Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Urban Planning and Urban Design Goes to Gold Souq Urban District by Ahmed Habib
Ahmed Habib recognized for urban planning and urban design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Gold Souq Urban District by Ahmed Habib has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Urban Planning and Urban Design category. The result belongs to 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 evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Bronze A' Design Award Means
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.
More About Gold Souq Urban District
Gold Souq is a 356,000 sqm mixed-use urban district in Jeddah that redefines the gold market as an integrated urban system. Conceived as a continuous fabric, it brings together craft, commerce, culture, and hospitality within a clear spatial hierarchy. A central pedestrian spine anchors the development, extending into courtyards derived from Hijazi urban principles to form a legible, walkable experience shaped by shade, density, and proximity. Environmental performance is embedded in the urban form, where massing and open space support comfort, continuity, and a coherent urban identity.
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
This recognition makes Ahmed Habib a winner of 9 A' Design Awards. The awards span the editions from 2018 - 2019 to 2025 - 2026 of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' City Planning and Urban Design Award
The A' Urban Design Award is an international urban design competition recognizing good urban plans and designs by best urban planners and architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to urban planning designers, urban architects, city planners and urban designers from all countries. Entries typically include masterplans, zoning proposals, infrastructure designs, landscape blueprints, public space concepts and urban renewal projects. Awarded urban plan designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/urban-planning
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/182664
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/182664
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!182664
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.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
- Gold Souq Urban District
- Function
- Urban District
- Category
- Urban Planning and Urban Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Social Impact
- Colors
- Black, Dark Olive Green, Sienna, Dark Slate Gray and Peru
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Ahmed Habib
- Country
- Egypt
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #182664
Credits
- Image Credits
- Ahmed Habib
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This design redefines the gold market as a complete urban ecosystem where production, trade, and public life coexist. Unlike conventional commercial developments, it integrates retail, workshops, education, and culture within a pedestrian network of shaded streets and courtyards inspired by Hijazi urbanism. A central flow structure organizes movement and visibility, while climate-responsive design ensures comfort. Its strength lies in merging heritage principles with a contemporary, high-performance urban model.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by the organic growth of historic Hijazi cities, where movement, climate, and commerce shape urban form over time. Traditional souqs were not planned as isolated buildings but emerged as interconnected networks of streets, courtyards, and shaded passages driven by trade and social interaction. This logic informed the design, where a continuous flow organizes space and activity. The aim was to reinterpret these principles within a contemporary framework, creating a resilient environment that reflects local identity while supporting modern patterns of production and exchange.
- Research
- Type of Research: applied urban and climatic research. Research Objectives: to redefine the traditional gold market as a resilient mixed-use ecosystem. Methodology: comparative analysis of historic souks and contemporary retail districts combined with environmental simulations. Data Collection and Tools: solar studies, pedestrian flow mapping, and heat analysis models. Participants: planners, economists, and local stakeholders. Results: improved environmental comfort and commercial synergy. Insights and Impact: a scalable model linking heritage, economic performance, and climate-responsive urban design.
- Challenge
- The main challenge was translating the organic complexity of historic Hijazi souks into a contemporary, buildable urban system. Internally, it required balancing cultural authenticity with modern program demands and user expectations. Externally, constraints included climate conditions, large-scale coordination, and regulatory frameworks. The design resolved these through a structured flow-based approach, integrating environmental strategies and flexible planning to maintain identity while ensuring feasibility and performance.
- Realization and Technology
- The design was developed through a parametric and iterative methodology linking circulation, program distribution, and climatic performance. A central flow spine informed massing and spatial hierarchy, supported by simulations for shading and ventilation. Traditional Hijazi elements were reinterpreted using stone cladding, precast concrete, steel structures, timber and wood screens, and high-performance glazing, ensuring durability, thermal efficiency, buildability, and a strong expression of local identity.
- Operation and Interaction
- The project operates through a continuous pedestrian flow that structures movement, visibility, and interaction. A central spine connects courtyards, retail, workshops, and cultural spaces, creating sequential experiences from arrival to immersion. Vehicular access is limited to the perimeter, ensuring a safe, walkable environment. Layered circulation enhances accessibility and engagement, while the integration of production and trade within public space creates a dynamic, efficient, and socially active urban system.
- 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 sqm Foot Print 72,500 sqm built up area 418,000 sqm
- Keywords
- Hijazi architecture, gold market, mixed-use development, urban ecosystem, pedestrian spine, climate responsive design, souq reinterpretation, cultural urbanism, parametric planning, public realm, Jeddah, Saudia
