Within the activities of the Cairo Construction Hub, the results of the Young Architects competition which was launched from Jan.25 till March 30 were announced. It must be noted that 316 applicants have participated in the competition, while 186 proposals were submitted by all the contestants to the technical committee after closing the door for submission at the end of last March.
In an analytical view of the performance of the competition, it is possible to understand the aspirations of young architects and their desire to contribute to the current urban movement strongly through the remarkable turnout, where more than 316 applicants participated in the competition, of which 224 teams and the rest were individual subscriptions. The competition showed the participation of more than 51 universities and research institutions. The departments of architecture in the universities represented the highest rates of participation, as more than 120 teams participated, representing their universities, and some universities formed more than one team.
It is also interesting that a number of Arab and regional universities participated in the competition, such as the University of Beirut, Mosul, Amman, Sana’a, the Modern Academy in the Emirates, the University of Baghdad, the Syrian University and the University of Benghazi, while teams from France, Finland, Italy and Britain participated, and none of those universities were able to attend and come to Cairo due to the current closure conditions of Corona pandemic.
The work of the Technical Committee during the competition was limited to coding the teams, housing the participants, responding to inquiries and communicating with the participants, while its tasks began to receive the competitors’ projects after closing the door for participation in the competition and making sure that all reports, drawings, etc. were met, especially with regard to the timing of receiving projects. With the end of the technical committee's work, projects that met all the required conditions were escalated.
The jury met to examine the projects nominated for presentation several times, the first of which was after closing the door for receiving projects, which took place on June 5, 2021. Over the course of five consecutive days, the jury, headed by Prof. Dr. Sahar Attia, Professor of Architecture at the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, and the membership of Prof. Ahmed Yahya Rashid, Professor of Architecture at the British University, Prof. Hind Farrouh, Professor of Architecture at the National Center for Building and Architectural Research, Architect Raef Fahmy, and the architect and international designer Dalia Al-Saadani to discuss the projects submitted after the nominations of the Technical Committee, which numbered 50 projects that fulfill all conditions and are valid for presentation. The committee’s meetings ended to choose the most important 12 projects from the 50 projects that were escalated for display in a gallery within the activities of the forum, which were presented on an area of 500 square meters in a special pavilion during the days 10th, 11th, and 12th of June.
The elements of project evaluation included a number of points that the committee relied on during the judging, which are the elements that were previously announced to the contestants on the competition’s digital platform, namely
Over the three days of the show, the jury met in the show gallery to name the winning projects, and at the end of June 12, the results of the competition were announced and the prizes were handed over in the presence of the Chief of the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, Mr. Eng. Hani Dahi, Major General Hisham Abu Senna, Chief and head of Cairo Engineers and all members of the jury, as well as Eng. Ahmed Hashem, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the organizing company, Mr. Ali Dagher, the general coordinator of the competition and the project manager, and Mr. Gilbert Hobeika, Steel Egypt Company, Major General Ayman Adel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Company for Marble and a number of consultants, experts and those interested in architectural affairs, with a heavy presence from all participants and their families. After welcoming the audience on the podium, Prof. Dr. Sahar Attia announced the final results in her opening speech to the ceremony as the head of the committee, where she said that the best 15 projects were selected as a first stage,then the selection of the top 10 projects, and then the ranking stage began. After deliberation, the committee decided the following, according to consensus: - A number of "7" projects were awarded encouragement prizes - 3 financial prizes (first, second and third) were awarded. The projects were characterized by diversity in terms of the nature of the projects and the proposed use or in terms of the location and the design requirements that follow. It became clear to the committee that the contestants had made a “distinguished” effort that calls for us to extend our thanks and appreciation, whether for the winners or those who did not receive prizes
The third prize was awarded equally between:
- The project that bears the code No. “H- 1293” submitted by the team of Moataz Mohamed Hassanein and its title is “Immunological building” -Helwan city on a site in Cairo.
The project bearing code No. “E- 1111” submitted by Engineer Islam Ehab and its title is A VERTICAL SCHOOL, Faisal Street, in front of the Faisal metro station on a site in Giza.
The second prize was awarded to:
- The project that bears the code number “H- 1066” in the name of Dr. Samer Al-Siyari, and its title is Fifty Degrees Courtyard Project from Egyptian Heritage - the Egyptian countryside site in the Delta and Upper Egypt.
The first prize was awarded to:
:
The project bearing the code number "E- 1320" submitted by the team of Engineer Al-Hussein Bin Ali, and its title:
Scaffold Educational Hub Center and its location is Ezbet El Safeeh - Cairo slums.
Scaffold Integrated Technological Education Center
Location: Izbat as Safih, Cairo
Code: E 1320
Team: Al Hussien Bin Ali Fawzy – Alaa Hamed Mohmmed Fawaz – Alaa Hassan Mohmmed – Hagar Gamal
As the world is slowly reopening in the post- Covid 19, everyone is adapting to new realities. Imposing drastic adjustments to our lives, the coronavirus has introduced a new “dimension”, changing our perceptions and altering our priorities. Driven towards questioning and evaluating our environment, we are constantly reacting and anticipating a relatively unknown future. The new restrictions placed on society have been an impetus to rethink much of what we take for granted in the built environment. The way the world has adapted to this new lifestyle may forecast new dimensions following the COVID-19 outbreak. It is evident that we cannot return to the world as it was before. One of the strongest messages in the attached report is that our common humanity necessitates global solidarity. We cannot accept the levels of inequality that have been permitted to emerge on our shared country. It is particularly important that the world supports developing countries with investment in 21st century education infrastructures; this will require the mobilization of resources and support from developed countries, in particular with debt cancellation, restructuring, and new financing. The magnitude of this challenge is clearly evident with regard to the digital gap in Africa. For example, only 11% of learners in the slums have a household computer and only 18% have household internet, as compared to the 50% of learners globally who have computers at home and the 57% who have access to internet. Already we see that the disruptions brought on by the pandemic are exacerbating inequalities both within and across countries. We urgently need investment and structural change so that short-term setbacks do not grow into larger, long-lasting problems.
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"Schools and education in post- Covid world"
So far, data suggest that children under the age of 16 years represent about 8.5% of reported cases, with relatively few deaths compared to other age groups and usually mild disease. However, cases of critical illness have been reported. The education of more than 1.5 billion students whose learning has been hampered due to school closures has become a focal point. As the schools were not prepared to cope with Covid situation. So our statement is to create an educational building that can stand and keep children safe, during and after Covid pandemic. The project aims at creating an educational building that can stand and keep children safe, during and after Covid pandemic, specially in the most affected places from the last closure, at the educational field.
Izbat as Safih is the suggested location of the project
About 3000 families living on only 40 acres , Izbat as Safih is considered one of the most densely populated and poorest places in Beni seuf City, in addition to the lack of social services in it. This name has been gained from the rise of tinplate houses that created the place.
It is a typical recurring example of the Egyptian slums. It is also considered one of the most affected regions by the recent closure events due to the Corona virus, especially at the level of the educational field, due to the low level of poverty that the people of this region suffer from, which made online education impossible, and also in school education is dangerous. Therefore, we decided to take the biggest challenge in trying to design an educational building that fits this place, as solving the problem of education in one of the slums is one of the biggest challenges facing the state in the recent period, and this design is suitable for more than one random area at the level of the whole republic, given that all of them suffer from the same problems.
Scaffolding, also called scaffold or staging, is a temporary structure used to support a work crew and materials to aid in the construction, maintenance and repair of buildings, bridges and all other man-made structures. Scaffolds are widely used on site to get access to heights and areas that would be otherwise hard to get to. We used the scaffold architecture system, to provide a light material and a rapid solution for the problem of education at covid era The basic components of scaffolding are tubes, couplers and boards.Extensive scaffolding on a building in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. This type of scaffolding is called pipe staging. Assembly of bamboo scaffolding cantilevered over a Hong Kong street. The basic lightweight tube scaffolding that became the standard and revolutionised scaffolding, becoming the baseline for decades, was invented and marketed in the mid-1950s. With one basic 24 pound unit a scaffold of various sizes and heights could be assembled easily by a couple of laborers without the nuts or bolts previously needed.
Title: Fenaa’(Courtyard) – 50 degrees of Heritage – Windows on Egypt
Location: Giza Rural areas
Team: Samer Mohamed Adel El Sayary
Code: H-1066
The new design concept is a new approach to express a myriad and vast cultural spectrum of Egyptian identities by designing a neutral white minimal house with one big vertical courtyard window capturing views of Egyptian land scenery reflecting the core intangible and hidden values of local societies with the high flexibility and adaptability to any local culture and to the changing Egyptian family needs.
Adaptability and flexibility is a key element also in the new design where it was found that most Egyptian families’ needs are changing by time and in need of more space. The solution was in creating a multi-use space on the ground floor with big storage units to store the furniture and hence the plan could be multi-used as required.
The Egyptian rural area suffers from non-healthy housing problems with extreme poverty levels; the new design intended to solve those urgent issues with promoting the social values. In response to the United Nations sustainability Goals that were integrated into the design criteria to build a cultural habitat with community and for community.
The environmental agenda was also studied to push the boundaries of regular sustainability to a new level of self-sufficiency with a view to creating a Zero-energy house producing its own water and food. The environmental approach was based upon standing on the latest technologies for self-sufficiency and renewable energy resources appropriate for our climate.
The Social Approach was achieved after a lot of interviews and meetings with various social classes in Egyptian society (Human centered design approach; dealing with users as part of the design team) to reach a design manifesto for an Egyptian contemporary model that reflects the contemporary lifestyle and the Egyptian family aspirations as well in a perfect square house framing views of Egypt.
Despite the design concept of adaptability and flexibility, all environmental calculations, energy modeling and CFD simulations were done on Giza villages, South Cairo.
The 50 design criteria were derived from multi-resources that represent different Egyptian micro-cultures that are harmonizing in “a unity within diversity” relationship.
This project is an ongoing scientific work that started 10 years ago and will continue to develop and many environmental calculations will be published as scientific papers.
Project name: ALIVE Immune Building
GROUP CODE: H-1293
Location: Helwan
Team: Moataz Mohamed Hassanein - Israa Mohamed Abdel Fattah - Fatima Wafeeq Zakaria - Moamena Mohamed Mahmoud - Maram Ali Mohamed
Human Health is the extent of an individual’s continuing physical, emotional, mental, and social ability to cope with his or her environment. In the last centuries due to human actions, there has been a lot of climatic changes, pollution, diseases that lead to the emersion of epidemics and recently the appearance of the pandemic Covid-19 that made radical changes to our lives as humans. This new reality has forced us to reconsider ourselves. In order to cope with these new changes, our thinking process, methodology, and approach had to change. Building livable cities and buildings that are capable of facing the future epidemics do not necessarily mean rebuilding new cities. We need our cities to respect nature that humanity has violated. Less crowded cities with abundant green open spaces and open buildings are important to improve the human health physically and psychologically.
The world as we know it will never be the same again. This pandemic has led to many changes in people's lives. Hence the challenge was to redesign our building environment to cope with the challenges imposed by the pandemic and enhance our urban and architecture. This will help raise awareness among people specially in Egypt about the benefits of healthy houses.
Our vision is to create a project to be a turning point in Egypt that includes different activities that can be practiced comfortably and to achieve flexibility within small spaces in coronavirus era.
The aim of our project design is to create environments that stimulate the mind in order to provide pleasure, creativity, relaxation and enjoyment.
Residential architecture was most affected by the pandemic. During quarantine, people had to practice most of their activities in their homes. The home is now an office, school, restaurant, gym, playroom, isolation and more. Hence, homes have acquired more focus and importance .So it was more challenging to redesign residential spaces in order to accommodate all these different activities and to make them flexible and adaptable to the changing reality as COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic.
Determination of the reasons of site selection and putting social and environmental studies into consideration while developing the project.
The coronavirus was like a nature blast, a red card given by earth, warning that we have crossed the line. The virus has spread so fast that within few months the whole world was infected and it was announced as a pandemic. And until this moment the pandemic still exists and we all have witnessed how this pandemic changed this world that we know, how it affected our lives, our routines, our activities. It forced us to stay at home and to stay apart, challenged us physically and emotionally. The pandemic obliged us to stick to certain protocols and rules. And needless to say, the most affected places were over crowded cities whose people had lack of awareness. Consequently, the virus had affected both Urban and Architectural fields, made it obvious that our urban and architectural designs need drastic changes in order to cope with the reality and be able to fulfill people’s novel requirements. Also it will have a long term effect on the typology of the future projects and select the site location best for them.
The criteria on which the site was selected was the extent of the Coronavirus Spread, the availability of building materials, the type of users, the place identity, and its connectivity. Therefore, we chose Cairo as it was Egypt’s most infected cities and because being the largest in population, thus it needs a new prototype design that responds to the new health and climate challenges. Inside Cairo we chose Helwan because it was Cairo’s most infected areas and due to factories air pollution and the spread of respiratory diseases, there is a need for new design strategies that put in mind air purification and treatments to decrease pollution. Also Helwan has good connectivity with most of the city due to the presence of a metro line. It is strongly connected to the Nile Corniche and the presence of sand (material to be used in construction).
The site lies on Omar Ibn Abd El-Aziz main road in Helwan District branched from the Nile Corniche close to Rokn Farouk. This site is surrounded by a lot of services such as hospitals, schools, restaurants, cafes, and clubs. Beside the site lies a Plant nursery that covers a large area which gives a view to the project and helps purify the air around it.
Since home has become a place for many activities, it has become essential to design it in a way to increase humans’ productivity and efficiency. Having a cluttered home can make you feel tired and sluggish, thus improving home environment will have positive effects on our physical health and mental wellness. The goal is to come to a design criterion that will help us achieve physical, mental, and social wellbeing through passive designs:
“Home is people’s immunity.”
Our project is an alive shift simulating immune system layers of defense.
The immune system in human beings defends our bodies through a series of defenses. Our designing approach uses the same technique to make home the people’s immune. When we start looking at the building as a human being, we will start considering that it also has immune system that decides how it will resist diseases or control viruses and infections. Just like the immune system of the human, the building immune system has three main layers of defense; barriers, innate, and adaptive layers. The 1st defensive layer is represented in barriers. This layer, as the human skin, is the first layer to face exterior environment so this is the most important layer. In buildings, these barriers could be building skin and building lung. To enhance this layer screens, louvers, and purifying tiles “breathing walls” are used in the building facades, as well as green elements in the core walls. A courtyard was added as the lung for the building units to help purify the air entering the spaces. The 2nd layer is the innate layer, it is for the passive systems to be added to the interior environments to enhance building immunity. This could be achieved by improving air quality and thermal comfort, providing natural ventilation and lighting, encouraging physical activity within the interior spaces. And due to the current circumstances of the pandemic, it has been also important to consider buffer zones for sterilization and to rethink indoor materials to be more hygienic and easy to clean. The 3rd layer is the adaptive layer, which could be represented as the addition of smart systems and technological add-ons. Due to cost management restrictions, we will focus on the use of the first two layers of defense “barriers & Innate layer” in our building.
Based on our concept, our main keywords are breathe, shifting, layers and cells which were used to form the residential units in a distinct form. First we used a modular cells 3.6m*3.6m to make residential units with different layouts achieving connectivity through a courtyard. Then we added the main cores and entrances. And as we went up the levels we started shifting and layering the units around the courtyard and core to form open green spaces. Finally, all that includes external defensive layers (breathing walls, core green elements and louvers) and enhance the indoor layer of defense( wind catchers and cross ventilation).
Interior spaces are designed to maintain several different activities during the day. As parts of the living room space can be turned into isolation part, other can be closed and opened into a work space. Multipurpose furniture are introduced in the interior design in order to provide additional spaces in small residential units.
We use CSEB material as the building material in the external walls. It simulates human skin by purifying the air. This is a double skin for the building which reduces the thermal loads. CSEB are natural materials, it is soil, raw or stabilized, which is slightly moistened, poured into a steel press (with or without stabilizer) and then compressed either with a manual or motorized press. It is a mixture of clay, silt (very fine sand), sand, and occasionally larger aggregates such as gravel or stones. (Minke, 2006). Compressed earth blocks are most of the times stabilized; hence they are called Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB). The stabilization of the soil allowed us to build higher with thinner walls, which have better compressive strength and water resistance. And they are stabilized with cement or lime.
In the exterior walls we used light colors to make the thermal loads on the building less. The materials used in interior spaces do not keep pollutants on top of them for long periods of time; thus suiting the corona conditions. Using natural colors and materials gives a comfortable feeling. The addition of indoor plants improves the air quality and the psychology of inhabitants.
MODULAR - VERTICAL SCHOOL
RE-IDENTIFYING THE MEANING OF SCHOOLS AFTER THE COVID-19
Location: Faisal - Giza
Architect: Islam Ehab
Code: E-1111
A VERTICAL SCHOOL THAT PROVIDES LIMITLESS ROUTE FOR KEEPING DISTANCE. CONSIDERING THE SMALL BUILDING AREA AND THE NEED OF IMPLEMENTATION OF MORE MULTI- FUNCTIONAL SPACES. THE CONCEPT OF MODULARITY WAS USED, TO ENRICH MORE FROM THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL SPACES. BY CREATING A MODULAR SYSTEM AROUND A UNIT THAT GROWS VERTICALLY, OFFERS A GREAT AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY, AUTONOMY AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXPERIENCES. THE HOLES TIC ARE FORMED BY DUPLICATING THESE UNITS UPWARDS AND CONNECTING THEM BY A STAIRCASE THAT REDEFINES THE MOVEMENT. THE DIFFERENT MODULES ALLOW THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW METHOD OF LEARNING BY HAVING DIFFERENT METHODS THAT PUSHED EVEN FURTHER THE TRADITIONAL BOUNDARIES OF THE WORKPLACE. THESE SEGREGATED VERTICAL TOPOGRAPHIES CREATE VARIETY OF SPATIAL EXPERIENCES AND INHABITABLE SPACES.
THE FORM OFFERS A GREAT AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY, AUTONMY AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXPERIENCES. THE HOLESTIC FORM IS FORMED BY DUPLICATING THESE UNITS UPWARDS AND CONNECTING THEM BY A STAIRCASE THAT RE-DIFINES THE MOVEMENT. THE DIFFERENT MODULES ALLOW THE OPPORTIOUNITY FOR A NEW METHOD OF LEARNING BY HAVING DIFFERENT METHODS THAT PUSHED EVEN FURTHER THE TRADITIONAL BOUNDRIES OF THE WORKPLACE.
THE UNITS ARE EACH BROKEN DOWN TO SMALL DESTINCTIVE ZONES AND EACH IS EXPRESSED INDIVIDUALLY ON THE FACADES. THE INDIVIDUAL PRIMARY CIRCULATION OF THE STAIRCASE OFFERS AN AUTOMNOMY FEELING WHILE THE OTHER SECONDARY CIRCULATION PROVIDES INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE AREAS. THE DIFFERENT TOPOGRAPHIC LEVELS CREATES DIFFERENT GROUND PLACES AND LANDINGS THAT SERVE AS NEW PLACE FOR WORKING, RELAXING, PAUSING AND EVEN STUDYING. IT IS A NEW WAY OF LIVING INSIDE THE SCHOOL, BY REDEFINING ITS ESSENCE AND MAKING USE OF ALL THE FUNCTIONS IN A SMALL AREA.
FAISAL IS ONE OF THE MOST CONDENSED AND OVERPOPULATED PLACES IN EGYPT. I CHOSE THIS SITE SPECIFICALLY AS IT SHOWS CLEARLY HOW THERE IS AN UNORGANIZED URBAN FABRIC THAT IS CONSUMING THE AREA AND THAT THE IDENTITY OF THE AREA STARTED TO VANISH FROM THIS MIXTURE. THE AREA HAS DIFFERENT URBAN TISSUES THAT SHAPE THE SPACE. MOREOVER, THE LAND WHERE THE PROJECT IS GOING TO SET IS IN THE HEART OF THIS CROWDED AREA. IT FEATURES A SPECTACULAR PANORAMIC VIEW OF A HUGE PLANTATION AREA IN FRONT OF IT. THIS LAND IS THE REMAINING OF THE IDENTITY OF THE AREA.
THE LAND IS REACHED VIA DIFFERENT APPROACHES SUCH AS FAISAL METRO STATION THAT IS JUST 5 MINUTES AWAY FROM IT.IT IS ALSO REACHED FROM THE MAIN ROAD. THE AREA HAS MORE THAN ONE METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION.
DECONTAMINATION CHAMBERS ARE ADDED IN EACH FLOOR IN EVERY THRESHOLD , SO THAT EVERY TIME SOMONE ENTERS OR LEAVES GET VACCINATED. MOROVER, THE LOOP CIRCULATION IS ADDED IN THE CONCEPT TO KEEP MOVING AROUND THE MASSES AND AVOID COLLISION OF PIERS
An Educational Building
Location: Shoubra Qalyobia
Team: Mahmoud Fayz - Eman Adel - Amira Khaled - Ali Mahmoud
Code: E1298
-The design began by distributing the desks in an arrangement that provides a wide field of view for each student, which is called: “Horseshoe arrangement” where students are never seated behind each other often obstructing their view, and all students have a clear and unobstructed view of the “ Central Board” of the classroom.
-After Applying the 2-meter distance between desks on the 90m2 area available (the recommended space from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention l) the number of desks was significantly low (7 desks) compared to a minimum of 21 desks before the start of the pandemic, which doesn't fit to the high numbers of students that already go to the crowded classrooms of schools in Cairo.
- We couldn't use any horizontal space in front of the desks to maintain the visual field of each student, so we began to think vertically, the space we aren't using on the walls.
- Through arranging the desks on a First and a Second level of the same classroom and maintaining the same 2 m distance between every 2 desks on the same level, we managed to reach 22 desks in the classroom.
-The two levels of desks are elevated in a way that makes the First level 1.00 meter high and the Second 2.20 meters high, and the reason behind these heights is to maintain a comfortable eye angle for students which is ranged between 17 degree for first level and 28 degree for the second level.
-Reaching the units : the students could reach the desks on the ground level directly from the ground floor, upper desks are reached through a Stair located right to the door of the classroom, leading to a back corridor on level +1.60 m, the corridor funcions as a middle level between the first and second levels of desks, for when there is a unit on +1.00 level there is a small stair leading downwards, and right beside it a unit on level +2.20 with a small stair leading upwards.
-The units and stairs continue altering this way till the end of the corridor, where there is another stair leading to the Ground level to make the circulation a one way only for the Safety and prevention of disease spread.
-The space under the back corridor and stairs has been used as storage spaces, and some spaces contain green elements to help maintain a healthy and green learning environment.
-The colors used within the units are chosen to enhance concentration and improve the learning process for students. Green walls encourage students to focus, yellow walls convey early learning excitement, and red walls inspire vigilance, excitement and creativity.
-On the outside scale, the classrooms were arranged so that the entrance of each class was on the other side of the class beside it, to distribute the flow of students from only one corridor to two separate corridors, and each classroom had a separate courtyard, to prevent crowding of students in one courtyard.
Project Name:Co-Citadel
Location: Sultan Hassan Mosque – Old Cairo
Team Marwan Medhat Mohamed- Saif Ahmed Mohamed - Mohamed Ahmed Hany - Habiba Mohamed Kamal - Ahmad Hany Hamdy
Code: O- 1286
A place where students can work safely without fear of contracting any viral diseases since we are still asked to work in groups and finish our projects even in dire circumstances and so arose the need for a safe, sustainable co-working space. We also chose this specific site as it is an iconic location in relation to many landmarks including Al-Sultan Hassan Mosque, Al-Refaii Mosque and the Citadel and while such magnificent buildings are present, there is a huge lack of any student workplaces even though these places are usually teeming with students who go on site visits, and might have to commute between the workplace and the site.
We chose these sustainable development goals as the project should focus on the health and well-being of the users, use clean energy to protect its environment and adopt sustainable techniques.
Our choice of site of course played a huge role in our precedents and inspirations where we tried to find the balance between modernity and traditional design techniques to blend in.
We took inspirations from the Islamic architecture in the form of mashrabiyat while imitating the effect of Mal’qaf or wind catcher on the roof of the unit to allow natural ventilation. The units are all oriented towards the views of the mosques.
We used the concept of the 4 Iwans as used in AL-Sultan Hassan Mosque to emphasize important spaces in the building such as the entrance, service units and special rooms. The building form comes from the shifting of each unit more than its previous one in order to provide all the spaces with views of the landmarks.
The site wasn’t the only factor that affected our design as we all know it’s no longer a choice for your building to conserve energy, be sustainable and employ techniques to prevent the spread of viral diseases, especially with the recent events and how Covid-19 took many lives and threatened much more not to mention how everyone had to put their daily lives on hold for fear of contracting it.
This inspired our design for the airflow inside the unit where cross ventilation wasn’t an option as it promotes the spread of viral infections, instead air is collected through the wind catcher above passing by a mesh layer containing a disinfectant and then through a divided and then pushed by the effect of air pressure to the bottom of the unit where it is then pushed outside through the space underneath each unit. In public rooms every person is in booth-like spaces separated by patterned partitions, while in private units a spacing of at least a meter and a half is maintained in most places with the mezzanine level, so people don’t all have to sit together. The louvres installed on the opening is controlled by the user to open and close to certain degrees to manage the air intake into the unit. Other solutions to conserve energy inside the unit include the allowance of natural light into the space.
Title: Contech
Location: New Alamein City (Alexandria - Egypt)
Team: Associate Prof. Riham Nady Faragallah - Dr. Pakinam Mohamed Nabil
Taghreed Mohamed Mohamed - Mahmoud El Shawadfy El sayed - Nada Refaat
Code: H1281
Merging modern technology with the project design elements (prefabricated containers).
The main building (administration and various services for students) - housing units for students (single - double - triple) - recreational areas for the housing units and other areas distributed in the site - horizontal circulation elements (pedestrian walkways) and vertical circulation elements (stairs and ramps) to facilitate the movement in site.
The "Contech" project is located in New Alamein City (Alexandria - Egypt) near the campus of Alamein University at a distance of 121 m. The main concept of the project was inspired by searching for ways to eliminate the spread of the emerging Corona virus and reduce its negative effects. So, the combination of modern technology and architecture was the best solution through integrating innovative technologies (electricity circuits) and new architectural structures (containers). On one hand, the technological circuits of electricity connect the entire site together as a network that pumps life into containers and controls all aspects such as: infrastructure pipes, electricity wires, temperature sensors for all containers, laundry and food shuttles, and these circuits are connected to a central control room located in the main building. On the other hand, the prefabricated shipping containers were selected as they are manufactured in factories according to precautionary measures, and then they are quickly installed on site, thus reducing labor and the possibility of infection transmission between workers and controlling the construction period.
Student units are made of shipping containers that are widely available and relatively inexpensive and are environmentally friendly than traditional building materials such as cement and bricks. The container is designed with an area of 14.4 square meters (with dimensions of 2.40m * 6.00m * 3.00m) to achieve the best function in the smallest space (optimal use of the area). Also, multifunctional furniture was designed so that students can use one space for several different functions. Also, light partitions were used to separate the uses within the unit and used for individual isolation in case of infection with Corona virus as a kind of social distancing.
There are two types of recreational areas for students, the first is an “entertainment area for each unit” in the form of an open space and this area can be used for several activities such as: reading, relaxing, exercising, yoga ... etc. The second area is “entertainment areas spread in the site between the units” where students can interact with each other and it contains seating areas, outdoor cinemas, an open gym, ... etc., taking into account the precautionary measures.
Various environmental treatments were used, such as the orientation of openings towards the north to achieve natural lighting and ventilation, increasing the shaded areas, the use of green roofs and water elements, the use of light colors in the facades to reduce heat, the use of water management systems and the exploitation of solar energy through photovoltaic cells.
All safety precautions were taken into account during the design process such as the design of isolation areas for students, areas for removing shoes, automatic sterilization, automatic door opening for entry, automatic monitoring of students' temperature, as well as the use of touch units for washing hands and sterilization, especially in public places such as: corridors, gathering places, ... etc.
Finally, the design proposal provided optimal solutions to the challenges posed by COVID-19, through the design process starting from the construction phase using prefabricated materials to the design phase and operating systems which promote health and safety of users.
Project Name : Environmental Education Center
Location: Sohag – Assiut
Team: Shahd Dergham - Aya Hany Hassan- Shaimaa Ashraf Shawky- Nardine Nasr Naguib - Mariam Wadie Sameeh
Code: E-1326
Since Corona virus has hit Egypt hard, the most negatively impacted field was Education as classes were closed and learning platforms were conducted online. The network of Egypt wasn’t well prepared for this, and the scientific material wasn’t properly conducted, interaction between students and teachers was missing which is a very influencing factor in educational process, unlike other fields:
we’ve chosen a very deteriorated site (poverty wise & education), in Egypt: Assiut - Sohag According to a study, the most 5 poor governorates in Egypt (Assiut, Sohag, Bani-Suef, Beheira & Cairo). Being in upper Egypt, facing worse atmospheric conditions makes the site more challenging & interesting to make an intelligent and flexible design there.
So, the chosen site is Sohag. The educational crisis is getting worse by default. It’s more deteriorated due to COVID-19 concerns & regulations. So we chose our activity typology and developed it to basic education stage: Primary & Preparatory school. Capacity: 200 student Total surface area: Services: totally inclusive & fully independent
The Nile is the river of knowledge that feeds Egyptians’ brains. Since the River Nile has been always the source of wealth to Egypt, so the angle of Delta with the horizon is inspired in our project as a symbol of (Gate of knowledge).
It was the symbol of Richness, since it’s the longest river in the world. It symbolizes the Lotus flower that is the symbol of regeneration of life in Ancient Egypt, and so it will be Education for forever
Rice straw is from the local waste material that is potentially ready to be recycled as a building material (blocks: 20cm*10cm*6cm) and building sheets. It has many advantages:
Recycling process through the reuse of palms waste, without shape transformation (low tech - low budget), high tensile strength that can be used as rebar, (It’s a full function)
Another layer of separation and isolation physically by (green line) that in addition to purifying air for better quality of life, health and wellbeing, It acts like Buffer zone between air flows of different cluster units.(6)
Low tech, high efficient systems:
Gravel pocket in the floor to cool down prevailing winds and by the effect of pressure and openings at different levels, creates natural cross ventilation in the space.
Palm fronds shed (heat insulative) and removable according to hours of day and overall temperature. On extra hot days, It’s installed to keep sun away from soil (prevent evaporation of droplets), so that coming air passes by moist and cool down surface temperature. On normal days and hours, it’s removed for better agriculture process with sun “Photosynthesis”
Low tech and budget but highly effective water treatment system underground (Gray water) for irrigation uses only.
A store for the agriculture products in the landscape too.
Title: Bio-Mars School
Location: New Administrative Capital
Team: Dina Hatem Shams El Din
Code: E-1186
Biophilic design, or incorporating elements of nature into the learning environment, has been proved to have a positive influence on students’ well-being, as well as boosting productivity and academic achievement. This project covers the issue of insufficient spatial design support, which is part of the combined “COVID-19” pandemic, and sets the direction for the environmental improvement of school facilities. The design aims to find the clues to creating an optimized environment for children in nature, which is a key factor that generally promotes children’s physical, cognitive, and social development. Using natural elements enable the children to enjoy various sensory experiences related to nature and provide design recommendations for other schools that may wish to incorporate biophilic elements into educational design.
This biophilic learning environment was built up on an area of 90-square-metere classroom, which was designed to illustrate how you can infuse your learning spaces with nature.
Within the classroom, three distinct zones support different modes of learning, with mobility and flexibility being key. The materials within each zone were carefully chosen to encourage focus, learning, and well-being by mimicking natural environments and making connections to the natural world.
Sun shading devices, orientation and window to wall ratios were considered in the building design in order to optimize daylight and to sync with human circadian rhythms, thereby optimizing occupant wellbeing and productivity.
Use color to evoke emotion. For example, blues bring in the hues of water and sky and have been shown to produce a calming effect, yellow brings to mind sunshine and elicits feelings of joy and happiness, greens bring in the calming effects of plant life, and the spiritual of red is energy, creation and passion.
The scope of Perforated Brick Façade architecture extends beyond privacy or aesthetics. We explore the various advantages of using Perforated Brick Façade for biophilic learning environment in Egypt
Project Name:New Capital Clinical Hub (NCCH)
Location: new capital – Egypt
Team: Dr. Rania Rushdy Moussa- Mirette Asser- Naglaa Youssef- Omar Ain- Yostina Yacoub
Code : O-1323
The site for this project is located in the New Capital, 45km east of Cairo. The reason this site was chosen is that the New Capital is built with a sustainable and innovative vision. Moreover the New Capital considered the new different technological approaches used to construct and built sustainable monumental buildings which serve the concept of this project. The developments made in New Capital include a wide range of technologies and smart architecture, which makes the proposed clinic design a perfect addition to it.
The main concept of this project is to design a clinic expressing “ORDER IN CHAOS”. Where a linear modular unit design represents the order which faces the uncontrolled chaos caused by Covid-19
The aim of this projects is derived by searching for a method to eliminate the spread of airborne virus inside the clinics and medical facilities and to minimize its negative effects. Applying one way circulation is a well-known effective solution to reduce the human contacts and infection spread.
Moreover, combining both technology and aesthetic architectural design were the main scope of this project. These took place by joining between new innovative technologies such as (green air conditioner system, cold water tubes, thermal cameras and air filters) and imbed it with the architectural form of one way circulation building, in addition to the Timber wood screen facades which combine between aesthetic appearance and provide natural cross ventilation to the indoor space.
Modern style was used to design the form of the project. The colors used in this project are a mixture of white and brown, theses colors never goes out of fashion. White color was chosen because it represents the clearness, freshness and purity which give hope for patients and sick people, while the brown color represents the nature as well as the stability, reliability and dependability.
Exterior walls in zones A will have a series of horizontal and vertical wooden louvers rather than solid walls. The louvers have wider spaces in between at the top and at the bottom, this promotes cross ventilation and improves air flow. This enhances natural ventilation and provides a cool, shaded environment
Project Name:Planet X
LOCATION: Western Desert – Egypt
Architect: Anas Mohmed Taha
Code: O-1191
Planet X is a project that aims to provide touristic farms in which the main activity of the tenant would be land cultivation and animal breeding, together with recreational, entertaining, and connecting-with-nature activities. However, the most important goal of such communities is the absolute isolation from infection risks which will be done in a healthy environment that has its inhabitants communicating in a distant safe way.
The proposal assumes an isolated desert area which is yet close to the existing infrastructure as well as the agriculture-friendly water sources. It has been hypothesized that the eastern plateau of the western Egyptian desert which has been chosen by Dr. Elbaz is the most suitable place to begin with. There is already a road connecting this place (Fayoum Link Road), together with some other lateral axes on which the Development Passage is dependent.
Separate hotel suites starting from the path to each suite. Each lodging has its own courtyard which is suitable for animal breeding, as well as overlooking a farm that is cultivated by the tenant for the sake of achieving sustainability. Irregular modules were used to symbolize the idea of an outbreak destroying all regularities, as well as illustrating that post-covid architecture is not the same as pre-covid one. Despite the complexity of the project, the design of a single unit is fairly simple and easy to implement. Each group of units is having a shared square to allow human interaction in the context of social distancing imposed by the pandemic. Cinema and matches are of a great importance, that is why all the units are overlooking a shared cinema screen that allow guests to watch movies and sports events together while staying at home.
Compressed earth from site with a combination of loam and water, compressed on-site using metallic wrenches. One goal of our project is an educational/awareness one; we chose to include some brick-concrete buildings to allow having contractors, technicians, and builders who shall witness the success of the compressed bricks idea for the sake of eventually generalizing it. Change starts from convincing contractors and technicians, as one is the enemy of what they do not know. Therefore, awareness and education will be among the goals of the construction process in our project.