• Minerva Fadel

    FOUNDER CEO

    Doctoral Researcher at University of Westminster

    B.Arch, M.Arch, MA

    UK

    I believe in the multidisciplinary of architecture and in research through design and practice. I envisioned an intellectual platform that tackles architecture as a tool to mitigate socio-political problems in Syria. In this sense, the focus of this Studio is on the housing sector and how it relates to social, heritage, and conflict studies.

    I believe that this initiative can help improve the living conditions of marginalised communities in Syria by advocating for their right to their built environment and for their participation in the processes that shape it.

  • Design Team

    Germany

    Did the first three years of the Bachelor course at Aleppo University between 2012 and 2015. Then I moved to Germany and did an internship at Mainzer Aufbaugesellschaft (MAG) urban development company. In 2018, I started my studies at Darmstadt University of Technology, which granted me a Deutschlanstipendium scholarship for the following academic year. In 2019, I did another internship involving housing projects at Architekten Weinand. In 2020, I was granted a full scholarship by the Heinrich Böll Foundation for demonstrating excellent academic performance and social engagement.

    I am interested in contemporary architecture and its novel technologies, especially in examining how they can be combined and made compatible with local architecture, considering a balance between providing comfort and meeting contemporary needs on the one hand and preserving local identity on the other. Navigating different types of art and discovering the profound connection between art and architecture always are my areas of interest. I also find interest and excitement in exploring futuristic architectural ideas and concepts, whether at the level of a house or at urban agglomerations, such as high-rise residential towers and cities built at seashores.

    I am intrigued by the possibilities that lie ahead. The ongoing development of architectural tools driven by artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize how we conceptualize, design, and construct spaces. I believe that by embracing these technological advancements, while staying true to the artistic essence of architecture, buildings will be able to not only serve functional needs but also engage our senses and emotions in ways that were previously unattainable.

  • Community Team

    Syria

    Graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor degree from Aleppo University. My passion for heritage, housing, and community can be traced back to when I was working at the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in Aleppo. The preparation of restoration studies for reconstruction projects in Old Aleppo, as well as my participation as a committee member in several discussions, have enriched my experience in preservation mechanisms and the protection of war-damaged monuments against collapse while being faced with substantial war-induced challenges. In 2020, these efforts culminated as I became a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

    Currently, I am working with the Swedish Development Aid Organization – an International Non-Governmental Organisation, as a project manager in Raqqa City. I am supervising ongoing rehabilitation and development projects in the area and witnessing with content the revival of a city brutally devastated by the Islamic State and as it restores its internally displaced population. I have also been in direct contact with locals, listening and learning the obstacles they are facing as they strive to return to their houses.

    Coming from a country that has been going through a decade-long conflict, I have developed a deep desire to combine my professional expertise with humanitarian initiatives to contribute to Syrian people and meet their essential needs.

  • Research Team

    Qatar

    Suzanne is a research fellow for the MSc program in Islamic Art, Architecture, and Urbanism. She holds a BSc in Architectural Engineering and an MSc in Urban Planning, bringing with her over 15 years of working experience. Prior to joining HBKU, Suzanne worked as a teaching assistant at the University of Architectural Engineering in Aleppo, Syria. Additionally, she has extensive experience in designing and supervising architectural and urban planning projects, collaborating with both local and international design firms in Syria and the region.

    Her research work adopts an interdisciplinary approach, integrating concepts and theories from various fields, such as urban planning, architecture, sociology, social geography, and urban management and governance. Suzanne's particular interest lies in exploring the intersection of design, policy, economy, and social justice in the built environment.

    Actively involved in local, regional, and international research activities, Suzanne publishes her academic work at highly reputable publishing houses and frequently participates in conferences and workshops. Recently, she contributed to the ‘COVID-19 and Urban Transformations' workshop organized by UCL's Bartlett Development Planning Unit. She is currently co-editing a book titled “Strategic Rebuilding and Affordable Housing in the Muslim World,” which highlights the critical role of cities and local administrations in housing provision and the value of sustainable housing.

  • Design Team

    France

    Obtained a bachelor's and a master's degree from Aleppo University in 2013 and 2017 respectively. I received Al-Bassel certificate of excellence four times from 2011 to 2013. In parallel, I worked in an architectural and interior design agency between 2012-2017.

    In 2017, I started a new adventure when I moved to France, where I obtained a master's degree at the ENSA Paris-Malaquais National School of Architecture. Between ‘Digital Matter’ and ‘Ecological Transition’ departments, I completed my end-of-studies project with the mention of congratulations from the jury. In 2018 and 2020 respectively, I won two architectural prizes; ‘Faire Paris’ and ‘Cycle de matière’, for the use of ecological materials and technologies in architectural design.

    I started my PhD in 2022, aiming to demonstrate the advantages of emerging high-tech construction techniques in the generalisation of the use of natural earth material to achieve a sustainable architecture and construction. Currently, I am a teaching assistant at ENSA Paris-Malaquais.

    I believe in the power of natural materials and their physic-chemical properties in the intelligence of vernacular architecture, and in the digital eco-conception methods to ensure the ecological transition of cities and to face the environmental challenges.

  • Design Team

    Saudi Arabia

  • Research Team

    Graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor degree from Aleppo University. Received full scholarships from The Global Platform for Syrian Students to continue my studies at the University Coimbra of in Portugal. I recently submitted my PhD dissertation, Architecture and Conflict: Building Peace in Post-war Aleppo, discussing the potential of architecture and urban planning as tools for post-war social reconciliation.

    I took part in two international workshops: W.A.V.E 17 - Syria - The Making of the Future at IUAV Venice, as guest tutor and lecturer, and Rebuilding Syria from Within at the University of Minho, as teacher assistant. These workshops got me in contact with architects from different backgrounds and opened my eyes to several approaches to reconstruction and possible social needs and aspirations.

    Apart from my academic experience, I participated in debates and conferences on Syrian refugees and access to Higher Education in the presence of important figures such as the Presidents and ministers of Portugal, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the President of the European Commission. My life abroad has taught me to always be proud of my identity and instilled a belief that Syria WILL witness a true renaissance in the near future.

  • Research Team

    Germany

    Graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor degree from Aleppo University. Afterwards, I volunteered for two years as a facilitator at SOS Children's Villages, realising activities for internally displaced children. In 2017, I started my Masters course in Urban Planning at Aleppo University. In 2018, I participated with a group of Syrian architects in the London Festival of Architecture and delivered a booklet, Identity in Context of Urban Needs, in which we illustrated the war-induced urban and architectural adaptations that occurred in Aleppo.

    I was granted an Erasmus+ exchange scholarship for the academic year 2018/19 at the Brandenburg Technical University (BTU), Cottbus, Germany. In 2019, I did an internship at the Urban Planning Department of the Municipality of Kehl, in which I proposed an urban development project for the southern expansion. I also participated in BTU’s project, Aleppo Zero Hour, that delivered a digital map by gathering the plans of the Old City. Currently, I am an intern at Planungsgruppe Petrick GmbH, working on architectural and technical layouts for care facilities and socio-therapy homes.

    My professional experience made me believe that efforts towards coherence and peaceful social relationships should be supplemented by providing places and dwellings that respect human dignity.

  • Community Team

    Germany

    Graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor degree from Aleppo University and received Al-Bassel Excellence Certificate for top students twice, in 2011 and 2013. In 2016, I volunteered for the Syrian Red Crescent and became a member of their Shelter Team. I worked with them for 30 months to provide war-affected communities with better housing conditions. Working in direct contact with these communities, we were committed to secure their safety, privacy, and protection from harsh weather conditions.

    After graduation I started a Master course in Planning and Environment at Aleppo University and developed my thesis project on post-disaster real estate development. In parallel, I worked as an adjunct in various disciplines at the Ittihad Private University (IPU), including principles of architectural design, interior design, urban planning, landscaping, and the rehabilitation of historical buildings and sites.

    In 2019, I was granted an Erasmus+ exchange scholarship for the academic year 2019/20 at the Brandenburg Technical University (BTU), Cottbus, Germany. I also participated in BTU’s project, Aleppo Zero Hour, that delivered a digital map by gathering the plans of the Old City. Currently I am learning German to complete my Master course in German and to make the best of my academic journey.

  • Design Team

    Syria

    Graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor degree from Aleppo University. I co-founded DARArchitects with two colleagues of mine in 2017. We have been working in Aleppo since then on various projects and participating in several architectural competitions, such as the Rifat Chaderji Prize. Our project, Rising with Tigris, was shortlisted in 2017. The submission proposed housing solutions based on prefabricated blocks by the Tigris River in Mosul, Iraq, inspired by the city’s old fabric.

    Besides my work at DARArchitects, I began a Master course in urban planning at Aleppo University in 2018. Recently, I was granted an Erasmus+ scholarship for the academic year 2020/21 for the Master programme: Urban Design - Revitalization of Historic City Districts, at Cottbus University, Germany.

    I believe that urban design should be a result of a collaborative process, especially in the case of residential areas, and that the aim of the design process should be to develop efficient solutions that aim to ameliorate our living conditions and provide an adequate level of welfare. I also believe that the concepts of vernacular architecture should be considered a reference being a reservoir of experience, accumulated through history, that expresses the culture of our cities.