Bengin Dawod (Dawod A.A.U) is an architect, urban designer, adviser, teacher, and researcher at the Academy of Architecture at the University of Amsterdam, he works on a variety of projects in different countries. He is a co-founder of Ondertussen. He is practicing in the architectural bureau ‘Common Affairs’.
Among others, Dawod has advised the city of Amsterdam on the development strategy of the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. He has developed ‘The Soul of the City’ method for reconstruction of post-conflict/crisis cities, which asks to think beyond current practice and involves wider set of disciplines than professionally trained architects and urban planners, in who might understand, through their collaboration, the invisible layer of the city and outline possible future scenarios for the development of the city.
In his project, Bengin poses the question of what responsibility he must take to rebuild his homeland of Syria. This led to an investigation into the reconstruction of Aleppo, based on the conviction that the city must be rebuilt in a way that takes the residents into account.
‘Reconstruction is not a matter of stacking stones, but more is needed for the soul of a city.’
https://livingaleppo.com/bengin/
https://www.bouwkunst.ahk.nl/en/network/graduates/2018/student/bengin-dawod/ The Soul of the City | Academy of Architecture | Amsterdam University of the Arts
https://www.ahk.nl/ahk-eindwerkprijs/eindwerkprijs-2018/master/the-soul-of-the-city/ The Soul of the City | Amsterdam University of the Arts
https://youtu.be/GP_bozQXVRY?feature=shared REBUILDING DESTROYED CITIES | A seminar on the rebuilding of destroyed cities, taking place on Friday 13 and 20 October & Thursday 02 November 2023
https://www.schoolforthecity.nl/fables-of-the-reconstruction/ A seminar on the rebuilding of destroyed cities, taking place on Friday 13 and 20 October & Thursday 02 November 2023
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main photo by Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten
