Taking place September 4-15, the AA Muscat Visiting School, held by Kamvari Architects, will generate new architectural and urban solutions based on an investigation of patterns – which are seen as a means to translate the performance or appearance of historical structures into new concepts. Proposals will also take into account issues such as manufacturing, assembly and constructability. The aim is to apply these solutions to various scales, from facades and buildings to cities and regions. The workshop, taught in collaboration with professor Nikolaus Knebel of the German University of Technology, will end with a public exhibition of projects which will enable the students to present their ideas in a public forum and to discuss their views on the future direction of architecture in Oman. More images and workshop information after the break.
Oman has a careful approach to urban expansion which has so far proved successful, in light of recent events in the region. However its established model of development is increasingly being challenged by a range of factors – massive population growth, declining oil reserves, climate change, economic restructuring, changing life-styles and an expansion of tourism. Key to resolving these challenges is the search for an environmentally and culturally appropriate architecture and urbanism.
We will look closely at natural patterns and attempt to analyze and understand their cause and effect. This analysis and understanding will feed our design process, allowing students to derive specific behaviors that have architectural capabilities and apply them to 1:1-scale prototypes. Aspects such as flexibility, economy, scale and beauty will be explored to understand the potential contribution of each project to a new Omani architecture. Our purpose is to challenge normative modes of thinking about architecture and to understand its influence in a wider context.
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