As a research team, we conduct qualitative research that seeks to challenge the socio-political aspects of housing issues and find their respective design solutions. Our focus covers three main topics related to housing in Syria: society, heritage, and conflict. Our methodology of data collection will depend on conducting interviews and workshops with experts from related fields. We will navigate the gaps of knowledge by comprehensively reviewing secondary resources available, which include relevant literature on the aforementioned topics, and case studies of pertinent national and international projects. Descriptive and inferential analyses of this data would help to find a spectrum of potential solutions, in particular looking at Syria's urban agglomerations of different scales.
Ethnographic research is one of our adopted methods, based on observation and interaction with the local community as a primary source of information that helps to shape the solutions in order to be site-specific. This can include an on-the-ground investigation, including different types of interviews and questionnaires with local stakeholders, and decision-makers. In addition, photography can be used as a documentation and measuring tool of social and architectural phenomena. Processing and linking this data would help create specific design principles to guide the design process of “rethought” housing.Research
As a design team, we use our design and technical skills to bring all collected and analysed data together in a way of meaningful architectural visualizations. Our focus is to deal with the design as a responsive output. Our style and colours are derived from the colour of Aleppo city; land, buildings, old city, and its stone. We believe that design is a phase where we can crystallize the connections of all interdisciplinary thoughts, and not a stand-alone process. Our style of visualization focuses on expressing values and exposing meanings that are well-informed via solid research and investigations. We triangulate our work with our research and community teams in a balanced way to make sure our architectural production is clearly designed and only delivered where it is playing a role in the whole story we tell. We follow our tailored standard of design production that meets clarity, succinctness, quality, cultural understanding, and technical implementation. Design
The community team’s objective is to integrate community participation into the architectural process. This will be achieved by critically assessing the studio’s activities so as to respect cultural needs and to promulgate the social good.
The team focuses on actively engaging with inhabitants and community groups, as well as lobbying governments to bring official codes and regulations closer to the modern needs of residents. By taking consideration of the complexity of local situations, the team can respect the distinctiveness and diversity of communities.
Finally, through studying how historical transformations have informed both the character of the locality and the architectural developments in housing, we aim to deepen an understanding of the present use of the space. Using the architectural journalism style of photography, as well as interviews and surveys, the research will capture inhabitants’ feelings, thoughts and opinions as primary data. By rigorous and transparent research, the team will seek to tell the story of human beings and their sense of belonging to their environment.Community
Housing & Society . Housing & Conflict . Housing & Heritage .
Housing & Society . Housing & Conflict . Housing & Heritage .
Housing & Society
H&S
Our interests in this field are addressing the issues related to Syria's permanent prototypes of housing. This covers re-framing how social housing is seen and how its design provision can meet the needs of our region. This field also desires to challenge the concepts of affordability, prefabrication, and illegal settlements.
Housing & Conflict
H&C
This sector is designed to deal with housing dilemmas raised because of conflict or in the aftermath. This includes temporary and emergency housing. Under this subject area, we will research and investigate how housing is being perceived and lived in, with regard to displacement, post-conflict interventions and reconstruction.
Housing & Heritage
H&H
Inspired by the Old City of Aleppo, which is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, we are looking for ways of upgrading the abandoned houses in its historical districts. We will seek to outline rehabilitative, contemporary policies that can bring back life and residents to the Old City.