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Eslam Elsamahy

Beirut Arab University, Architectural Engineering, Faculty Member

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Eslam El Samahy is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Architecture - Design and Built Environment at Beirut Arab University. Received his Ph.D. in architectural education from Alexandria University in 2012. He received his Master of Science in Architecture from Alexandria University in 2005. Obtained his B.S. in Architecture from Alexandria University in 2000. He have many published papers in the field of architectural education and the relation with virtual reality, and also in the field of using digital game-based learning.

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Papers by Eslam Elsamahy

Developing an Agent-Based Model of Pedestrian Wayfinding to Conduct the Best Touristic Path in Historic Districts

Architecture and Planning Journal

A historic district is a historic and cultural conservation area that reflects traditional aspect... more A historic district is a historic and cultural conservation area that reflects traditional aspects from the past. A sense of memorable pathway allows pedestrian to experience the city happily and attract touristic activity in urban historic districts. The characteristics of touristic districts which facilitate pedestrian movement help in determining the optimum track. The aim of the research is to create an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the activity of pedestrians in historic districts in order to way find the best touristic paths. Using Space-Syntax, a simulation of the interaction of tourists with the attraction points in old districts pathway will be made in two different case studies located on North Lebanon. A comparison will be made between the simulation model results and field observation. Findings show that the results of the simulation are different than the real environment. The importance of the research is based on developing a framework that helps urban designers...

Mixed Reality Framework for Architectural Design Education

APJ, Oct 6, 2020

This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the ... more This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the idea of Mixed Reality (MR) as a technique of merging real and virtual learning environment, studying its impact on the education curricular contents and the course outline especially in design studio courses to provide new possibilities for innovation design. the study aims to achieve strategies to design a model for architectural design education with the focus on the concept of design studio's evolution through the analysis of its basic components, between Mind (Think of the human factor), Reality (spatial factor for the design process), Media (tools used in Design) and the work organization in the studio between students and instructor/s and the Design Processes from the pre-design stage to design development stage.

Calculating Vandalism Risk Assessment for Archaeological Findings Within Heritage Buildings: The Case of Al-Attar Historical Mosque in Tripoli Lebanon

Architecture and Planning Journal

A heritage building is a genuine witness for the past and it mostly correlates with communities’ ... more A heritage building is a genuine witness for the past and it mostly correlates with communities’ collective memory. It involves a considerable economical asset for cultural tourism in addition to other emotional values. However, building archeology is slightly exposed when handling historical buildings; it is subject to reburial to minimize potential risks and to keep it for future generations. The aim of this research is to explore the validity of exposing an archeological feature by establishing an estimation for vandalism risk through an assessment for society’s attitude concerning the new image given to a historic mosque with exposed archeological features. This research handles the ABC calculation method for vandalism risk assessment, and it concludes the risk magnitude by analyzing the social impact for the existence of an archeological feature within Al-Attar historic mosque in Tripoli by performing focus group research targeting persons in direct relation with the subject. T...

An Investigation into using Digital Games-Based Learning in Architecture Education

Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportatio... more Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportation, industry, communication, etc., are recognized, however the classroom and its education facilities are still as they have been for a long time, based on the concept of transforming information or knowledge from the mind of the instructor to the minds of students. Students, as a new generation, have evolving skills in dealing with digital technologies, having begun the process in their childhood; therefore, they cannot be educated via conventional methods. This study introduces digital gaming in education as a new, futuristic learning technique to be used in architectural education to attract students to learn, based on the common ground between the processes of designing and playing games, from exploring possibilities under certain constraints to emphasizing decision-making and activity-based collaborations. The research has originated from the lack of studies regarding this subject, e...

Mixed Reality Framework for Architectural Design Education

This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the ... more This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the idea of Mixed Reality (MR) as a technique of merging real and virtual learning environment, studying its impact on the education curricular contents and the course outline especially in design studio courses to provide new possibilities for innovation design. the study aims to achieve strategies to design a model for architectural design education with the focus on the concept of design studio’s evolution through the analysis of its basic components, between Mind (Think of the human factor), Reality (spatial factor for the design process), Media (tools used in Design) and the work organization in the studio between students and instructor/s and the Design Processes from the pre-design stage to design development stage.

The Efficiency of Using Different Outer Wall Construction Materials to Achieve Thermal Comfort in Various Climatic Zones

Energy Procedia, 2017

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective s... more District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand-outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations.

Designing Non-Stressed Psychological Public Spaces

Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many re... more Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many reasons, one of the external factors is the Built environment. The public space as a surrounding context plays a main effective role in human psychological mood whether negative or positive. The paper aims to evaluate urban public spaces, especially from the users’ activities in relation to stress factors, these applied through public spaces in Tripoli city, Lebanon. The methodology will be through an analytical study using observation and a questionnaire to measure the types of users’ activities in public spaces and their sense of pressure and stress. The results of this study are important to develop a methodology to design non-stressed psychological public spaces

Visualizing Music Compositions in Architectural Conceptual Design

The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius con... more The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius conceived Architecture as “one of the most inclusive and universal human activities” where the architect should be educated in all the arts, having a vast knowledge in history, music and philosophy. Architecture and music are based on creativity and design principles such as rhythm, proportion, harmony, unity, repetition and others. They share art relationship through performance and visual techniques to create alternative innovative design proposals. The study aims to achieve a new conceptual design-thinking module in architectural education by focusing on the principles and factors of music and the ability of applying it in the architectural design process through an exercise or workshops.

A Child-Friendly City: A Youth Creative Vision of Reclaiming Interstitial Spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child par... more Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child participation in decision-making regarding the urban form of their city is useful for both the youth as well as for the community. Participation as a principle is important for a child's mental and psychological development, better outcomes and social inclusion, and good governance (Stein, 2014). The aim of the funded project, Our City-Our Way, was to empower thirty young people from El-Mina city located in the North of Lebanon. The capacity-building provided by the project prepared the youth to advocate for an active citizenship role to be recognized by the local authorities, through a series of workshops and cultural training processes, that led them proactively to understand the key urban functions and accordingly design and implement their model of a creative child-friendly city (CFC). The idea was originated by the El Safadi Cultural Center-Centre Culturel El Sfadi, who teamed up with Beirut Arab University (BAU) as an

The Appropriate Building Materials for Energy Saving in Different Climate Zones in Egypt

Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the dif... more Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the different levels of community and economic interest, especially in the developing countries, due to the growing shortage of traditional energy resources with the rapidly increasing energy prices and its impact on the natural environment through the consumption of various energy resources such as fossil fuels. The residential building sector is responsible for consuming a large percentage of energy, especially that used in heating and cooling, which could be reduced through using different passive design strategies, such as designing the building shape, setting the optimum orientation and selecting the most appropriate building materials for the specific climate zones. Therefore, this paper focuses on reducing the energy consumption in the residential building sector in Egypt by evaluating four different non-structural filling wall materials, including red bricks, cement bricks, stone and cu...

A Child-Friendly City: A Youth Creative Vision of Reclaiming Interstitial Spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

by Nabil Mohareb and Eslam Elsamahy

Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child par... more Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child participation in decision-making regarding the urban form of their city is useful for both the youth as well as for the community. Participation as a principle is important for a child's mental and psychological development, better outcomes and social inclusion, and good governance (Stein, 2014). The aim of the funded project, Our City-Our Way, was to empower thirty young people from El-Mina city located in the North of Lebanon. The capacity-building provided by the project prepared the youth to advocate for an active citizenship role to be recognized by the local authorities, through a series of workshops and cultural training processes, that led them proactively to understand the key urban functions and accordingly design and implement their model of a creative child-friendly city (CFC). The idea was originated by the El Safadi Cultural Center-Centre Culturel El Sfadi, who teamed up with Beirut Arab University (BAU) as an

A Child-Friendly City: A Youth Creative Vision of Reclaiming Interstitial Spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

Creativity Studies

Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public space... more Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public spaces for use by children were not fully considered. This paper is an outcome of a funded project that hosted 30 youth (aged 13–17 years old) from different parts of El Mina city, located in the North of Lebanon, Tripoli. The project’s aim was not limited to capacity building or designing a framework for youth participation as a vision for a child-friendly city alone, as it also demonstrated community participation with the youth to realize a design vision in an unused interstitial space by the youth in the ancient city of El Mina. The funded project consisted of many different stages; this paper focuses on the site selection, design process and the final stage of implementation. The results highlight the lessons learned from the youth’s participation, the adaptive reuse of interstitial spaces, in addition to the various interests of the project’s stakeholders.

THE APPROPRIATE BUILDING MATERIALS FOR ENERGY SAVING IN DIFFERENT

by Eslam Elsamahy and Mary Felix

BAU Journal - Cr U Journal - Creative Sustainable De e Sustainable Development , 2019

Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the di... more Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high
priority on the different levels of community and economic interest, especially in the
developing countries, due to the growing shortage of traditional energy resources with the
rapidly increasing energy prices and its impact on the natural environment through the
consumption of various energy resources such as fossil fuels. The residential building sector
is responsible for consuming a large percentage of energy, especially that used in heating and
cooling, which could be reduced through using different passive design strategies, such as
designing the building shape, setting the optimum orientation and selecting the most
appropriate building materials for the specific climate zones. Therefore, this paper focuses
on reducing the energy consumption in the residential building sector in Egypt by evaluating
four different non-structural filling wall materials, including red bricks, cement bricks, stone
and curtain walls located in different climate zones. Simulation analysis techniques are used
to measure the related energy consumption parameters for cooling and/or heating to achieve
the thermal comfort zone for building users. These results will aid architects in the pre-design
stage to choose the most appropriate material for their designs, depending on the location
concerned.

MIXED REALITY FRAMEWORK FOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EDUCATION

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING JOURNAL -SPECIAL EDITION, 2016

This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the ... more This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the idea of Mixed Reality (MR) as a technique of merging real and virtual learning environment, studying its impact on the education curricular contents and the course outline especially in design studio courses to provide new possibilities for innovation design. the study aims to achieve strategies to design a model for architectural design education with the focus on the concept of design studio's evolution through the analysis of its basic components, between Mind (Think of the human factor), Reality (spatial factor for the design process), Media (tools used in Design) and the work organization in the studio between students and instructor/s and the Design Processes from the pre-design stage to design development stage.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO USING DIGITAL GAMES-BASED LEARNING IN ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING JOURNAL -SPECIAL EDITION, 2017

Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportatio... more Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportation, industry, communication, etc., are recognized, however the classroom and its education facilities are still as they have been for a long time, based on the concept of transforming information or knowledge from the mind of the instructor to the minds of students. Students, as a new generation, have evolving skills in dealing with digital technologies, having begun the process in their childhood; therefore, they cannot be educated via conventional methods. This study introduces digital gaming in education as a new, futuristic learning technique to be used in architectural education to attract students to learn, based on the common ground between the processes of designing and playing games, from exploring possibilities under certain constraints to emphasizing decision-making and activity-based collaborations. The research has originated from the lack of studies regarding this subject, especially in the architectural field, aiming to introduce a theoretical approach to investigating the use of digital game-based learning (DGBL) in architectural education as an integration between real and virtual educational environments particularly through the virtual worlds based on the 'Second Life'-digital platform. This study is significant in terms of making design learning fun and constructive, reaching new possibilities in architectural design.

VISUALIZING MUSIC COMPOSITIONS IN ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING JOURNAL -SPECIAL EDITION:, 2016

The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius con... more The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius conceived Architecture as "one of the most inclusive and universal human activities" where the architect should be educated in all the arts, having a vast knowledge in history, music and philosophy. Architecture and music are based on creativity and design principles such as rhythm, proportion, harmony, unity, repetition and others. They share art relationship through performance and visual techniques to create alternative innovative design proposals. The study aims to achieve a new conceptual design-thinking module in architectural education by focusing on the principles and factors of music and the ability of applying it in the architectural design process through an exercise or workshops.

The Efficiency of Using Different Outer Wall Construction Materials to Achieve Thermal Comfort in Various Climatic Zones

Energy Procedia, 2017

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective s... more District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand-outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations. Abstract The traditional vernacular architecture that is based on natural construction materials such as clay and stone is the most effective way to achieve thermal and climatic comfort inside different architectural spaces. Despite their efficiency, these natural materials are deficient when building large-scale and high-rise buildings. These materials also need periodic maintenance to protect buildings from construction collapse, especially clay structures. After the industrial revolution, the architectural movement shifted towards high-rise and large-scale buildings through using artificial materials such as cement, steel and glass. These materials demonstrate mass production and quality in implementation, but they are not sustainable in terms of thermal comfort in most climate zones across the world. It would thus seem sensible to integrate the two types of construction materials, by using a skeletal system for the building made of concrete or steel, which guarantees the structure, and by using natural materials like clay or stone for the outer walls, which assures thermal and climatic comfort in the indoor spaces. The aim of this paper is to analyse a new construction method that combines the two different construction materials-natural and artificial-to discover which outer-wall material is more effective in terms of thermal comfort in different climatic zones by using simulation programs. The study constrains the concrete skeletal structure system and tests the efficiency of using different outer-wall construction materials to achieve thermal comfort in three different climatic zones. Abstract The traditional vernacular architecture that is based on natural construction materials such as clay and stone is the most effective way to achieve thermal and climatic comfort inside different architectural spaces. Despite their efficiency, these natural materials are deficient when building large-scale and high-rise buildings. These materials also need periodic maintenance to protect buildings from construction collapse, especially clay structures. After the industrial revolution, the architectural movement shifted towards high-rise and large-scale buildings through using artificial materials such as cement, steel and glass. These materials demonstrate mass production and quality in implementation, but they are not sustainable in terms of thermal comfort in most climate zones across the world. It would thus seem sensible to integrate the two types of construction materials, by using a skeletal system for the building made of concrete or steel, which guarantees the structure, and by using natural materials like clay or stone for the outer walls, which assures thermal and climatic comfort in the indoor spaces. The aim of this paper is to analyse a new construction method that combines the two different construction materials-natural and artificial-to discover which outer-wall material is more effective in terms of thermal comfort in different climatic zones by using simulation programs. The study constrains the concrete skeletal structure system and tests the efficiency of using different outer-wall construction materials to achieve thermal comfort in three different climatic zones.

A child-friendly city: a youth creative vision of reclaiming interstitial spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

by Nabil Mohareb and Eslam Elsamahy

Creativity Studies, 2019

Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public space... more Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public spaces for use by children were not fully considered. This paper is an outcome of a funded project that hosted 30 youth (aged 13–17 years old) from different parts of El Mina city, located in the North of Lebanon, Tripoli. The project’s aim was not limited to capacity building or designing a framework for youth participation as a vision for a child-friendly city alone, as it also demonstrated community participation with the youth to realize a design vision in an unused interstitial space by the youth in the ancient city of El Mina. The funded project consisted of many different stages; this paper focuses on the site selection, design process and the final stage of implementation. The results highlight the lessons learned from the youth’s participation, the adaptive reuse of interstitial spaces, in addition to the various interests of the project’s stakeholders.

DESIGNING NON-STRESSED PSYCHOLOGICAL PUBLIC SPACES

Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many re... more Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many reasons, one of the external factors is the Built environment. The public space as a surrounding context plays a main effective role in human psychological mood whether negative or positive. The paper aims to evaluate urban public spaces, especially from the users' activities in relation to stress factors, these applied through public spaces in Tripoli city, Lebanon. The methodology will be through an analytical study using observation and a questionnaire to measure the types of users' activities in public spaces and their sense of pressure and stress. The results of this study are important to develop a methodology to design non-stressed psychological public spaces.

Developing an Agent-Based Model of Pedestrian Wayfinding to Conduct the Best Touristic Path in Historic Districts

Architecture and Planning Journal

A historic district is a historic and cultural conservation area that reflects traditional aspect... more A historic district is a historic and cultural conservation area that reflects traditional aspects from the past. A sense of memorable pathway allows pedestrian to experience the city happily and attract touristic activity in urban historic districts. The characteristics of touristic districts which facilitate pedestrian movement help in determining the optimum track. The aim of the research is to create an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the activity of pedestrians in historic districts in order to way find the best touristic paths. Using Space-Syntax, a simulation of the interaction of tourists with the attraction points in old districts pathway will be made in two different case studies located on North Lebanon. A comparison will be made between the simulation model results and field observation. Findings show that the results of the simulation are different than the real environment. The importance of the research is based on developing a framework that helps urban designers...

Mixed Reality Framework for Architectural Design Education

APJ, Oct 6, 2020

This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the ... more This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the idea of Mixed Reality (MR) as a technique of merging real and virtual learning environment, studying its impact on the education curricular contents and the course outline especially in design studio courses to provide new possibilities for innovation design. the study aims to achieve strategies to design a model for architectural design education with the focus on the concept of design studio's evolution through the analysis of its basic components, between Mind (Think of the human factor), Reality (spatial factor for the design process), Media (tools used in Design) and the work organization in the studio between students and instructor/s and the Design Processes from the pre-design stage to design development stage.

Calculating Vandalism Risk Assessment for Archaeological Findings Within Heritage Buildings: The Case of Al-Attar Historical Mosque in Tripoli Lebanon

Architecture and Planning Journal

A heritage building is a genuine witness for the past and it mostly correlates with communities’ ... more A heritage building is a genuine witness for the past and it mostly correlates with communities’ collective memory. It involves a considerable economical asset for cultural tourism in addition to other emotional values. However, building archeology is slightly exposed when handling historical buildings; it is subject to reburial to minimize potential risks and to keep it for future generations. The aim of this research is to explore the validity of exposing an archeological feature by establishing an estimation for vandalism risk through an assessment for society’s attitude concerning the new image given to a historic mosque with exposed archeological features. This research handles the ABC calculation method for vandalism risk assessment, and it concludes the risk magnitude by analyzing the social impact for the existence of an archeological feature within Al-Attar historic mosque in Tripoli by performing focus group research targeting persons in direct relation with the subject. T...

An Investigation into using Digital Games-Based Learning in Architecture Education

Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportatio... more Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportation, industry, communication, etc., are recognized, however the classroom and its education facilities are still as they have been for a long time, based on the concept of transforming information or knowledge from the mind of the instructor to the minds of students. Students, as a new generation, have evolving skills in dealing with digital technologies, having begun the process in their childhood; therefore, they cannot be educated via conventional methods. This study introduces digital gaming in education as a new, futuristic learning technique to be used in architectural education to attract students to learn, based on the common ground between the processes of designing and playing games, from exploring possibilities under certain constraints to emphasizing decision-making and activity-based collaborations. The research has originated from the lack of studies regarding this subject, e...

Mixed Reality Framework for Architectural Design Education

This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the ... more This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the idea of Mixed Reality (MR) as a technique of merging real and virtual learning environment, studying its impact on the education curricular contents and the course outline especially in design studio courses to provide new possibilities for innovation design. the study aims to achieve strategies to design a model for architectural design education with the focus on the concept of design studio’s evolution through the analysis of its basic components, between Mind (Think of the human factor), Reality (spatial factor for the design process), Media (tools used in Design) and the work organization in the studio between students and instructor/s and the Design Processes from the pre-design stage to design development stage.

The Efficiency of Using Different Outer Wall Construction Materials to Achieve Thermal Comfort in Various Climatic Zones

Energy Procedia, 2017

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective s... more District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand-outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations.

Designing Non-Stressed Psychological Public Spaces

Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many re... more Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many reasons, one of the external factors is the Built environment. The public space as a surrounding context plays a main effective role in human psychological mood whether negative or positive. The paper aims to evaluate urban public spaces, especially from the users’ activities in relation to stress factors, these applied through public spaces in Tripoli city, Lebanon. The methodology will be through an analytical study using observation and a questionnaire to measure the types of users’ activities in public spaces and their sense of pressure and stress. The results of this study are important to develop a methodology to design non-stressed psychological public spaces

Visualizing Music Compositions in Architectural Conceptual Design

The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius con... more The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius conceived Architecture as “one of the most inclusive and universal human activities” where the architect should be educated in all the arts, having a vast knowledge in history, music and philosophy. Architecture and music are based on creativity and design principles such as rhythm, proportion, harmony, unity, repetition and others. They share art relationship through performance and visual techniques to create alternative innovative design proposals. The study aims to achieve a new conceptual design-thinking module in architectural education by focusing on the principles and factors of music and the ability of applying it in the architectural design process through an exercise or workshops.

A Child-Friendly City: A Youth Creative Vision of Reclaiming Interstitial Spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child par... more Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child participation in decision-making regarding the urban form of their city is useful for both the youth as well as for the community. Participation as a principle is important for a child's mental and psychological development, better outcomes and social inclusion, and good governance (Stein, 2014). The aim of the funded project, Our City-Our Way, was to empower thirty young people from El-Mina city located in the North of Lebanon. The capacity-building provided by the project prepared the youth to advocate for an active citizenship role to be recognized by the local authorities, through a series of workshops and cultural training processes, that led them proactively to understand the key urban functions and accordingly design and implement their model of a creative child-friendly city (CFC). The idea was originated by the El Safadi Cultural Center-Centre Culturel El Sfadi, who teamed up with Beirut Arab University (BAU) as an

The Appropriate Building Materials for Energy Saving in Different Climate Zones in Egypt

Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the dif... more Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the different levels of community and economic interest, especially in the developing countries, due to the growing shortage of traditional energy resources with the rapidly increasing energy prices and its impact on the natural environment through the consumption of various energy resources such as fossil fuels. The residential building sector is responsible for consuming a large percentage of energy, especially that used in heating and cooling, which could be reduced through using different passive design strategies, such as designing the building shape, setting the optimum orientation and selecting the most appropriate building materials for the specific climate zones. Therefore, this paper focuses on reducing the energy consumption in the residential building sector in Egypt by evaluating four different non-structural filling wall materials, including red bricks, cement bricks, stone and cu...

A Child-Friendly City: A Youth Creative Vision of Reclaiming Interstitial Spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

by Nabil Mohareb and Eslam Elsamahy

Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child par... more Introduction: the project background and related literature review The concept of youth/child participation in decision-making regarding the urban form of their city is useful for both the youth as well as for the community. Participation as a principle is important for a child's mental and psychological development, better outcomes and social inclusion, and good governance (Stein, 2014). The aim of the funded project, Our City-Our Way, was to empower thirty young people from El-Mina city located in the North of Lebanon. The capacity-building provided by the project prepared the youth to advocate for an active citizenship role to be recognized by the local authorities, through a series of workshops and cultural training processes, that led them proactively to understand the key urban functions and accordingly design and implement their model of a creative child-friendly city (CFC). The idea was originated by the El Safadi Cultural Center-Centre Culturel El Sfadi, who teamed up with Beirut Arab University (BAU) as an

A Child-Friendly City: A Youth Creative Vision of Reclaiming Interstitial Spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

Creativity Studies

Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public space... more Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public spaces for use by children were not fully considered. This paper is an outcome of a funded project that hosted 30 youth (aged 13–17 years old) from different parts of El Mina city, located in the North of Lebanon, Tripoli. The project’s aim was not limited to capacity building or designing a framework for youth participation as a vision for a child-friendly city alone, as it also demonstrated community participation with the youth to realize a design vision in an unused interstitial space by the youth in the ancient city of El Mina. The funded project consisted of many different stages; this paper focuses on the site selection, design process and the final stage of implementation. The results highlight the lessons learned from the youth’s participation, the adaptive reuse of interstitial spaces, in addition to the various interests of the project’s stakeholders.

THE APPROPRIATE BUILDING MATERIALS FOR ENERGY SAVING IN DIFFERENT

by Eslam Elsamahy and Mary Felix

BAU Journal - Cr U Journal - Creative Sustainable De e Sustainable Development , 2019

Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high priority on the di... more Nowadays, reducing energy consumption is globally considered a matter of high
priority on the different levels of community and economic interest, especially in the
developing countries, due to the growing shortage of traditional energy resources with the
rapidly increasing energy prices and its impact on the natural environment through the
consumption of various energy resources such as fossil fuels. The residential building sector
is responsible for consuming a large percentage of energy, especially that used in heating and
cooling, which could be reduced through using different passive design strategies, such as
designing the building shape, setting the optimum orientation and selecting the most
appropriate building materials for the specific climate zones. Therefore, this paper focuses
on reducing the energy consumption in the residential building sector in Egypt by evaluating
four different non-structural filling wall materials, including red bricks, cement bricks, stone
and curtain walls located in different climate zones. Simulation analysis techniques are used
to measure the related energy consumption parameters for cooling and/or heating to achieve
the thermal comfort zone for building users. These results will aid architects in the pre-design
stage to choose the most appropriate material for their designs, depending on the location
concerned.

MIXED REALITY FRAMEWORK FOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN EDUCATION

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING JOURNAL -SPECIAL EDITION, 2016

This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the ... more This study introduces a framework to build a new concept of architectural education based on the idea of Mixed Reality (MR) as a technique of merging real and virtual learning environment, studying its impact on the education curricular contents and the course outline especially in design studio courses to provide new possibilities for innovation design. the study aims to achieve strategies to design a model for architectural design education with the focus on the concept of design studio's evolution through the analysis of its basic components, between Mind (Think of the human factor), Reality (spatial factor for the design process), Media (tools used in Design) and the work organization in the studio between students and instructor/s and the Design Processes from the pre-design stage to design development stage.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO USING DIGITAL GAMES-BASED LEARNING IN ARCHITECTURE EDUCATION

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING JOURNAL -SPECIAL EDITION, 2017

Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportatio... more Through the evolution of human life, the changes that happen in all fields, such as transportation, industry, communication, etc., are recognized, however the classroom and its education facilities are still as they have been for a long time, based on the concept of transforming information or knowledge from the mind of the instructor to the minds of students. Students, as a new generation, have evolving skills in dealing with digital technologies, having begun the process in their childhood; therefore, they cannot be educated via conventional methods. This study introduces digital gaming in education as a new, futuristic learning technique to be used in architectural education to attract students to learn, based on the common ground between the processes of designing and playing games, from exploring possibilities under certain constraints to emphasizing decision-making and activity-based collaborations. The research has originated from the lack of studies regarding this subject, especially in the architectural field, aiming to introduce a theoretical approach to investigating the use of digital game-based learning (DGBL) in architectural education as an integration between real and virtual educational environments particularly through the virtual worlds based on the 'Second Life'-digital platform. This study is significant in terms of making design learning fun and constructive, reaching new possibilities in architectural design.

VISUALIZING MUSIC COMPOSITIONS IN ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING JOURNAL -SPECIAL EDITION:, 2016

The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius con... more The relationship between music and architecture goes back to the early history when Vitruvius conceived Architecture as "one of the most inclusive and universal human activities" where the architect should be educated in all the arts, having a vast knowledge in history, music and philosophy. Architecture and music are based on creativity and design principles such as rhythm, proportion, harmony, unity, repetition and others. They share art relationship through performance and visual techniques to create alternative innovative design proposals. The study aims to achieve a new conceptual design-thinking module in architectural education by focusing on the principles and factors of music and the ability of applying it in the architectural design process through an exercise or workshops.

The Efficiency of Using Different Outer Wall Construction Materials to Achieve Thermal Comfort in Various Climatic Zones

Energy Procedia, 2017

District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective s... more District heating networks are commonly addressed in the literature as one of the most effective solutions for decreasing the greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector. These systems require high investments which are returned through the heat sales. Due to the changed climate conditions and building renovation policies, heat demand in the future could decrease, prolonging the investment return period. The main scope of this paper is to assess the feasibility of using the heat demand-outdoor temperature function for heat demand forecast. The district of Alvalade, located in Lisbon (Portugal), was used as a case study. The district is consisted of 665 buildings that vary in both construction period and typology. Three weather scenarios (low, medium, high) and three district renovation scenarios were developed (shallow, intermediate, deep). To estimate the error, obtained heat demand values were compared with results from a dynamic heat demand model, previously developed and validated by the authors. The results showed that when only weather change is considered, the margin of error could be acceptable for some applications (the error in annual demand was lower than 20% for all weather scenarios considered). However, after introducing renovation scenarios, the error value increased up to 59.5% (depending on the weather and renovation scenarios combination considered). The value of slope coefficient increased on average within the range of 3.8% up to 8% per decade, that corresponds to the decrease in the number of heating hours of 22-139h during the heating season (depending on the combination of weather and renovation scenarios considered). On the other hand, function intercept increased for 7.8-12.7% per decade (depending on the coupled scenarios). The values suggested could be used to modify the function parameters for the scenarios considered, and improve the accuracy of heat demand estimations. Abstract The traditional vernacular architecture that is based on natural construction materials such as clay and stone is the most effective way to achieve thermal and climatic comfort inside different architectural spaces. Despite their efficiency, these natural materials are deficient when building large-scale and high-rise buildings. These materials also need periodic maintenance to protect buildings from construction collapse, especially clay structures. After the industrial revolution, the architectural movement shifted towards high-rise and large-scale buildings through using artificial materials such as cement, steel and glass. These materials demonstrate mass production and quality in implementation, but they are not sustainable in terms of thermal comfort in most climate zones across the world. It would thus seem sensible to integrate the two types of construction materials, by using a skeletal system for the building made of concrete or steel, which guarantees the structure, and by using natural materials like clay or stone for the outer walls, which assures thermal and climatic comfort in the indoor spaces. The aim of this paper is to analyse a new construction method that combines the two different construction materials-natural and artificial-to discover which outer-wall material is more effective in terms of thermal comfort in different climatic zones by using simulation programs. The study constrains the concrete skeletal structure system and tests the efficiency of using different outer-wall construction materials to achieve thermal comfort in three different climatic zones. Abstract The traditional vernacular architecture that is based on natural construction materials such as clay and stone is the most effective way to achieve thermal and climatic comfort inside different architectural spaces. Despite their efficiency, these natural materials are deficient when building large-scale and high-rise buildings. These materials also need periodic maintenance to protect buildings from construction collapse, especially clay structures. After the industrial revolution, the architectural movement shifted towards high-rise and large-scale buildings through using artificial materials such as cement, steel and glass. These materials demonstrate mass production and quality in implementation, but they are not sustainable in terms of thermal comfort in most climate zones across the world. It would thus seem sensible to integrate the two types of construction materials, by using a skeletal system for the building made of concrete or steel, which guarantees the structure, and by using natural materials like clay or stone for the outer walls, which assures thermal and climatic comfort in the indoor spaces. The aim of this paper is to analyse a new construction method that combines the two different construction materials-natural and artificial-to discover which outer-wall material is more effective in terms of thermal comfort in different climatic zones by using simulation programs. The study constrains the concrete skeletal structure system and tests the efficiency of using different outer-wall construction materials to achieve thermal comfort in three different climatic zones.

A child-friendly city: a youth creative vision of reclaiming interstitial spaces in El Mina (Tripoli, Lebanon)

by Nabil Mohareb and Eslam Elsamahy

Creativity Studies, 2019

Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public space... more Although old Arab cities were designed bottom-up to follow the needs of their users, public spaces for use by children were not fully considered. This paper is an outcome of a funded project that hosted 30 youth (aged 13–17 years old) from different parts of El Mina city, located in the North of Lebanon, Tripoli. The project’s aim was not limited to capacity building or designing a framework for youth participation as a vision for a child-friendly city alone, as it also demonstrated community participation with the youth to realize a design vision in an unused interstitial space by the youth in the ancient city of El Mina. The funded project consisted of many different stages; this paper focuses on the site selection, design process and the final stage of implementation. The results highlight the lessons learned from the youth’s participation, the adaptive reuse of interstitial spaces, in addition to the various interests of the project’s stakeholders.

DESIGNING NON-STRESSED PSYCHOLOGICAL PUBLIC SPACES

Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many re... more Stress is considered the most nervous impact that affects human life due to pressure from many reasons, one of the external factors is the Built environment. The public space as a surrounding context plays a main effective role in human psychological mood whether negative or positive. The paper aims to evaluate urban public spaces, especially from the users' activities in relation to stress factors, these applied through public spaces in Tripoli city, Lebanon. The methodology will be through an analytical study using observation and a questionnaire to measure the types of users' activities in public spaces and their sense of pressure and stress. The results of this study are important to develop a methodology to design non-stressed psychological public spaces.