Egypt And Green Architecture

Some of the most wonderful indigenous building forms originate in the African continent, from the vivid colored mud huts to the lavish intricacy of the Alhambra. With such eye delight, no wonder that the African design sense has intrigued over the centuries the Western world, including the Romans and the Ancient Greeks. Yet, what may seem at first sight for the uninitiated ones just a pretty and beautifully colored picture, African buildings are rarely just for eye catching purposes; the structures hide well-kept secrets, the shapes are built with milimetric precision based upon harsh mathematical  calculus and the results are beating perfection.



For sure, the best known buildings in the world are the great Egyptian pyramids which have captivated our imagination for thousands of years, their mysteries having not been solved yet, after all these years. And while old buildings are still triumphing with their greatness and stability despite all wars and natural hazards, new buildings are rising in contemporary Egypt, trying to make room for newer technologies in the desperate need to outstand ancient values and its simplicity towards combining bricks and the materials used.

There have been many books published regarding the unique style of African architecture, yet one of the best so far is "The Art and Architecture of Islamic Cairo" by Richard Yeomans, published in 2006. If you want to know more about the culture and architecture of Ottoman period in Egypt and its capital, Cairo, this book will for sure reveal you new horizons. Still, don't hope for anything that stands for modern Cairo; there is no room for glass and steel buildings in the ancient or Ottoman architecture, just pure art in its decorative way- from ceramics, glass, woodwork, metalwork, to textiles and manuscripts, all examined in the Museum of Islamic Arts from Cairo.

Speaking of the new development of modern Cairo, the capital, just as any other major city and capital in the world, has evolved alot in terms of civilization and culture, borrowing elements from the modern skyscrapers and combining them with natural and local elements in a true alchemy of visual arts. The contemporany Cairo, following a global trend, is focusing lately on rather green architecture. Khaled Asfour, professor at an International Egyptian University, suggests  that a combination of traditional architectural devices and new  techniques could lead to much more civilized and energy aware buildings, and for a country which has nothing more but sun, solar energy could be a blessing for bills and population.

Mohamed Awad is another architect who believes in healthy and green buildings, as he was from te beginning eager to recylce local natural materials in his constructions, resulting the wonderful Alyli Villa in Alexandria. Another great feature of the green building designed by Awad is that it doesn't rely on mechanical air conditioning for cooling, thus it doesn't contribute to global warming, the most serious problem the environment is confrunting with in the 21st century.