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Amal al Balushi. Portfolio. 2024

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PORTFOLIO

Amal Al Balushi

2 0 2 4



There is no logic that can be superimposed on the city;

people make it, and it is to them, not buildings, that we

must fit our plans.

- Jane Jacobs

This Portfolio contains a brief collection of ten urban works that span my

career and studies. This includes research paper topics, university-level

integrated-design assignments and projects I’ve worked on as an employed

urban planner.

While unintentional, the predominant thread running through my body of

work over the years has been storytelling. This portfolio highlights the diverse

narratives I’ve had the privilege of encountering from various city actors,

serving as a foundation to inspire projects or alter scenarios.

For an extended version of this portfolio with access to my painting portfolio,

podcasts and public persona during my time as an Omani Radio host, please

do not hesitate to contact me.


1.

Hase Lake

Bramsche, DE

2023 & ongoing - Stadt Bramsche

The existing Hasesee, an artificial lake that fills the area between the two parts

of the town of Bramsche, is an important element for the region. Urbanity and

nature blend in this place to provide a peaceful middle ground. The area is

rich in birds, plants and fish that seek refuge in the protected and preserved

nature reserves. This natural centre also offers residents a slow, quiet and

tranquil zone amid their busy city.

Perhaps most importantly, the lake offers flood safety, as the terrain is

designed to adapt to the rising water level of the nearby Hase River. In the

current climate crisis with dry summers and heavy storms that often bring a

lot of rain in a short space of time, the protection that Lake offers the town of

Bramsche should not be underestimated.

This has led to the intention to extend the lake and its floodplains through the

expansion of the Hasesee and the creation of a completely new twin lake in

the immediate northern region called Neuer Hasesee. This new lake can be

planned for much more than just water protection and commuting.

My main goal was to use innovative techniques in coming up with a new overall

concept for the region while working for the city of Bramsche as the project

manager and main urban planner for the last six months.


Keywords:

Climate Change

Flood Protection

Mobility

Marketing

Planning

Design

Competition

Neuer Hasesee

Event’s island

Investors

Competition

(Interessebekundungsverfahren)

In addition, the Hasesee can be used to encourage more

sustainable modes of transport: cycling and walking thrive along

the lake. While these modes are usually described as ‘slow’

mobility, due to the centrality of the lake, the connection across

the Hasesee in Bramsche makes active mobility a faster way to

get from the garden city to the historic centre.

With existing commuters and traffic, there is the opportunity

to make the area more active. Through workshops with the

community, we have learned that the citizens are interested

in having more events, more tourism, and more access to the

water itself. With this input, I’ve managed to cultivate a new

identity through rebranding Bramsche as “Stadt am Wasser”

which would affect this area, as well as the city as a whole.

Thus, I have been in the midst of planning competitions, one for

inspiring design firms to show us their take on what can be done

in the region, and another one for investors to approach us with

viable business ventures and activities.

Press Release:

https://www.noz.de/lokales/bramsche/artikel/das-plant-die-stadt-bramsche-fuer-die-erweiterung-des-hasesees-45486699

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Workshops for citizen participation,

analysis of the results and

development of concepts.

• Various analyses (SWOT, flood

analysis, environmental research,

remediation capacities...)

• Proposals for branding, image and

identity.

• GIS data collection, surveying of the

lake bed.

• Maintaining contracts and tenders for

ongoing sand extraction with private

firms.

• Creating a design competition and

investor expression of interest

process.

• Contacting various private and public

stakeholders for cooperation.

• Information sharing and presentations

to press, politicians and citizens.


2.

Master Thesis:

Cross-Border Cohesion

During a Pandemic

MAAHL Region, DE, NL, BE

(2021) RWTH University

Supervisor: Prof. Christa Reicher

Between the German city of Aachen and the Dutch town of Bocholtz, there lies

a large office complex that sits directly on the two nations’ borders. This office

complex is part of hundreds of thousands of Euros invested in a cross-border

initiative (CBI), funded by the EU Commission and supported by the nations

involved. A mixture of residents from both nations are part of the workforce

and on paper, the complex advertises itself as an inclusive and integrative

area along a border line.

As the COVID-19 pandemic began, within the office complex on the border,

tape was used to mark the actual placement of the border, to ensure workers

from the other nation did not cross over. When workers asked management

about the tape placement, they were told it was a precautionary action,

as the state of the border was unclear and to complying with quarantine

requirements. The border between Germany and the Netherlands which had

been open for movement for the last two decades was starting to see physical

manifestations arise.

This thesis looked into developments on borders during the pandemic as a way

to expose integrational issues between EU countries. It questions how borderregions

are treated within mega-regional visions, and how their stories can help

future plans.


Keywords:

Megaregional Planning

Borders

EU commission

Storytelling

EU

COMMISSION

FUNDING

CROSS

BORDER

INITIATIVE

OFFICE

Cross-Border Cooperations

THESIS:

LOCAL STORIES

AS A GUIDE/

EVALUATOR

MEGA-REGIONAL

VISIONS

BORDER

REGION

INITIATIVES

Free movement of goods and people is an essential component of the

European Union. Such restrictions undermine decades-long visions

for solidarity, an integrated EU and concepts of cross-border “megaregions”

in Europe.

The story of the office complex was relayed in an interview with one of

its workers as part of this thesis’s study. Similar examples were also

collected and are displayed in the study findings. These stories convey

how such bizarre scenarios can emerge due to the power – albeit

politically, institutionally or mentally – borders can have, even after

decades of debordering investments.

To find these scenarios of non-integration, a collection of stories from

stakeholders within the urbanised tripoint area of Belgium-Germany-

Netherlands throughout the pandemic was compiled. Alongside, megaregion

visions that were presented in the conference “Next Generation

Podium for Eurodelta” in May 2021 were analysed. These visions were

evaluated according to the local stories to help identify the “weak points”

or barriers such plans may experience in border regions.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Conducted qualitative long format

interviews

• Used various computer-assisted

qualitative data analysis softwares

such as MAXQDA, Quirkos and Piwik

• Approaching stakeholders, from

residents to politicians to business

owners

• Attended Mega-regional Planning

conferences

• Developed own toolbox of analysis

• Presented findings in mega-regional

conferences as a guidance method for

conference participants.

• Recorded and wrote down the study

in a thesis that received 100% marks

from supervisors.

Thesis:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365125722_Cross-Border_Cohesion_During_a_Pandemic


3.

Rethink

Restart

Recover

Resilient

Amsterdam, NL

(2020) with Eva Hoppmanns, Vanessa

Kucharski, and Lea Schwab - Master’s course,

RWTH University

The post-COVID19 cities are already underway, as it could be argued that

entire lifestyles and spaces have changed. Cities have seen their regions react

to lockdowns, as activity hubs have had to stop. We focused on the question

of how to overcome a pandemic in a spatially just way and recover as soon as

possible.

“You never want a serious crisis to go to waste”

- Emanuel Rahm (Wall Street Journal, 2008).

This project, carried out as part of a university course in the midst of pandemic

lockdowns in 2020, used Amsterdam and the effects of COVID19 on its

resident’s accessibility to services. Injustices are more visible in crises, as

imbalances are more strongly felt. The lockdowns have helped to impose

spots within the city which are unhealthy in their spatial makeup. We propose

a decentralised restart approach, with the aid of residents input by an app we

have designed.


Keywords:

Accessibility

Pandemic

Crisis

Urban Justice

App design

Digitalisation

A large number of residents work in Amsterdam’s city centre, but live

elsewhere. Pre-Covid, the lack of commodities in their spaces was

circumventable. During the pandemic, however, lockdowns, curfews

and restrictions on travel curbed their ability to access basic necessities.

Using public GIS data, we looked at activities and services that could

remain open during the different phases of the lockdown. Entire quarters

of the AMA are devoid of any activities, with spots in which access to

basic open spaces and greenery is non-existent.

The “Access Amsterdam” App that we designed was a means of a

communication tool between city administrators and locals.

For a more in-depth exploration of the app’s planning, including the

sources of pooled data and the envisioned future for the Amsterdam

Metropolitan area, you can delve into our linked book and review our

submission for an MIT competition, where we received the Experts

Choice Award.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• GIS data collection, adaption and

presentation.

• Regional analysis

• App structural mapping

• Extensive research on crisis

management

• Partook in a competition

• Graphic designing

• Co-authored a book on findings

• Social Media and open press

presence (Issuu, Yumpu, Flikr... Etc)

Book: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/67544789/rethink-restart-recover-resilient

MIT Competition: https://www.pandemicresponsecolab.org/challenges/2020/the-post-covid19-city/c/contribution/112


4.

WOW lab

Muscat, OM

(2017 - 2021) With

Prof. Dr. Gustavo De Siqueira - GUtech

Where Oman Walks (WOW) is a lab I was part of with Prof. Dr. Gustavo De

Siqueira in the Sultanate of Oman. We used participative planning, city gaming

techniques, and collaborative workshops, to interact with local residents

on their walking habits (or there-lack-of) and collaborate on solutions that

would improve their spatial qualities, pushing for a more accessible area. We

approached different neighbourhoods of Muscat to question their outdoor

activities and public spaces. Together using large models of neighbourhoods

as the tool for communicating and designing, we hope to build a better future -

with the first project refurbishments underway in the neighbourhood of Al Hail

with support from the Muscat Municipality and funding from the Bloomberg

association.

The WOW method, a process I helped develop and fine-tune, is starting

to grow and spread internationally with Where Albania Walks (2022) and

Where Saudis Walk (2019). In Tirana, specifically, WOW has been part of the

establishment of FABER, the Forum for Active Built Environments Research.

Additionally, we are now in the process of converting the WOW method into a

book to aid planners internationally, as well as interested city actors.

Since its initiation, over 50 neighbourhoods of the capital of Muscat have

been targeted with workshop and engagement projects. We have surveyed

and collected data from more than 700 pedestrians, making this the largest

collection on Omani pedestrian patterns.


Keywords:

Urban Analysis

Walkability

Surveying

Urban Gaming

Participation

Before

Vision

Research Paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345340392_Co-designing_the_pedestrian_revolution_in_Muscat

Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/whereomanwalks/

WOW Albania: https://waw.al/

The WOW Method:

1. Identify Central Node - Locate the most active

node in neighbourhoods, establishing a 500-meter

study zone (five-minute walking distance).

2. IPEN/NEWS Surveys, Walking Pattern

Observations - Adapt international surveys to local

context for mobility baseline.

3. First Community Contact - Engage local power

players through door-to-door invitations for

workshops and community outreach.

4. Gaming Workshop - Utilize a 1:200 scaled model

for place-based discussions.

5. Results Presentation - Our experts transform

community wishes into implementation plans,

present designs, and exhibit at conferences.

6. Local Empowerment - Empower residents for

small-scale changes, fostering compromise and

consideration of neighbours’ wishes.

7. Funding and Governmental Intervention - Apply

for funding and seek government support for larger

changes.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Adaption of international studies to the

Omani context

• Preliminary research and Literature

reviews on walkability and

neighbourhood design

• Organising co-creation workshops

• Model making

• Qualitative and Quantitative data

collection

• Developing a game

• Teaching the WOW method to university

students

• Writing four research papers

• Press releases and Social media

activities

• Presenting findings in multiple

international conferences

• Organising exhibitions of results

• Applying for research funds and grants

from private and public organisations


5.

wOman

Muscat, OM

(2017 - 2021) GUtech

In the WOW lab, my research, wOman, explored Omani women’s walking

patterns within socio-cultural norms. Due to cultural restrictions, mixedgender

workshops were impractical, sparking the study’s origin during a

female-only session when a participant noted women avoid walking in front of

mosques. This prompted an exploration of where women are allowed publicly

and how urban elements impact this. Focusing on the intersection of culturally

sensitive urban design and gender accessibility, my research addresses

gender, culture, and Islam. Examining the city’s evolution since Oman’s 1970s

renaissance, I’ve observed significant changes in building structures. Despite

these shifts, cultural norms, religious practices, and traditions persist.

A prominent symbol of contemporary neighbourhoods is the centrally placed

mosque, where men gather for prayers and social interactions, and the

marketplace attached to the mosque.

For women, the mosque represents a predominantly male space. Comments

like “Men will look at me” underscore the significance of visibility as a

determining factor in where local women feel comfortable in public spaces.

This partial invisibility contributes to the disproportionate ratio of women to

men outdoors, leading to higher rates of vitamin D deficiencies and social

misrepresentation in neighbourhoods. Younger women, in particular, are

significantly affected, being the least likely to walk in public. In a culture

emphasizing high levels of privacy, the performance of public spaces is a

critical consideration. Can invisibility prompt inclusivity?


High Visibility

Low Visibility

Keywords:

Gender Spaces

Culture Studies

Inclusivity

Space Syntax

Mosque

Participation

Market Place

AL HAIL

Contemporary

Neighbourhood

MUTTRAH

Traditional

Neighbourhood

To investigate this, I used UCL’s space syntax

Visual Graph Analysis to compare the typological

structure of visibility and privacy in the streets of

traditional settlements to those in contemporary

neighbourhoods. It revealed that the lack of

privacy in modern settlements goes against

culturally appropriate public life.

The study highlights the separation of the

market from the mosque and the intimate

design of entrances to holy sites in traditional

neighbourhood planning, elements lost in the

translation to contemporary neighbourhoods.

Thus, the local mosque is the most contested

space, and in most cases, the only public node

present. Cultural norms and perceptions are

embedded in the use of public space, and in the

case of Muscat, hinders women’s inclusion or

contribution to them.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Depthmapx software training

• Space syntax theories analysis

• CAD/spatial mapping

• Historical planning analysis

• Writing research and conference

papers

• Cultural - traditional - religious

theories analysis

• Community workshops organisation

• Qualitative and Quantitative data

analysis

Conference Abstract: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353342994_Invisibility_for_Inclusivity_Public_Spaces_for_Women_in_Oman

Conference Paper: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353343230_GENDER_SPACES_IN_MODERN_MUSLIM_CITIES_Women’s_Public_Sphere_in_an_Evolving_Cityscape


6.

Reprocessed Spaces

Rheinisches Revier, DE

(2020) Master’s course, RWTH University

When I arrived in Germany in 2019, I was greeted with the vast lignite mining

crate on my way to Aachen from Cologne. These crates have been a point

of contention, with conflicts between RWE, the coal mining company, and

Protesters of various backgrounds, within and along the Hambachers Forrest

regularly making international news. Other than the alarming damage to

nature and the landscape, over 70,000 persons have been displaced in the

Rheinische Revier and resettled within or without the area since the early

1900s. With this fact, a myriad of questions plagued me: How does one deal

with this fact? How is this legal? How does the state handle or get involved in

the process of displacement? What do the actual villagers go through when

moving?

For this integrated project, I focused on understanding the process of

displacement in NRW and how it has transformed over the last half century

(if at all). Additionally, I was interested in resident’s recounting of their

experience of being displaced and relocated, as well as their involvement in

the design of their new quarters.

Using these two scales, I describe how displacement has not seen much of a

change and with it the types of villages that are built as an outcome have not

included innovative or sustainable measures. The process used by the firm

RWE in relocating residents to designed villages has created sprawled monofunctional

suburbia.


Keywords:

Development Induced Displacement

Protest Human Rights Sprawl

Quality of Life

TANNEK

ETZWEILER

LITCH-STEINSTRASS

GESOLEI

RED - Planned demolitions

PURPLE - Relocated villages

Booklet:

https://issuu.com/amalalbalushi/docs/integrated_project_2_amalalbalushi_booklet_20.07.2

The figure above has 4203 known displaced persons.

Interestingly enough, Gesolei was a designed village with

a collection of Etzweiler and Elsdorf residents who were to

be resettled in the 1920s. By 2001 the Hambach crate had

forced the new town of Gesolei to be resettled again.

This anecdote, while used to highlight how unstable living

in this region can be, also hints at the unstructured way

resettlements occurred. RWE’s planning and designing of

new villages has largely remained unchanged from the 50s

until today. Through looking at the typologies built, density

levels, adaptability of buildings over time and the real

estate markets in these relocated villages, we can clearly

state that no major innovation has occurred in the physical

resettlement process.

Moreover, the administrative and mental approach has

largely stayed the same. Within my booklet, I provide other

tactics that planners in the region could use to break the

existing cycle. With development-induced displacement

having a longer time process, I argue that extra steps,

theories and safeguards could and should be used.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Historical spatial research

• Site visits and photo collections

• Typological analysis

• Density comparisons

• Real estate market analysis

• Following protest movements and

demands

• Comparing Human Rights

displacement theories

• Street interviews with residents

• Profiling average resident

• Planning toolbox creation/model

planning suggestions.


7.

Free Lands of Oman:

The Sustainability of Land

Allocation Politics in the

Muscat Capital Area

Muscat, OM

(2021) With Dasha Kuletskaya - Master’s course,

RWTH University

The right to land, initially introduced in Oman in 1984 and extended in 2008,

grants a right to land property to every citizen above the age of 23, regardless

of income and marital status. According to this, every Omani person has a

right to a plot of land limited to 600 sq m. This land allocation rule defined the

urban layout and caused the sprawled growth of residential districts in the

capital city of Muscat. With the city growing at an unprecedented rate, there

is a demand for new planning policies to overcome the issues with the current

situation. This paper examines the Omani approach towards land provision

and questions its long-term sustainability and viability against the backdrop

of the realisation of rights to land and adequate housing.

Through the comparative analysis of urban density, this research estimates

the capacity limits of the present system and argues that the realization of

the right to housing translated as the right to property on land is profoundly

unsustainable: while benefiting one Omani generation, it endangers the

realization of the same right for future generations. The 40 years of this politics

provide the backdrop for critical reflection on Hardin’s classic article on “The

Tragedy of Commons”.


Keywords:

Land Ownership

Utopian City

Density

Urban Policy

Sustainability

How long before

Muscat runs out of

lands?

Conference paper:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350236699_Free_Lands_of_Oman_The_Sustainability_of_Land_Allocation_Politics_in_the_Muscat_Capital_Area

Halban, Muscat

Google earth screenshot

Housing is a fundamental human right outlined in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights, yet its application is debated, especially

in terms of the right to property, particularly regarding land. While

international human rights don’t explicitly mandate a right to land,

what if it did? Similar ideas can be seen in Utopian images of visionary

cities, as in the case of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Broad Acre City. In that

utopia, one acre of land would be granted to every nuclear family,

homes would be spread out, and car dependency and individuality

would be high. Even amongst the urbanists and planners of the 1930s,

this layout was considered wasteful. Questioning the sustainability

of such a system arose in terms of space as well as governance.

While such a Utopian city has never been realised, some similarities

regarding land allocation strategy are visible in the case of Oman.

In Oman, the land allocation system in Muscat, while providing free

land for 30 years, is found to be unsustainable. This study reveals

that if continued, buildable land resources in the city will be depleted

within the next 20 years.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Writing a research paper

• Contacting journals and conferences

• Presenting at international

conferences

• Spatial analysis - Build-able land

assessment, Densities calculation,

Object-Based Image Analysis

• Literature review on Land policy and

Human rights


8.

Bachelor Thesis:

Parental Student Village

Muscat, OM

(2017) RWTH University

Supervisor: Prof. Rolf Westerheide

The ever-growing university of RWTH in Aachen has a problem housing

problem. While the university currently owns buildings and land that cover

almost a third of the city, they do not run any dormitories, allowing the housing

crisis to be handled by private investors and public organisations.

During my bachelor thesis semester, RWTH acquired 17,000 sqm of land close

to Campus Mitte. As the university started planning what faculties, libraries or

labs could move to this great location, I instead looked into one of the greatest

needs RWTH students face - that of housing.

Speaking with AsTA, the student-run foundation that helps students search

and apply for accommodation on the private market, I learned that students

with families face the most hardships in finding appropriate housing. In

comparison to the average single student, they require larger spaces, better

qualities, and more accessible places.

Thus, this project attempts to create a student village geared for those with

children. Providing not only dormitory space, but the area is meant to mimic

a small and cosy village close to the centre of a bustling city with restaurants,

parks, a daycare, offices, and shops.


Keywords:

Student Accommodations

CAD

Kleingarten

Interior Architecture

Urban Design

Currently, the project area is being used as rentable garden spaces, a

common practice known as Kleingarten or Schrebergarten in Germany.

This idea of a fertile growing land has been repurposed in the project,

with communal gardens and access to greenery equally provided amongst

its residents. In addition, the pedestrian promenade that splits the area

into an upper zone and lower zone falls along the existing walkway of the

Kleingarten.

Groups of five to six structures create more intimate courtyards with

balconies facing inwards to allow parents to watch their kids play freely.

Each of these groupings includes a rectangular building that has some

sort of mix-use entity within, from open-to-residents working spaces, to

daycares, to fitness studios.

The main plaza is placed alongside an existing bus stop as the welcoming

zone to the village. Here, residents can find the main building of the village

where they can get their groceries, grab a coffee, attend events, meet and

greet and enjoy the playground.

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Writing a research paper

• Contacting journals and conferences

• Presenting at international

conferences

• Spatial analysis - Buildable land

assessment, Densities calculation,

Object-Based Image Analysis

• Literature review on Land policy and

Human rights


9.

The Safe Harbour:

Designing Women

Empowerment In a Male

Dominant Space

Muscat, OM

(2015) Bachelors Course, Integrated Project VI,

GUtech

Seeb Souq, the second ‘centre’ of Muscat, teems with jewellery, clothing,

and food stores along its vibrant coast. Omani fishermen enrich the daily

fish market, while promenades adorned with street vendors and restaurants

contribute to the lively atmosphere. Despite catering to diverse needs, a walkthrough

reveals the dominance of one demographic, with women rarely seen

in the area without male companionship.

Safety concerns loom large, with prevalent catcalling and stories of harassment

echoing through the spaces. However, functionality-wise, a significant portion

of the souq is dedicated to women’s clothing. In response to these challenges,

this project introduces a safe space for women in this conflicted urban setting.

Strategically positioned along the bustling shore, the women’s education

and vocational training centre become a focal point. The ground floors are

intentionally open and visually permeable, allowing glimpses of women

entering and moving within the space. In contrast, the second and third

floors, housing the training rooms, are discreetly cloaked. This nuanced play

on privacy and safety aims to visually introduce women to the region while

offering a retreat that provides comfort and support.


WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?

WHERE’S HER HUSBAND?

CAN I HAVE

YOUR NUMBER?

WHO LET HER

COME HERE ?

Keywords:

Women’s Empowerment Safety

Gendered Spaces Urban Renewal

Inclusivity

WHAT’S YOUR

NAME?

LOOK.

MASHALLAH

WHERE IS SHE GOING?

DO YOU SEE

THAT WOMAN?

WOMEN CAN’T

BE HERE.

LOOK AT WHAT

SHE’S WEARING.

Restaurant

Restaurant Restaurant

Ice Cream store

+ 0.4m

Restaurant Oudoor Space

± 0.0m

Shaded Gathering Spot

B

C

+ 0.4m

A

± 0.0m

Women's Centre Lobby

+ 0.2m

Outdoor Open Stage

+ 0.4m

Shaded Seating Area

± 0.0m

Reception Desk

B

C

Restaurant

± 0.0m

The design incorporates various levels of

privacy, ranging from outdoor seating areas

close to the women’s centre, integrating

with the public environment, to the all-glass

ground floor providing a sense of safety while

remaining visually accessible. The upper floors

Light Poles

provide complete shielding Missing in the space was the from sense of the outside,

security during the nighttime. Partly due

to the fact that we were females roaming

empowering female a male users dominated area, to decide the extent

and partly due to the no - or limited

lighting in the area that did provide

of their involvement visibility and Seeb safety. Most light Souq was at any given

provided from the spot lights of the pop

up mishkak stalls, or from the passerby

moment.

Restaurant

cars.

This is a lighting element i would like to

This innovative project vigorously introduce has in sparked the area (As controversy

spotted in Athaiba park)

and risk-taking discussions among my peers,

initiating a thought-provoking dialogue about

the intersection of urban design, safety, and

+ empowerment.

0.3m

± 0.0m

Outdoor Seating Blocks

Shaded New

Vegetable

Market

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Site observation, analysis and walk

through

• Mood-mapping, footfall counting

• Perceptive analysis (triggers and

signals)

• Traffic analysis

• Urban refurbishment of waterfront

• Technical plans - Floor plans and

sections

Furniture Shop

Stores

Cold Store

Stores

Offices

Block Seating Elements

The theme of blocks is a

reoccurring one, therefore the

urban elements connecting to the

block concrete structure of the

communal building is one that

completes the picture.

A

These blocks are shaped to


10.

Revitalising Nizwa

Nizwa, OM

(2014) with Dana Al Haremi

Bachelors course, GUtech, Integrated Project III

For centuries, the sultanate of Oman has built villages and buildings with

earthen architecture. Currently, a mass exodus from these areas is being

experienced as residents have moved away to more “modernised” housing

units of concrete and glass in the newer city of Muscat. With no one left

to take care of these spaces, the derelict regions are turning into ruins. As

the government grapples with what to do with these spots, the earthen

architecture steadily disintegrates year by year.

Surprisingly, this has created a unique opportunity for ruin-visiting enthusiasts

and tourists coming to visit the spots. Many settlements have become walkthrough

museums, with guides explaining what kinds of activities would have

taken place. Additionally, some places are attempting to refurbish some

buildings into usable hotels and B&Bs.

This project caters to ruin enthusiasts, allowing them to move through the

old city of Nizwa and imagine the kind of life that was once lived there while

staying in newer earthen blocks floating above these buildings. The contrast

between the old and new, using similar materials, is meant to highlight what

was lost.


Keywords:

Earthen Architecture

Heritage

Typologies

Ruin Tourism

Urban Conservation

Rather than refurbish the ruins into their original state (as is

being done in Manah, Birkat al Mouz, and countless other

Omani ruins) this project wanted to showcase how earthen

architecture has evolved since the 13th century.

Nizwan typologies were limited to two storeys and rooms with

a maximum width of 3 metres - as wide as the palm tree trunks

that were used as beams. Openings sizes, inlets and arches

within the walls, and steps on the stairs could not be modulated

making each of these elements unique.

With current examples of earthen architecture, we see

how technology has helped bend this material further than

previously thought. The stark reality of the two - modernity and

traditionally - would also show how earthen architecture has

the capability of making a comeback in a different way.

These floating blocks were inspired by modern examples of

earthen architecture, such as Herzog & de Mueron’s rammed

earth structures and the earthen art of Rene Rietmeyer

Skills and Tasks exercised:

• Map-making

• Museum conceptualisation

• Creation of Master plans

• User analysis

• Drawing and Sketching


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Amal al Balushi

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