute to Expo 2020,” said Kaag. Al Ali added: “Today’s groundbreak- ing ceremony and this unique bottle of water harvested from air reflects the Netherlands’ innovative approach to Expo 2020 Dubai. We look forward to continue working with the Dutch team and seeing what other exciting technol- ogies will feature in the Dutch pavilion at Expo 2020.” Dutch artist Ap Verheggen and his team are behind the SunGlacier tech- nology that makes the water-from-air feat possible. to challenge the “conventional model of design production in Egypt” through advanced technology, research and fostering collaboration between edu- cation, practice and manufacturers. Hoping to nurture an international hub of design that can thrive in today’s economy, Encode Studio offers archi- tecture, design and furniture design services. Moustapha’s architectural projects include Namma residences, Ceaser Bay and the rehabilitation of Sednaoui Al Khazendar, all of which are in Egypt. The other winners of the Excellency Awards include Ahmed Fadl Shabloul and Fou’ad Taman for literature, Ibra- him El-Desouky Fahmy for art, and Gamal Shakra, Howaida Sayyied Ali and Atef Mansour for social sciences. Moustapha was also the recipient of Tamayouz Excellence Awards’ Rising Star prize in 2018. Egypt’s Supreme Council for Culture (SCC) has announced the winners of its state awards, presented to those who have made outstanding achieve- ments in the fields of art, literature and social sciences. Part of a larger awards programme that also features the Nile Award, Ap- preciation Awards and Encouragement Awards, the SCC’s Excellency Award is given to seven people each year who have made outstanding contributions. Each winner recieves a silver medal and EGP 100,000. Egyptian architect and academic Ebtissam Moustapha recieved the Ex- cellency Award in Arts, for her various achievements in architecture, design and education. Co-founder and managing direc- tor of the Alexandria-based Encode Studio and associate professor at Alex- andria University, Moustapha works MIDDLE EAST ARCHITECT / 08-11.19 / WWW.MIDDLEEASTARCHITECT.COM NEWS HIGHLIGHTS / 9Next >