Call for Entries: Rifat Chadirji Prize 2026: The Right to Landscape

Reclaiming Land and Sustaining Lives in Sahl Al Khiam, Lebanon

The Rifat Chadirji Award invites landscape architects, architects, and urban planners worldwide to propose a landscape led recovery vision for Sahl Al Khiam in Southern Lebanon. The valley, an agricultural lifeline endured occupation and recurrent bombardment, remains vital to the livelihoods, ecology, and identity of the Khiam community. Despite extensive damage, the Sahl survives as a rare space of continuity and refuge.

This year’s cycle considers Sahl Al Khiam as a key case study for the role of landscape in post war recovery. Participants are invited to address the core design question: How can a landscape led recovery vision for Sahl Al Khiam restore livelihoods, protect ecological systems, and affirm the community’s right to landscape in a landscape that endured occupation and recurrent bombardment?

Proposals should demonstrate how recovery can balance nature conservation with economic regeneration, and community wellbeing with environmental health, through strategic and sustainable interventions that safeguard the long term ecological and spatial integrity of the valley.

The Design Scope

Participants are expected to propose a vision at the valley scale and illustrate this through one or more site specific interventions that demonstrate how the vision can be spatially realised.

The intervention can focus on: Water Landscapes, Productive Landscapes, and Infrastructural Landscapes.

Registration

Early Registration: $75 from December to end of February 2026

Standard Registration: $90 from March to end of  June.

Late Registration: $110 beginning of July until deadline.

Student Registration

In support of student participation and experiential learning through competition, student-led teams may register at a discounted rate of $50.

To qualify, the student must be the actual team leader, and a valid student ID must be submitted during registration as proof of eligibility.

Eligibility

We welcome participation from landscape architects, architects, and urban planners and students from around the world.  

Individuals, teams (up to 8 members) or studios are eligible to enter. Multidisciplinary collaboration is strongly encouraged.

Prizes:

1st Prize

The Rifat Chadirji Prize Statuette + $5000 + Certificates + Tamayouz Medals for the team + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony (Flights and Hotel)**

2nd Prize

$3000 Three Thousand USD  + Certificates + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony (Flights and Hotel)**

3rd Prize

$2000 Two Thousand USD + Certificates + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony  (Flights and Hotel)**

Up to 7 Honourable Mentions

$500 Five Hundred USD for each Entry + Certificates + Invitation to attend the Award Ceremony *** + Published in the Annual book

Top 20 Entries

Published work on our website, on social media pages and in exhibitions.

Download the information related to this competition here.

https://rifatchadirji.com/