On 31 August 2021, RIBA hosted its fifth instalment of the RIBA Gulf live lunch talks, with Dr Rasem Badran, RIBA livestreamed from Amman, Jordan.
This exclusive event showcased Dr Badran's principles of urban planning and his strategic integrated approach to urban development through certain case studies of his work in the Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region followed by a Q&A session.
During his presentation, Dr Badran addressed his methodological approach that defines architecture as a continuous dialogue between contemporary needs and historical inherited cultural values. Not only are such spaces key in generating human connections within the cities’ fabric, but also in creating a positive psychological effect by bringing together different social classes and establishing relationships between members of different communities. Having an open space to experience certainly prompts a sense of community and belonging to one’s own proximate as well as the larger built environment.
When creating a clustered organisation of masses, intertwined with spatial voids, Badran focuses on the act of place-forming through these spatial voids; designing spaces that create sequential experiences for the user. Users create a set of memories through their interaction and engagement with the outer surface of a city. It is critical to understand the stories of the users that bake a place into social memory. Humanising a city and imbibing it with idiosyncrasies allows us to bond with the urbanity of a city.
For more information about upcoming events and activities in the Gulf please visit the RIBA Gulf webpage.
This RIBA Gulf live lunch talk was made available to audiences in the Gulf and globally.
