Program : Al Manhal Bakery & Books is an interior architecture and renovation project for Al Manhal, Syria's first bakery-bookstore established following the country's liberation in 2024. Opened in early 2026 in the Old City of Damascus by Asser and Brant, the project combines a bakery, bookstore, and public gathering space within a restored historic building. The project forms part of a broader research initiative on counterfactual design and archival practices in Syria, supervised by researchers James Auger and Lorène Picard, exploring the role of architecture in the personal reconstruction of the Syrian people and its roots in Syria's long history.