I welcome you all to the 8^th year of the competition for the Reconstruction of the destroyed Palestinian villages. This year, we have 53 participating students from 12 universities. I hope many of them are here tonight. They submitted finally 21 projects out of 30 originally planned. Not bad.
But what is tragic this year is the absence of Gaza students. Gaza as you know is subject to the most barbaric attack in history, that is the Israeli Genocide of Gaza. It  is seen by the whole world but with very little action.
We shall call this year’s event The Gaza Competition Year in memory of Maha Jamal Mansour, the winner of the 4^th year competition. Maha won the first prize for the village of Suhmata. Her design was admirably exhibited and discussed by the people of Suhmata which we arranged. The recording of her presentation and the reaction of the people of Suhmata are posted on the website of Palestine Land Society.
Maha, a young brilliant architect, looking forward to a successful future, was murdered in her home by the Barbarians, the Israeli soldiers on 27 November 2023. 

She was one of 2.3 million Palestinians living in the crowded camps of Gaza Strip.
What is Gaza Strip? Why is it crowded? Who are the people in it?
You have heard ad nauseum of the Hostages to be released. You were not allowed to know about the real hostages, the largest number of hostages, the hostages with the longest duration, the hostages who are attacked by sea, land and air, by tanks and planes, by blockade and starvation, by erasure of their names and history, by denial of their rights and their mere existence.
                                                                                                       
The real hostages are the people of Maha, 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza Strip. In 1948, they were expelled by Israeli soldiers from 247 villages (Map-1 ) in Palestine through 90 massacres and held in crowded camps for over 27,000 days so far. That is how Gaza Strip was created. Since then, they are bombed, attacked by every means. Latest by open Genocide for all the world to see.                                                                                                 

                                             (Map-2 )
Why?  Because they want to return home, their right by law, history and geography.
They lived in the southern district of Palestine with an area of 12,500 km2, about 50% of Palestine. They were expelled from their homes to be crammed in Gaza Strip, in an area of 365km2, only 1,3% of Palestine (Map-2) at a density of 8000 p/km2, the largest and longest prison in the world.                                                                                                                                                                                (Map-1)               

They still fight to return home, to break through the prison fence built around them. They will continue to demand their natural, legal and historical right to return home.

You are here to help them. Over 8 years and counting you have reconstructed on paper over 60 villages with different vernacular architecture. This competition will go on until we redesign all destroyed Palestinian villages. Then will come the day when these villages are rebuilt on their original locations.

This is your task. You have to take it up as your cardinal duty.
I am sure it will come. 

Winners and Projects

First Award : Ahmad Adel Ayyash
Coordinator name : Dr. Hala Ghanem
University : The Hashemite University - Jordan 

Project Title: Beyond Borders

Second Award (Joint) : Nagham Maher Abu AlSuod
Coordinator name : Dr. Yamen Al-Betawi 
University : The Hashemite University - Jordan

Project Title: The Watcher: Reconstructing Ayn Al Zaytun

​Second Award (Joint) : Zainab Jamous
Coordinator name : Dr. Maha Samman
University : Al Quds University- Palestine 

Revival of Al-Mazar: A Depopulated Village Brought to Life by Palestinian Collective Memory Theatre

Third Award : Abdallah Alzrikat
Coordinator name : Arch. Tha'er Qub'a
University : German Jordanian Uniersity 

Commendation: MAJD M SAYED AHMED , LEYAN A. K. SHEHADA,                                   NEAMA MAHER MOHAMMAD SAED
Coordinator name : Dr. Mohammad Jawabreh
University : Birzeit University 

Project Title: Reconstruction of Beit Jibrin village

Project description:
The project aims to solidify the deep connection between Palestinians and their land, in response to the enduring impact of the Nakba, one of the most significant tragedies of the 20th century. This effort is focused on the village of Beit Jibrin, a displaced Palestinian village located northwest of Hebron. The design seeks to revive and honor the village’s rich history and heritage, while enabling sustainable growth and urban expansion for its original inhabitants.

Design Drivers and Historical Integration:

Core Design concept:
​The project is centered around the revival of Palestinian human heritage and the restoration of Palestinian identity, which was largely erased by the Israeli occupation. It aims to return original inhabitants to their land, allowing for a symbiosis of historical preservation and modern urban development.
The design does not ignore the era of occupation but integrates it as a historical layer in the overall narrative of the village and Palestine as a whole.

Site and Topographical Influence:
Beit Jibrin’s location on the Hebron-Gaza Road influenced the design, as this road served as a central axis for the project.
The design respects the village’s original expansion patterns, which historically extended northwest and southwest towards Gaza, and applies these patterns in the planning of new residential areas.

Residential Layout and Urban Design:

The project’s core is the old town, designed as the nucleus around which new neighborhoods are structured. Following old plans, the original four-family neighborhoods are honored in the new design. These neighborhoods maintain the same social bonds and privacy levels as the old town through a careful flow of movement from alleys to courtyards and public spaces.
A modular approach using 5x5 meter units derived from the old town's structure was employed to create a variety of forms (L-shape, U-shape, linear), enabling similar spatial organizations to the historic layout.

Building Height and Contour Respect:
Building heights were strategically planned according to contour lines. Taller buildings are placed in lower areas and shorter buildings in higher areas, preserving the village’s visual harmony. Heights are restricted to 2-3 stories to maintain the overall rural character.

Heritage Preservation and Modern Adaptation:
A key part of the design focuses on reconstructing parts of the old town, which was destroyed during the Nakba. This reconstruction is based on old maps, with an emphasis on maintaining the original boundaries of buildings and streets as per preservation charters (Washington charter).
Architectural elements such as doors and windows were carefully studied and adapted from old buildings in the Hebron area. Proportions of openings were preserved while enlarging them to suit modern living standards. Local materials were used to maintain the traditional aesthetic, with stone facades dominating the rebuilt structures.

Tourist Path and Cultural Integration:
The old town is designed as a tourist route that starts at the Roman city and amphitheater, with a designated trail and a bridge allowing visitors to view the remains without causing damage. From there, the path leads to a large plaza, where the main street passes through a tunnel beneath, forming a seamless connection to the mosque square, where the remnants of the mosque have been preserved. The path then winds through the village, passing key historical landmarks such as the market square and the guesthouse building, which was the tallest structure before the Nakba.
The path is punctuated by rest stops every 200 meters, guiding visitors through residential areas that illustrate the evolution of Palestinian architecture, from simple houses to peasant homes and courtyards. It culminates at a cultural center inspired by Beit Jibrin’s famous caves, located along contour lines in the threshing floor area, with a lookout tower based on traditional Palestinian "montar" structures.

Public Amenities and Transport:
Public squares in new residential areas are designed as hubs for services, including schools, markets, and banks, ensuring that the old town remains a vibrant center for visitors and residents alike.
Around the village, a ring road accommodates vehicular traffic, but within the village, roads are reserved for pedestrians. Parking is provided at both the beginning and end of the trails for ease of access.

Additional Pathway for Nature and History Exploration:
An additional path was created outside the old town, offering a scenic route through caves and tombs, with camping areas and rest stops every 200 meters, enriching the visitor experience and connecting them to the natural and historical landscape of Beit Jibrin.
This project blends history, heritage, and modernity, aiming to restore Beit Jibrin as a living, thriving village that embodies both the memory of its past and the promise of its future.

Project program:

Commendation: Ro'a Basem Manasra
Coordinator name : Dr. Hasan Al-Qadi
University : An Najah National University 

Introduction

• Reclaiming Truth: The project reconstructs Saffuriyya to its pre-Nakba state by reopening main streets, preserving key buildings, and affirming the historical truth that was erased.

• Symbolic Utilization of Heritage: Archaeological sites and the Roman market grid are integrated into the design, with the museum oriented towards the Saffuriyya Fortress, highlighting its significance as a symbol of resilience.

• Affirmation of Identity: The project celebrates Palestinian identity as an enduring part of our struggle for justice and freedom, ensuring our heritage is preserved and celebrated.

• Architectural Integrity: Traditional architectural elements are incorporated to maintain the village’s historical character, symbolizing the resilience and connection between the people and their land.

• Columns of Remembrance: The square is adorned with twenty elevated pillars, each bearing the name of a martyr, These columns light up at night, transforming the names into a constellation of stars, a celestial tribute that immortalizes the martyrs’ spirits and ensures their sacrifice shines eternally.

• Paved Tribute to the Past: The ground of the square is meticulously paved to outline the remnants of the village's original buildings, offering a poignant map of what was lost and a testament to the resilience of the community, These paving stones serve as a constant reminder of the destruction wrought by the occupation.

• Walls of Testimony: Walls within the square are inscribed with Nakba testimonies and oral histories, preserving the narratives of those who lived through the tragedy, These stories serve to honor and keep alive the collective memory of the village's past.

• Symbol of Continuity: In the center of the square, an olive tree rises from a pool of water, symbolizing the enduring spirit of the village and its people, This tree embodies both individual and collective resilience, reflecting the unbroken connection between the past and the ongoing struggle for justice and freedom.

• Two Massive Walls: These walls symbolize the long and heavy timeline that Saffuriyya has endured, They are adorned with drawings and paintings that narrate the village's story.
• Central Staircase: Representing the hardships and struggles faced by the village, the staircase is both a physical and symbolic journey.
• Sequential Spaces: Each space within the museum reflects a specific stage in Saffuriyya's history, from its ancient roots to the Nakba, exile, and the hope of return.

• Rooted Life: Water on the floor symbolizes the springs that were the lifeblood of Saffuriyya.
• Wavy Memory: Undulating walls adorned with images represent the tangled and complex memories of a time before the village was destroyed.
• Memory Suspended in the Sky: Papers hanging from the ceiling symbolize memories lingering, as though suspended in time.
• Reviving Heritage: Traditional handicrafts displayed throughout the space serve as a reminder of the people's deep connection to their heritage.

• Internal Collapse: Slanted walls evoke a sense of pressure and fear, symbolizing the collapse of life as it was known.
• Darkness and Loss: Dim lighting reflects the engulfing darkness and the profound sense of loss experienced by the villagers.
• Sky of War: A ceiling with dark clouds and warplanes symbolizes the constant threat faced by the people of Saffuriyya.
• Grief's Imprint: Eroded materials express deep sadness, reflecting the profound emotional impact of the village’s loss.
• Dispersion: Shattered mirrors (to the right of the shot) evoke a sense of dispersion and displacement when viewed, they symbolize the profound sense of dislocation experienced during the Nakba.
• Autumn of the Homeland: A leafless fig tree signifies the homeland's decline, yet its potential to bloom again offers a glimmer of hope for return.
• Struggle for Survival: Fire and stones symbolize the continuous fight for survival, both physically and culturally.

The Jury Comments:

Nasser Golzari 
Thank you, Rim, and thank you very much, Dr. Salman Abusitta, for such a comprehensive and touching and emotional background. Of course, it's always amazing to hear you. I really must praise Dr. Salman for such a sustained energy to keep this project going and his commitment to this project, this initiative, which I call it the project.
And he's been doing that for over eight years. I'm sure that providing all the incredible background, information, as well as the intellectual inspiration, this project and this competition would never, ever happen.
So, well done and thank you very much. The second thing I want to say is that this year, specifically, the work that Dr. Salman has done should be acknowledged, especially because of the psychological and subconscious impact of the genocide in Gaza, which hasn't only impacted all of us, but obviously has also resulted in Palestinian students, students from Gaza missing this.
And of course, it equally has been very difficult for the whole year for all of us to be able to think about this. But, you know, given the due to Dr. Salman, this project has happened. So well done to Dr.
Salman, but also very well done to the jury members that for the last eight years, they've kept going and been committed, but also especially this year. And we know that Dr. Yasharit has lost a large number of family in Gaza, so she managed to maintain her commitment to this project.
And I'd also like to thank, of course, all the students and the tutors for their commitment and for the submission, which is really admired given the situation and condition at the moment. And I'd like to also say that, which is what I say every year, is quite important to realize that this competition as a project, this initiative as a project, is not a conventional one.
Because its objective is very important. It is actually an important and critical aperture to visualize the history and the narrative of the Palestinian villages. So not only it brings to life the deliberately oppressed and erased or the intention of erasure and the traces of these villages, but the project also celebrates and marks their existence and challenges the practice of erasure,
So I always see this project not only as a conventional and architectural planning competition, but actually marks the history, marking very important narratives, and contributing to a very scientific documentation of these destroyed villages. And of course, equally very important, what is happening over the years, the competition that have been submitted, the ideas that are submitted are becoming more and more and more specific, very specific to the conditions of destroyed villages, villages that have been destroyed deliberately,
but also importantly that they therefore become very unique ideas and they contribute to the core discourse of what architectural, what kind of architecture and the planning should be put forward for villages that have been destroyed.
So these projects are also equally, not only academically, but also architecturally making contribution to the discussions about how a destroyed village should be reconstructed. So that's quite important.
Now, going to the entries, this was already as Rim has mentioned, the submissions were actually of a higher quality and we say that every year, but this is specifically quite interesting, that the qualities were quite high and there was quite a lot of specific attention made to the social and environmental ecologies.
This is something which is very important, of course, in dealing with that, but the social ecology in the context of destroyed villages are quite important attention to be paid. A number of submissions had very high quality architectural and spatial resolution.
 
And this is very good to see because this is always one of the dilemmas of how much balance you give to certain aspects of the fact that architecture and spatial resolution were given importance by some of the entries was quite important and very inspiring and we really enjoyed that.
Many of the entries provided a very in -depth and comprehensive research. of physical and cultural context, given that they were given some of the given really good attention to natural to regain the natural resources and respecting the agriculture and some other critically specific aspects of Palestine given its context physical and environmental context.
And some of the submissions were also concentrating more on the urban strategy and planning and much more beyond just purely buildings. And their emphasis on ecology was quite important that was welcome because many of these villages are isolated and I think the isolation is also one of the problematic issues when it comes to reconstruction of villages or something that we could talk about a little bit later by not fully by the other but when they make references to specific issues. There were also welcomed increase in the number of submission who were very clear in their presentations. So we enjoyed seeing some very good, very clear and less kind of loaded presentations.
So that was quite important. While there were also others that the query concentrated on the innovation of spatial and architectural resolutions. And this innovation was important. So actually for the jury, it was very interesting for us that when we looked at the 20 entries, we made our own individually, our own shortlist as we normally do.
But the interesting thing was that the shortlist of all of four jury were quite similar in the way that there were a group at the top that actually were taking more sophisticated approach to the five points of I made.
And there were others. And we thought that in order to be able to judge them fairly, we had to actually set up a criteria. Maybe this is something we should think about next year. So the criteria that we based our assessments were one: research and context awareness, specific to of course, the villages.
 
The criteria number two was urban planning and strategy, how some of the project made sure that they go beyond internal and enclosed kind of proposals and it actually extends beyond the building and into connecting the fragmented landscape.
Number three criteria was the concept, the innovation in concept or the clarity of concept and the new concepts that some of the projects had but some of them we really enjoyed and reading the concepts and the texts were quite clear.
Criterion number four was the architecture and spatial resolution. and criteria number five was presentation and clarity of the submissions. So based on these we actually gave them equal marks to each one of the five criteria and we came up with four short lists unanimously agreed by jury for jury and we agreed that unquestionably there were the top four short lists.
It was very difficult of course to find the winner. Anyway I leave it at that we really did enjoy looking at the projects and I really would like to thank the submissions because whether they were winners or not winners whether you have been shortlisted or not shortlisted we enjoyed seeing it because there's quite an extensive committed work for each one of the submissions so that's really to be credited.
So now I'd like to pass it on to Angela and Yara too. make your own comment and of course RIM as well so if we could each member could make some comments about specifically. Thank you. Thank you.
Angela Brady
Hi, everybody. It's great to have this gathering and so many people and salman. You are just,  there aren't words to describe your contribution to this whole and this whole competition for eight years now.
And it's been such a joy to work with you and the team there. Yes, sir. And Rim and others in the past few years. It has really been an eye opener. You know, as you can hear from my accent, I'm Irish.
I've been working in London for many years with these guys. But in 2008, when I went to Palestine and we visited the group with Nadia Habash, who you will all know, I'm sure. And just to be on the ground in Ramallah and in the different places and the Hebron and we went to several different villages and to see the richness of your culture was just so beautiful.
And I have so many happy memories as to our team of six architects that went over on this exchange mission. And we have remained friends with all of our friends that we met from that time and from 2008.
So our passion is with you guys and solidarity and support all the ways as what we can do. So looking at the entries with 21 different schemes with groups of people, it was a real joy to look at the way that the interpretation of the what the villages were, the information that you can get from all of the maps, from all of the books, from Salman's and history and information from your own conversations, with people and from your own knowledge and history and family.
And to have all of that brought forward and then translated into a contemporary village community. Fantastic vision for. how you see the future of these villages and the inspirational ideas that we were looking at was really tremendous.
So I just want to say thank you to everybody that actually entered this and we enjoy it as a group of architects that are here in UK and London looking at this. But it's just great to see so many different ideas.
Some of them were kind of quite subtle and then when you look deeper and deeper into them you can see there's a real politically strong message there and then others are just very imaginative in their vision for what it could be.
Now what it could be as if it was anywhere else in the world thinking about what they would do for their village. This is you thinking about what you are going to do for yours and let's hope that this will come to fruition.
Yara Sharif
Thank you, Angela. Thank you, Rim. Thank you, Nasser. Thank you, Dr. Salman, and welcome everyone to being here. I'm very honoured to be part of the jury. I probably, I may just say as a Palestinian myself, how honoured I am to be part of this, but also how proud I feel with the kind of entries that we've seen with the talent, with the capacity that you as students from Palestinian universities and from Arab universities process.
Your role is very important. I will not talk much about the content of the competition because I'm sure my colleagues will talk about it, but I probably more want to talk about the importance of your role as Palestinian architects within this current context.
It is not easy within this current colonial context to challenge the colonial narrative. It is not easy also to kind of engage with the politics of the place, because we are all engaged in the politics of the place.
We're all politicized in one way of another because we're emotionally engaged. The challenge is how you direct this into an architectural one, to use your architecture as a tool to you to talk politics. I think what's important about this competition is the way you've managed to direct that, to come up with creative, innovative way.
Most importantly is that we need within the current political context, a new way to narrate Palestine, new ways to narrate the conflict. You've done it in a very innovative way and really I want to congratulate you for that.
I just wanted to use a quote, if you forgive me, from Edward Said, which I think is very important because it's very architectural, the quote of Edward Said talks about the stateless condition and adaptation of Palestinians.
He says, in 1986 we too have lost the sense of space. We think of Palestine not as an extensive Palestinian state but as a small extremely congested piece of land from which we've been pushed. Every effort we take to retain our Palestinian identity is also an effort to get back on the map.
But the map like the land itself or like the walls of our houses is also so saturated, cluttered, congested that we have had to get used to working with an already worked over space. I think what's been amazing about your entries is that despite the confusing landscape, despite the congestion, despite the distortion and erasure, you have a very clear ideas, very clear agendas and very innovative one that talk about Palestine as a whole, talk about Palestine as a whole map. And this is a platform for us to remember that when we talk, we talk about Gaza, we talk about historic Palestine, we talk about the diaspora, all of it constitute what Palestine and the diaspora.
And for that, we should really be very proud. And just finally, I want to say I'm very proud that I am myself, a graduate from the Palestinian University, Birzeit University, and I'm so glad that I see a lot of my also old tutors and colleagues and some students of whom also I know that became now part of Architects for Gaza, and I'm glad also a lot of members of Architects for Gaza are here.
So it is very important that we widen the network, share our forces and share our resources towards one goal, which is empowerment and liberation. Thank you all. And it's the mental liberation that you have found that we are all proud of.

Concluding Remarks by Dr Salman Abu Sitta
Congratulations to the winners. Well done.
Thanks again to our Jury for their support all these years, for their guidance and wise judgement. Each year they provide new insights and suggestions for future submissions, which should be included in the Guidelines.
Very soon we shall welcome new participants for year 9. This time we shall have Gaza students back again.
We shall rebuild Gaza from the rubble and destruction by the Barbarians. We shall also rebuild all Palestine. This is the mission of this competition.
Palestine is free from river to sea.

​[The following has been posted by the winners and their supervisors.]