The specialized scientific forum on urban planning, building codes, and sustainable construction technologies, organized by the Syrian Engineers Syndicate today, Wednesday, in collaboration with Saudi company "Faz Investment," at the Dama Rose Hotel in Damascus, discussed building code regulations, mechanisms for sustainable urban planning, and opportunities to utilize energy efficiency and thermal insulation technologies in real estate development projects in Syria.
The forum focused on the necessity of establishing modern principles for city planning through comprehensive linkage between structural and local plans and land use requirements, while emphasizing the application of precise building codes that prevent visual distortion and ensure environmental sustainability, alongside presenting the latest natural construction solutions and modern technologies capable of raising construction efficiency and reducing costs.
Integrated Urban Planning
During the forum's proceedings, Saudi expert in urban planning and real estate development, Khaled Al-Skeet, presented the most prominent modern foundations and standards in city engineering and planning, stressing that successful urban planning relies on comprehensive integration among various engineering disciplines and a studied progression of planning levels, starting from balanced development and regional plans to structural and local plans for residential neighborhoods.
Al-Skeet emphasized the importance of adopting precise rules for urban requirements and codes and organizing land use based on accurate field studies of market movement and actual needs, thereby ensuring the protection of investment rights, avoiding randomness and visual distortion, and linking urban organization with social awareness and continuous education.
He also touched upon the most prominent natural and sustainable construction techniques, including adobe, stone, and mechanically compressed bricks, as well as traditional earthen systems, due to their durability and thermal insulation capabilities, stressing the importance of utilizing academic research and university laboratories to evaluate and develop environmental materials to enhance sustainable construction efficiency.
Benefiting from Pioneering Regional Experiences
Participants in the forum called for strengthening the governance of the regulatory process and separating the authority to grant licenses from supervision duties to prevent violations and enhance compliance with technical and engineering standards, highlighting the importance of benefiting from pioneering regional experiences, particularly in the fields of engineering supervision and activating the role of insurance companies, to ensure execution quality, enhance structural safety, and protect real estate investments.
Participants addressed the challenges facing regional planning in Syria, amid demographic changes and partial and total damage to some areas, the expansion of slums, as well as difficulties related to collecting accurate field data and relying primarily on remote sensing and satellite images for planning.
Empowering National Engineering Cadres
In an interview with SANA correspondent, Syrian Engineers Syndicate President Malik Hajj Ali pointed to the pivotal role played by the Syndicate in establishing the necessary technical and regulatory foundations for the recovery and reconstruction phase, through openness to advanced Arab experiences and utilizing them, transferring modern expertise, and localizing it in the fields of building codes, structural safety, and natural building materials.
Hajj Ali confirmed that attracting specialized competencies aims primarily at empowering national engineering cadres and university students, equipping them with the latest scientific standards to ensure the quality of planning and execution in upcoming construction stages.
Expanding Investment Partnerships in Syria
For his part, Chief Executive Officer of "Faz" company, Shuaan Al-Shamri, emphasized the company's commitment to transferring pioneering scientific experiences and expertise in the fields of urban planning, building codes, and modern technologies to Syria in collaboration with top specialists, contributing to supporting and developing the competencies of engineers and local cadres in this vital sector.
Al-Shamri clarified that participation in the forum runs parallel to the company's ongoing investment activities in Syria, which include projects in real estate and tourism development and mill development in the Damascus countryside, with ongoing negotiations to expand towards Aleppo Governorate, stressing the company's full readiness to conclude wide partnerships and alliances with various companies to make an active contribution to the reconstruction process.
It is worth noting that "Faz" Investment is an international Saudi company specializing in developing and implementing major projects in various fields, seeking to provide sustainable investment solutions that contribute to achieving economic development, transferring global expertise, and attracting quality investments.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
Comments (0)