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Adaptive Shading Through Structural Memory
// Introduction Bab El Louk is a historic market in central Cairo, built during the early Khedival expansion. Its steel structure and brick envelope made it an important commercial hub serving the surrounding dense neighborhoods. Today, the area around it feels monotone, heavy, and visually uniform, with little variation in form or public space. Because … Read more
Ancient Future
“ The reason why the Universe is eternal is that it does not live for itself; it gives life to others as it transforms” – Lao Tzu Design Concept The roof design draws from the spatial logic of the Giza pyramids. By mapping their positions, I set anchor points that generate three conic roof forms … Read more
A Computational Interpretation of Cairene Tradition
Bab al-Luq Reimagined: Computation, Climate, and Cultural Memory This project approaches the Bab al-Luq Market not as a blank surface for formal experimentation, but as a site layered with climatic intelligence and symbolic meaning. Its proposal is rooted in two elements deeply embedded in Cairene architectural and cultural memory: the malqaf and the lotus flower. … Read more
Solar stereotomy
This project focuses on the reviving of the Bab Al-Lug market in Cairo, through the topics of Light, Path and Structure. Design idea: Established in 1912, the Bab Al-Lug market offered a state-of-the-art modern design inspired by the Halles in Paris The market’s metal structure is a typical example of tectonic architecture with its lightweight, … Read more
THE VEIL OF BAB AL-LUQ: A NEW SHADED HEART FOR DOWNTOWN CAIRO
I am excited to share The Veil of Bab Al-Luq, an architectural intervention designed by Sushmitha Ravi that reimagines the historic Bab Al-Luq Market in Downtown Cairo. The project seeks to restore the vibrancy of this iconic urban space by actively addressing its most urgent environmental challenge—the intense heat of Cairo’s hot, dry climate—through integrated … Read more
Desert Voxels
Sustainable Design and Environmental Analysis for a Cultural Center in Dubai’s Business Bay Site The project is located in Business Bay, Dubai’s dynamic mixed-use district along the Dubai Creek. Characterized by high-rise towers, waterfront promenades, and a lively urban atmosphere, the area blends commercial, residential, and cultural spaces. Within this dense urban context, the project … Read more
A Ballooning Market: Why I Decided to Fill a Historic Market with Balloons (And How I Almost Failed)
// Introduction Let’s be honest: when we talk about reviving historic sites, the conversation usually goes one of two ways. Either we treat the building like a museum piece that can never be touched, or we drop a cold, glass-and-steel box in the middle of it and call it “modern.” For the Bab al-Luq market … Read more
The Luminous Stratum
The “sedimented light” effect created by the lattice, filtering sunlight into the market below . Introduction – More Than Just a Roof In the dense historic fabric of Cairo, light is both a blessing and a burden. The Luminous Stratum proposes a new architectural language that negotiates this relationship – a “volume of sedimented light” … Read more
Verdant – Bringing Nature to Urban Rooftops
Verdant evokes lush greenery and vitality, capturing the essence of this parametric roof redesign that transforms a mundane urban building into an organic canopy. Inspired by the delicate structure of bamboo leaves, the project employs randomly oriented gold-anodized louvres to create a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, mimicking sunlight filtering through foliage. This modern … Read more
Bisāt al-Nūr: Reviving Bab al-Luq Souk in Cairo
Introduction The name Bisat-al-Nur—carpet of light—embodies both poetry and precision: a modern design rooted in tradition, echoing Cairo’s historic markets while reinterpreting them with contemporary materials and climate-responsive strategies. Ingredients The project is built on four ingredients: Design Process Layers The design unfolds across four layers: The strategy was to leave the existing market mostly … Read more
Data-Driven Environmental Analysis in Palermo (Italy)
A comprehensive environmental assessment and design optimization process was developed for a proposed residential development located in Palermo, Italy. This study integrates climate analysis, massing optimization, outdoor thermal comfort assessment and the development of a final design proposal informed by performance-based criteria. Introduction The project area covers approximately 6,500 m2 within a dense and flat residential … Read more
Quantum Grounds: Climate-Adaptive Urban Futures at CERN
Case Study Site Context The site is located at 46.2330, 6.0556 in Meyrin, Geneva, Switzerland. It includes the Esplanade des Particules, within the CERN campus, and covers an area of 45.000 sqm, surrounded by a urban residential area with low-rise buildings. The primary land uses in the vicinity include grass and allotments. The site’s location … Read more
Ahmedabad’s Extreme Climate: Environmental Performance Driven Design, from Data to Form
Introduction This project, developed by Group D (Giovanni Carlo Volpe, Nihan Malkoç, Sushmitha Ravi, Zeynep Sezen Dursun) as part of the Master in Advanced Computation for Architecture & Design at IAAC, explores a computationally driven strategy for creating environmentally responsive architecture in the challenging climate of Ahmedabad, India. Through a rigorous process utilizing Digital Tools … Read more
The Sheltered Core
Kyiv’s climate shows limited periods of thermal comfort throughout the year. Most months are uncomfortable due to cold winters and hot summers. Comfort in the shade improves slightly in mid-seasons, while exposure to the sun enhances warmth in spring and autumn but increases heat stress in summer. Sun & Wind Study Insights:Wind significantly influences thermal … Read more
Earthen curtains
Inspirations The Earthen Curtains project is rooted in a deep reflection on vernacular architecture and passive sustainability. The primary formal and conceptual inspiration is derived from the work of Hassan Fathy and the tradition of the Nubian Vaults. This architectural heritage, celebrated for the use of local materials (raw earth) and intrinsic climatic strategies, is … Read more
