Winner of Kermanshah Earthquake Architecture Workshop Announced
Winner of Kermanshah Earthquake Architecture Workshop Announced
The Kermanshah Earthquake Architecture Workshop — an innovative design initiative launched in response to the devastating 2017 earthquake in western Iran — has officially announced its winner: A House for a Teacher, designed by Amir Abbas Aboutalebi of AA Design Studio.
May 8, 2019
Featured under Works – AA Design Studio | Amir Abbas Aboutalebi, the winning project was conceived to address both immediate post-disaster housing needs and long-term community resilience. Drawing on the local cultural fabric of Kermanshah, Aboutalebi’s design embodies resilience, affordability, and adaptability — qualities that directly align with the workshop’s founding challenge as outlined in click here.
Challenge and Structure
Organized under the framework described in Kermanshah Workshop Structure, the program invited architects, designers, and planners to propose reconstruction solutions that would serve displaced families while honoring the region’s identity. Participants were tasked with developing culturally sensitive designs capable of enduring seismic risks, supporting education, and reinforcing social bonds within the community.
UNESCO Support and Guiding Principles
The workshop was officially supported by UNESCO, underlining its adherence to global principles of cultural preservation, social empowerment, and sustainable rebuilding. As referenced in Your Approach is Towards UNESCO Origins and Principals, the initiative sought to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, ensure continuity of education, and create inclusive spaces that foster communal recovery.
In this context, A House for a Teacher stands out not only as a durable and functional shelter but as a symbolic commitment to educators — acknowledging their pivotal role in the healing process of a post-disaster society.
Project Details
Project Name: A House for a Teacher
Client: Villa Magazine I Kahrizak Charity
Author Architect: Amir Abbas Aboutalebi
Design Architect: Hamideh Ahmadi
Research: AA Research Team
Design Team: Fatemeh Sadeghi, Reza Salehi, Matin Farhadi, Fatemeh Moazami-Goudarzi
Site Area: 900 sq.m
Built Area: 130 sq.m
Location: Kermanshah, Iran
Status: Seeking corporate sponsorship
Project Year: 2018
The project serves as a model for earthquake reconstruction, merging architectural ingenuity with UNESCO’s humanitarian mission and offering a blueprint for similar initiatives worldwide.