The Dubai Design Museum, Islamic Animation Center in Riyadh, and Muscat Viewer and Exposition Center were named as among the GCC's most innovative projects in the Archiprix International 2017 competition, announced ahead of The Big 5. Experts agree that these students will drive the GCC's $2 trillion construction project pipeline, according to a recent Deloitte report. "Middle East students are global innovators in using architecture and urban design to drive innovation in the region's construction industry. These Archiprix proposals aim to solve pressing global challenges such as urbanization, housing, and infrastructure," said Frans van de Laak, General Manager for Hunter Douglas Middle East. The Archiprix International 2017 awards recognize 19 architecture, urban design, and landscape architecture student proposals from the Middle East and North Africa. Worldwide, Archiprix 2017 received a record-high 380 entries. Middle East projects also include Egypt 3D Desert Printing for sustainable housing in the Sinai Peninsula; the Film Factory studio in Beirut, Lebanon; Jordan's Panspermia for sustainable municipal solid waste management; and the Syrian Art Museum. "Hunter Douglas is supporting Archiprix International to foster a lifelong love of learning, and to enable students to learn about the most advanced building and design materials that can bring their projects to life," added Frans van de Laak. Previous Archiprix 2015 projects from the GCC included Reviving Al Ain Oasis, which designed a botanical center for research, entertainment, and education using the 3,000-year-old falaj irrigation system; a Recycling Center for Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar's Al Wakrah Water Front Resort, a model for eco-friendly development. Winners of Archiprix 2017 will be announced in India in February 2017, as an initiative of the Archiprix Foundation, a partnership of Dutch educational institutions that is supported by Hunter Douglas. For more information, visit www.archiprix.org. — SG
