The Omrania | CSBE Student Award for Architectural Design
In an effort to strengthen connections between the academic and professional sectors, Omrania & Associates (O&A) and the Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE) created an award for distinguished architectural graduation projects. Since it was launched in 2008, the Omrania | CSBE Student Award for Architectural Design completed twelfth cycles, with the 2019 cycle being its last. The Award's 2008 first cycle was only open to universities in Jordan, but it was expanded in 2009 to include universities throughout the Arab world. The Award aimed at recognizing quality in the teaching of architecture in the Arab world, and at encouraging students in its schools of architecture to excel in their design performance.
Submitted projects:
Since its first cycle, the Award received a total of 1602 submissions from universities from eighteen Arab countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Winning projects:
A total of 51 winning projects were awarded during the Award’s lifetime. The winners were from sixteen universities from seven Arab countries. These are the American University of Beirut, the Lebanese American University, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik – USEK, and the Lebanese Academy of Fine Arts from Lebanon; the University of Jordan, the Jordan University of Science and Technology, Petra University, Al al-Bayt University, and the German Jordanian University from Jordan; the American University in Cairo and Alexandria University from Egypt; the American University of Sharjah from the United Arab Emirates; King Saud University from Saudi Arabia; and al-Najah National University and Birzeit University from Palestine. 24 honorable mentions also were given during the Award’s lifetime.
Ceremonies and exhibitions:
The Award ceremonies, during which the Award winners were honored, took place in Amman, Beirut, al-Manama, and Sharjah. An Award exhibition accompanied each ceremony, and additional exhibitions were organized in Amman, Beirut, Irbid, and Sharjah.
Public lectures:
Public lectures also were organized as activities of the Award beginning with the Award’s fourth cycle in 2011. Eight public lectures were held and were delivered by one or more of the Award’s jury members. Click here to view a list of the Award's public lectures.
Films:
A number of documentary films were produced as part of the Award's fourth, fifth, and sixth cycles. These are:
- The Omrania CSBE Student Award for Architectural Design Fourth Cycle Film
- Architectural Memories: the Student Years
- Arab Women in Architecture
- Bernard Khoury: Collaboration in Architecture in Lebanon
- Bernard Khoury: Mother, Father, Children, Extended Family, and Architecture