WELCOME TO FUTURE URBANISM: DECARBONIZING HERITAGE
A joint studio unit between Queens University of Belfast (QUB) and The American University in Cairo (AUC).
This university program is designed as a cross-program course that aims to enable students to engage with the contemporary challenge of rethinking the future of heritage sites under climate uncertainty. This interdisciplinary challenge would help student-designers reconsiders the role architecture, community, and technology play in ensuring the resilience and relevance of heritage sites. The course ARCH 4570- Senior Design Studio is linked to ARCH 4980- Senior Project Dissertation course, where students can formulate concrete research studies based on their investigation for their thesis projects.
ABOUT THE COURSE
In the case of Cairo and Belfast, there is a challenge of sustaining the rich heritage sites that make-up the cultural significance of both nations. The topic also aligns with the themes of COP27, which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh-Egypt in 2022, offering an opportunity for global dissemination. Putting into consideration the rich cultural heritage in the UK and Egypt, the scope of this project enables students to develop the skills needed to propose innovative
sustainable urban future in heritage sites benefiting from the cultural and context differences. It establishes a transnational exchange platform aligned with the COP27 themes and the 2050 visions of both nations. Themes in Belfast included productive landscapes, agriculture, energy, tourism, built heritage reuse and conservation, crafts, etc. Themes in Egypt included resource-heavy industries, tourism, agriculture, built heritage reuse and conservation, and
crafts. The overlap in themes, in addition to the overlap in Northern Ireland and Egypt’s sustainability agendas, led to the basic course structure.
