Multi-domain occupant comfort experimentation framework in different climate zones

Research Project

The goal of this framework is to investigate the influence of contextual settings and population characteristics on occupant comfort (e.g., participants' perceptual and physiological responses). This international collaboration gives a unique chance to focus on multi-domain human comfort topics that are still under discussion by the scientific community [8]. Statistically significant correlations among the collected physiological and perceptual occupant responses will be investigated as part of these tests, and any differences in results between the two international locations will be identified and further analyzed.

The Zero Carbon Future Heritage Studio

Teaching Project

Zero-carbon and carbon-negative landscapes and architecture imagined today are the future legacies of the built environment. Funded by the British Council, three institutions examined the heritage-rich contexts of Northern Ireland, Egypt, and England to explore the role of design in the production of future value.

The 2050 Education for Sustainable Development Campus

Research Project

The proposal intersects the education and urbanization goals (SDG11, and SDG4), aiming to activate learning spaces and curricula in higher education institutions (HEIs) to make progress in addressing the challenges outlined in the other 15 SDG.

Climate Resilience of Micro, Small & Medium Industrial Workplaces in Egypt: A future-fit approach to retrofit

Training Project

Workshop will explore sustainable ways to renovate Egypt's small and medium-sized industrial workplaces to enhance worker health, reduce energy consumption, and combat climate change, fostering a UK-Egypt research collaboration.

Living Climate Change Experiences at AUC and Beyond

Research-Creation Project

By using multimedia performance, the project aims to creatively communicate the consequences of climate change, share research and practical solutions in development, and make evident the individual’s roles and responsibilities. The aim is to appeal to people’s emotions, encourage them to engage in the process, and ultimately lead them to act on climate change issues.

Carbon DataHub AUC

Research Project

The project aims to help Egyptian universities reduce their carbon emissions by developing a platform to track and analyze greenhouse gas emissions. It will use AUC's experience to create a user-friendly tool and guide other universities in implementing carbon reduction strategies.

Quantifying Air Infiltration in the Egyptian Building Stock

Research Project

The are little or no publications that report envelope air leakage in Egyptian buildings, and envelope testing is rarely conducted in Egypt. Thus, envelope air leakage effects remain unknown, leading to energy waste and uncertainty in performance prediction and modelling. This research fills this gap by conducting the first envelope air leakage tests for Egyptian buildings (institutional and residential pilots), while also quantifying their energy and possible carbon impacts.

Examining the effectiveness of four-sided wind towers in institutional buildings

Research Project

Wind towers (windcatchers) are architectural elements placed on top of roofs to catch and direct wind into
buildings. They are iconic features in the MENA region’s vernacular architecture. We propose to conduct field experiments on the two towers and complement them
with simulations to extract new analytical insights, and develop design and operation guidelines. We also extend
the analysis to include the towers’ potential to enhance daylight performance. 



Understanding the overlaps between sustainable design and the SDGs

Research Project

The 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer new opportunities for the building sector to expand its focus. The available literature utilizes the existing green ratings, sustainability assessment tools and standards as the basis for investigating how construction and buildings can contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, less focus was placed on exploring the broad intersection between the building sector, on the one hand, and the SDGs and their targets on the other.

Indoor air quality, ventilation and safety in Architectural Design studio

Research Project

The safety of learning spaces and the control of pathogen transmission are now decisive parameters in the planning and continuing this physical return. This research presents some of the first findings from Egypt collected from learning spaces post-COVID return. By comparing to current COVID guideline documents published by the WHO, CDC and EPA, this research can help improve the current institution and local policies.

Toward Thermally Efficient, Light, Cost Effective and Agile Building in Egypt

Lead: Khaled Tarabieh

The demand on sustainable building materials with the emphasis on energy efficiency and optimal structural performance is on the rise. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) is an example of such structural systems. Screen Grid Insulated Concrete Forms (SGICF) is an innovative system that combines structural strength and thermal performance thus it satisfies both the structural and environmental performance and sustainability. Accordingly, the current research conducts a comparative structural analysis for wall typologies under combined in-plane gravity and lateral loads, and evaluates the resulting thermal performance using in-situ measurement of thermal resistance and thermal transmittance. The results show the basic wall structure with two EPS insulating sheets are better thermal insulator than the screen grid insulated concrete forms.

Performance Evaluation of Window Prototypes and a Local Rating System

Lead: Khaled Tarabieh

Windows are often used in buildings for daylighting and ventilation along with some control on outdoor acoustics. A number of studies show that the indoor environmental quality parameters such as health, comfort, and productivity can be improved due to well-ventilated indoor environments and access to natural light. Windows also represent a major source of unwanted heat loss, discomfort, and condensation problems. This research explores the thermal performance of a number of window prototypes made with recycled wood against traditional window materials in the market. In addition, a rating system for window assemblies is developed to provide a normalized scale for window assemblies.

A Comparative Study of the Thermal Performance of Plastic Bottle Wall against Traditional Composite Brick Wall Typologies

Lead: Khaled Tarabieh

According to the container recycling institute, nearly a million plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute around the world. Specific types of plastic bottles can be recycled and the rest is considered typical waste, however, it has shape characteristics which make them usable in construction in lieu of conventional bricks. This research promotes the use of recycled plastic bottles as eco-bricks by substituting it with the typical construction bricks. It evaluates the thermal performance of air-filled PET bottle-walls in a comparative analysis against traditional composite brick walls. The thermal performance of the plastic bottle walls is evaluated through a combined experimental method of simulation and experimental testing using in-situ measurement of thermal resistance and thermal transmittance

Digital art for regulating emotions in public spaces

Lead: Ahmed Marey

The study of the effect of the built environment and urban life on the quality of life has been given a continually increasing interest over the past few years due to its importance to regulate psychological mood. This research introduces the possibility of using machine learning alongside art for emotion detection and regulation. 

The sustainability of modern Egyptian architecture

Lead: Mahmoud El Kady

The work investigates how Egyptian pre-HVAC modern architecture addressed contemporary sustainability concerns through. Using structured thematic analysis of Egyptian Modernist Sayed Karim’s (1911-2005) work and visual mapping of the sustainable features, the research opens a new venue for how today’s sustainable architecture movement can benefit from Global South modernism.



The role of heritage in achieving sustainable development in cities

Lead: Virginia Bassily

This research examines how heritage façades, and the street-level activities they instigate, contribute to local sustainable development. The research builds on existing knowledge to develop a framework that links façade features with the SDGs. This framework is used to re-examine several case studies in El Korba, located in Heliopolis, Cairo (Egypt). The results highlight how those heritage façades serve as a means for sustainable development on the social, economic, and environmental levels. The findings also substantiate several of the connections in the framework, which enables future researchers to link the design features of heritage building façades and the SDGs.