VISUALIZATION-BASED DECISION SUPPORT FOR OPTIMIZING SITE SELECTION:QUARRIES IN LEBANON; WHERE TO?

Traditionally the term visualization has been used to describe the process of graphically conveying or presenting end results. This paper argues that the utility of visualization approaches extends beyond these limits as it plays key role in fields of exploration, analysis and presentation, which enhances planner\u27s capabilities to solve complex planning problems. It proposes a transdisciplinary method that combines visualization approaches to site selection, integrated with spatial scenario planning, and stakeholder participation. However, it focuses on visualization as it relates to spatial data, to be applied to all the stages of problem-solving in geographical analysis, from development of initial hypotheses, through knowledge discovery, analysis, presentation and evaluation. It uses three different spatial scenarios – nature conservation, residential expansion, and sustainable development- to investigate the potentials of GIS based visualization to develop maps of a range of plausible future for possible quarrying locations in Lebano

Wayfinding based Usability of Complex Buildings

Usability is a key concept in evaluating the performance of buildings as it puts user experience at the core of its criteria. This measuring tool is crucial in complicated buildings, especially those based on complex circulation systems, where users may be lost. However, modern techniques have proved efficient in performing evaluation for buildings’ related aspects whether before the building is constructed or later in the operation stage. This paper investigates the potential for using way-finding as an indicator of the quality of user experience in hospitals. It correlates -on one end-, way-finding’ understandings, and the usability key aspects; effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, learn-ability, and security on the other end. It abstracts these correlations to draw a theoretical model that could be used as a framework for further investigations. To validate its theoretical findings, this paper uses a questionnaire to collect information concerning the users’ satisfaction with way-finding in hospitals in Alexandria, Egypt. The results show the importance of wayfinding as a cornerstone in evaluating user experience in complex buildings and shaping their usability profile accordingly

Community-Based Ecotourism Principles as a Framework for Community Development in Protected Areas

Tourism is one of the most important sources of national & international income in the World. One type which has the potential to contribute to the sustainable development of local communities and alleviation of poverty levels is Ecotourism. Ecotourism implies responsibility to the environment, resident communities, and a duty to respect, invest, and develop local cultures. This definition not only suggets that there should be a recognition of and positive support for the conservation of natural resources, both by suppliers and consumers, but also that there is a necessary social dimension to ecotourism. The term ‘community-based ecotourism’ (CBET) takes this social dimension a stage further. This is a planning paradigm where the local community has substantial control over, and involvement in its development and management, and a major proportion of the benefits remain within the community. CBET is considered the logical link between the environment, the local community, and the tourism industry. It has become the newest planning process approach in tourism development, devised to support community involvement, improve their living standards and protect natural resources which is the main current problem resulting from the mass tourism industry in Egypt. Since 2002, also the year when eco-tourism was internationally promoted by the UN the Egyptian government began to seek new strategies and plans to actively support the participation of local communities in ecotourism development initiatives in Egypt’s rich biodiversity and numerous protected areas. However, the actual implementation of involving communities in decision making is poorly achieved, which impacted negatively on the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives. This paper proposes an integrated community-based ecotourism framework. This was done through a theoretical study of the main principles and stratergies of community ecotourism that have been successfully applied in developing countries by using the Egyptian protected areas classifications which determine the applicable community participation types for effectively involving local communities in protected areas. Subsequently the framework can be applied to specific destinations and recommend action points for their development according to each area‘s needs and variable circumstances. Once developed, this integrated planning tool can be used to devise a local urban development plan by the local government and other organisations in protected areas to improve the physical and social environments and to create a better understanding of the relationship between tourism and community

Computational-based Generative Design Exploration, Multi-Agent System as an Approach

Architecture design problems are known for their sequential steps that address a series of several interweaving, competing and/or aligning requirements. Describing them as open-ended, uncertain, solution searching processes makes them complex and ill-structured design problems. One of the methods to deal with nonlinear complex systems is that their components’ properties and features must not be pre-determined and studied linearly in isolation. Instead, it is essential to consider the system as a whole, even if it means considering it generally and roughly, and then allow possible simplifications to occur from the dynamic interactions between components. Computational design methods that encounter distributed computation and artificial intelligence, such as Multi Agent System (MAS), showed promising abilities in addressing complexity and uncertainty faced with architecture design problems, as well as they proved positive effect on expanding architecture design exploration (ADE). This study has an interest in MAS capabilities in creating aesthetically innovative and performable architecture solutions. Therefore, this research intends to investigate the use of MAS in Architecture in the years between 2010 to 2020. It contributes with a detailed examination of research papers to orient future research in the field of MAS. Hence, the applied literature review raises the question of what the proved capacities of MAS are and how future research can challenge it further to widen and develop the use of MAS in ADE and their possible capabilities when addressing building performances such as structural, functional, and environmental. The databases used for selecting these papers are Scopus, Web of Science, SAGE, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Connected Papers, CUMINCAD, IEEXplore, and ACM Digital Library. These studies are organized, analyzed, and compared to pinpoint key innovations in MAS’s variable usage, study its applied methods, interesting results, important sources of data, implementation strategies, and shed the light on the gaps and shortcomings to draw a perspective of MAS in architecture. The examined studies are arranged chronographically. Then, each paper is analyzed and classified according to the aim of the methodology, domain, level, scale of application (experimentation level), model generation and optimization methods. Afterwards, a critical review is proposed

Towards Climate Resilient Coastal Cities: a Framework to Deploy Nature-Based Solutions in the Urban Planning Strategies of the North Coast Cities in Egyptp

Coastal zones of the Mediterranean region are severely affected by the effects of extreme climatic events, along with human-induced pressures, which causes their growing vulnerability. That leads to the urgency for sustainable and resilient long‐term strategies for coastal development projects. In Egypt, the North Coast zone is considered a hotspot for climate-related changes. It is undergoing a series of new urban development projects expanding the urban areas along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. As anthropogenic consequences along its coasts increase, the need for sustainable Nature‐Based Solutions (NBS) will increase accordingly. Recently, adaptive management strategies have been considered an important tactic to atone the unknown environmental conditions that coastal areas struggle with. Adaptive management was exploited to lessen such uncertainty by incorporating adaptive management into climate change adaptation strategies. In response to this need, this paper proposes a framework for nature-based solutions. It consists of four stages, it is founded on a novel approach that combines system analysis and building scenarios. Moreover, the first stage mainly depends on using the structure of the DPSIR (Driving force–Pressure–State–Impact–Response) model to improve ecosystem services and generate the evidence-base for the environmental, social, and economic benefits of nature-based solutions for implementation. The last two steps mainly reflect the adaptive management process and it is well-suited to capitalise on the transformational character of naturebased solutions’ as it encourages “breakthrough” leaps rather than incremental improvements. In essence, this framework aims to employ nature-based solutions in urban planning strategies to increase the climate resilience of coastal cities and. in particular, to identify suitable and less suitable strategies to be deployed in each zone. The framework has yet to be tested in a real-world case study; instead, this paper intentionally focuses on describing its structure, goals, and methodology, discussing its features, and framing its role from a climate resilience standpoint. As a result, the paper lacks a results section. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding its potential adoption and further development

Design Studio Environment: Using Biophilic Patterns for Creative Performance

In design education, the architectural design studio environment is one of the most significant environments that should be a stimulator of creativity. It's known for the amount of time students spend there, so it's considered their second home. Researchers aspire to create a unique and different design studio environment that motivates students’ creativity. This study presents the biophilia theory as a technique that generates a creative design studio environment. The purpose is to determine the applicability of the biophilic design theory patterns to the design studio environment, which in turn has an impact on motivating the students' creativity. The research method will be conducted through a comprehensive analysis of several world- famous architectural schools, by understanding the application of the principles of nature and connecting them with biophilic patterns. As a result, the research has yielded applicable criteria for biophilic patterns in existing design studios

Using simulation methods to investigate the impact of urban form on human comfort. Case study: Coast of Baltim, North Coast, Egypt

Coastal regions have specific climatic conditions, that require deliberate thinking before considering urban interventions. So, understanding these conditions is the starting point to lay out a responsive design that realizes the symbiotic relationship between nature and urban development in such a sensitive context. This paper analyses different parameters of the urban form, that control the outdoor human thermal, and wind comfort in the Egyptian coastal zone. It presents an experimental investigation of the microclimatic conditions, in selected districts, on the coast of Baltim (resort city in Egypt). It uses ENVI-met 4.0 Software to assess three environmental variables, namely: Air Temperature, Relative Humidity, Wind Speed, and one thermal index (PMV). It compares the results of simulating three different orientations of urban blocks in three different districts. The measurements were taken during both the summer and winter of 2018. In addition, the research focuses on correlating simulation results, at the selected sites, to the key parameters of the examined blocks, which are: Aspect Ratio (H/W), Street Orientation, and Building Volume. Finally, the results give an indication of the way in which design configurations of urban blocks could be controlled to enhance the microclimatic conditions in such coastal areas. Keywords: Coastal areas, Thermal comfort, Wind comfort, Urban geometry, Urban developmen