How the urban sphere has been manipulated by the Syrin regime to suppress the uprising, escalate the conflict, and further consolidate its authoritarian power in the post-conflict phase.
Exploring how destruction and reconstruction processes across the country have been appropriated as part of a systematic strategy to set the ground for a homogenised post-conflict Syria that awards regime cronies and punishes opponents. And exploring how a just and inclusive reconstruction process may be pursued in the current context in areas outside regime control, using housing as an entry point.
Sawsan Abou Zainedin is a Syrian architect and urban development practitioner. Her work tackles the impact of urban processes and reconstruction efforts on social justice and peace. She is the co-founder of Qibaa; a studio established in 2013 in Syria's north to address conflict-related urban challenges through alternative localized practices. Sawsan holds MSc in Urban Development Planning with distinction from the Bartlett’s Development Planning Unit of University College London, where she researched the role of communities' coping strategies in the pursuit of just and sustainable recovery in Syria.
Hani Fakhani is a Syrian architect and urban practitioner. His work focusses on housing and post-conflict reconstruction in Syria. He holds a MSc with distinction in Building and Urban Design in Development from University College London where he researched the interrelations between reconstruction, governance, and peace in Syria. He is the co-founder of PLUStudios, an architectural design and visualization services firm that has been working on a range of projects including urban regeneration, housing, and public service projects. He co-founded Cube Team Architects, a local firm in Damascus that won national awards for urban development and infrastructure project proposals with Damascus Municipality and Governorate.
Sawsan and Hani have recently co-founded Sakan Housing Communities; a start-up social enterprise aimed at developing inclusive and socially just housing programmes to aid social, economic, and institutional recovery in Syria.
Caption: Omayad Mosque in Aleppo, Syria
Credit: © private