Amal al Balushi. Portfolio. 2024

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

Disclaimer / Copyright
Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are copyrighted. No part of these pages, either text or images, may be used for any purpose other
than personal use, unless explicit authorization by Amal al Balushi. Therefore, reproduction, modification, storage in retrieval system or retransmission, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.
Copyright © 2013 - 2024
Amal al Balushi
All rights reserved

Fin.