ARCHITECTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE IN EGYPT 'Shape of Time: the Egyptian Mirror'

For more than a decade, as Architects and Academics, it was observed the tendency in many fields to redefine the Mission of education towards a new pilot thinking process. Also some actions that was perceived as Signs of the future more related to democracy dimensionalities ( new demes ). In the last 10 years, there was a new praxis of education and design studio experiments that was injecting the students with new theories, memes and demes to be added to their architectural vocabulary as a layering of fractals, while the output was targeting a new hyper scenario having the students' visions. A solid evident of this condition is a complete set of books (Secrets Of Architecture) by M, Dorra that represent, document and reflect the long process and how it was being initiated, developed and monitored. That was an alternative of letting time and global forces shape the educational values. It was a preconceived Teaching model of preparing the new architects to be the leader of the new reality for their communities and with the spirit and rules of the 21st century, professionally and academically. 'Architectural Academia and Society: Primordial, ubiquitous or recurrent' The experiment was based on stimulating the students by involving them in a free 'Ideas festival' thinking sessions. That mission aimed to have a shared vision of taking a snapshot at the present and shape of time by re-visiting our time, our place and ourselves. Also, it was planned to develop a methodology to find answers to issues raised, then innovate alternatives that reshape the time and foresee the future as interactive ideas and actions. At this stage the group (as a micro cosmos of the community) redefine its potentials and tendency towards reality; either Primordial, ubiquitous or recurrent. In all cases it was open for all parties to express and represent his ideas. Students were inspired to think globally & when they act locally they manufactured their own identity towards their own reality. Written by: Prof. Dr. Medhat Dorra Architect Mostafa Hossam Fahmy