His Highness Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (1948-2020), generously donated the use of his house (Dar Hassan) for Turquoise Mountain’s training programmes. www.nassersalsabah.com

Completed in 1989, Dar Hassan Palace was one of the last works of the great Hassan Fathy (b.1900-d.1989). In his lifetime, the Egyptian architect promoted and celebrated traditional building forms, techniques and philosophies. Fathy's understanding of vernacular architecture and artisanal inspiration stemmed from a passionate belief in the importance of traditional knowledge and historic lessons for the built environment. Fathy worked closely with his construction teams and learned from master craftsmen. His career was extensive and included many large, private houses. Dar Hassan was one of those buildings - the only one in Jordan. It embodies many examples of Fathy's architectural principals.

Dar Hassan had not been occupied for many years and was in bad shape. Turquoise Mountain was involved with the extensive refurbishment required to repair this highly significant building, preparing it for occupation as our headquarters and the operations and education facilities that we needed. As custodians of a highly significant piece of architectural heritage, we minimised interventions and worked closely with Hassan Fathy's original plan.

Dar Hassan was commissioned and owned by the late Sheikh Nasser of Kuwait. A diplomat, statesman and renowned patron of the arts, His Highness Sheikh Nasser was a close friend of Hassan Fathy and a great friend of Turquoise Mountain. His Highness Sheikh Nasser generously invited Turquoise Mountain to use the Palace as our headquarters in Amman. We see Dar Hassan as an ongoing project, of benefit to our beneficiaries as well as to the highly significant building. Inside the Palace we are working with our carpentry-training graduates to commission furniture for the house. The grounds contain the ‘Solitary House’, a free-standing domed building with an iwan entrance built as a ‘training exercise’ by Hassan Fathy’s historic masons. Our stone masonry trainees have continued the tradition and embellished the ‘Solitary House’ with a traditional window ornament or ‘zaqrafa’.