Traditional Residential Architecture in Cairo from a Green Architecture Perspective

In Egypt, traditional residential architecture of Islamic eras accorded a great deal of importance and respect to the environment, the source of the construction materials that give form to architectural elements. It also contributes to creating architectural spaces that realize mental and physical comfort of users while complementing the surrounding environment. In this paper, various components and design patterns of the traditional residential architecture in Cairo (Cairene houses) were observed and analyzed from a green architecture perspective in order to determine best building techniques and elements of environmentally friendly design. First, the climatic system of Egypt is explained, second a description of the traditional residential architecture in Cairo is provided, third, green principles in the design patterns and elements of Cairene houses were observed and analyzed in detail in terms of: 1) solar heat energy, 2) solar light energy, 3) wind energy, 4) construction materials, and 5) sound insulation Keywords: Cairo, Cairene houses, green architecture, maq’ad, takhtabush, mashrabiyya, qa’a, shokhshekha, malqaf, solar heat, solar light, wind, construction materials, sound insulation

The interpretation of Islamic art and architecture of Cairo in European paintings in the 19th century

After the French expedition to Egypt in 1798, travelers tempted to discover this newly revealed land. European orientalist painters, when in Cairo, encountered an exotic culture. They documented Islamic architecture, as well as religious and social traditions and rituals. Their paintings became as tableaux vivants such as the oriental settings in universal fairs in the 19th century. These painters could be classified into two different groups. On the one hand, a group of painters focused on the documentation of Islamic monuments with their decorative and architectural features. Most of these European painters resided in Egypt for many years, and sometimes worked for the state. They compiled their paintings in volumes such as the collection of Egypt and Nubia by David Roberts, L’art arabe by Prisse d’Avennes, Architecture arabe, ou, monuments du Caire by Pascal Coste and The Illustrations of Cairo by Robert Hay. On the other hand, another group of painters represented religious and social traditions of the Muslims they encountered in Cairo. Local inhabitants became the focal point in the paintings of this group. They are embedded into an Islamic setting. This latter was used to convince the Western audience with their perception of the Oriental lifestyle, or sometimes was modified to fit the represented portraits. Some of the painters of this group had commonly a short stay in Egypt. Usually, their paintings were not compiled in volumes. They aimed to display their paintings for sale in le Salon de Paris and the Royal Academy; thus, they were exhibited separately. Among them are Jean-Léon Gérôme, John Frederick Lewis, Henri-Léopold Lévy and Le Comte du Nouy

Analytical and Comparative Study of Change in Functional Purpose of Some Archaeological and Historical Architectures in Cairo During the 19th and 20th Centuries

This research paper aims to discuss the nature of change in the functional purpose of some archaeological and historical buildings in Cairo during the 19th and 20th centuries along with a comparative study of some of the most important heritage constructions and evidences in the world, such as the British Museum in London, as well as the Historical Railway Station of Orsay in Paris. There are some practical attempts and technical procedures that have been carried out to achieve some functional purposes, differ from the original purposes of the archaeological and historical buildings in Cairo in particular. In a similar way, this has been applied to historical and heritage buildings around the world in general. The methodology of this study will be addressed through analytical and comparative study of the original idea or the original functional purpose of these archaeological and historical buildings.The outlines and features of change in the functional purpose of these archaeological and historical buildings are represented in some technical procedures like the technique of adaptive rehabilitation or rehabilitation in terms of adaptation, so there is a necessity for conformity and harmony between heritage buildings and modern functional purpose, and this should be done without any disagreement and repulsion with the original functional purpose. There is also a necessity to protect the original functional purpose, which should be adapted to the modern functional purpose in order to achieve compatibility between old and new integration processes

The Fourth-Century AD Expansion of the Graeco-Roman Settlement of Karanis (Kom Aushim) in the Northern Fayum*

The Graeco-Roman town of Karanis, founded during the Ptolemaic Period in the north-eastern Fayum in the third century bc and long thought to have been abandoned in the third century ad actually saw a substantial expansion during the fourth century AD. With the creation of an 3 extension towards the west and the expansion of the eastern part, the town grew in both directions. We argue that this expansion may be related to a sudden rise of the water level in Lake Moeris (Lake Qarun), perhaps linked to a catastrophic dam breach in the eastern part of the Fayum, and the subsequent relocation of the inhabitants of the low-lying settlements north and east of the lake

Proposal of sustainable and eco-exurban communities at the western desert development corridor in Egypt

Worldwide energy assessments now indicate that improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings, and urban communities could save our planet and free-up enormous amounts of current energy expenses. In addition, greater reliance on sustainability offers countries worldwide means of maintaining economic growth and environmental quality. In this rapidurbanizing world, cities hold the key to achieving a sustainable balance between the Earth's resources and its human needs. Industrialization in developing countries has led to urban health problems on an unprecedented scale. Cities around the world affect not just the health of their people but the health of the planet. Urban areas take up very diminutive percentage of the world's surface but consume the bulk of vital resources. This research paper represents a holistic proposal which primarily aims to lessen the harm poorly designed urban communities and buildings in Egypt’s big cities like Cairo and Alexandria cause. It draws attention towards exurban developments that are able to use the best of eco-building approaches in logical combination with the best of technological advances and renewable energy resources. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to put forward a sustainable-oriented development to make possible homes, offices, even entire subdivisions of suburban and exurban for newly proposed Egyptian communities away from the narrow-valley along the Nile and towards the Western Desert Development Corridor WDDC that are net producers of energy, food, clean water and air, beauty, and healthy human and biological communities. This paper proposes the methodology that should be undertaken in order to make possible the design of such ecological urban communities

Vitruvius’ idea on character: somelessons for design students

Ponencia presentada a Session 3: Educación y arquitectura en las universidades / Architectural education in the universitie

LAI based trees selection for mid latitude urban developments: A microclimatic study in Cairo, Egypt

To study the leaf area index, LAI, based thermal performance in distinguishing trees for Cairo's urban developments, ENVI-met plants database was used as platform for a foliage modeling parameter, the leaf area density, LAD. Two Egyptian trees: Ficus elastica. and Peltophorum pterocarpum were simulated in 2 urban sites with one having no trees, whilst the second is having Ficus nitida trees. Trees LAD values were calculated using flat leaves' trees LAI definition to produce maximum ground solid shadow at peak time. An empirical value of 1 for LAI is applied to numerically introduce LAD values for ENVI-met. Basically, different meteorological records showed improvements for pedestrian comfort and ambient microclimate of the building using E elastica. About 40-50% interception of direct radiation, reductions in surfaces' fluxes around trees and in radiant temperature T-mrt in comparison to base cases gave preferability to E elastica. The lack of soil water prevented evapotranspiration to take place effectively and the reduced wind speeds concluded negligible air temperature differences from both base cases except slightly appeared with the F elastica. Results show that a flat leaves tree if does not validate LAI of 1, the ground shading would not fulfill about 50% direct radiation interception and this value can be used as a reference for urban trees selection. Further simulations were held to investigate LAI value of maximum direct radiation interception. Performing additional simulations, F elastica of LAI of 3 intercepted almost 84% of direct radiation and revealed implications about urban trees in practice and its actual LAI. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

'Mamlukisation' between social theory and social practice: an essay on reflexivity, state formation, and the late medieval sultanate of Cairo

This working paper is a reflexive essay that tries to think with and beyond one of the basic assumptions upon which the field of late medieval Syro-Egyptian ‘Mamluk’ studies is built: the idea that all late medieval Syro-Egyptian objects of study are by default first and foremost connected, circumscribed and distinguished by some agency of dominant military slavery, of Mamluk-ness. Acknowledging that there may be different ways to pursue such an epistemological exercise, this essay opts for re-imagining the historical agency of what traditionally tends to be subsumed under the phenomenon of the Mamluk state. It is argued that the notions of state in modern research and of dawla in contemporary texts remain an issue of related analytical confusion. Engaging with this confusion in the generalising fashion of a historical sociology of late medieval Syro-Egyptian political action, this essay proposes an alternative analytical model that is inspired by Michael Chamberlain’s prioritisation of social practices of household reproduction and by Timothy Mitchell’s related understanding of the state as a structural effect of practices of social differentiation. The proposed model sees sultanic political order —the state— as process, in constant flux as the structural effect and structuring embodiment of constantly changing practices of social reproduction, of elite integration and of political distinction, in contexts that range between multipolar and unipolar social organisation at and around Cairo’s court and its military elites. The essay ends with summarily suggesting from this model how the socio-culturally structured and structuring memories of dynastic political order that had remained politically dominant for most of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were all but obliterated in the fifteenth century by a new layer of particularly ‘Mamluk’ socio-political meaning

Novel CCII-based Field Programmable Analog Array and its Application to a Sixth-Order Butterworth LPF

In this paper, a field programmable analog array (FPAA) is proposed. The proposed FPAA consists of seven configurable analog blocks (CABs) arranged in a hexagonal lattice such that the CABs are directly connected to each other. This structure improves the overall frequency response of the chip by decreasing the parasitic capacitances in the signal path. The CABS of the FPAA is based on a novel fully differential digitally programmable current conveyor (DPCCII). The programmability of the DPCCII is achieved using digitally controlled three-bit MOS ladder current division network. No extra biasing circuit is required to generate specific analog control voltage signals. The DPCCII has constant standby power consumption, offset voltage, bandwidth and harmonic distortions over all its programming range. A sixth-order Butterworth tunable LPF suitable for WLAN/WiMAX receivers is realized on the proposed FPAA. The filter power consumption is 5.4mW from 1V supply; it’s cutoff frequency is tuned from 5.2 MHz to 16.9 MHz. All the circuits are realized using 90nm CMOS technology from TSMC. All simulations are carried out using Cadence