![\"Students](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2016\/05\/Syria8_TF_h.jpg\")
Tarik Alsaggaf, who came from Saudi Arabia to study at 51ÁÔÆæ, said he was interested in learning about the plight of refugees everywhere, but felt he had special insight into the needs of people from the Middle East.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Syrians are my brothers, my relatives,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are from almost the same culture, and I would like to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project also combined architecture and urban planning, which appealed to Mitchell Pignotti, a graduate student who is studying both subjects. Pignotti was intrigued by the challenge of finding ways to re-use an existing city, while researching and creating a new one.<\/p>\n
\u201cI liked the idea of bringing these old cities to life again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The semester-long project required students to design housing in three interlinked villages, as well as urban green spaces, garden plots and shared public spaces. The overall goal, Hanlon said, was to educate students about the issues facing refugees and the Rust Belt and get them thinking about ways to improve lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn many cases in architecture schools, we reinforce our students\u2019 perceptions that architecture is all about their personal expression,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel it\u2019s very important that we deal with difficult issues and try to get students to examine their underlying values.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hanlon also wanted his students learn to work together.<\/p>\n
\u201cA misconception that architecture programs convey to students is that they are all independent geniuses and they\u2019ll be able to work independently like Frank Lloyd Wright and other star architects,\u201d he said. \u201cThe reality is they\u2019re going to be working with many other people from many different backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alsaggaf, who graduates this month, said the ability to work collaboratively is one of the skills he looks forward to eventually taking back to Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was fascinating how we all worked together and interacted in this class,\u201d he said. \u201cWe almost worked as one body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hanlon and his students hope to eventually present their plan to Detroit officials, although they said they realize political and financial issues make construction unlikely.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Professor Don Hanlon challenged his architecture and urban planning students to help refugees while addressing population loss in the Rust Belt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":835,"featured_media":33580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174],"tags":[250],"section":[258,127],"display_categories":[115,116],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[145,344,144],"class_list":["post-33581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-student-success","section-architecture","section-arts-humanities","display_categories-top-story-secondary","display_categories-top-story-section","uwmnews-feed-architecture","uwmnews-feed-arts-architecture","uwmnews-feed-architecture-urban-planning"],"yoast_head":"\n