Following an interest that she obtained through studying architecture between 2008 - 2013, Zainab Gaafar grew her desire in un-layering the unseen sides of Khartoum and to contextualise the built environment around her. In 2014 started a project aiming to document interesting unknown or abandoned buildings around the city until in 2016 the project became under the name Urban Explorers Khartoum, an initiative that organised city walks, asked questions regarding visual identity and inclusion, it also produced maps and tips to navigate the city.
After it was apparent that more was there to be learned about the city, in 2017 the initiative grew to become a multidisciplinary research studio based in Khartoum, Sudan, Studio Urban is an entity with focus on urban subjects including physical urban space, it’s history, how people experience it and the dynamics that influence this experience. The Studio also looks at how the urban space is affected by the state and its policies.
The studio aspires to be the Sudan centre for urban studies and a knowledge sharing hub, that uses diverse knowledge sharing tools to understand more how people navigate, interact with and utilise the city. We believe that observation, research and collaboration with the residents of our city is the first step into turning our urban space into an inclusive space, through giving a platform that is sensitive to both individual and collective experiences.
To try to reshape how people see the city, to find new ways to bring out the value of everyday life. To redefine knowledge sharing through developing open- access platforms, that are truly open access for all people regardless of their education level and ability to access technology.
