2024 - Scholarship: Nadine Nashef
Nadine Nashef, an architect from Palestine, is using her Barakat International Student Scholarship to undertake a Master’s degree in Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design, with a special focus on historic preservation. Nadine’s motivation is deeply personal—her own family home in Taybeh, an old Palestinian village, is a compound of traditional houses facing an uncertain future due to displacement, urban neglect, and the wider challenges affecting Palestinian heritage.
Trained originally as a visual artist and translator, Nadine transitioned into architecture with the aim of safeguarding the built heritage of Palestinian towns and villages. She has become particularly interested in how local communities can play a role in preserving and repurposing these historic structures in ways that honour both past and present needs.
During her studies, Nadine is developing advanced skills in architectural conservation, sustainable heritage management, and community-based design. Her long-term goal is to return to Palestine equipped to lead preservation projects, empower local communities, and advocate for architectural heritage as a vital component of cultural identity.
With the support of The Barakat Trust, Nadine’s academic work will contribute to preserving not just buildings, but the histories and memories they hold. Her project speaks to broader questions about how communities affected by conflict and displacement can reclaim and reinterpret their heritage.
