One Syria Speaker Series: Ziad Demian on Post-war Reconstruction

One Syria: Speaker Series is a string of events that aims to bring together the Syrian community and those interested in ideas and visions surrounding the country’s developments in hopes of a future, united, One Syria.

It is an invitation to imagine and work for a post-war Syria. It is a new platform for pioneering ideas, giving exposure to innovations promoting a post-war reconstruction in its diverse and needed forms. It is apolitical and attempts to transcend the contention between political fractions, recreating unity through discussion around innovation. Of its many goals, One Syria attempts to inspire the youth and guide their ambitions towards the needs of the country. At the same time, it emphasizes the importance of preservation of heritage, through modernity; and the promotion of Syria’s rich, yet under-appreciated culture.

Over the next few weeks, we will be inviting experts, entrepreneurs, innovators and change-makers from different domains to assess the obstacles that a post-war Syria will face, how they can be overcome and what the very fabric of a post-war Syria might look like in order to promote dialogue on the reconstruction of the country.

Syria’s significant and diverse architecture is a victim in this war, resulting in mass destruction of infrastructure that has existed for hundreds of years. The magnitude of this is reflective of the job architects had during the First and Second World Wars. Which is why we are kick-starting our speaker series on the topic of post-war reconstruction with Architect Ziad Demian. The talk will be followed by a discussion period among members of the audience, including professors from the faculty of architecture, students, and professionals.

Speaker:

Ziad Elias Demian, a founding partner of Demian\Wilbur\Architects will be discussing the opportunities and challenges regarding the reconstruction phase in war-torn Syria.

Based in Washington DC, Ziad’s enthusiasm for design excellence and background managing complex commercial and institutional projects has enabled him to lead the development of several large mixed-use and retail urban centers.

In 2010, Ziad spent substantial time in Syria working on a plan for the urban redesign of the city of Damascus as a green city.

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This event is organized in collaboration with Le Centre Culturel Syrien. Faculty from McGill University Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture will be participating in the discussion.

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