AWARD FOR STUDENT WORK
The Nine Valleys — A Bahá ’ í Temple for Canada Thornhill , Ontario , Canada Vedad Haghighi
This master ’ s thesis proposed a Bahá ’ í temple in Thornhill , Ontario , as guided by the Institution of the Mashriqu ' l-Adhkár — a law embodied in the Bahá ’ í faith . The coherence of worship and service is at the heart of this institution , which endeavors to uplift the spiritual , social , and material conditions of society .
The existing site houses the administrative center for the Bahá ’ í community and its extensive grounds . The act of design relied on the spirit of its subject matter : a four-year-long engagement with the land itself in private meditation and contemplation through open-air sketches , the collection of found items into artifacts of exploration , and reflective fireside talks with friends and colleagues . This approach led to the decision to meld the temple into the forested valley and surround it with nine gardens .
Friends begin their journey by moving through the interconnected gardens , instilling an awareness of natural spatial experiences . The next step is a series of descending stairs , platforms gently leading into earthen passages that dim the sense of sight , making the ears receptive to what the site has to say . In the valley , the temple — a circular , symmetrical lattice as tall as the surrounding trees — appears , quilted by fragments of metal panels that move with the wind and rain .
JURY COMMENTS : This student project is distinguished through its beautiful drawings to communicate its design . There is a great sense of conveying the haptic quality of these sacred spaces . The connection to the landscape is very sensitive and inviting , with a great sensitivity to passive ecological design .
2024
CALL for ENTRIES
Faith & Form AWARDS for Religious Architecture & Art
Awards Website Open for Submissions
July 1 – October 11 , 2024
faithandformawards . com
• A list of award categories is available on the website . •
2023 Religious Architecture : Renovation Award —
Our Mother of Perpetual Help , Northfield , MA . Robert Benson Photography .
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