Hassan fathy projects

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.

Set in the context of the newly independent Egyptian nation, Fathy's career encapsulates an anti-colonial stance through a rejection of modernism and the valorisation of a culturally specific architecture, which tried to accommodate traditional modes of living whilst being affordable for the majority of the population.

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