This is the story of a Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan's attempt to restore a neglected mud-brick farmhouse. Back to Earth highlights the important implications this complex project has for rural housing and the place of traditional materials in modern building. HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Sa'ud is perhaps best known for becoming the first Arab astronaut, in 1985. He is now recognised, however, for his commitment to Islamic values and his concern for architecture and the environment. In 1986 he bought the un-maintained ...
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This is the story of a Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan's attempt to restore a neglected mud-brick farmhouse. Back to Earth highlights the important implications this complex project has for rural housing and the place of traditional materials in modern building. HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Sa'ud is perhaps best known for becoming the first Arab astronaut, in 1985. He is now recognised, however, for his commitment to Islamic values and his concern for architecture and the environment. In 1986 he bought the un-maintained farmhouse at al-'Udhaibat, one of the many pre-modernization buildings to have survived in Saudi Arabia. The location of Al- Udhaibait has a special resonance for Saudi Arabians due to its proximity to the ruined mud-built capital of the First Saudi State. Its farmhouse, however, has now become a source of inspiration for a new generation of Saudi architects.
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