Demonstrations which led to Syria's civil war began five years ago in the city of Homs. Today the Old City of Homs is beyond rescue, and Homs has sustained the most damage of all Syrian cities. For Marwa Al-Sabouni, a young architect, the built environment not only creates communities, but has also shaped these conflicts. She says that 'architecture has played a vital role in creating, directing and heightening conflicts between warring factions by facilitating poor choices and narrowing viable alternatives'.

Can the Syrian socialist system of five year plans, combined with corruption and an ongoing civil war, see the rebuilding of a vital new city in the future?