Building for Hope w/ Marwa al-Sabouni

De Dépendance Podcast

In this episode we talk to Syrian architect and urban thinker Marwa-al-Sabouni. When war enveloped her city, Homs, she refused to leave and remained a virtual prisoner in her home for two years. In her autobiography, The Battle for Home: The Vision of a Young Architect in Syria, al-Sabouni analyses how architecture and city planning have played a role in fueling violence and civil conflict by distorting community relationships and fragmenting societies. In her most recent book, Building for Hope: Towards an Architecture of Belonging, she explores how cities and buildings might and should be rebuilt in the aftermath of war, and what tangible lessons we can draw from the history, culture, and architecture of Syria. We will discuss how the built environment was a factor leading to war and which urban reconstruction strategies will benefit the city the most. And we will talk about life in contemporary Syria.