DAMASCUS OCULUS

Damascus/ UIUC / Fall 2022 / ACSA Competition Studio

This project located in Damascus targets residents affected by the war. When refugees returned to their demolished apartments, they suffered from a lack of social, ecological and commercial space. Ard Al Diar essentially the traditional courtyard is used here as a perfect model for a social - environmental place with heating and cooling techniques. Public green spaces,vegetable garden, green roof and the water canal zone ( directs the water from river Barada )are oriented around this courtyard could also possibly resolve the shortage of food and water in Damascus. The introduction of a new smart ecological system along with the incorporation of Kerto LVL slabs and columns which is a fully integrated system, this design proposes to reconstruct only the damaged elements while maintaining the other elements which are good status.

Below : The render gives the view of a post-war damaged building which is in fairly good shape and the demolished portion is reconstructed with Kerto LVL slabs and columns. The structure forms the unique part in this design.

The Syrian refugees after being displaced is thriving to get back to life. The social environment space includes activities such as farming. This farming in turn has an impact on the community by sharing surplus resources for the residents of the building. Damascus Oculus is reversed for its farming economy. About 50% of the post war damaged building is covered with vegetation improving air quality and the local ecosystem.

Below : A proposed section layout illustrating the water canal, courtyard and the green terraces. A smart technology with an integrated network system of water filtration is the innovation here. Grey water is filtered through the columns and reused for irrigation purposes. Also, the integration of canal system from the river Barada helps mitigate water shortage problems.