AAU Anastas is an architecture and research studio founded by Elias and Yousef Anastas, with offices in Bethlehem and Paris. Their studio explores the intersection of craftsmanship and architecture across a range of scales, from furniture design to large-scale territorial studies. They promote a contemporary approach to working with structural stone in architecture, in Palestine and beyond. Their work is particularly attentive to the political implications of stone use, with an emphasis on lowering carbon footprints, fostering more resilient urban environments, and encouraging more responsible sourcing and application of materials. Projects like Stone Matters explore the social and historical significance of stone in Palestine while proposing innovative contemporary applications. They also co-founded Radio AlHara, a community-based online radio station that builds unexpected networks of solidarity through sound. Their practice centres on connecting hyper-specific – sometimes seemingly unrelated – contexts to open up new forms of dialogue and resistance.

Elias Anastas worked with Yves Lion in Paris before returning to Bethlehem to lead projects such as the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music and the Hebron Courthouse. Yousef Anastas gained experience at Kengo Kuma & Associates and RFR and now leads the studio’s research division, SCALES, focusing on contemporary stone construction techniques.

Website:

https://www.aauanastas.com

Source: Aga Khan Award for Architecture