UCL Portfolio by _aishabuzeid

PORTFOLIO

RIBA PART I ARCHITECTURE

| AISHA BUZEID

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

INTRO

Freelance 2022 - Present

The portfolio has been curated according to the criteria outlined by the UCL admissions team. The selected body of work, both academic and professional, demonstrated my thought process, decision-making, and my identity as a designer. The chosen academic projects show a diverse arrangement of drawings and technical understanding through carefully narrated spaces that weave intricate detail through the interplay of texture, colour, lighting, and volume. Each project represents a culmination of research, critical analysis, and creative problem solving that reflects my interest in drawing concepts outside the traditional parameters of built works. By continuously challenging the limits at which I can morph other disciplines into design to create spaces that are both functional and, in themselves, forms to an end, I aim to learn how to deconstruct subjects to learn how to reconstruct post-war city frames.

Architectural and Interior Designer •

Onsite Office Container

Under the supervision of the senior architect, I designed two onsite containers, the first being office spaces and the second a bitumen lab for the construction of a new airport. •

Majlis

A Majlis is a large sitting room in an Arab house for entertaining guests. For the brief, I designed the sitting room with an adjacent kitchen and bathrooms. •

Kiosk

A newly opened bakery requested a 3x4 kiosk stand that is budget-friendly and frames the brand identity.

Tanmia360 NGO 2023 - Present Volunteer Architectural Designer •

Mubadara

The project is a rejuvenation of a local public park. I led the design brief with the aim of adding more colour to the city fabric and engaging the community. We collaborated with UNICEF to host Earth Day at the park for kids from lower-income households, filled with activities and tree planting. •

Urban Forum

A two-week event, the first week consisted of graduates from architecture, law, and economics attending seminars and workshops with the outcome of creating resolutions regarding current issues facing development, zoning, and architectural legislation in Libya, which were presented in the second week to civil servants, businessmen, and policymakers. I was part of the script-writing team as well as meeting with speakers and conducting venue quality checks for the duration of the forum. •

Libya Build

Libya Build is the first expo to take place in Benghazi. I designed the space designated for Tanmia 360, which was 11x7 m. The design consisted of a walk-through gallery, media station, lounge area, coffee break station, and a hall for seminars. •

As for the personal project, I’ve selected Mubadara, a project I led and completed as an architectural designer at Tanmia360. The project panels indicate drawings and research I personally conducted and completed. As a designer and MArch student, I aspire to examine post-war city frames with a focus on Libya. Libya is a country that underwent a civil war for a number of years, resulting in its infrastructure blank point crippling. Additionally, in examining its infrastructure, Libya has the largest underground network of pipelines that bring fresh water obtained from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System. For over three decades, the network has been neglected and not capitalised upon for agricultural purposes or for renewable energy. Hence, the current standing post-war city frame of Libya enables the opportunity to integrate missed opportunities along with rebuilding its infrastructure, which I intend to be the focus of my practice as an architect. The final project presented in the portfolio showcases evidence of work experience and construction detail (technical study). To note, all drawings and photographs, both academic and professional, presented in the portfolio have been completed and curated by myself.

Green Wall

The feature green wall was designed to frame the co-working space as well as set the tone and identity for it.

CONTENT

TODD Architects 2021 - 2022 Part I Architectural Assistant

At Todd Architects, I worked on numerous projects, both refurbishment and new construction, such as office spaces, hospitals, student residential buildings, educational buildings, and master plans. On these projects, my tasks consisted of: • • • • • •

Producing feasibility studies Producing Technical Drawings Site vists Developing schemes in 2D and 3D CAD Producing renders Presenting projects to the team and clients

Murray Bell Architects 2020 Placement

I interned at Murray Bell Architects for a period of two months as part of an industry placement by Queen’s University Belfast.

Almomayaz Practice 2018 Internship

INSIDE OUT - REHABILITATION CENTRE Exploring the effect of nature and space planning on mental health

CIVIC STAGE - RITUAL OF EXCHANGE Designing a local food market experiments with the merger of classical market trade with present-day technology to provide a new public intervention.

ADAPTIVE REUSE - SHARED SPACE Designing an extension for an existing site in the aims of encoraging community engagment and growth.

MUBADARA - PUBLIC PARK Redesigning an existing public park in a residential area populated with elementary and primary schools

GREEN WALL - OFFICE DESIGN FEATURE Creating a feature green wall in the Tamnia360 office

I did a summer internship before starting my undergraduate studies in architecture, where I learned the different architectural drawings and basics.

Year: 2021

Location: Armagh, NI

Type: Academic

Tutor: Tarla MacGabhann, Rachel Delargy

INSIDE OUT

REHABILITATION CENTRE

The Rehabilitation Centre was designed to establish a relationship between the building and its surroundings. Located in Armagh, Northern Ireland, and surrounded by the Church of Ireland and its gardens, the site area, which up until the late 1990’s was at the centre of Christianity, famine, and civil war, is now a predominantly residential area with 35% of the population is elderly.

Whilst each case of PTSD differs from one to the next, there is a global standard of 5 types of PTSD: type 1: normal stress response, type 2: acute stress disorder, type 3: uncomplicated PTSD, type 4: complex PTSD, and type 5: comorbid PTSD. The proposed facility accommodates all 5 types based on three main principles that have proved successful in treating PTSD patients;

In recent years, there has been a vast increase in awareness of neurotic disorders as well as efforts to improve screening for PTSD. While PTSD has been predominantly studied among military individuals, due to recent political and economic global discord such as COVID-19, civil unrest, and climate change, there has been an evident shift in numbers. That being said, the NHS reported a 20% increase in PTSD symptoms in the first wave of COVID 19.

•

Infusing nature into the design by integrating outdoor garden spaces into the design Reducing the isolation of patients within the design scheme by focusing on shared spaces Reducing cognitive load on patients by limiting the material used throughout the scheme.

Hence, this calls for a need to facilitate built environments that utilise new research to improve the rehabilitation process and achieve maintainable success.

REAR GARDEN RENDER

HISTORICAL TIMELINE County Armagh has been considered a Mecca to Catholics since the construction of the Church of Ireland in 432AD and later Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. This fundamentally paved the way for Armagh to develop geographically, religiously, and economically. Despite the ongoing growth in Armagh, the town bared witness to countless conflicts being: the Irish Rebellion in 1641 or else known as the Plantation of Ireland and later in the 20th century two consecutive wars: The War of Independence in 1919 and The Troubles in the late 1960s. Ultimately, the conflicts had their reverberation on the small town, and today the once religious Mecca seises to exist on the map.

SECTION AA

INTERNAL COURTYARD

k l j

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a f

GROUND FLOOR PLAN a Reception d Therapy room g WC j Dinning Room b Administration office e Meeting room h Single person meditation room k Kitchen c Managers office f Reading Room i Chapel l Staff quarters

EAST ELEVATION

n m

a b c d e f g h SOUTH ELEVATION

WEST ELEVATION

v w x

DETAIL SECTION a Stone cladding e Drainage plan i Installation batten m Timber joints q Timber joints and firings b Insulation and U-bar f Water resistant bed j Reinforced concrete n Waterproof membrane r Timber floor pane c Mortar setting bed g Sheathing k Steel rebar o Plywood sheet s Concrete floor slab d Metal lath h Outer stud wall l Beam fixture detail p Rigid foam insulation t Insulation u Stormwater system v Insulation and U-bar w Concrete x Gray water recycling system

PATIENT ROOM PLAN

AXONOMETRIC ENSUITE PATIENT ROOM The room is composed of two rectilinear pieces that are defined as a place for rest and a place for washing. The bedroom encompasses a bed, wardrobe, desk, and a window bench for reading or resting. The hardwood lining used in the room is continuous of the material and joinery used throughout the scheme to ease the patient’s mind and allow them to focus on their recovery. The bathroom, on the other hand, expresses in-situ concrete walls to form a wet room. The daily ritual of cleaning is very important in places of rehabilitation. The shower is encased with the same stone used in the exterior of the building and therapy spaces to bring a sense of familiarity into the design but also blur the line between inside and out.

Year: 2020

Location: Londonderry, NI

Type: Academic

Tutor: Rachel O’Grady, Mark Todd

MARKET CONCEPT SKETCH

CIVIC STAGE FOOD MARKET

Civic Stage is a studio based on set design and urban choreography. It examines the deep culture of small trades in an ear that capitalises on ‘fast fashion’ and wasteful consumerism. According to a study conducted by Google, the future shopping experience will be ‘zero friction’; however, it is predicted that as our need to ‘go shopping’ decreases, our craving for human interaction will spike.

open-air market, each seller aims to make their booth the most vibrant and captivating to sell their products; however, the design motif of the food market is not to sell the most products but to allow the consumer or buyer to engage with or, in this case, taste the product, hence mainly focusing on the micromarketing of the ritual of trade through brand identity and producer expertise.

In planning and architecture, we are still talking about retail with a capital R, as though it is an economically sustainable land use. However, with the adaptation of fast fashion, we are often neglecting the fundamental purpose of cities, which take diversity, conflict ‘friction’, and turn them into culture. Trade and bargaining have always been integral to the negotiation of different points of view.

Additionally, the market design addresses present-day environmental issues regarding the increased risk of flooding and coastal wear all over Northern Ireland. Hence, the market acts as an exploration to create a structure that can both collect grey water and also remain a design feature. The building has also been lifted half a metre above street level.

Civic Stage views the city as a collection of performances: not for ‘fun’ or ‘entertainment’ but for citizens to make themselves heard and to negotiate their place within the collective. For this reason, the market design recoils from the ‘frictionfree’ trajectory of retail and looks to alternative models of trade: cooperatives, re-use, swaps, local currencies, and off-grid self-sufficiency. The food market focuses on local producers and consumers. It examines the essence of trade in open markets that have populated the streets for centuries. The market design allows producers to reflect their identity by customising their booths. Just like in an

Moreover, the scheme is composed of structural columns that imitate an inverted umbrella shade. Each column is composed of timber, stained glass, and steel as a means to not only collect rainwater but also create a playful environment that is constantly changing throughout the day as well as the season. This is done through the refraction of the stained glass inside the market. The design experiments with the merger of classical market trade with presentday technology to provide a new public intervention.

CULTURAL AND SOCIAL SPACES SURROUNDING STRAND ROAD IN DERRY / LONDONDERRY A series of buildings and structures that hold significant social and cultural impact on the makeup of Derry/ Londonderry, and are either a walkable distance from the site or a 5min drive.

ISOMETRIC SITE ANALYSIS

1 THE STAR FACTORY

2 THE DERRY WALL

3 GUILDHALL

One of ‘the magnificent five’ shirt factories of Derry. It was proposed for demolition in the mid 1990s after falling dereclit but was saved. It is now apartment blocks

They were built by the Irish Society between 1613 and 1619 with the intention of protecting the Scottish and English planters that had moved to Ulster as part of the Plantation of Ulster.

A historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries.

4 THE CRAFT VILLAGE

5 GLASSWORKS THEATER

6 DERRY PEACE BRIDGE

A reconstruction of an 18th Century Street and 19th Century Square, the Craft Village is a cultural oasis that provides an eclectic mix of artisan craft shops, balconied apartments, restaurants and cafes

A former 19th Century Georgian Church building that was established 2013 as an exciting and integral music venue during Derry’s City of Culture.

The Peace Bridge is a cycle and foot bridge across the River Foyle in Derry, Northern Ireland. connecting Ebrington Square with the rest of the city centre.

7 CULTURLANN

8 CHRIST CHURCH

9 VOID ART GALLERY

Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin is an award-winning Irish language, arts and cultural centre in Derry City.

The first purpose-built Protestant Church constructed outside the city walls of derry.

Void Art Centre is a contemporary art space showing the work of established international and Irish artists.

“I’m about goI’ll in,meet I’ll meet meet you “I’m about totoin.. go in.. I’ll I’m about to go you byyou the at the the swing booth” Swing Booth by Swing booth”

CROSS SECTION AA A

The marketplace is predominantly made up of 12 booths, each offering a similar yet different dining experience applicable to all ages. Cross Section AA zooms into the six booths by the Strand Road entrance.

In the centre of each booth is a column that is both a structural and a design feature. The column base is timber, while the major upper half of the column is composed of stained glass and coppertinted steel that, upon joining, make up the ceiling.

When the roof is open, the sunlight pierces through the glass and reflects a variation of colours within the market that change throughout the day with the motion of the sun. As for the cloudy, rainy days, the columns become a grey water collection system.

The roof itself is made up of canvas and an aluminium retractable system that helps moderate the amount of rainwater being collected but also controls the amount of sunlight coming through so that the market space doesn’t overheat.

RITUAL OF EATING THE 70’s CLUB Inspired by Sarah Wiggleworth’s drawings of a dining table, the plan drawings of the 70’s club booth illustrate the ritual of trade through the ritual of eating. The upper drawing illustrates the table before, and the lower plan drawing illustrates the table during and after. Similar to the controlled chaos of a marketplace, each individual moves at their own pace, allowing each of them to experience the space differently. Accordingly, the circular booth design caters to this need by making the service accessible and easier while also creating a different experience and perspective for each seat.

COLUMN DESIGN THE 70’s CLUB

a Slated timber b Water resistant membrane c Water Filter Device d Access opening for maintenance and cleaning e Pipe f Timber - concrete joinery g Tiles

PLAN

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BEFORE

i Heating mat j Insulation k Adhesive l Reinforced Concrete

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Year: 2020

Location: Belfast, NI

Type: Academic

Tutor: Nuala Flood Patrick Wheeler

ADAPTIVE REUSE MULTIFAITH CENTRE

The brief was to design an adaptive reuse project for the former Bank of Ireland in Belfast’s City Centre. For the project, I designed a multi-faith centre. Through my research, I discovered that there is a lack of facilities that offer spaces for people of different faiths and practices to gather. Thus, I intended to design a multi-faith centre, which I’ve defined as an adaptive space that is assigned to a particular faith and faith groups at different times, offering space for quiet reflection and contemplation, inviting discussion, and encouraging community growth. The project holds personal significance as, at the time, I just got back from visiting Libya, where most of the city of Benghazi showcased the pure carnage of the war. Seeing acres of destroyed buildings in different conditions—some brought down to rubble, others split in half, showcasing the most intimate areas of the homes’— wall paper, tiles, furniture, and even fabrics. After a while, those details and bodies of concrete began to look organic within the city frame and eventually began to pile up. Ultimately, I wanted to reflect this experience into the brief through the concept of decomposition.

Fungi is a type of decomposer that produces enzymes that break down and digest decaying and dead matter, then absorb this material to grow. This relates back to the concept of adaptive reuse, where one uses the existing body and material of a building to create a new purpose and design for it. Hence, I used different cladding materials throughout the scheme to bring about the chaos of war or demolition. Additionally, to minimise the carbon footprint, minimal changes were made to the exterior and interior; however, there were added light wells on the northwestern facade to provide consistent light throughout the day and into the offices and library. The design refrained from adapting the organic shapes and curvature of fungi due to cost implications and construction energy; however, inspired by its random and linear growth, the new build offers new varying elevations to the site as well as cantilevered light wells along the northwestern facade

COLLAGE

PRECEDENT STUDY

INVESTIGATING DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS SPACES To grasp the spatial qualities and form of worship spaces, I looked at four different types of worship spaces: mosques, temples, churches, and synagogues. Upon first glance, it was clear that temples and mosques shared very similar spatial qualities in plan, and the same was true for a synagogue and a church. As a result, I carried out a comparative analysis as follows:

The Ankor Wat Temple and the Blue Mosque are geographically placed on either end of the continent, from different time periods and for different faiths, but hold similar spatial characteristics. For one, there’s a threshold upon entering the space; they’re also both rectilinear and allow for flexible movement, which in turn allows collective and individual practice of faith. This finding is reflected in the 3D massing model that overlays the structural foundations of the Ankor Wat Temple and the Blue Mosque.

Cathedrals and synagogues share similar spiral characteristics. Both have an aisle, a fixed arrangement of seating, and an elevated main point of focus at the end of the aisle, as evident in the plans of the Synagogue of Warsaw and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Being rectilinear in shape with fixed furniture, these two spaces of worship have high ceilings and give power to the architecture. The 3D modelling of the snygouge and church highlights the similarities in both spaces.

The elevations of the spaces of worship all show a uniform use of controlled openings, light wells, and a dramatic shift in elevation heights.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

d e

The multifaith centre is a space that encourages community growth, education, discussion, and contemplation; hence, the scheme offers a variety of rooms accommodating different numbers of people. The new-built extension in the parking space behind the Bank of Ireland is a single level, with varying elevations and light wells that allow light to penetrate deep into the plan. Those designed spaces in the extension are connected through a series of glass corridors that are enclosed by green spaces, a courtyard, and a garden. An additional feature within the newly built extension is a set of light wells divided among the spaces with unique designs that allow light to funnel in to create a playful and yet distinctive experience relative to each space. Within the Bank of Ireland, there is a library, offices, communal areas, and study rooms.

a b c d e f g h

LIGHT WELL DESIGN STUDY

Reception WC Adaptive Worship Space/ Theatre Lobby Study Room Indivisual Practice Rooms Internal Courtyard Garden

INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE ROOM

STREET ELEVATION

CROSS SECTION AA

Year: 2023

Location: Benghazi, LYB

Office: Tanmia360

Project: Mubadara PERSONAL PROJECT

Public Park Refurbishment

The design strategy is built on three principles;

PROPOSED SITE PLAN RENDER

• Preservation and Restoration Taking into account environmental implication of complete renovation, site identity, and budget, Mubadara is a project focused it was most fit to preserve the exiting design elements. Additionally, efforts were made to preserve on encouraging environmental decades old trees on site. sustainability and awareness. It works to raise the • Add colour to the city fabric efficiency of civil society As a way to engage the youth and community, we incorporated colour and old playground games organisations concerned with like hopscotch and snakes and ladders to entice and encourage community engagement in a city the environment through that fell victim to a civil war followed by a pandemic. enhancing cooperation and community engagement • Community engagement and contribution between government agencies, In the aim of creating a socially impactful project we collaborated with UNICEF, Future Maker organisations and society, society (local children refugee), and a number of civil society organisations concerned with the through the rehabilitation of a environment, and created an event at the park that involved, cleaning and recycling trash on site, public park in Benghazi. planting dozens of trees, and painting.

Jacaranda

Royal Poinciana

Trumpetbushes

Orange Tree

Lemon Tree

Bauhinia

Chorisia Speciosa

Plam Tree

PROPOSED SITE TREES

PAINTED PLAYGROUND

AERIAL SITE DEVELOPMENT 19

LED Spotlight

Year: 2023

Location: Benghazi, LYB

Office: Tanmia360

Project: Green Wall

GREEN WALL DETAIL

Water resistant gypsum backing board (GB-WR) ASTM C 1396 The green wall is a subproject of the overall Tanmia 360 Office design. The aim of the feature wall is to frame the co-working space that is used by employees and volunteers. The coDIN7976 6.3x5

working space is often characterised as busy and loud, which often disturbs the workflow; hence, I applied a two-point strategy to the space. To begin with, the co-working space is located opposite the entrance of the office, and as a way to reflect the work of the NGO, whose projects focus on sustainability and eco-friendly design solutions, I designed a feature green wall. The green wall design takes into account three main concepts: flexibility, recycling and reuse, and maintenance.

Timber frame 60x60mm

Flexibility The mesh grid allows the suspended plants to be arranged in different ways for aesthetic purposes and to give the plants the flexibility to grow.

DIN571 4.2x75 Recycling and Reuse The timber beams used between the backboard and the steel mesh were reused from a previous project completed by the company, while the steel mesh grid and planters have been recycled and repainted. Wall suspended planter Maintenance Spray painted steel wire mesh grid 1.5mm

Each section of the green wall has been designed individually to allow for easy disassembly and

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPLETED DESIGN

maintenance. Additionally, having a number of planters allows for meticulous care of each individual plant. Secondly, to create a controlled environment and take away from the visual and acoustic disarray of the co-working space, I added a darker tone to the space by painting the green wall and desks to make them appear smaller to the eye and controlled, deflect from the visual disarray, and emit soothing and calming tones into the space that are complemented by the plants. Furthermore, paired with the green wall is an LED spotlight track that feeds the plants.

Metal planter

Water Drainage system

Access opening

Double electrical socket wall switch socket BS 13A

Expandable tubular water drain