The architecture of Hassan Fathi, celebrated abroad, deserves increased recognition at home, writes Tharwat Sabry On 6 July 1985, the internationally renowned Egyptian architect, Hassan Fathi, was awarded the international Paul Hoffman medal. His legacy remains with us for the taking! Fathi stressed musicality in building. "If the building, the room, space I surround myself with, is proportioned harmoniously, it is musical. That is why we have to introduce musicality into our town planning and into our architecture by respecting proportion as in musical harmony." Natural comfort stands as a major consideration in his designs when he states, "In architecture, the element of heat would, as a force, create a different form of architecture than would the element of cold. We would not expect an Arab in the desert to have a Swiss chalet with a gabled roof to run off rain and snow. The Arab sleeps on the roof as well as using it for storage. Apart from the functional and aesthetic values associated with architecture, and the cooperative proposed in its development, local materials stand out as major aspects in construction." Mud houses were designed for farmers and this was demonstrated in Gourna village in Luxor. Other homes were designed and constructed specially for the desert, utilising limestone, sand and gypsum. All these homes are free from materials such as cement, firebricks and steel, which consume substantial amounts of energy in their production. In a conventional construction of 100 square metres, enough to house a family, the energy utilised in producing these energy-consuming materials is equivalent to 15 tonnes of oil. Since the government and private sector produce 160,000 housing units annually the energy consumed is 2.4 million tonnes, costing approximately LE300 million at subsidised prices. In a country such as Egypt, where 95 per cent of the population occupies only six per cent of the land, it is time to spread out into the desert in desert areas and relieve congestion due to the urbanisation process. The great merit of Fathi's work is not only his local style architecture, but also the application of energy-free building materials. Fathi dedicated his life to improving living conditions, as expressed in his book, Housing for the Poor. His ideas and work were often more appreciated abroad than in his own country. It is gratifying that the international community has given him credit for what he has done. It is time his native country does likewise! * The writer is a retired UNDP/UNIDO Official. He is founding member and member of the Governing Board of AFICS-Egypt. The author cordially invites architects and art lovers to visit his home, "Mit Rehan", on the way to Saqqara. Interested persons may call AFICS-Egypt for an appointment. Tel +202 390 6389 (between 10am and 2pm, Sundays and Tuesday-Thursday).
