WAF delegates overall winner from the category: Sense of Place
Photographer: Deed Studio
Jadgal School in Iran
by Daaz Office Architects

The project is a public call for the Construction of a school with a sustainable development approach by a non-governmental organization and on the other hand, the request of the people and youth of Seyedbar-Jadgal village from this institution to build a school in their village.

The project started with an effort to change the villagers' intellectual and social layers, empower rural women, create public participation, and turn it into a lever in building a school.

Finally, by challenging the political and social concept of the boundary (The Wall) between free will and coercion in the presence of the school - in a society traditionally dominated by tyranny - it was able to overwhelm the mental majority of most villagers - who initially opposed the Construction of the wall and make the school the center of the neighborhood and gathering of all residents. An exercise to influence architecture in the transition to democracy.

At present, apart from the educational function, this school has other functions such as a children's play area on holidays and nights, a gathering place for villagers and their families, a place to watch movies and football in groups, a library, and a tourist residence.

The school is managed and maintained by a team of villagers and teachers, and part of the income from the tourism and needlework sections is spent on its maintenance. In this way, the school is built with the participation of the villagers and is eventually maintained.

The Panel of Judges Overall winner from the category: Buildings in Use
Photographer: GuoZhe
Pocket Park, Shanghai, China
by Atelier Archmixing Architects

The people in the photo are workers of the nearby water supply system renovation project. During the lunch break, they found the park as a quiet place to rest to tackle the second half of the day. As a small oasis in urban settings, the park invites every passersby to come in and sit down for a chance of relax while the city moves past outside.

This pocket park is a renovation project located in the centre of Shanghai’s old urban zone. As a place that can be used as a play area and escape from the busy city life, the park has a huge impact on the local community, no matter how small it is.

At the same time, the community has people like volunteers to manage and clean the park, which also makes this comfortable state more sustainable.

Visit the exhibition with all shortlisted images in the virtual world! Download the xSpaces app on: https://www.xspaces.io/app-download or via the Google/Apple Stores. Then head for Public Spaces and scroll across to the APA.

Thank you WAF , STO AG , Aluprof UK , Iris Ceramica and xSpaces for your support.

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Looking at a still photograph is proactive. You decide to look and for how long, to linger and explore the image or walk away. All too often even still images are flashed in front of us momentarily reducing our involvement to a passive onlooker. We are in danger of accepting bad and mediocre imagery as normal, we are looking but not seeing. Photographs of architecture capture more than a building, they create a legacy in time and place.

Lynne Bryant
Founder: The Architectural Photography Awards / archphotoawards.com