Beyond the Façade: Architecture in the Arab World / Projects and Positions

Abstract

Abstract. Many cities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are experiencing rapid growth that presents significant challenges in terms of resource consumption, in spite of the fact that there are historical examples that can serve as models for understanding how to produce climate-responsive and culturally-sensitive architecture. Drawing upon under-researched archival material from the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, the project Beyond the Facade focuses on revealing design knowledge from six architectural projects from the late twentieth century across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iraq. The project demonstrates how local knowledge can have transnational relevance to the development of environmentally and culturally sustainable strategies. Rather than treating archives as static historical records, this study transforms them into active sources for providing knowledge discovered through analysis. Employing generative analytical methods, the study utilizes three-dimensional drawings, stop-motion animation, and 3D-printed relief models to investigate and communicate how the façades in the projects are more than a separation between interior and exterior.