The Bisharat complex is basically referred to as a “Khirbeh”, and in Jordanian standards, a Khirbeh is basically the Estate of an Agricultural Land Owner. It is where the land owner of an agricultural land administers his land, is also a place where crops are stored, and also functions as a living space. Those points contribute to making the Khirbeh a multi-functional space.

 

Khirbet Al Bisharat was divided among the family. The cross vault at the corner used to be the Madafa, which was directed towards Salt (where the Bisharat roots belong to before moving to Um Al Kondom). The Madafa serves the whole Khirbeh, and has become the under the ownership of Jamal and Suad Bisharat after the Khirbeh has been Divided. The Madafa has a strong symbolic value because it hosted guests from all around Jordan, and Palestine. The Madafa includes a “Nubra” in the middle which is the area in the house that is used to heat Coffee for Guest Entertaining purposes.

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Our project was basically the rehabilitation of the Madafa to serve its main function and a living space for the family, with an addition of an extension from the side overlooking the Airport Highway. The extension included a new floor added on top of the Madafa that included a basement and a ground floor. The idea was to create a new addition that distinguished the existing historic fabric of the Old Madafa with the addition through the type of stone and materials used, while creating a harmonious design that fits the overall context.