The fast transformation in the built environment in the Arab World, triggered by the real estate boom, population growth and geo-political conditions, has shaped for the past half a century urban and architectural production in this region. Architects and planners are struggling to deal with the rapid change, leaving little time for reflecting on the long term consequences of architecture and its impact on social, cultural and environmental conditions in the Arab World.

 

The Fifth Jordanian International Architectural Conference, organized by the Architectural Division in Jordan Engineers Association, aims at understanding the opportunities and challenges for architecture in the Arab World and locating Arab architecture in the context of world architecture. It also aims at revisiting the philosophy and architectural design in the region to be able to compete and contribute to the global architectural scene. The challenge lies in distancing architecture away from slogans, copying from the past, imported consumerist ideas, and mimicking western architecture, while encouraging creative processes to incorporate local factors as well as technological and global influences.

 

Conference Goals:

First: Enriching the inventory of knowledge of Contemporary Architecture in the Arab World.

Second: Debating the term “Contemporary Architecture in the Arab World”.

Third: Attempting to achieve a deeper understanding of the issues of identity.

Fourth: Increasing public awareness in Architecture and the Built Environment.