Domicide: Architecture, War and the Destruction of Home in Syria

by Ammar Azzouz

The city of Homs, like so many places in Syria, has suffered mass destruction since the war began in 2011. So far, the architectural response to the crisis has focused on 'cultural heritage', ancient architecture, and the external displacement of refugees, often neglecting the everyday lives of Syrians and the buildings that make up their homes and communities. In Domicide , Ammar Azzouz uses the notion of the 'home' to address the destruction in cities like Homs, the displacement of Syrian people both externally and internally, and to explore how cities can be rebuilt without causing further damage to the communities that live there.

Drawing on interviews with those working in the built environment professions, both inside and outside of Syria, but also Syrians from other backgrounds who have become 'architects' in their own way as they were forced to repair and rebuild their homes by themselves, Domicide offers fresh insight into the role of the architect during time of war, and explores how the future reconstruction of cities should mirror the wants and needs, the traditions and ways of living, of local communities. Focusing on Homs but offering a blueprint for other urban areas of conflict across Syria and the wider world, the book is essential reading for researchers in architecture, urban planning, heritage studies and conflict studies.

176 pages, Hardcover

Published August 10, 2023

Reviews

[The New Arab]

Ammar Azzouz's 'Domicide' offers a compelling blueprint for the reconstruction of urban areas of conflict. Drawing on his city of Homs, Ammar redefines architectural concerns and envisions new means of communal, sustainable urban planning.
Read our full review: https://www.newarab.com/features/domi...