Jury Speech in 2nd Villa Magazine Award

March 2, 2024

The Second Villa Prize Award Ceremony

The award ceremony for the second edition of the Villa Prize was held on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at the Argo Factory Cultural Center, with the presence of architects and the prize winners.

The jury members of this year’s Villa Prize each delivered separate talks on different aspects of the award.

“Mehrdad Iravanian,” contemporary Iranian architect and jury member of the second Villa Prize, shared both positive and critical reflections on the quantity, quality, and diversity of the entries submitted to the secretariat. He emphasized the clarity and seriousness of the evaluation process in this edition. Recounting a story about the first house he ever built, he explored the interconnections between literature, cinema, and architecture, and presented his views on the architectural meaning of the “villa.” His remarks highlighted the capacity of the villa to embody hidden layers of imagination, suggesting that these conceptual strata could also be manifested in other architectural typologies.

 “Manouchehr Seyed-Mortazavi,” Iranian architect based in Germany and jury member of this edition, focused on the notable number and range of submissions, pointing out that participation exceeded the expectations of both the organizers and the jury. He praised the remarkable precision and time invested by the jury in the review process. In the first round of evaluations (conducted individually), Seyed-Mortazavi selected 70 projects out of 470 entries approved by the secretariat. In the second round, he shortlisted 31 projects for collective deliberation with the other jurors, from which 12 unbuilt entries ultimately formed the final shortlist. He described the group discussions among the jury as direct and rigorous, noting that reaching agreement on the final selections was a demanding task.

Seyed-Mortazavi identified his main concern in this edition as the definitions and contradictions around the villa: both as a generator of new architectural discourse and as a rapidly growing phenomenon in recent construction across Iranian natural landscapes. He argued that the villa cannot be understood without reference to the landscape, and raised issues regarding the absence of effective regulatory frameworks in Iranian architectural competitions compared to international standards. He also underlined the lack of an independent architectural guild in Iran as a major obstacle to addressing some of these professional challenges and highlighted the need for stronger alignment between architectural practice and legislative policymaking. As an architect with international competition experience himself, he praised the professionalism of the organization and jury process in this edition of the Villa Prize.

“Firouz Firouz,” contemporary Iranian architect and fellow jury member, began his speech by reflecting on the number and quality of entries submitted and by expressing gratitude to the Villa team and all participants. Stressing that the challenges of 21st-century architecture demand greater sensitivity to context and environmental issues, he noted that the significance of these concerns goes beyond the design of a villa itself. He emphasized that the needs of clients, project requirements, and aesthetic goals must be addressed in a way that avoids the destruction of nature. Drawing on his own work and outlook, Firooz reiterated the importance of architectural strategies that integrate with natural landscapes and the site itself. He concluded by advising participants—whom he described as the future of architecture in the country—to always consider villa design in tandem with landscape design and the use of natural elements, underlining the social and cultural responsibilities of architecture.

Villa Magazine Press