Beyond Design: How Architecture Is Judged | Public lecture by Farrokh Derakhshani

Architecture is discussed through photographs, drawings and awards; but how is it actually evaluated?

What separates a good project from an exceptional one?

Speaking from inside the jury room, Farrokh Derakhshani, Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture since 2006, unpacks how completed works are critically examined: design quality, social impact, cultural relevance, environmental performance and long-term value, weighed together into a holistic understanding of architectural excellence.

Using the award-winning Community Spaces in Rohingya Refugee Response (Teknaf, Bangladesh) as a case study, the lecture offers rare insights for students, practitioners and anyone curious about how architecture is judged after completion.

Presented by the Faculty of Design and Society at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) with the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.