Press Release
Siq Mixed Use District by Ahmed Habib Receives the Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
The international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Ahmed Habib for architecture, building and structure design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 26, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Siq Mixed Use District by Ahmed Habib has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Siq Mixed Use District
With a construction budget exceeding 1.2 billion Saudi riyals, the project is conceived as an urban Siq where architectural masses rise like landforms while a shaded valley organizes pedestrian movement. The development is structured around three axes reflecting faith, trade, and stability, linking seven masses through shaded routes and open spaces. Terraced forms emerge from landscaped courtyards and shaded paths, while flowing canopies extend across walkways to provide climate protection and connect different parts of the project, forming a distinctive urban setting in Jeddah.
About Ahmed Habib
Ranked #58 worldwide by DAC in 2021, Ahmed Habib is a visionary Egyptian architect known for his innovative designs and profound commitment to societal betterment. Habib has received nine global awards, including the WAF and A'Design Awards. Through his work, Ahmed nurtures community development and inspires architects, creating a lasting legacy in the built environment. His creative solutions to architectural challenges truly set him apart, making him a force of innovation in the industry.
Award Record
Ahmed Habib is a winner of 10 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2018 - 2019 and the 2025 - 2026 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://designers.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/183189
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/183189
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!183189
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/245538
- Further Information from the Laureate: http://www.ha-bib.com
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Siq Mixed Use District
- Function
- Mixed Use District
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Black, Saddle Brown, Sienna and Dark Olive Green
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Ahmed Habib
- Country
- Egypt
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #183189
Credits
- Image Credits
- Ahmed Habib
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Set on a 356,000 sqm site in Jeddah, This project reinterprets the spatial logic of a siq within a contemporary mixed-use development. Instead of isolated buildings, the project forms a continuous urban landscape where terraced masses frame a shaded valley of movement. Large canopy structures create a protected pedestrian environment adapted to Jeddah climate, while seven interconnected masses integrate retail, cultural, educational, and hospitality functions within a unified spatial system.
- Inspiration
- The design draws inspiration from a Siq, a natural passage between rock formations, combined with forces shaping Jeddah urban structure. Architectural masses rise like landforms while a shaded valley organizes pedestrian movement. Three axes reflecting faith, trade, and stability structure the masterplan, linking seven masses through shaded routes and open spaces integrating landscape, movement, and commerce.
- Research
- This project is based on applied urban design research exploring how contemporary market districts can respond to climate, culture and social movement in hot environments. The objective was to reinterpret traditional market structures for Jeddah conditions. The methodology combined urban analysis, environmental studies, parametric modeling, and site research, supported by discussions with clients and users. Iterative testing informed a shaded urban Siq linking architecture masses, improving walkability, circulation, and commercial interaction.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was translating complex urban forces into a coherent spatial system while responding to Jeddah harsh climate. Balancing cultural continuity with contemporary commercial demands required rethinking spatial organization, density, and pedestrian circulation. Environmental constraints, large scale coordination, and program complexity required extensive testing. The resulting design organizes the project as a shaded urban Siq, improving walkability, climatic protection, and spatial clarity.
- Realization and Technology
- The project was developed through a system driven urban methodology translating site forces into spatial organization. Parametric studies informed axes, massing, and pedestrian circulation, while environmental analysis shaped the shading strategy. Terraced volumes and canopy structures were modeled to improve shade and walkability in Jeddah climate. The material palette combines steel, stone, textured concrete, wood, glass, and metal screens, while modular planning enables flexible retail and production spaces within a coherent spatial system.
- Operation and Interaction
- Visitors move through the project along a shaded valley linking plazas, courtyards, and interior spaces. Terraced masses create a sequence of outdoor spaces where retail, culture, and hospitality unfold along walkable routes. Large canopy structures provide shade and shelter, allowing smooth transitions between shaded plazas and climate-controlled interiors. This arrangement supports continuous pedestrian flow while maintaining clear orientation across the development.
- Project Duration and Location
- Design started in May 2025 and finished in December 2025, in Cairo, Egypt. The Project is to be executed n Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- Specifications
- Plot Area 356,000 square meters, Built Up Area 400,000 square meters, Construction Budget 1,250,000,000 Saudi Riyals
- Keywords
- Retail, Commercial, Hospitality, Cultural, Architecture, Real Estate, Construction, Saudi, Urban, Masterplan
