Team member(s):MAHMOUD MOHAMED Modified by MAHMOUD MOHAMED on December 12, 2025 SITE AND EXISTING BUILDING Egypt, often reverently hailed as the “Mother of All Lands,” stands as one of the oldest and most influential civilizations in the vast chronicle of human history. Its legacy is not merely a collection of ruins or artifacts; it is a … Read more
// 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 “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 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
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
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
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
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
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
The name Le Monstre Merveille reflects the duality:a structure that appears complex and almost monstrous in form, yet creates a delicate, controlled, and humane interior experience.Rather than replacing the existing structure, the concept focuses on preserving the order and hierarchy of the original architecture, while inserting a new system that acts almost like a parasite—adapting, … Read more
Introduction Group Async A, comprised of Charles Abi Chahine, Emilie El Chidiac, María Sánchez, and Lakzhmy Zaro, conducted an environmental analysis of a redevelopment project in Tokyo, Japan. We focused on a 19-hectare plot that was historically the site of the Tsukiji fish market. The Challenge of Dressing for TokyoAnyone who has visited Tokyo’s famous … Read more
The objective was to transform the existing historic roof market of Bab El-Louk in Cairo through parametric roof design and optimized user circulation while maintaining the existing steel frames. DESIGN CONCEPT & EARLY EXPLORATIONS At the beginning, the goal was to find the roof form by using the existing roof surfaces shown in pink. Starting … Read more
Team members: Nguyen Vu Tue Minh (Chloe), Eduardo Martinez Toribio, Symon Kipkemei Modified by Nguyen Vu Tue Minh on December 12, 2025 //CONTEXT //SITE INFORMATION //CLIMATIC ANALYSIS //DESIGN PARAMETERS 1. Precedent Study & Early stage explorations 2. Form Study 3. Design Exploration To test our ideas effectively, we simplified our design proposal into clean, minimal … Read more
For our Advanced Digital Tools term one final project, we were tasked with designing a building facade based on inspiration from pavilion architecture or existing facades, using Grasshopper. Pavilion Inspiration – The Toledo Gridshell The inspiration for our facade is the Toledo Gridshell constructed in a courtyard in the Naples School of Architecture. When researching … Read more
Saint Julian’s City in Malta Saint Julian’s is Malta’s nightlife and tourism epicenter (Paceville), causing extreme population density and infrastructure strain in summer. Its coastal development makes it highly vulnerable to climate change impacts like sea-level rise, while its energy-intensive industry contributes to Malta’s emissions. Environmental Analysis to Inform Design Environmental Analysis Workflow The workflow … Read more
Solid vs. Soft How can an object low in inherent solidity still be structurally present and define architectural space? This question lies at the heart of The Pneumatical Incrustation. Developed for the Complex Forming Seminar, this project explores the fundamental contrast between the solid and the soft. The goal was to investigate how “soft” forms … Read more
