Egyptian architect, el-Minyawi moved to Algeria in 1969. He and his brother, also an architect, were involved in establishing several “socialist villages” that were being promoted by the Algerian government at the time. They became pioneers of the development of low-income housing. The housing units were characterized by a harmonious relation to the local environment. They used the abundant local sand and stone, rather than importing cement and other materials, following the philosophy of Hassan Fathy.