The A/E Business Council is a membership and representational association offering professional services to architecture and engineering consulting companies based in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Its principal objectives are to promote quality, excellence and competitiveness standards in the sector and to facilitate trade through best practices both in Jordan and in overseas export markets. The A/E Business Council is a none-profit association that supports its members through networking, consultation with government agencies concerning professional and regulatory issues, information sourcing, business training and education and the promotion of international trading links.
In response to the growing national, international, and global interest in Green Design and in pursuit of promoting Quality, Excellence and Competitiveness among the Architecture and Engineering sector in Jordan, the A/E Business Council took the initiative to stay up to date with these developments through establishing the Green Building Unit.
One of the main objectives of the Green building Unit (GBU) is to upgrade the capacity of architects and engineers in sustainable design.
To operationalize its objectives, the GBU launched the iSUSTAIN AWARD, which is competition on a national level between the architecture students of the Jordan’s Public and private universities:
Nevertheless, the iSustain Project is not another green building competition. While it has the competitive elements of a design competition, it is a learning experience and growing platform for innovation in sustainable design in Jordan. Unlike other competitions, the progress of projects shall be made public, discussed and debated as part of their evaluation. Students taking part in the project shall be partnered with Mentors from AEBC member firms for one-on-one guidance sessions. Mentors expertise is expected not only to cover architecture but also other disciplines that are important in sustainable design, including MEP and infrastructure design.
Background:Sustainability and The Design Challenge
The word sustainability is derived from the Latin sustinere (tenere, to hold; sus, up). Dictionaries provide more than ten meanings for sustain, the main ones being to “maintain", "support", or "endure”. However, the most widely quoted definition of sustainability and sustainable development, that of the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations:
"Sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs.“
The simple definition "sustainability is improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems", though vague, conveys the idea of sustainability having quantifiable limits.
Architecture as a discipline of design and construction presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction projects typically consume large amounts of materials, produce tons of waste, and often involve weighing the preservation of buildings that have historical significance against the desire for the development of newer, more modern designs. As such, it has a great impact on issues of sustainability and development currently and in the future.
Thus, the sustainable-design challenge is about designing places that increase natural and human capacity with designs that better fit the planet, the local climate, the site, and the specific places we build, live, and work in.
Project Phases and Key Dates
An outline of project phases is as follows and shall be confirmed with university academic calendars:
- Phase 1 : Preparatory Stages: October – December.
- Phase 2 : Educational Program: December.
- Phase 3 : Mentorship and Public Lecture Series: January – June.
- Phase 4 : Design Competition: January – September .
- Phase 5 : Final Jury and Award Presentations: October/November.
Eligibility
The call for designs is open only to fifth year architecture graduation projects whether working individually or in teams . Although it is an architectural competition, inter-discipline team working is encouraged.