Connecting Clay and Wood
Creating Art
and
Building with Nature!
A summer school at Dar EID, St. Catherine, Sinai, Egypt!
A great opportunity for undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers, young professionals and individuals interested in sustainable building technologies, understanding local resources and incorporating socio-cultural traditions of the region into its built environment.
About the location: As a city, St. Catherine and its vicinity is characterised by being a peaceful space in the shadow of the holy giant rocks of South Sinai. Here, we will be building hardscape elements in an ecolodge at Tarfa Valley on the outskirts of the city (20 km away from the centre). The summer school participants will be accommodated in the same ecolodge.
About the summer school topics and practices: "Connect, Create and Build" summer school focuses on topics and practicies related to local eco-friendly materials and natural resources (clay and wood), as well as integrating art and traditional craftsmanship into the built environment. Participants will work hand in hand with the local community within the construction sites. Art workshops on craftwork by local women in the region will be planned in parallel, alternating with the construction site. The construction site includes the architectural building unit, as well as designing the urban space around the building in aims to create a comprehensive urban and landscape concept for this newly developed corner of Eid ecolodge.
About the week activities: During the day, participants will be busy with various site visits, working on construction sites and in craft workshops in the region. Thanks to its location (in a valley); this week will provide a unique opportunity to escape from the industrial, urban lifestyle. In the afternoons, cultural programmes, hikes and guided exploration-visits will be organised in groups. In the evenings, there will be plenty of time to experience and observe Sinai’s breath-taking night skies. The detailed programme of the entire week will be announced soon!
Credits: The summer school will be accredited corresponding to the European Credit Transfer System. A certificate will be issued at the end of the course. 3 ECTS points will be earned by participating in the one-week workshop, submitting a report, preparing materials and giving a presentation on one of the topics of the summer school. The aim is to acquire scientific input and knowledge about integrated sustainability, gain direct experience with the materials in cooperation with local workers and community members, and most importantly practice teamwork. At the end of the week, both soft and hard skills are expected to have been gained.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity and apply now !
Fees / Costs* of the summer school:
For Egyptian Participants (charged in Egyptian Pound)
- Early Bird Registration** =2700 EGP
- Late Registration = 3200 EGP
- Students = 2000 EGP
For International Participants (charged in Euro).
- Early Bird Registration** = 160 Euros
- Late Registration = 180 Euros
- Students = 100 Euros
*Flights*** to Egypt, local transport, accommodation, meals and special field/cultural trips are NOT included in the fees and must be booked separately. Accommodation will be at the Eid Ecolodge. (Stay green!) Other options can be arranged in the city of St. Catherine (transportation time from hotel to the valley should be calculated and taken into consideration)
** Early Bird registration starts now and ends on 10th of August 2023.
*** The nearest airport near to St. Catherine is Sharm El-Sheik. Pickup transportation can be arranged from and to the airport.
The cover picture/poster shows the construction unit of last year's summer school "Reed Cob" in Dar Eid, which was held in collaboration with CAS Studio (Lisbon) and BENAA Foundation (Egypt). Credit for the design concept and sketches goes to Arch. Paulo Carneiro Fernandes and Arch. Islam Abu Eldardaa. The further detailed planning and implementation were a collaborative process by all partners. The work on the completion of this unit is one of three other projects for this year's summer school.
This summer school is organised by EZBET e.V., in collaboration with Dar Eid and our local Kairos City Lab at the Faculty of Engineering-Ain Shams University in Cairo
from 9th to 15th of September 2023