Join Wael Sabry on his quest to save the ancient craft of Kundekari – complex wooden geometry. Sabry is tracking down the few remaining master carpenters in Turkey and Egypt, trying to learn their carefully-guarded secrets, hidden even from father to son. Discover how he is using technology to save this remarkable craft from disappearance and inventing new machinery that might give this craft a new life.
Wael Sabry is a Green Technology Innovation Manager, Sustainable Building Architect and Urban Planner with twenty years’ experience in Egypt with national and international consultancy firms, community organisations, technology centres, international experts and craftsmen, notably Aga Khan Cultural Services – Egypt, Community Development Collaborative – CDC Abdelhalim Ibrahim, German International Cooperation – GIZ , United Nation Development Program and the Egyptian Earth Construction Association.
He works on multidisciplinary projects on urban planning and architectural design in vernacular and historic contexts, providing technical assistance in developing and disseminating sustainable building technologies as an approach for community building and craft development.
He managed, for 4 years, 10 green technology innovation networks including solar energy, water conservation, renewable materials, resource-efficient farming and sustainable building. Most recently, Wael Sabry has established and been managing a green technology start-up promoting sustainable building, energy efficiency and renewable energy integrated solutions in Malaysia.
He is a graduate of Cairo University and Oxford Brookes University.
His project to save the craft of Kundekari from disappearance has been funded by The Barakat Trust.
This podcast is part of Converging Paths, kindly supported by the Altajir Trust and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture’s Education Programme.
