Amalgamating sustainable design strategies into architectural curricula

In the era of climate change, rising sea levels, the hole in the ozone layer and current food crisis, sustainability is no longer a matter of choice; it is a must. While the term sustainability manages to embed itself in all aspects of contemporary life, sustainability in the built environment requires special attention. Designs created by architects and planners play a fundamental part in shaping the way we live, behave and interact with our surroundings. Smith (2001) argued that instilling sustainable design in curricula at schools of architecture is a significant method of encouraging sustainable architectural design in practice. This is particularly important in non-sustainable societies such as those of the Middle East. For these reasons, this study aims at exploring ‘sustainability strategies,’ as they may be described, adopted in different schools of architecture. The research surveys architectural curricula at different Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) exempted schools of Architecture, at part 1 and 2 levels. Meanwhile, it also observes the contradiction and difficulties of teaching sustainable architectural design in Egyptian and Middle Eastern societies, whose cultural fabric does not encourage environmental awareness. Finally, the study attempts to investigate, in an increased level of detail, how sustainable design education fits into the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula of the Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design Department (AEED) at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Alexandria, Egypt. The paper concludes that the proper application of sustainable design strategies at early stages of architecture education has developed architects with sturdy understanding of their environment, climate and local identity, which can never happen if this is addressed in postgraduate studies or at later stages of the Architecture career

Contemporaneity of Spain rural architecture intervention and economic sustainability

From the second half of the 20th century onwards, Spanish rural architecture has suffered a transformation regarding its farming and ranching model. The economic unsustainability of the family economy has led to further action for the viability of the system. This transformation has meant a new mindset to the owner of the farm and livestock, who had to consider whether continuity was given to the exploitation or the countryside/field was changed and adapted to a new use such as rural tourism, restoration, or for collective uses such as holiday camps, cultural centers or others. Owners who have decided to continue the exploitation they were developing have had to industrialize it and thus extend it in a considerable percentage. That has meant the need to intervene significantly in the rural architectural heritage. A wide and varied range of results has been obtained in these interventions: from the fossilization or destruction of assets, to the achievement of harmony and coexistence between tradition and modernity in this heritage, the result of which represents the contemporaneity of rural architecture.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Aesthetic vision and sustainability in The New York Times Building ceramic rod facade

This study investigates the implications of the New York Times Building aesthetic vision in respect to its sustainability goals; namely: to enhance the NYT work environment through the effective management of daylight, offsetting the building’s lighting and cooling energy demands. The study focuses on the role of the ceramic rod façade and concentrates on its implications on the building’s energy demands. The study makes a case for aesthetics informing the building’s sustainability goals and pushing for innovative solutions to sustainable architecture

Sustainability in Industrial Architecture

The goal of this project is to complete an in-depth study and analysis of sustainable industrial architecture. Currently, sustainable industrial architecture is an emerging topic amongst architects and industry leaders. Topics involve battling with ideologies and company policies to better the sustainability of industrial architecture. This project will help fill the gap between industrial design and sustainability by creating research and project-based examples of how sustainable industrial design can be completed. The project will be a result of a thorough research study of current sustainable industrial design, and a proposal for new efforts that can be implemented. The goal of this research is to conclude how sustainable design can be implemented more often in industrial architecture

Fractals, architecture and sustainability

The concept of fractals has brought about exhilarating and innovative changes deepening and broadening our understanding about the nature, culture and science. Sustainability as understood is an attempt looking at three dimensions- social ,economic and environmental. Architecture accomplishes some of the basic human needs namely aesthetics, functionality and sustainability. Fractal architecture with its unique feature of organic assemblage of units is better endowed to answer questions of sustainability than many other form of architecture. The fractal theme serves as a framework or reference for organizing an intellectual and aesthetic presentation in order to explain the reality that ‘everything in the universe (nature) is connected to everything else.’ The concept of fractal explains nature, where sustainability is a current concern. The topic of Fractal is a realization of the natural world expressed mathematically where the structure of every piece holds the key to the whole structure. The application of fractal theory in architecture is a new concept. The following research paper will discuss about fractals, their existence in architecture and how further they can be related to sustainabilit