Environmental scrutiny of traditional Mediterranean forms for contemporary application (an empirical study)

Traditional architecture has successfully created a desirable indoor environment with minimal energy consumption and compatible with social and cultural contexts. The proper use of environmental passive design strategies that were widely employed in regional, traditional and vernacular architecture is crucial. However, employing traditional architecture vocabularies within contemporary buildings requires a proper understanding of their forms’ environmental-behaviors. Consequently, modifying forms, geometries, and design-concepts may enhance their environmental performance. On the same time such traditional forms will stand for architectural identity that appropriately serves environmental, cultural and social contexts. A building that respects cultural and social beliefs of the people is believed to address more practically the issue of sustainability. The undertaken review and investigation in this paper seeks a better understanding and application of traditional architecture forms and geometries in Egypt’s northern-coast contemporary architecture. The investigations highlight the methodological approach carried out, to seeking a better understanding of the thermal and solar performance of these traditional passive systems regardless of their construction materials and colors. This is done, as a contribution towards improving their physical qualifications and energy efficiency performances. Furthermore, the paper is a low-energy architecture approach for more energy efficient and passive buildings (particularly low-rise buildings) in the new communities that are being developed recently in Alexandria, Egypt and other hot-arid parts. Therefore, it establishes an architectural approach to resist the rapid growth of international styles and produce an environmentally, culturally, and socially appropriate architecture. In order to verify whether these forms are environmentally and climatic sound quantitative analysis needs to be carried out. The paper is part of continuing research work carried out on certain traditional roof forms. This is discussed through empirical and experimental tests for number of traditional forms (domes, vaults and cones) in the contemporary built environment of Alexandria city and Egypt’s northern-coast. The paper focuses on the methodology and approach used in the analysis of the chosen forms

The Influence of international boards validation upon the architecture curriculum in the Arab region

Well recognized accreditation and validation bodies ensure that architecture graduates will be technically competent who are capable of defining multiple career paths within a changing societal context. These accrediting bodies require an accredited program to produce graduates who are able to solve architectural design problems, including the integration of technical systems, environmental systems, and health and safety requirements; and comprehend architects' roles and responsibilities in society. The criteria at which the accrediting bodies work and their influence on Architecture schools, the students and syllabus in Arab region are discussed. The RIBA and the CAA are the key professional bodies that perform accreditation beyond their original national borders. In this paper the RIBA validation system will be discussed in order to find out to what extent such validation process can affect the teaching and curriculum structure within architectural schools. The paper presents the validation process carried out at the Architectural Engineering and Environmental Design Department, Arab Academy for Science and Technology (AAST). The AAST architectural department is the first architecture school to be accredited by the RIBA accreditation board in the Arab region

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

Revitalisation of traditional curved roofs for indoor thermal comfort in hot climates

Traditional passive cooling techniques in hot arid regions have been discussed in previous research work to explore their passive-cooling abilities and strategies. This paper dwells on traditional curved-roof geometries and forms in order to create more energy efficient buildings and indoor thermal comfort environments in hot climates. This paper presents part of a continuing research, which is aimed at exploring the relationship between the intensity of the received solar radiation on roofs and their geometrical configurations. Throughout the research, a number of investigations have been carried out on different curved-roofs forms (domes and vaults) with different curvatures (cross section ratios (CSR)) at different orientations to study their solar radiation performance. This paper illustrates some of the generated results which compare between the Hourly Total Clear Sky Irradiance Intensity I(HTCS) W/m2 on flat and vaulted-roof, which has a semicircular Vaulted-roof Cross-sections Ratio, VSCR = 1. The geographical latitude of Aswan (23.58oN) has been chosen to represent the hot dry climatic conditions of southern Egypt

Sustaining historical city centres through urban regeneration

Historical city centres usually symbolise the origins of the city. While these areas are usually endowed with a multitude of historic buildings, they are also the areas that are most prone to the undesirable and consequential effects of growth and urbanisation, including overcrowding, air emissions and poor environmental quality. Urban regeneration of historic city centres serves as a fundamental catalyst for change, improving environmental quality of the natural and built environments, and upgrading conditions in inner historic areas. This paper analyses strategies that have been used in the Core City of Barcelona, Spain, and A focuses on the strategies that have been used to upgrade the environmental quality of this historical centre as a case from which many lessons can be learnt, thus attempting at diminishing undesirable effects and improving the urban and environmental quality of its urban spaces for the well-being of citizens

Appropriateness’ of the use of tensile membrane structures in hot arid regions

Today, with the vast technological progress and the deep understanding of our environment, and the insisting need to reduce energy consumption to save our natural resources there have been a shift in thinking and the need for a sustainable environmentally friendly architecture has evolved. The need of new materials and structures that fulfil the occupant’s needs and comfort, has the architectural beauty and attraction and be environmentally friendly has become a necessity. Although, tensile membrane structures (TMS) are relatively new as a structural material, they have been widely used in many architectural projects that were mainly considered as architectural statements and landmarks. Form finding and structure analysis of such structures has become an established discipline, however, their environmental understanding and behaviour are still in its infancy. This paper considers the appropriateness of the use of TMS in hot arid regions through a review of some of the built environment successful built examples

The reflection of Euro- Mediterranean historical culture on contemporary architecture in Alexandria

During the past thirty years, interest in vernacular and traditional architecture all over the world has grown rapidly and in diverse directions. Architects and all those concerned with the building industry started to realize that buildings at their new current status does not fit properly with their environments in its global term. They realized how most traditional architecture met the needs of the local, worked with the environment and added to the value and culture of their place. Scholars and architects now apply the term "vernacular architecture" to traditional buildings, and “Neo-Vernacular” to concepts that aims to advance recognition and application of vernacular architecture traditions worldwide. Although not all vernacular architecture is climatically responsive, as sometimes social and cultural aspects dominate and govern the needs from climate. However, it is considered more indigenous to a particular place along with its climate. This paper is concerned with the traditional architecture and heritage of Alexandria’s buildings, skyline and facades along the Mediterranean coastal line. This is discussed through an analysis carried out on the buildings of the coastal line of Alexandria, and the timeline influence upon their Architecture

Sustainable urban regeneration of historic city centres: lessons learnt

Cities are society’s centres of human interaction, creativity, knowledge, diversity, culture, commerce and economic creativity. The accretion of several layers of history tends to reveal a great deal about the city's past, present and even future. Historic city centres are usually endowed with a multitude of historic buildings, heritage sites and the like. However, it is also these historical centres that are most prone to the undesirable and consequential effects of growth and rapid technological advancement, where a range of environmental and developmental challenges find their crude expression. The rehabilitation and conservation of historic city centres serves as a fundamental catalyst for change. Furthermore, urban regeneration of historical city centres also promotes social interaction between inhabitants of the city, and the adoption of its urban spaces encourages public activity. This paper scrutinizes the city centre of two historical cities which are Barcelona, Spain and Istanbul, Turkey. Successful aspects of their ecological performance are highlighted. The two downtown areas discussed in this paper represent the downtown of two Mediterranean cities, and both are distinguished historical cities who have contextual similarities. The historical city centres of these Mediterranean cities have undergone variety of projects and strategic plans for urban regeneration, development and beautification. Moreover, various attempts have been made for the improvement of their environmental quality and ecological performance. This is through increases in urban green spaces and public parks, increased dependence on renewable energy technologies (RETs) and adopting sustainable transportation modes as opposed to undesirable and harmful vehicular transport. In essence, many urban regeneration plans have been aimed at conserving and preserving buildings and sites that are considered symbolic of the two cities heritage and legacy. Concomitantly, the paper presents a review of sustainability issues related to these two city centres and analyses the strategies that have been used through various urban regeneration projects and development plans. The paper particularly focuses on investigating the strategic plans and attempts that have been made at urban regeneration level by the Barcelona City Council and the Greater Municipality of Istanbul for the revitalization of their core areas

The mirage in architecture design studio teaching

The idea introduced in this paper is culled from a wide spectrum of issues the authors have explored in design studio teaching over a period of two decades. One of the affirmations that it is possible to do with regard to the education in the Architecture studio, is the consensus of high expectations in this process. Nevertheless, this aspiration shared by tutors and tutees can end up by being a mirage. In the definition of the mirage the perception of what is seen, is determined by the ambience. This process is inserted in a place and specific time, the environmental conditions of this process of education and learning are, as in reality, determinant for a more real and useful perception. One of the pitfalls that hide a more collective reflection concerning the topic of learning in studio is the permanent urgency of the theoretical and/or professional agendas in architecture. This environmental condition determines the vision, reflection and the practice of the architecture. Nevertheless, this energy and attention tends to alienate the most permanent need of a reflection with regard to the daily action of learning in studio. The studio Culture is an extraordinary way of learning that has survived 275 years, and has been in discourse since then. This culture is created in a field of tension between reason, emotion and intuition, on both sides ‘Tutor/Student and Student/Tutor’. Schon (1981,83) has long identified three reasons why studio teaching could go wrong as the Stance adopted towards communication, the qualities of the `behavioural world they created for each other, and thirdly the theory in use. The importance of this statement, shift the attention from declared intentions (Learning outcomes) written in programmes and the expected standard, to the student’s and tutor own experiences. Concomitantly, studio teaching/learning process can go wrong today for a number of reasons and expectations, the syndrome of viewing architecture as art and only art, the syndrome of embedding an envisioned ambiguous sustainable agenda, and the syndrome of emphasizing the development of skills at the expense of knowledge. Clear guideline in objectives and standards are developed in the form of learning contract (Learning outcome, teaching methodology, assessment criteria, etc.). Special consideration has been given to the semantic of it. However, design process is a not a solving - programme mental method that operates as a recipe, neither a completely random exercise for the sake of the imaginary. Individuals make a difference with theirs own contributions. Tutors in the way they created the safe environment for risk taking and students which committed themselves for their own agendas. But it is by no doubt the tutor’s responsibility to stick to the learning outcomes, and develop it based on his/her own experience. Developing the outcome is therefore, a complete different story then operating his/her own hidden agenda that does not fulfil the requirements of the contract the tutor is eligible to fulfil for the student. However, a text and discourse analysis studied revealed that an objective defined as outcome in a particular learning contract, vary in its meaning and interpretation and within the relationship; Students-Students. / Students –Tutor / Tutor-Tutor / Tutor- External. Hidden values, circumstantial agendas are sometimes legitimised by the power the tutor have on his/her own studio.. The outcome of this procedure could have a negative effect on tutors and tutees. This in turn has a mal effect on motivation and self confidence, which are both crucial components of an optimal experience in learning. “It is about learning! and, it is about time”. A needed switch: it is not about performance, but Learning process, it is about accomplishing and improvement, but mainly about a deep review of our studio practice. In essence, this paper identifies illusions present in architecture studio teaching. It sheds the lights on hidden agendas within the studio and the effect these agendas have on the long term architects (architectural students) that such environments develop. The results of investigating this multilayered studio teaching approach offers important lessons to be learnt in our design studio teaching for both Tutors and Tutees

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