1.

Hassan Fathy (1900-1989) was an Egyptian architect and engineer who has been
credited with bringing the vernacular architecture of Egypt to a wider audience, and
for putting neglected traditional building systems to work for the poor

His approach to building was based on the Nubian mud building techniques of the
Upper Egypt, where arches and vaults were used to construct roofs without
expensive formwork, a technique that he feared had been lost altogether until his
discovery of villagers still using the ancient methods.

Fathy combined this technique with elements from the vernacular urban architecture
of Cairo, incorporating into his designs elements such as the malqaf, a wind catcher,
the mashrabiya, a wooden lattice screen, the qa'a a cool central room on the upper-
storey of traditional houses with high ceilings and natural ventilation, and
the salsabil a fountain or basin of water positioned to increase the humidity of the dry
desert air.

SIX MAJOR PRINCIPLES THAT FORM THE CRUX OF FATHY'S WORK : •

The belief in the primacy of human values in architecture

The importance of a universal rather than a limited approach

• The use of appropriate technology

• The need for socially oriented, cooperative construction techniques

• The essential role of tradition • The re-establishment of cultural pride through the art of building

In his book Architecture for the Poor, Fathy sets out his philosophy and techniques in
the context of his most well-known project, New Gourna. This was a planned village
commissioned by the Egyptian government in 1946 to house villagers who were to be
displaced from the Antiquities Zone near Luxor, in order to stop them raiding the
ancient tombs. Fathy used this opportunity to test his ideas on a large-scale, of
providing socially and economically viable public housing that was built cooperatively
by the owner-dwellers, with help and advice from architects and specialised
craftspeople. The villagers were trained in adobe techniques with each house being
unique to its family, having been designed in consultation with them. But ultimately the
experiment failed with the refusal of the villagers to move away from the only livelihood
they had known for generations, as well as their unease at moving into houses with
domed roofs, which for them were only suitable for tombs.

New Gourna raises important questions for architecture, demanding that architects
pay close attention to the social and cultural values of those they design for. But it
also illustrates how much can be done without the involvement of real estate
developers, banking and the industrial construction industry. Since New Gourna,
Fathy's career was marked by the difficulties he faced in gaining commissions, being
regarded as a threat against these commercial building interests. Yet, his emphasis
on appropriate technology (a movement of which he is regarded as one of the
founders), the use of local materials and construction methods, as well as the desire
to create an architecture that was socially and economically suited to its context
makes his work especially relevant today.

New gourna: