A Field Visit to Kom El-Dikka
The Architectural Engineering Department at PUA’s Faculty of Engineering, went on an exploratory field visit for fourth-year students (8th semester) to the historic Kom El-Dikka district in central Alexandria. This initiative reflects the Department’s vision to develop students’ imaginative and creative capabilities, enhance their understanding of heritage architecture, and link it with modern design practices, within the requirements of the Architectural Design 6 course.
The visit aimed to deepen students’ awareness of the exceptional historical, cultural, and architectural significance of Kom El-Dikka. It featured an extensive inspection tour that included the area’s most iconic landmarks, most notably the house and cafe of the legendary artist Sayed Darwish. In the field, students assessed available opportunities and current problems, particularly looking into the state of historical buildings suffering from deterioration and neglect. This allowed them to study various structural restoration methods, heritage preservation mechanisms, and sustainable urban development pathways.
The tour opened academic horizons for discussing the impact of social, cultural, and economic factors on the evolution of the built environment, while exploring the challenges facing urban revitalization projects and the adaptive reuse of historical buildings.
