The German Jordanian University (GJU) marked a significant achievement by winning first place in the "iSustain 2025" Award, organized by the Engineering Business Forum. The honor was awarded to Eng. Nour Daqqa, a graduate of the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at GJU, for her innovative graduation project, “Reviving the Site of Al-Hussein Cinema – The Vein of the City.”
The competition attracted 79 projects from Jordan and Palestine, with only five advancing to the shortlist. Among them were two submitted by GJU alumni — Eng. Nour Daqqa and Eng. Josephine Batayneh — both supervised by Eng. Thaer Qubaa, a practicing faculty member at the university.
Nour’s project focuses on the revitalization of the Al-Hussein Cinema building, transforming it into an extension of the Gold Souk that supports local artisans and generates employment opportunities through training and skill development. At the urban scale, the proposal envisions converting the ground floor into an open public space that flows into a cascading alley, leading to the historic Citadel — an architectural journey that reconnects Downtown Amman with Jabal Al-Qalaa, restoring vitality and a sense of belonging to the site.
Eng. Daqqa expressed her appreciation upon receiving the award, stating that her goal was “to bring life back to the place so it remains vibrant with people and memory.” Additionally, Eng. Qub'a expressed his pride in the students’ achievements, noting that their repeated recognition reflects the depth of creative visions embodied in their projects—visions that provide sustainable solutions and leave an architectural legacy that responds to the present while anticipating the future.
This accomplishment highlights GJU’s role in fostering academic and architectural excellence, affirming its graduates’ ability to contribute meaningfully to the development of the built environment and community service.