PhD in Architecture + Design

PhDs

Architecture + Design

Dr. Renee Tobe Dr. Heba Elsharkawy Dr. Anna Minton Alan Chandler

Doctoral research in architecture at UEL is as transdisciplinary as the practice of architecture itself.

High level impact studies that examine smart cities, and intelligent design with contextual analysis mean that we work with both the Sustainable Research Institute (SRI) and colleagues from Humanities. International experts in city design, moving image, sensory perception, retrofit housing, mental health, cultural studies, natural environment, and philosophy guide students through individually develop research projects. The intent of the doctorate is to produce high quality researchers across the diffrent strands of the built environment, that supports students’ own concerns as well as funded research investigations.

PhD by Research An Investigation into the Positive Effects of Interior Design in Care Homes for People Living with Dementia

Investigator: Dina Al Qusous Director of Studies: Dr Renee Tobe Second Supervisor: Dr Anastasia Karandinou

Through this thesis, I am examining environments designed for people with dementia. I am looking into how the specific needs and particularities of the dementia patients, as well as the cultural and social context informs the spatial design. Different cultures approach care for elderly residents with dementia in their own methods based on tradition and socioeconomic values. The aim of this thesis is to gain a good understanding of how the pragmatic needs of the dementia patients and the cultural beliefs and conventions relate to specific spatial designs, as well as to develop strategies for designing such place more effectively/ better.

The interface between Dementia and Mental Health: In this section of my research, I will be looking at different articles and websites in which investigations of how dementia impacts one’s wellbeing which will allow me to pinpoint the triggers and see how design elements can alter these triggers. The unfortunate fact that there is no treatment discovered to cure dementia or to alter it from progressing does not mean that there are not different ways to improve the quality of life for those who are living with this disease. (There is progress made continuously with new treatments and medicines. And this is something that you should acknowledge maybe. So rather than assuming that there will never be a cure or that the progression of the disease will remain the same in the future, you could acknowledge that the number of patients with dementia is increasing, and science is gradually progressing as well, developing new possible treatments that may alleviate or delay some of the symptoms. Spaces need to be designed with that in mind as well and allow for the relevant degree of flexibility.)

Modifying one’s environment in order to fit their needs and to adjust it with their lifestyle can help lessen the confusion and distress in their everyday lives. Fortunately, throughout the years, more people are paying attention to designing elderly institutes that are associated for patients with dementia, especially in the UK. Unfortunately, that is not the case for most countries across the world, and especially countries in the Middle East.

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PhD by Research Can community participation rebalance housing land rights? Case of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Investigator: Lukangaka Luke Okende Supervisors: Dr Mihaela Anca Ciupala; Roland F. Karthaus

Like many amongst the African Sub-Saharan cities, Kinshasa the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo is confronted to a growing urban deterioration; absence of suitable infrastructures, poor quality of public services facilities and lack of quality housing for largest number of residents. A long period of political instability since the early post-colonial period, prevalent corruption in a context of poor governance and the ambiguous role of traditional chiefdom hierarchies (regarded as the landlords) in the process of urban land acquisitions are identified as keys contextual factors. Nevertheless, an absence of a sustainable urban development strategy, a comprehensive planning model in a city confronted to a fast demographic rate and a decline of socio-economic standard amongst majority of residents over the years, have resulted to an unbalanced dysfunction system which contributed to an urban city development of two independent modes; one side dominated by accumulation of foreign private capital investments while another side by proliferations of informal settlements with a physical manifestation of slums constructions. Contextually, we propose to investigate while looking at a limited intervention adjacent to slums areas in Kingasani and camp Luka with a view to seeing if it can perform well. The essence of this research wishes to test whether community participation can offer an alternative process that can contribute to improving land rights and urban development at the grass-roots level, To fulfil this task we opt for focus groups on minor scale area in Kingasani and camp Luka even that this choice is not fully representative for city of Kinshasa however, it can be extended to big scale with consideration to the particular aspects of each location.

Key words: urban lands acquisitions, chiefdom authority, sustainable housing, community participation, urban poverty, slum constructions, private city space, urban planning

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PhD by Research Using Urban Green Systems as an Approach for Future Climate Change Adaptation in London

Investigator: Hashem Mohamed Hany Hashem Ahmed Taher Supervisors: Dr. Heba Elsharkawy (Director of studies); Prof. Darryl Newport

This PhD research is beneficial for (Mayor of London Plan) to turn London to be the world’s biggest national park by 2050 and Healthy Street Plan plan by Transport for London (TfL) since this research focuses on significant environmental benefits of urban green systems (UGS) as trees, living façade and high albedo materials for mitigating Urban Heat Island effect (UHI) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) sequestration. The aim of this study is to investigate quantitatively the impact of UGS on climate change adaptation and mitigation in current 2018 and future climate scenarios 2050 and 2080 through determining its influence on UHI and CO2 levels, in addition to reviewing the underlying reasons for UHI effect and how to mitigate it particularly in future climate scenarios.

Afterwards, developing and analysing a simulated and basic real prototype urban model to study UHI and CO2 effect mitigation in an urban canyon through different UGS followed by a survey to analyse statistical relationships between pedestrian thermal comfort and social and aesthetical variables as analysing the pedestrian preference of different UGS alternatives.

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