Post-Conflict Reconstruction - Small scale elements of a parametric urban design approach

Abstract

Taking the Syrian city of Homs as its point of departure, this paper aims to suggest some first components of a parametric urban design approach to post-conflict reconstruction focused on scenario building. From analyses of social, physical and environmental infrastructures and theoretical positions on environmentally and socially sustainable urban design in the Middle Eastern culture and climate, a framework and some initial tests for a parametric 3D urban model developed in CityEngine are presented. With the intended purpose of providing a tool capable of visualising modifiable urban design scenarios along with relevant associated data, the presented work focuses on the smallest scale of a model encompassing scales from the district level to the level of the urban block, with some relevant architectural features relating to social and environmental qualities.