DAAR–Decolonizing Architecture Art Research

Hilal and Petti's projects function as both sites of display and action, extending into architectural structures, critical learning environments, and interventions that challenge dominant collective narratives and new political imaginaries. Through seminal publications like Architecture after Revolution and Refugee Heritage, DAAR questions dominant narratives of heritage and nationhood, advocating instead for decolonial futures rooted in lived experience. Their interventions-such as the Concrete Tent in Dheisheh refugee camp or the reimagined Shu'fat School for Girls-embody architecture as both physical structure and site of learning, care, and collective memory.

Central to their practice is Campus in Camps, an experimental university in a refugee camp that redefines who produces knowledge and where. This commitment to informal, community-based learning continues through The Tree School developed across various locations worldwide. DAAR's work consistently connects to local struggles with global questions of justice and demonstrates how architecture and art can propose and inhabit alternative narratives and spaces.

The Refugee Heritage project challenges conventional understandings of heritage in relation to the refugee experience. It proposes alternative approaches to heritage centered on non-hegemonic narratives and the experiences of marginalised communities. Ultimately, Refugee Heritage aims to reframe the discourse on refugees and displacement, moving beyond humanitarianism toward a more just and equitable future.