1: Typical for Architectural Monographs from Academy
ISBN: 0312011407 (PB), ISBN: 0312013124 (HC), ISBN: 0856709182 (PB), and ISBN: 0856709212 (HC) only:
Academy Editions/St. Martin's Press, London/New York, 1988. Over 200 color & b/w illustrations, 1st edition, tall 4to, 149 pp. Introduction by A. Wahed El Wakil, 2 essays by Fathy (Appendix). Summaries in Arabic, French, German, Italian and Spanish at the end. Series: Architectural Monographs, Vol. 13.
Hassan Fathy was born in Egypt in 1899 and died in 1989. He established a private practice in Cairo where he also worked as professor of Fine Arts and Head of the Architectural School, at the University of Cairo.
An Egyptian architect who devoted himself to housing the poor in developing nations, Hassan Fathy deserves study by anyone involved in rural improvement. Fathy worked to create an indigenous environment at a minimal cost, and in so doing to improve the economy and the standard of living in rural areas.
Fathy utilized ancient design methods and materials. He integrated a knowledge of the rural Egyptian economic situation with a wide knowledge of ancient architectural and town design techniques. He trained local inhabitants to make their own materials and build their own buildings.
Climatic conditions, public health considerations, and ancient craft skills also affected his design decisions. Based on the structural massing of ancient buildings, Fathy incorporated dense brick walls and traditional courtyard forms to provide passive cooling.
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