Healing Architecture: Rebuilding Hope for Overlooked Communities in Harasta, Syria

Abstract

Damascus, a colonized city facing a war-ruled reality, continues to deprive its residents of basic necessities, mental health support and social cohesion. This dire situation mainly affects overlooked communities like Harasta, which have been neglected in urban development plans. With 80% of its infrastructure destroyed, Harasta suffers from power outages, water scarcities and piles of rubble. This thesis addresses these pressing issues by proposing a design that incorporates the identified needs of Harastians, providing accessible and productive programs to initiate the healing process. The proposed approach begins with the construction of a workshop complex, followed by the preservation of a historical olive press, the addition of a market and the revitalization of a park. This model rejects the neo-liberal approach of reconstruction that disregards the realities and needs of its people. Instead, it attends to physical, social, and psychological needs and enhances the coping methods Syrians developed post-conflict.