The Visionary (with Hassan Fathy in Cairo)
H. Masud Taj meets Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy.
Hassan Fathy
Visit Sharjah’s ghost village Ad Madam before it’s swallowed by sand
Nestled in the arid landscapes of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the Ad Madam Ghost Village whispers tales of a bygone era, a haunting reminder of the consequences of unsustainable urban development.
New Gourna and Hassan Fathy’s earth architecture for the people of Egypt
The history, challenges and what we can learn about New Gourna, the sustainable town invented and built by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy.
Learn earthen architecture of the Middle East
This one-month training course will use Al Ain, UAE as an open-air laboratory for participants to learn practical, hands-on methods for preserving earthen buildings and archaeological sites.
Super Adobe by Cal-Tech and Nader Khalili
Want to make a low cost home from natural, local materials that last? Try a Super Adobe invented by Nader Khalili.
Superadobe Homes Built Of Sandbags Rise Around The Planet
The SuperAdobe technique for sustainable building with the most basic materials is in use around the world.
How Traditional Arab Architecture is Greening Buildings in Israel
In the unrelenting Middle East sun, one thing is very clear when you build a new home: it must work with the elements. Standing the test of time are traditional Arabic buildings that kept families and worshippers cool for centuries, long before air conditioning was invented. A new “green” teaching and research center in the […]
Hassan Fathy’s “New Gourna” Model Village lies Shambles
In 1946 Hassan Fathy, Egypt’s Green architect, built a model village near Luxor called ‘New Gourna’ out of mud. But what happened to this stunning village? Hassan Fathy, author of Earth & Utopia is the Middle East’s father of sustainable architecture. Before it was fashionable or even fathomable, he was championing earth architecture in the […]
Hassan Fathy-Inspired Regenerative Home Planned for Buddhist Center
Scott Howard is among a growing number of people working on building projects that are not only eco-friendly, but actually help to regenerate natural systems. Once built, the Regenerative Home in Colorado will hopefully produce its own food in an entryway greenhouse and vertical garden, process all of its own waste, capture and recycle water […]
Remembering Hassan Fathy – Egypt’s Green Architect Of the People
Who was Hassan Fathy, the earth based architect who inspired the Middle East? Exactly forty years ago, Hassan Fathy published his groundbreaking book on community-inspired mud architecture in Egypt. To mark his book’s 40th anniversary and commemorate his green legacy, we spoke to Salma Samar Damluji who worked with Fathy in Cairo in 1975 and […]
13 Principles of Sustainable Architecture From Nader Khalili Student
Designed by Hassan Fathy, the Akil Sami House in Egypt is a fairly recent example of earth architecture that is both beautiful and functional. If the architecture mentor is successful, his or her student will first absorb and then build upon their lessons until they eventually supersede the original teachings with new knowledge. Certainly this […]
Nader Khalili Built Earth Buildings Fit for Space
If Hassan Fathy is the father of sustainable architecture, then Nader Khalili must be his close cousin.
Yemen’s Shibam is 400 towers made from earth – like a Manhattan in the desert
If you have lost faith in earth architecture, take note: Yemen's Manhattan of the desert, Shibam, boasts 400 habitable clay towers!
Op Ed: Don’t Let Money Rob Egypt’s Green Building Success!
Students from the American University of Cairo designed SLIDES – a solar-powered modular home that is slated to compete in next years Solar Decathlon, but lack of financial support could keep this groundbreaking project from being realized. When students from the American University of Cairo were accepted to compete in the 2012 Solar Decathlon design […]
17 Lost Egyptian Pyramids Found With Infra Red Technology
New infrared technology allows archaeologists to zero in on buried settlements, and 1,000 tombs. Seventeen mud brick pyramids are among the buried buildings revealed by infrared imagery over the past year. Dr. Sarah Parcak from the University of Alabama in Birmingham used satellites that hover 260km above earth to photograph once thriving Egyptian settlements engulfed […]