MUSCAT: Students of the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) and the University of Technology in Berlin (TU Berlin) are currently doing a one week joint research-workshop on Sustainable Settlement Patterns in Oman. Main focus is laid on the practical experience of field-work methods and techniques. The students field work is part of the research project on Sustainable Urbanisation Patterns in Oman, that is financially sponsored by The Research Council (TRC) in Oman and carried out by Professor Dr. Sonja Nebel of GUtech as Principal Investigator and Professor Dr. Awni Shabaan of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) as Co-Principal Investigator and Professor Dr. Alaa Mandour (SQU) as Co-Investigator. Dr. Astrid Ley of TU Berlin are part of the consultancy board of the research project.
For one week the students have been working at GUtech and travelled to Muscat fringe areas as well as to the interior of the country to explore urban growth and rural to urban transformation.
"Scientists usually work in the laboratory and conduct their experiments there. We urban planners discover our findings during field-work," said Professor Dr. Sonja Nebel, Professor for Urban Design and Urban Planning at GUtech. Since changes are very dynamic, the findings need to be updated continuously. "To update our information, we have to do research on the site itself," said Professor Nebel. The field work is meant to link research and teaching activities at the involved universities and introduce students into scientific research methods and techniques concerning mainly qualitative and quantitative surveys and data analysis. The Omani and German students are working together in small groups analyzing patterns of urban growth in the Muscat fringe area of Al Khoud.
"I think Al Khoud is one of the fastest growing places in Muscat. During the workshop we learn special research methods and techniques and are introduced to profound urban analysis," said Talal Al Omairi, who is studying Urban Planning and Architectural Design in the 3rd year at GUtech. To better understand the ongoing urbanization patterns the students visited as well the Al Khoud village to compare former settlement patterns with the ones currently under construction . "I was surprised to see the new part of Al Khoud with no greenery and wide open streets, however in Old Al Khoud there is still an oasis and the houses are closer to each other," said Anke Reichert who is doing her Master's in Urban Design at TU Berlin. Anke likes the oasis in Al Khoud." I was very happy to be invited to a family who showed me around their house. We were sitting outside in the majlis," said Nora Grzywatz who is studying Architecture at TU Berlin.
Hamda Al Hajri, 3rd year student at the Department of Urban Planning and Architectural Design and her colleagues were marking the open spaces in old Al Khoud. "We investigated the open spaces, plot sizes, building use, density and other criteria to understand the quality of urban settlements. "When you walk between the buildings in the old village you get shade and cooling," said Hamda. The group also found out that the plots in old Al Khoud are larger because the extended family lives closer together. "Here in old al Khoud three to four families live in one plot. They keep building houses inside the plot, whereas in new al Khoud each family has their villa surrounded by a wall," said Dalal Haider, 3rd year student in Urban Planning and Architectural Design.
The field-work concluded with a symposium and presentations of the students work.
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© Press Release 2010
