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A visit to Omrania’s Jordan Office by 16 architecture students from Washington State University (WSU) provided an occasion to reflect on Jordan’s unique architectural heritage and ever-evolving built environment. The students spent an intensive week studying the built environment of Jordan, taking in its historic treasures and meeting with leading contemporary practitioners.
Mr. Mutasem Diab, the director of Omrania’s Jordan office, welcomed the students and their professors, Dr. Omar Al-Hassawi and Mr. Ayad Rahmani, on Wednesday, March 7th. The visit was planned as part of a WSU course called Global Engagement in Design and Construction, required of Master of Architecture students. This year’s selected country of focus was Jordan, Al-Hassawi says, “because of its rich history and the juxtaposition of multiple eras of architecture.” After spending several days exploring the Amman Citadel, the Jordan Museum, and other landmark sites, the group visited Omrania’s offices in the mixed-use Abdoun district on Wednesday, March7th.
“The students had an experience of a lifetime and Omrania helped inspire them,” according to Al-Hassawi. Of particular interest to the students was Omrania’s design for the Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jordan, at once contemporary and classical in its monumental dignity, overlooking Amman from a hilltop terraced site. The group was curious to learn how Omrania, as a relatively large practice, manages to produce high-quality work that pays respect to the needs of users, the site, the context, and the history of the region.
Several students took special note of the valued presence and contributions of the women architects on Omrania’s team. Many of them were thrilled by Omrania’s support of the architecture community through the Omrania | CSBE student awards. And of course, they loved speaking to the young architects in the office — who were in their shoes only a few years ago, and have made the jump into professional practice.
Omrania is proud to support architectural education and international dialogue between students and professionals.
