Download - Housing Solution For Aleppo Post War

Abdul Hakim K1230810

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FACULTY OF SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND COMPUTING

School of Civil Engineering and Construction

BSc (Hons) DEGREE IN

Civil Engineering

Abdul Hakim

K1230810

Housing solution for Aleppo post war

26/04/2015

Supervisor: DR Hasan Haroglu

WARRANTY STATEMENT

This is a student project.Therefore, neither the student nor Kingston University makes any

warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the data or conclusion of the work

performed in the project and will not be held responsible for any consequences arising out of

any inaccuracies or omissions therein.


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Abstract

This paper aims to research the most appropriate housing solutions for Aleppo post war.

The objectives of the study include exploring the best methods for repairing and

reconstructing the damaged houses, considering which materials can be recycled from the

damaged buildings, finding the most suitable temporary accommodations, and designing a

sustainable type of housing fast and for the lowest cost.

The research is based on the analysis of the literature devoted to city reconstruction after

war, the possible plans, materials, and the best ways to restore the community. The case

study method has been selected as the method for research conduction. Having used the

experience of Kosovo and Sierra Leone of society reconstruction after the war, this study

refers to the report created by Barakat under the title „Housing reconstruction after conflict

and disaster‟ written in Humanitarian Practice Network in 2003.

The study concludes that a plan of reconstruction will be necessary, The recommended plan

will necessitate a full consideration of damages in order to assess where the repair is

possible, and in which circumstances complete rebuilding and resettlement will be required.

The repair and reconstruction plan will be created with the purpose to create a list of the

primary and secondary buildings requested for analysis. The reconstruction plan will include

analysis of the material which can be recycled, as well as a full assessment of the need

and scope of the temporary accommodation required, and a recommendation for the most

suitable product . The study recommends that sustainable designing should take place in

order to guarantee cheap development of the houses built after the war.


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Table of Contents

Abstract ..................................................................................................................... 2

Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................ 5

1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 Aleppo Profile .................................................................................................................. 5

1.2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5

1.2.2 Damage Analysis ......................................................................................................... 6

1.2.3 Housing and Shelter ..................................................................................................... 6

1.2.4 City Damage Analysis .................................................................................................. 7

1.3 Aim and Objective ........................................................................................................... 7

1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 8

Chapter 2: Housing solution for Aleppo post war ............................................... 10

2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 10

2.2 Temporary Accommodation .......................................................................................... 10

2.3 Repairs and Reconstruction .......................................................................................... 12

2.4 Recycling of Materials ................................................................................................... 14

2.5 Sustainable Design ....................................................................................................... 16

2.6 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 16

Chapter 3: Methodology ........................................................................................ 20

3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 20

3.2 Case Study ................................................................................................................... 20

3.3 Limitations ..................................................................................................................... 22

Chapter 4: Results and Key Findings ................................................................... 23

4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 23

4.2 Temporary Accommodation .......................................................................................... 23

4.3 Repair and Reconstruction ............................................................................................ 24

4.4. Recycling of Material .................................................................................................... 24


Chapter 5: Discussion ........................................................................................... 26

5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 26

5.2. Temporary Accommodation ......................................................................................... 27

5.3 Repair and Reconstruction ............................................................................................ 28

5.4 Recycling of Material ..................................................................................................... 30


Chapter 6: Conclusion ........................................................................................... 32


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Chapter 7: Recommendations .............................................................................. 33

8: References .......................................................................................................... 34

9: Appendices ........................................................................................................ 37

Appendix 1 Population displacement .................................................................................. 37

Appendix 2 Neighbourhood damage ................................................................................... 38

Appendix 3 Heavy damage ................................................................................................. 39

Appendix 4 Types of shelter ................................................................................................ 40

Appendix 5 Photos before and after the war ....................................................................... 41


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Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Introduction

The Syrian crisis is the biggest humanitarian emergency at the moment in the world. Since

the beginning of the war in Syria three years ago almost half of all Syrians have been forced

to leave their home and flee for their lives. An estimated 9 million Syrians have fled their

homes since the outbreak of civil war in March 2011, taking refuge in neighboring countries

or within Syria itself. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR), about 2.5 million people have fled to Syria's immediate neighbors Turkey,

Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. 6.5 million people are internally displaced within Syria. This study

will focus on finding housing solutions for the effected people once this war ends.

1.2 Aleppo Profile

1.2.1 Introduction

Aleppo is a Syrian city situated at the north of the country, which has been destroyed as a

result of the war. As Aleppo was one of the largest cities in the country before the war, it can

be presumed that the Syrian government will be interested in the city reconstruction. The city

has a large potential, therefore, all the parties will be interested in it reconstruction and

further growth. The members of the community are interested in the reconstruction of their

homes as well since many families have remained in the city living in the temporary camps

and waiting for the improvement of the situation. The escalation of the war in city began in

2012 and continues till nowadays. The war has caused vast damages to the city and this

destruction is going to continue since the conflict has not ended yet. Most of the houses and

the infrastructure of the city have been either partially or fully ruined. The war is going to end

and the city will require rebuilding and reconstruction.

To see the possible reconstruction options it is necessary to assess the damages which

have already been caused and to predict further possible ruin in the future. Aleppo was one

of the major cities in Syria in 2011 with the population of about 3.083.500 people, which was

25% of the urban population of the whole country at the time. After the beginning of the war

1.72 million people had to leave their homes for different reasons, 48% of which still stayed

in Aleppo and 52% were displaced either to the coastal cities of Syria, or immigrated to the

neighboring countries. It should be mentioned that the city has a lot of informal housings.

Officially, two informal camps were created on the border with Turkey. The problems

concerning water and electricity supply, food and transportation, heating and other issues

deserve attention since the infrastructure of the city is partially damaged. Therefore, the


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damage analysis must be provided in order to assess the possible reconstruction options

and costs after the end of the war.

1.2.2 Damage Analysis

The analysis of the overall damages of the city requires additional attention. Along with

housing, the city infrastructure was damaged as well. 22 neighbourhoods at the east

remained without any healthcare services. About 70% of pharmaceutical industry has

stopped its operations. Problems with education have arisen as many public and private

schools were closed. Having 535 operating schools in 2011, 368 have remained

nonfunctional for now, with others experiencing problems in operation. The problems with

waste collection creates additional danger to the absence of the health care. Four

neighbourhoods at the west and 36 neighborhoods at the east have remained without waste

collection systems. The water supply has been reduced dramatically having offered only 1

hour of water delivery to the population. The electricity supply has been reduced as well. 805

of the population at the west have electricity from 1 till 4 hours a day. 55% of population at

the east have electricity supply from 3 till 6 hours a day. For comparison, pre-crisis electivity

supply was 23.2-24 hours daily. Problems with electricity have increased the deterioration

factors of the basic services.

Post war, the inhabitants of Aleppo experience transportation challenges. There is no direct

access to the international roads. These issues with transportation are complicated either by

blockade or because of the road having been ruined. Still, ruined roads are not the only

problem, public transportation is either too small or too limited. Having stopped the formal

transportation connection, many drivers started offering alternative transport which has

increased the price for services. The hike in gasoline prices has drastically affected the

transportation cost. The railways and airports of Aleppo have been closed since 2012. Due

to road issues, there is only one cross-point between the west and the east of the city and

hundreds of people cross this point searching for better life.

1.2.3 Housing and Shelter

In 2011, before the war began, there were about 720.000 housing units in Aleppo. As it has

already been mentioned, 302.000 housing units were ruined. Such devastating ruining of the

houses affected the shelter of the population. Having analysed the proportion of population

in terms of displacement, it should be stated that 44% of internally displaced people stayed

in their houses and did not reside anywhere, 26% of population had to reside in Aleppo and

30% fled to other cities of the country or abroad (Appendix 1). The current displacement of


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people in Aleppo, especially those who have their houses destroyed, takes place in informal

camps. Being aimed at reconstructing houses after the war, these informal residences will

require reconstruction as well. According to the UN Habitat (2014) report, people in most

cases refer to hosting shelter type (35%). However, there are also other types of shelter,

such as rent, collective rent, squatting, unfinished buildings, partially damaged buildings, and

collective shelter (Appendix 4).

1.2.4 City Damage Analysis

The damage of the city by the end of 2013 was serious. 52% of the housing stock of the city

(about 302.000 houses) was either partially or fully destroyed). Despite the housing stock,

industrial sector, educational establishments, city infrastructure, and healthcare services

were also ruined. 20 neighborhoods have received heavy damages, 61 neighborhoods were

partially affected, and 44 neighborhoods were either slightly affected or remained untouched

(Appendix 2). To have a detailed analysis for the area reconstruction it should be noted that

78% of heavy and partial damages are accounted for multi-storied buildings. 67% of heavy

damaged buildings were informal camps. The industrial damage comprises 71% (Appendix

3). Analyzing the population affected by the housing damages, it should be stated that 2.25

million of people were affected either in heavy or partial way. Only 0.96 million of people in

Aleppo were not affected in a direct way.

1.3 Aim and Objectives

The study aims to conduct a detailed exploration into options for the best way to reconstruct

housing in Aleppo, and to make certain there is a robust recommendation to find a solution

for housing in Aleppo post war. The study will investigate the best ways to repair and reuse

buildings, paying particular attention to rebuilding damaged buildings. The study will also

consider use of sustainable design concepts and the prospect of rebuilding using materials

recycled from the damaged buildings, and examine both temporary and permanent housing

solutions.


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Objectives

Temporary accommodation

The study aims to provide a recommendation for the most suitable temporary

accommodation for the inhabitants of Aleppo. Many people have lost their homes or their

homes have been damaged during the war, the study will explore options for finding short

term accommodation until the work repairing and rebuilding houses is completed.

Repairing the damaged housing

The study will consider how to repair the housing of Aleppo to the standard that it was prior

to the war. A reconstruction plan will be developed which will look at the best materials,

methods and the resources available.

Recycle the materials from the damaged buildings

Maintaining the environment and its resources is an important objective of global

organisations and governments, through mobilising sustainable environmental concepts.

The study will explore which materials can be reused and recycled in the rebuilding process

in Aleppo. This will make certain that the dumping of the demolition waste and avoiding

landfills is possible.

Sustainable design

The study will give detailed consideration into researching and suggesting a sustainable

design which will meets the needs of the next phase. It is possible to assume that the

approach of sustainability is a natural tendency in civil engineering nowadays, so that it has

to be applied to the project in Aleppo.

1.4 Methodology

The case study methodology has been selected as the best way to justify the reconstruction

facilities offered for Aleppo after the war. The choice of the case study as a research method

is explained by the possibility to justify the situation and the research question (Thomas

2011). The advantage of the case study methodology in this case is the possibility to find the

appropriate case, which suits the situation, and to guarantee that the information from that

case can be applied to the current problem (Hyett, Kenny, & Dickson-Swift 2014). Referring

to the purpose of the research, the case study is used with the purpose to answer the

question of how Aleppo can be reconstructed after the war and why the reconstruction of

the city after the war is required (Baxter & Jack 2008). The case study research method can


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help understand whether the post-war reconstruction of the cities deserves attention. The

case study methodology has a number of advantages in this research. First, the case study

will help to calculate the possible advantages and disadvantages of the selected strategy.

Second, the case study shows all the possible complications and limitations of the selected

strategies. Finally, case study research helps to see the scope of work required to be done.

The choice of the report by Barakat (2003) titled “Housing reconstruction after conflict and

disaster” managed by Humanitarian Practice Network is a report which contains an analysis

of post-war Kosovo and Sierra Leone. The analysis of the destroyed cities was completed

with the detailed plan of the reconstruction which is necessary to renew the city and the life

there.


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Chapter 2: Literature Review

Housing solution for Aleppo post war

2.1 Introduction

Having conducted research with the purpose to reconstruct housing in Aleppo, the study is

aimed at analysing the possible ways for repairing the damaged housing, recycling the

materials from the damaged buildings, searching for temporary accommodations, and

designing a sustainable type of housing which can be built in a short time and low cost. The

literature review includes the discussion of the strategies different cities and counties have

used for repairing the damaged houses, the ways of recycling the materials from the

damaged buildings and how to do it faster and with higher efficacy, the means that

governments used for searching for temporary accommodations to people after wars

conflicts and other disasters. Moreover, the literature review will focus on the designing the

houses which can be built within the shortest period of time and for the lowest price. The

main focus of the discussion is a scope of academic sources from different databases, which

discuss the city reconstructions after the war. Aleppo is a large city in Syria, which will

require reconstruction after the war. However, it is necessary to consider all the possible

variants and to understand the advantages and complications, which may appear after the

decision to make the reconstruction in a particular way. The main purpose of the literature

review is to analyse the existing resources and to use the data for planning the

reconstruction of Aleppo city. The information from the literature review will be taken for the

discussion of the research results and providing the recommendation for the use of the

research findings in the post-war reconstruction.

2.2 Temporary Accommodation

With regard to the temporary accommodation for former refugees from Aleppo, it is

necessary to state that Syria should rely on its own land as long as it is a less expensive and

complicated decision. As Leckie (2007) explains, the majority of post-war states are not able

to afford refugee resettlement on their own. As a consequence, Syria is expected to rely on

the foreign donations and investments. Leckie (2007) also pays attention to the fact that

foreign investors will need to receive returns on investments. It can become a strong

motivator for the national economy (Leckie 2007). Therefore, Aleppo city should think about

different ways of creating cheap accommodation. To be more specific, Brynen and El-Rifai

(2007) assume that national building and constructing agendas still should demonstrate their

involvement in the process. Considering the experiences that United Kingdom had creating

the temporary accommodation after the World War II, it is important to note that the


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government created the temporary bungalow (Vale 2003). The main problem of such

accommodation is that in reality their costs exceeded the long lasting brick houses. Having

an intention to create a low cost accommodation within the short time frames, the UK

government appeared to create the high cost houses of low quality (Noble 2008). Having an

intention to build the prefabricated houses, the government divided the factories‟ previously

used for war manufacturing into sections “all [are] to have two bedrooms, the floor area

… to be 635 square feet, and to allow transportation from the factory, each component

part could be no bigger than 7½ feet wide” (Gilbert 2011, p. 2). The use of such

accommodation allowed saving costs on building brick houses. Prefabricated houses in

practice were also used much longer, even now it is possible to see people still living in such

buildings created after the war which designed only for temporary living.

The use of prefabricated houses intended to be temporary accommodation has a number of

advantages. There is the ability to like the create numerous houses for many people within

a short period of time, they are long lasting, and also the fact that these houses blend with

the contemporary city architecture (Lizarralde 2014). However, the numerous advantages do

not allow considering such buildings as suitable accommodation because their cost is too

high (approximately twice the price of a brick house). Also, each house required separate

design due to the inability to put the building on mass production. Even though the

reconstruction of accommodation was cheap, the infrastructure required much costs

(Robinson 2009). Discussing temporary accommodation which was used in many countries

after the war, the major problem identified is the fact that it was used for much longer period.

Creating a temporary accommodation, it should correspond to its initial qualities, to be “an

unpleasant expedient justified only as a last resort and sometimes to be abandoned just as

soon as emergency is over” (Moses p. 17). However, the major problem is that most of the

houses are built for human convenience. Also, the close location to the city infrastructure

also makes the building have better appearance than temporary accommodation requires.

Another research confirms the fact that temporary accommodation for refugees has to be

placed at the urban areas. Kacowicz and Lutomski (2007) suggest that urban areas are the

most suitable places for the temporary settlement of refugees due to numerous advantages.

To be more exact, the refugees will be surely provided with all the basic facilities, the

shortage of which can be observed in rural areas. As a consequence, urban area is more

convenient from the perspective of temporary employment as well. The refugees will

comprehend the already existing socio-environmental framework, which is applied in a

certain region (Kacowicz & Lutomski 2007).


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All in all, temporary accommodation for the refugees from Aleppo is expected to rely on the

following aspects. First of all, foreign investments remain to be a sufficient source of

budgeting. It is especially important under the conditions of economic collapse, because the

country will need the reanimation of its basic industries. Foreign capital will be valuable at

this stage, as society will lack employment. Second, mobilising the forces of the most

ambitious national building agendas is also effective, as it will provide the refugees with

certain degree of employment, as well. Besides that, these agendas will get cheap lands at

their disposal, which it will create convenient conditions for new start-ups and projects in the

related industries. Third, the refugees should be resettled in the already existing urban zones

as long as there is no considerable impact on the process of urbanisation. In fact, the

refugees will be provided with all basic facilities. Having considered these points, these

decisions address social and economic pillars of sustainability. Hence, this strategy fits the

rest of the decisions regarding the project of repairs and reconstruction in Aleppo.

Eventually, these are the most pivotal issues, which the literary review has distinguished.

2.3 Repairs and Reconstruction

To start with, it is necessary to admit that the literature review has identified that material

consideration is an approach, which has to be chosen for the entire procedure of repairs and

reconstruction in Aleppo. Many houses in Aleppo were built using concrete, therefore,

concrete and bricks repair and rehabilitation should become the main focus of this part in the

literature review. Concrete crack and concrete columns repair should become the main

aspects of city reconstruction (Gambhir 2013). As Biondini and Frangopol (2008) have

proven, mechanical characteristics of material are a prominent factor regarding the

resistance of reconstructed building. The essence of the chosen approach is based on the

redesign of original material into brick sets of the similar size. Biodini and Frangopol (2008)

have conducted an elasticity test in accordance with Italian UNI Standard. As a result, the

redesigned set of bricks is capable of resisting the tension of the load equal to nearly 30% of

the material‟s natural strength. On the contrary, it is worth mentioning that the material

demonstrated no vibration deviation at the load equal to 10% of its natural strength (Biodini

& Frangopol 2008). One may argue that these results are valid in the laboratory environment

only. However, the use of recycled and re-used material in city repair and reconstruction is a

justified means.

Taking these points into consideration, it is necessary to note that the material for

reconstruction is the primary concern. In such a way, this approach suggests that the original

material of damaged buildings should obtain a form of smaller bricks, which comprise a set


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of the similar size. The parameters for a single brick and a number of sets depend on the

peculiarities of the destroyed building. All in all, it is the main point concerning the general

approach of reconstruction and repairs of the houses in Aleppo. Eventually, the suggested

methodology is quite flexible. It recommends taking measures of the related environment,

especially soil, as long as it has the primary connection to the foundation of a building. Thus,

foundation is the central objective of this methodology. This is clearly seen throughout the

related requirements of the methodology. Still, this methodology implies an independent

decision-making concerning the results of the investigation, because these data are

regarded as the main determinant of potential solutions (Telford 1991). In fact, such flexibility

is relevantly correlated with the suggested design, which will be described next. Hence, it is

necessary to proceed with this description.

Regarding the basic points of Aleppo houses‟ design, it is necessary to admit that it needs

minimal hierarchical guidance. In other words, it does not have to follow a strict pattern,

which is applied to every single damaged building within the city. That is why the results of

the first proceedings of the international workshop on design in civil and environmental

engineering suggest that minimum of instructive guidance is the best way to serve all needs

of the destroyed buildings in Aleppo. To be more specific, these proceedings assume that

the design of damaged building should be developed in terms of a so-called Reservoir

project. This project directs repairs team into smaller groups, which work for every single

house independently. These groups are enabled to create their own standards and

approaches, as the main goal is to restore destroyed buildings at the highest level of civil

engineering practice and environmental considerations. In such a way, each building will be

designed in accordance with its own requirements, which are not influenced by the general

outline. By the same token, the reconstructing process is able to fill some data gaps, which

can be not mentioned by the hierarchical framework (Thompson 2011). The gained

experience can be exchanged and systemized so that this project has some theoretical

value to the entire discipline of civil engineering. These procedures may seem to be

complicated, but they can be supported by the relevant evidence from the related case

study. Actually, the majority of repair procedures were conducted by private building agenda

within post-war Europe (Charlesworth 2006). These agendas developed their own

frameworks regarding every single segment of destroyed cities. This framework was not as

detailed as a modern one, but the purpose of this example is based on the need to prove

that reconstruction procedures can be embodied without a hierarchical guidance of the

government. It is also worth mentioning the socio-cultural factor. Promoting of the idea that

Europe should start “living the same life” was sufficiently strong (Charlesworth 2006). As a


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consequence, the same social advertising can be applied to the case of Aleppo. The lack of

materials and equipment was not a particular approach, but the unavoidable fact of the post-

war reality. Hence, contemporary independent repair teams have to calculate required

resources as accurately as possible.

Moreover, it is becoming increasingly apparent that such design means minimal costs, as

well. It does not require the entire set of sophisticated equipment, which can be transported

without the guarantees of it being actually used. The suggested design is flexible so that it is

able to fit any budget, which will be available for Syria after the end of the civil war. Budget,

however, is not the most prominent concern of house repairs in Aleppo. One of the most

important objectives is quality restoring of all damaged buildings according to the up-to-date

standards and principles of sustainability. As long as the suggested standards and

approaches have been issued, it is necessary to discuss the considerations of sustainability

in terms of design.

2.4 Recycling of Materials

Recycling is known to be one of the most environmentally friendly practices. Therefore, it

should be applied to the repairs and reconstruction of houses in Aleppo. It reduces costs,

time, and considers environmental concerns. In such a way, recycling serves these

functions. The problem of demolition waste and construction waste recycling will become the

central issue after the war ends in Aleppo. After the war, the amount of demolition waste is

huge and being aware of the possible recycling aspects of this material can become help on

city reconstruction. Bricks, wood, class, concrete, metal are all the demolition and

construction waste which can be recycled. European Union insists that about 20-25% of

such waste can be recycled (European Commission 2015). The value of demolition and

construction waste recycling is in its components and resources. Much material can be used

for further reconstruction after the recycling process.

According to Saddleback Education Publishing (2009) admits that the most widespread

building materials for recycling are concrete and bricks. In fact, concrete comprises

approximately 40-50% of all recyclable building materials. Concrete usually loses 10-15% of

its original size. Therefore, it is a convenient and efficient material for preliminary planning.

What is more, it can be easily separated in order to be utilized for bearing or foundation

supporting segments (Saddleback Education Publishing 2009).


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With regards to bricks, it is important to note that recycling has certain implications, which

are revealed by Hendriks and Janssen (2004). Reused bricks tend to contain a particular

degree of hazardous substances and chemicals, which are minimal in the original

substance. Hence, one should not confuse recycled bricks with the so-called “equivalent of

building material” as long as it is likely to be harmful to health and safety. Needless to say,

the recycling calculations of substances and chemicals are supposed to address the existing

standards and requirements, which are regarded as official in a particular state (Hendriks &

Janssen 2004). These standards may seem to be irrelevant, though, but certain hazardous

deviations still can be traced. Therefore, quality assurance is obligatory at every single

phase of recycling.

The decision on how the material should be reused is made on the basis of the following

sequence; The evaluation of the material is provided and assessment made whether the

product can be reused. Another option of using the recycling option is to see whether the

material from the construction can be reused. Overall, the main stages of the recycling are

assessment of the material, reparation of different types of materials which can be reused,

preparation of the material to recycling and recycling of the material depending on their

characteristics (Limbachiya & Roberts 2004). With regard to recycling of demolition and

construction waste, it is important to understand the principle according to which material

should be separated. Firstly there are the materials, which can be used in reconstruction

without further recycling. Such material usually includes metal, wood, and glass. Rubble is

the material which is ready to be reused in another application. Soil and chemically

contaminated rubble is the material, which requires additional handling before recycling

process. Wood, plastic, unsorted glass and metal are the materials which should be applied

to the recycling processes before being used. Finally, the demolition and construction waste

can have some material, which is not subjected to any recycling process and they are to be

eliminated in any other safe way (Hendriks & Janssen 2001).

The University of British Columbia (2014) offers another plan of recycling demolition and

construction waste. Stage one is estimation. At this stage the amount and type of the

material is estimated. The second stage should set the target of recycling. Each material can

be used in different spheres and it is important to know the sphere where the recycled

material will be used. The third stage is planning. This stage allows minimizing the waste

generation and costs on its recycling. The fourth stage is engagement where the material is

transported to the stations where it will be recycled. Track and evaluation are the final stages

of recycling which involve monitoring and assessment of the final product.


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It is necessary to admit that recycling of building materials is supposed to address all three

dimensions of the theory at substantial level. To put it in a simpler way, recycling of building

materials should consider requirements of space, lifespan, and technology. This theory also

addresses the sustainable design, which can be regarded as the embodiment of economic

pillar of sustainability. Recycling techniques should also consider related standards of health

and safety so that minimum or none of hazardous substances and chemicals are included in

the recycled concrete and bricks, which are the most used material for house repairs in

Aleppo. In such a way, this strategy correlates with the outlined methodology, which is

considered as an environmental pillar of sustainability. Taken together, these pillars render a

social pillar, which raises an additional, but also important issue: a temporal accommodation

for Aleppo‟s citizens, whose houses will be under reconstruction. Hence, it is pivotal to

discuss this aspect separately.

2.5 Sustainable Design

With regard to sustainable housing design in Aleppo, it is necessary to admit that the central

concern is a need for minimal time and costs, which underpin the idea of environmentally

friendly design. This requirement is logical as long as Syria suffers from the civil war and

external financial support is not provided on a regular basis. Besides, it is essential to

mention that low costs should be understood in terms of the design sophistication, while the

budget for the factual repairs, material, etc. is no object. Taking these points into account, it

is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the fact that design has to presuppose a

progressive sequence of repairs. It is possible to assume that the approach of sustainability

is a natural tendency in civil engineering nowadays, so that it has to be applied to the project

in Aleppo. House design required for Aleppo should serve all three pillars of sustainability:

economic, environmental, and social (Boström 2012). There is also some additional benefit,

which is beyond the terms of sustainability. Overall, working the direction of sustainable

design, it is important to create universal house, safe and secured. The cost efficiency over

time must be supported with the efficiency of the recourses as only in this case the

sustainability of design will be justified (Queensland Government 2008).

According to Hendriks and Janssen (2004), environmentally sustainable building can exist in

terms of considering three dimensions: technologies, space, and building lifespan. All these

dimensions are mutually correlated, but the most significant one is technology as long as it

directly underpins environmental sustainability. In other words, a building, which obtains

reasonable space and performs effectively for a long period, cannot exist without being


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incorporated with sustainable technologies. On the contrary, it is worth noting that lifespan of

a building is also an important component. It is not included in the traditional sustainable

housing models; however, but it can be regarded as one of the most prominent determinants

of sustainability. Provided that a building is designed according to the sustainable

technologies and obtains rational area, but demonstrates certain problems in its

performance, lifespan should be regarded as a metric. This metric designates a period of

real sustainability of the building. Taking this point into account, it should be admitted that

this dimension has to be included into the mathematical calculations of sustainable housing.

Such models will enable to create comparisons, which include related dependent and

independent variables (changeable and stable factors). As a result, these comparisons will

determine approximate break-even points for every single set of variables (Hendriks &

Jannsen 2004). To return to the subject of the houses‟ repairs in Aleppo, it should strive for

long-termed lifespan, because it is one of the objectives, which have already been tackled.

Thus, Hendriks and Jannsen (2004) suggest that environmental load has to be spread over

a broader area.

In fact, broader area means more space, which is a component of the three dimensions

theory, as well. In contrast, a rational use of space, which is easily affected by environmental

loads, is not any more sustainable. That is why sustainable space implies sufficient width of

the foundation, which is commonly regarded as the main area of contact with the

environmental loads. As it has been mentioned previously, foundation is the primary concern

of the project‟s methodology so that this theory is quite applicable to the entire case of

Aleppo. The similar evidence can be traced in the related case study. As it has been already

mentioned, the experience of post-war reconstruction in Europe suggests that centre and

foundation are the most prominent segment of a building. In such a way, this objective

correlates with the theory of three dimensions. To be more precise, it is related to the

dimension of space, because centre and foundation are commonly recognized as the main

determinants of space management for a certain building.

The economic examples of the sustainable design are related to the use of the “energy

efficient appliances”, “energy efficient heating technologies (heat pumps, automatic

temperature control, smart meters)”, and “installation of solar panels for space heating, water

heating or electricity production” (Strandbakken 2011, p. 7). Considering the environmental

sustainability of the house design, the following aspects should be considered, the use of

recycled and re-used material should be applied, landscape deprivation, pollution, and

embedded energy. The social issues of sustainable design should pay attention to such


18

aspects as noise, criminology position, lack of space, families with children. Overall, creating

sustainable design the following technical standards should be included as “water, sewage,

insulation, size, and “quality” in general” (Strandbakken 2011, p. 15). The research

conducted by Nijenmanting and Senel (2010) suggests that the best variant for a sustainable

design in the Netherlands was a house for on family where the family is an owner and the

house is of low price.

The examples of the sustainable housing designs are numerous. As it has already been

mentioned a sustainable house design includes the houses which are created with the

minimum costs and do not require much financial incentives in the future. Therefore, the

choice of the solar panels and the green houses which are supplied by the natural heating

and cooling systems is the best choice. However, the initial price of such houses is higher.

The state should decide whether the initial cost can be exaggerated with the purpose to

reduce the housing spending in the future. It is significant to admit that since the number of

refugees has increased, many world known companies have decided to create sustainable

houses which correspond to all the features of sustainability. The first example is a refugee

housing by Ikea. The main characteristics are that they house five people, solar panel, USB

outlet and a specific rook which generates the sunrise at night. Exo shelter by Reaction

Housing can contain four beds. Being too small and inappropriate for long living, such type

of housing does not meet the needs of Aleppo community. U-Dome by World Shelters with

cost about $1,500 can be considered as a good temporary accommodation, but not as a

sustainable design due to small space and absence of the elementary infrastructure needs.

QuickHab by Green Horizon Manufacturing would be a good choice. Even though the space

is about 25 square meters, such type of house is equipped with all the necessary items for

living. The strong walls are also supported with the keys security that allows it being the

accommodation for people which need fast and cheap homes and who plan to stay there for

some time. Global Village Shelter by Global Village Shelter, LLC can be considered as a

good decision since being convenient for living with all the requires facilities, this house can

be quickly delivered to any part off the world. Being a sustainable house, this item can work

for longer years (Mallonee 2014).

The precast concrete housing design implies less time and costs and relates to the

sustainable design (Charlesworth 2006). Minimum time for repairs per single house is

conveyed by a progressive sequence of reconstructing procedures. In the same manner,

costs are saved. Gradual repairs presuppose the exact amount of materials and equipment

so that repairs produce minimum waste (Englekirk 2003). Actually, precast concrete housing


19

design applied to the destroyed buildings in Aleppo would contribute to the practice of civil

engineering. This experience will create a new civil engineering paradigm from the

perspective of precast concrete housing design. In other words, this technique has not been

applied to the repairs of houses in a post-war city to its broadest extent. Thus, the Aleppo

project obtains not only empirical value, but theoretical one as well.

2.6 Summary

Therefore, the literature review section has considered the basic literature devoted to the

problems of temporary accommodation, repairs and reconstruction principles, the ways of

using the recycled material for building and sustainable design principles. The information

from this section will be helpful in understanding the foundational aspects for city

reconstruction in Aleppo. Having referred to the case study and the example of city

reconstruction in Kosovo and Sierra Leone, the literature review will be helpful in providing

the discussion of the results obtained. However, before considering the results and their

detailed analysis, the methodology used in this research requires precise consideration.


20

Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Introduction

The research refers to the case study as the basic methodology. The examples of city

reconstruction in Kosovo and Sierra Leone after the war are used as the basis for the

research. Having referred to the report by Barakat (2003) titled “Housing reconstruction after

conflict and disaster”, the key results will provide a detailed analysis of the possible ways for

repairing the damaged housing, recycling the materials from the damaged buildings,

searching for temporary accommodations, and designing a sustainable type of housing

which can be built in a short time and low cost. The research methodology will cover

Barakat‟s report with the specific reference to Kosovo and Sierra Leone with the purpose to

consider the damages in the cities and to analyse the actions referred to during

reconstruction. Having used one case study as the basis for plan development, the focus of

the research will be the ways of arranging temporary accommodation, repair and

reconstruction, recycling material necessary for city reconstruction, and sustainable design.

3.2. Case Study

The report by Barakat (2003) titled „Housing reconstruction after conflict and disaster‟ and

prepared by Humanitarian Practice Network is used as the case study for consideration.

Referring to this report, the following basic information is used, the availability of the

community resources, the materials existing and necessary, the possibility to recycle the

damaged buildings, and the planning materials. The case study is based on the analysis of

the cities reconstruction after different disasters. Kosovo and Sierra Leone have been

chosen as the basic cities for analysis due to their close relation to the problem under

consideration.

Using the case study, temporary accommodation was considered with the purpose to

understand how Kosovo and Sierra Leone solved the problem of temporary shelter for

people who remained without their houses, but who did not want to move to other cities and

waited for their homes to be reconstructed. Immediately after the war ended, the temporary

shelters were arranged in Kosovo and Sierra Leone with the purpose to meet human needs.

The case study shows that the temporary accommodation for the citizens of Kosovo and

Sierra Leone was done with the help of the cheapest and the most suitable material for the

area. In case of the cities used for the analysis, plastic was used.


21

Repair and reconstruction of Kosovo and Sierra Leone was provided within the shortest

timeframes and under the sever pressure of financial limits. The case study offers several

ways of after war city reconstruction and the implementation of the human labour and state

financing will be considered as the best choice. The repair and reconstruction mentioned in

the case study were subjected to the strict rules. The cities with small damage were not

repaired for the state costs at all. The cities which were not damaged severely were under

repair and those cities, which were subjected to severe damage, were rebuilt. Repair

strategies involved the smaller repairs of the houses, repair of the constructions, and

reconstruction of the houses in case major damages.

Recycling of material was not popular in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. Some waste after the

war was recycled, but it was not prominent in the reconstruction of the city. The recycled

demolition waste was not used in major amounts; there is little discussion about it in the

case study. This limitation can be considered as one of the novelties in the current research.

The case study did not discuss much of the recycling strategies; therefore, it is important to

understand the processes where recycled materials could be used and to address the

advantages where it could be applied.

The case study also referred to the sustainable design in cities reconstruction. The major

point about the city sustainability mentioned in the study is the possibility to refer to

environmental, technical, financial, organizational, and social sustainability. Paying attention

to the climate,to technical possibilities of the state, to financial opportunities, and to the

social needs, the cities need to use the strategies required for reconstruction and city

rebuilding.

The repair and rebuilding strategies Kosovo and Sierra Leone used for cities reconstruction

will be applied to Aleppo. Having gathered the information and the experience of the after-

war cities, further discussion will be provided with the collaboration of the literature review

with the purpose to understand the best way to reconstruct housing having an intention to

find a solution for housing in Aleppo post war. The collected information will help create a

detailed assessment of the required materials and the necessary actions for Aleppo

reconstruction having focused on the best ways to repair and reuse buildings, paying

particular attention to rebuilding damaged buildings, using recycled materials, and to find

both temporary and permanent sustainable housing solutions.


22

3.3 Limitations

One of the main limitations of the case study methodology is not enough resources. Having

used one case study as the basis for the research, the analysis is referred to one source

only. Also, the subjectivity of the problem solution is another limitation. It is obvious that the

case study is presented from the one position of one author or a group of authors who have

their vision of the issue. However, sometimes the opposing opinions are required to make a

balanced and informed decision. Another limitation of the research in this case is the status

of the war. The war has not ended yet, therefore, there is no adequate assessment of the

losses and damages. The reliability of the case study can be questioned, the peculiarity of

the data collection and the method creates biased relation to the problem since most case

studies do not describe the sample method collection procedure, which does not allow

checking the scope.


23

Chapter 4: Results and Key Findings

4.1 Introduction

Having analysed the case study with the detailed consideration of the reconstruction of

Kosovo and Sierra Leone after their conflicts, the research results section presents a plan

and analysis of the possible measures necessary to be implemented in Aleppo after the war

ends in regards to the possible ways for repairing the damaged housing, recycling the

materials from the damaged buildings, searching for temporary accommodations, and

designing a sustainable type of housing which can be built in a short time and low cost.

Having used the report by Barakat (2003), the research will be conducted with the purpose

to describe the best way to reconstruct housing in Aleppo after the war ends. The analysis of

the selected case study has helped to conclude that many issues and aspects should be

reconsidered before the beginning of the reconstruction process. The research has identified

the key points to consider and the major actions required to reconstruct the city after the

conflict.

4.2 Temporary Accommodation

Having considered the examples of Kosovo and Sierra Leone, it is important to prioritise

beneficiaries and people who require temporary and further the constant houses. The

following criteria should be used:

• People whose homes were totally destroyed and who had to use informal camps for

living, who could not allow renting the places for living or leaving in other cities or states

• Families with more than 6 members and having children under 12

• The families with older members and with chronic diseases

• Those who are interested in rebuilding their homes

• The families where the father died during the conflict

• Families living in the risky conditions

Plastic houses and tents are the cheapest and the most rational temporary accommodations

for people. Such houses should be located in a camp allowing reducing the square used.

Such houses are to be prefabricated and easy to transport since it is not predicted to use

this temporary housing for longer purposes.


24

4.3 Repair and Reconstruction

Having accessed the situation in the whole, the reconstruction should start with the houses

which were partially damaged. In this case, the families will be able to move to their

apartments faster and, therefore, leave their temporary accommodation for another family in

need. The affected houses and those which were subjected to minimum damage will require

repair only. This solution is applied to the houses where the construction is not touched. In

case of house repair, the owners can decide whether to reconstruct the building faster using

their funds and to move in or to wait for the assistance funds and to live either in partially

ruined buildings or to move to temporary shelters. In case of minor damage in the

neighbourhood, the community should arrange the provision of the necessary materials for

people and to encourage them to repair their homes without waiting for the state to do it,

since building the new houses for those whose places that were totally destroyed or heavily

damaged should be a priority. A very important rule, which should be maintained, is that the

house repair is done to the pre-war condition and remains in the property of the previous

owner. In case of any improvement of the housing condition, the cost should be imposed on

the owner of the building.

4.4. Recycling of Material

The use of recycled material while city reconstruction is helpful and profitable means for city

renewal. The example from Kosovo and Sierra Leone case study shows that the use of

recycled material can be justified to the extent, until it is not associated with human death

and disaster. In this case, the demolition and construction waste must be used for other

needs or in such a way that people do not associate it with death. Wood, metal, and plastic

are the materials which must be re-used if their condition allows doing it. Moreover, the case

study shows that the temporary buildings if constructed from cheap and non-stable material

can be recycled as well. The use of temporary shelters as a recycled material for further

building has been justified in the case study example. Also, the information from the case

study confirms high percentage use of metal and concrete recycled and re-used for

community purposes.


25


Sustainable design should meet five key characteristics of sustainability, namely

environmental sustainability (avoids any attempts to contaminate the environment), technical

sustainability (used technology corresponds to the place and its needs), financial

sustainability (the plan corresponds to the possible financial needs and abilities of the state),

organizational sustainability (the ability to organize the working process and to arrange

successful communication between the parties), and social sustainability (the projects meets

the social needs in general). The sustainable design of the new houses should also be

considered as one of the options along with city reconstruction and housing repair. New

housing requires more additional work compared to housing repair, namely selection of

location, construction model, material to be used and design.


26

Chapter 5: Discussion

5.1 Introduction

The strategy discussed as a part of the city reconstruction should be considered as the plan

of actions. The findings have presented a detailed analysis, which will be used on the

planning and which require consideration after the war ends. The plan discussed will affect

the damaged buildings after being reconstructed and the whole community. One of the main

affects which should be remembered is a complete loss of cultural heritage of a city. Cultural

design can be partially renewed; however, it would not be the same as it was before the war.

Thus, the war destroyed Khusriwiye Mosque and the Carlton Citadel Hotel, Umayyad

mosque, and many other cultural and historic buildings (see Appendix 5 for photos before

and after the war). These buildings can be reconstructed. However, the historic and cultural

significance of these buildings will be lost. These places will remain the reminders of the war,

which took place in the city, but will never be considered as the cultural heritage. Having

reconstructed the place, it will be impossible to renew the covered market which history

dates back 2000 years ago, the Aleppo citadel dated back 4000 years ago, Endowment

library which contained the most important manuscripts in the city (Alafandi & Rahim 2013),

and many other buildings, which can be reconstructed as buildings but will never be

renewed as the historic or cultural heritage. Having analysed the case study of city

reconstruction after the war, it is possible to apply the research results into the literature

review analysis and to discuss the possible outcomes for Aleppo city.

Considering the possible resources Aleppo city can have at the moment of reconstruction,

the following materials were considered, undamaged buildings and the materials left

undamaged after the main building is destroyed. Overall, the available resources necessary

for Aleppo reconstruction are numerous. The land will be available since the whole city will

require rebuilding. Professional human resources necessary for city reconstruction will be

available in the necessary amount since people need job and they will be ready to work for

the benefit of their community. The city reconstruction will require institutional resources,

community resources, and financial resources, which will be available as the country is

ready to reconstruct the city. The availability of technology and building materials is a

question, which can be considered after the war ends and the country will be able to plan the

budget. Therefore, the resources required for city reconstruction are adequate and can be

found.


27

5.2. Temporary Accommodation

Immediately after the end of the war, many citizens of Aleppo will return home with the

purpose to reconstruct their buildings. Since a considerable inflow of people is expected,

temporary accommodation should become a priority. Paying attention to the duration of the

war and the absence of knowing when it is going to end, temporary shelters should be

implemented in a form of tents, plastic sheeting, or emergency centres. Having analysed the

possible variant of temporary accommodation and Aleppo community, QuickHab by Green

Horizon Manufacturing was decided to be the best option for the city needs (Mallonee 2014).

Being an easy transported, settled and small in its sizes, such accommodation may serve as

a shelter for many families which are going to change there.

The damages which have already been identified in the report and which can appear in the

future are sure to take some time for reconstruction. People who are interested in faster

reconstruction of their homes are welcome to take part in the process. The possibility to live

in temporary shelter is an option. Additional advantages of using temporary shelter before

reconstruction are the support from neighbours, availability of emergency help and the

possibility to reduce tension along with the shelter itself. However, temporary shelter is

usually expensive with the possibility to accept a limited number of people. QuickHab is the

cheapest solution for Aleppo with the advantage that it can be further used as a recycled

material for buildings.

Having obtained the research results from the case study and having observed the literature

review materials, it is possible to conclude that QuickHab does not involve much investment

and can be used for temporary purposes. Many examples are known when temporary

accommodation was used for many years after the reconstruction period ended. It is an

inappropriate use of the resources and it should be prevented. QuickHab accommodation in

Aleppo should serve for the temporary needs. According to the research, Aleppo has already

a number of temporary houses for those, whose homes were destroyed but who do not want

to leave their city, but this accommodation is set within the previously living areas (Kacowicz

& Lutomski 2007). When the reconstruction starts after the war, this temporary housing will

be cleaned for creating the sustainable housing or reconstruction procedures. Therefore, a

camp with several QuickHab shelters can be a good decision for the newly emerging city.


28

5.3 Repair and Reconstruction

The repair and reconstruction of Aleppo city should be based on the reconstruction plan. The

process of reconstruction should be guided by the local authorities since Aleppo city is not

the only place which requires reconstruction. The government cannot regulate the

reconstruction process precisely, therefore, the responsibility should be put on them. The

assessment of the labour potential is required. After the war, many people of different

building professions will go to Aleppo along with those who do not have any occupation but

want to take part in city reconstruction. The assessment of the ability of the community is

required. Each member of the community should report any construction or relevant skills

that they possess in order to contribute to the community renewal. Additional to occupation,

the general assessment of the housing needs and the number of beneficiaries is required.

The assessment of the building materials required to the city reconstruction should be

arranged with the careful consideration of the economic and environmental particulars of the

city. The selection of the custom bricks sized 40 x 40 x 160 mm3 cut were framed with the

stainless metal from original ones should be considered as the primary building resources.

Such cut bricks from the original ones are considered as the recycled and their resistance

can be equal to 15.85. Such redesigned set of bricks is capable of resisting the tension of

the load equal to 250 kPa/s, which is nearly 30% of the material‟s natural strength. In this

case, the recycled material will meet the needs of the environment. The new building

materials should also correspond to the environmental needs of the community and be

ordered within the country.

Aleppo community should be interested in rebuilding facilities, however, after the conflict the

community may still experience some problems which may affect organization and

management of the community resources. The desire to start a normal life after the city

reconstruction is one of the best reasons for human resources mobilisation and participation.

Reconstructing the city, the external factors are considered in financial and technical forms.

The donors for city reconstruction should be identifies in order to see the full recourses

available and required. According to UN Habitat (2014), “Typical donors include international

and regional development banks, bilateral donors, and multilateral donors such as the UN

agencies, the European Commission and NGOs”. These specific actors should be assessed

after the war in Aleppo and before starting the reconstruction.

The choice of the partial type of contribution through self-help as a financing type for Aleppo

reconstruction has both the advantages and disadvantages. Contribution through self-help


29

type of financing is the defined as the use of either personal or community grants to build

houses where beneficiaries are also supported with the material and/or labour. The main

advantage of this system is that the personal assets are involved that helps to finance other

reconstruction processes and to renew the city faster. The problems the community will face

having selected this type of financing can be explained by the failure to the meet the needs

of the recipients in material. Time spent on building may also have some conflicting

situations. The use of technology in the after war society should be properly assessed as

there are many people who have no qualifications and in case of referring to the technology

may experience difficulties. Professionals will be attracted to the place; therefore, it is

important to understand the balance between professional and non-professional staff and

the level of technology implementation. Additional training will require costs which is not a

good option for a completely ruined city and the country‟s economy which is devastated.

With the repairs and reconstruction of destroyed buildings in Aleppo more specifically, it is

necessary to admit that any reconstruction is supposed to be based on the data of the

preliminary investigation, which can be divided into several phases. Alexander et al. (2012)

assume that the investigation of possible repair solutions can be determined by geotechnical

research of the related environment. The soil investigation is the primary objective as long as

it has the closest contact with the foundation of a building. This is an essential point even if

the foundation is not damaged. As soon as the geotechnical environment of the building is

identified and the related data are extracted, it is important to brainstorm possible ways of

repairs. Needless to say, the most apt variant should be chosen according to the results of

geotechnical investigation. The chosen option has to address the following measurements,

as well. First, footing should be founded on piles. Second, installing piles need to be

substituted with jet grouting below the spread footing. Third, the installation of soil anchors is

compulsory. Fourth, diaphragm walls have to support the footing. Fifth, sheet piling is

supposed to guard backfill. Doubtless, strength of all joints should be also ensured

(Alexander et al. 2012). These requirements are relatively simple, but their effectiveness is

obvious in the following example from the related case study. In fact, the main objective of

post-World War II reconstruction was the privilege of centre and foundation over periphery.

The privilege should be understood as the requirement for the periphery to serve the centre

and foundation (Charlesworth 2006). Despite there being no such sophisticated framework

nowadays, civil engineering of that period took the correct approach as seen in the results of

the chosen reconstruction.


30

5.4 Recycling of Material

Since Aleppo is a city built mainly of bricks and concrete, the material for recycling will

mainly involve this particular basis. Of course, wood, plastic and glass will be present;

however, it will be used at the second place. Having assessed the scope of the material to

be reconstructed, the workers have to remove all the parts which can be immediately used.

These parts can be the window frames, unbroken bricks, and similar resources which do not

require additional recycling or repair (Hendriks & Janssen 2004). The metal recycling is one

of the most profitable means of demolition waste reuse (Limbachiya & Roberts 2004). Metal

is another material which will be used in city reconstruction. This material can be used both

as the primary material without recycling or as the basis for other building needs after the

recycling procedures. Therefore, much of the material in the city will be reused and recycled.

Aleppo city reconstruction should gather the metal constructions with the purpose to reuse

the pieces without recycling and to refine the pieces which cannot be used as they are.

Metal construction can be used in building the houses, creating the frames for the

constructions, and strengthening the walls, ceilings, and other parts of the city while housing

repair. One of the disadvantages of the case study was low number of recycled materials

used, which led to increased financial insertions into the region. To eliminate this mistake,

Aleppo should learn from this negative experience and capitalise on the benefits of using

recycled materials.

After the assessment and the primary use of the materials, the further stages of

reconstruction should be involved. It is significant to highlight the use of recycled concrete for

building and repairing the houses (Saddleback Education Publishing 2009). Paying attention

to the fact that most of the cities in Aleppo were concrete based, the use of concrete

recycled from the damaged buildings should become the basis for city renewal. Using the

recycled concrete will increase the speed of city renewal since the delivery of the new

material can last for a long time, while the recycled concrete can be used immediately. The

financial advantages of using recycled material are numerous and having assessed the

Kosovo experience, where recycling was minimal, financial advantages become particularly

apparent. The use of recycled concrete will help to reduce the costs on city reconstruction

since using the new building materials will require large financial incentives.


Planning and implementation of the Aleppo reconstruction after the war, it is important to

state that the reconstruction approach must be sustainable. It means that the resources

used for rebuilding the city must be locally found. Such position is specific as to make sure


31

that the reconstruction is successfully implemented, the materials should adapt to the local

environment conditions and the working tasks are related to the workers‟ abilities. The

choice of the new location for the houses should be attentively conducted. The new

settlement should not be isolated from other society. The balance of the rural and urban

population should be followed. It is important to state that approval from the authorities will

be required in case of selecting a new settlement. The characteristics of new location should

not differ greatly in geological, environmental and similar characteristics. The material

discussed above should meet the needs of both new buildings and repaired housing. The

construction of the new houses should maximise the local economic value. The traditional

technique for house building will be used to make sure that no additional training is required

and the employees are familiar with the strategy and materials. The choice of the traditional

technique may be justified by the desire to save or resume the cultural peculiarity of the

place, the availability of the material and the labour power, low transportation cost.

Paying attention to the characteristics of the environment and the needs of people, the solar

panels for water heating will be the best decision. Solar panels have been considered one of

the best examples of the sustainable design (Strandbakken 2011). Moreover, it is possible to

construct the roof of one-storied building in such a way that the sunlight roofs consume

during the daily time can heat the apartment at night. However, it is important to pay

attention to the fact that such way of house heating should be used for cold period only.

Since the temperature in Aleppo does not usually go below zero, such way of heating is an

appropriate and cheap way to keep the place warm during the cold month. Then more

urgent problem in the cooling of the places since the temperature may rise till 33-36 °C. So,

thick brick houses are the only possible way to guarantee cooling of the places.

Reconstructing Kosovo, the principles of sustainable design were not followed, which has

resulted in high house costs for population. When reconstructing the city, the state did not

think about the future, their main purpose was to create the houses for people within the

shortest period of time. As a result, the case study used for this research did not discuss

sustainable design from the point of view of the reduction of the further housing costs.

Having analysed the environmental, technical, financial, organisational, and social

sustainability, Kosovo case study did not focus on the possible ways of heating and cooling

houses, which resulted into further higher costs of the houses. This is a lesson that can be

learnt and the reconstruction of Aleppo should use foresight that Kosovo did not, by making

certain that the houses built in keeping with the principles of sustainability.


32

Chapter 6: Conclusion

The research has presented detailed analysis of the plan of actions for Aleppo

reconstruction when the war ends. Having introduced the problem and the purposes, it was

agreed that the main goal of the study was to focus on the best ways of repairing and

reusing buildings- paying particular attention to rebuilding damaged buildings using materials

recycled from the damaged buildings, to find both temporary and permanent housing

solutions, and to design a sustainable type of housing which can be built in a short time and

low cost. The reconstruction of Kosovo and Sierra Leone was used as the model for

reconstruction plan. The application of the case study as the method for research is justified

as having the successful examples of city reconstructions after the war, it is possible to apply

those strategies and practices for Aleppo reconstruction. The research results have shown

that it is possible to reconstruct the city and that both the repair and new building strategies

will be used. The results can be used for developing a detailed plan with the additional

budgeting for reconstruction after the war ends. The research results can be developed or

changed after the war ends as some statistical numbers may differ and the scope of damage

may increase. The case study analysis used has allowed exploration of the possible

outcomes and to generate the costs and materials requires for city reconstruction when the

war ends.


33

Chapter 7: Recommendations

The further research is required after the end of the war in Aleppo. The current research

can be used as the basis for theoretical analysis and further development such as including

the infrastructure reconstruction, entertaining facilities, and other city use. This research can

also be used as the basis for further assessment of the required resources and the

possibility to develop the city architecture. Having the whole city destroyed, it is possible to

use this report and having analysed the disadvantages of the displacement in the past to

build a new convenient city for Aleppo citizens. Having conducted the research basing on

the case study, it is possible to recommend the following actions related to the city

reconstruction.

After the war ends the damages must be considered and calculated in order to prepare

a detailed plan for reconstruction.

The detailed plan of damages is required to see where the repair is possible and in

which places the complete rebuilding will be required. In case of deeper damage of the

housing and complete destroying of the house, the resettlement can be considered as

one of the options.

The budgeting with the costs at the moment of the reconstruction is needed after the

war ends.

The analysis of the material which can be recycled should be conducted.

The assessment of the need and scope of the temporary accommodation is required.

The repair and reconstruction plan should be created with the purpose to create a list of

the primary and secondary buildings requested for analysis.

The sustainable designing should take place in order to guarantee cheap exploitation of

the houses built after the war.


34

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37

Appendix 1

Appendix 1 Population displacement (UN Habitat 2014)


38

Appendix 2

Appendix 2 Neighbourhood damage (UN Habitat 2014)


39

Appendix 3

Appendix 3 Heavy damage (UN Habitat 2014)


40

Appendix 4

Appendix 4 Types of shelter (UN Habitat 2014)


41

Appendix 5 Photos before and after the war

Khusriwiye Mosque and the Carlton Citadel Hotel in December 2011 (Porter 2015)

Khusriwiye Mosque (green arrow) and the Carlton Citadel Hotel (blue arrow) in 2014 (Porter

2015)


42

The Carlton Citadel before the war (Porter 2015)

The Carlton Citadel now (Porter 2015)


43

Umayyad mosque, Aleppo, pictured in 2012 (Porter 2015)

Umayyad mosque, Aleppo, pictured in 2013 (Porter 2015)