The Architecture Research Institute

Head of the Architecture Research Institute/ Dr Beniamino Polimeni

Professor Ahmad Taki, Director of the Institute of Architecture/ Simon Bradbury, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean, Faculty of Arts, Design and Humanities/ Kate Cheyne, Head of School, School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Dr Adriana Massidda/ Dr Luis Zapata Montalvo/ Dr Rokhshid Ghaziani/ Dr Jamileh Manoochehri/ Dr Yuri Abdul Hadi/ Dr George Themistokleous/ Dr Yasser Megahed/ Dr Amal Abuzeinab/ Dr Alona Martinez Perez

The Architecture Research Institute has excellent selfcontained premises in the historic cottages on the main City Campus. This environment engenders a clear sense of identity, common purpose and an excellent community spirit. The PhD students have been relocated to the historic 6 and 7 Castle View cottages, helping to create a vibrant and a diverse community of 24 PhD students from around the world, including Africa and Asia, to support scholarly activities that align with the following research themes:

1.Low Impact Built Environment - explores design strategies and building physics to promote and encourage sustainability, human thermal interactioWn with the built environment and computer modelling. We are currently working on methods aimed at improving alignment between houses, contexts, climates and energy performance.

2.Housing and Dwelling - deals with housing policy, how we inhabit our homes, and the effect on our wellbeing. The research examines a theoretical perspective to link housing to the built environment in terms of alienation and self-agency. It also explores dwelling within the urban environment in relation to our physical and mental health.

3.Cities & Urbanism - deals with architecture and urban design of the periphery and high-rise buildings. It focuses on how people engage with places, and on the development of strategies to enhance their experience within the built environment. 4.Architectural Geometry & Fabrication - deals with a rich lexicon of forms and shapes based on precise construction methods and potential prototyping. It also explores digital technologies to produce architectural and design objects, including Islamic geometric patterns. Such digital fabrication could focus on competitions, artefacts, exhibitions and publications related to architectural design

Our dynamic and diverse community of PhD students form part of the DMU Doctoral Training Programmes. The Institute of Architecture is building on strong foundations in research already recognised as impacting society, and as making a real difference to people’s lives, especially through improvements to the UN’s SDGs 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (climate action). We are well placed to help meet these and other challenges through our internationally recognised areas of expertise in architecture and the built environment. With a range of specialist skills on offer, they enjoy close working relationships with their supervisors, who share their passion and can fully support their individual journeys.

DMU offers flexible ways of studying for international research students. You can either study full-time at DMU’s vibrant Leicester campus and enjoy the benefits of being part of a successful research community. Or you can study full-time or part-time in your home country with full remote supervision from DMU. This option offers the potential of studying for a PhD from a UK university while maintaining existing professional and personal commitments.

Institute of Architecture Postgraduate and Research Study Options

Architecture MArch (Part 2) The Architecture MArch programme develops the emerging architectural professionWal and challenges the individual to discover or develop a personal stake in the architectural world. Central to the course is a series of advanced design studios that are integrated with studies in Humanities, Technology and Environment, Digital Computation and Fabricated and Professional Studies.

Architectural Practice Diploma (Part 3) The Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Practice (PG Dip) is a qualification leading to exemption from the ARB/RIBA Part III examination. Our Architectural Practice PG Dip enjoys close relationships with established practitioners, academics and consultants, who provide guidance on to topical issues in contracts, law, economics and management.

Architecture Professional Experience Development Record (PEDR) The PEDR will provide you with the opportunity to enrol on a Part 3 programme in order to take the RIBA/ ARB Part 3 exam in architecture and to register as an architect in the UK.

The PEDR is an electronic record of a graduate’s professional experience, development and competency in the practice of architecture. Monitoring and endorsing of Professional Experience Development Record (PEDR) sheets is conducted through the graduate monitoring service at the Leicester School of Architecture (LSA). This is a self-directed, work-based exercise which centres on the RIBA PEDR sheets.

There is no formal syllabus and completing the PEDR sheets carries no academic credits. These are an essential component for taking the Part 3 exam, and on passing, gaining admittance to the register of architects held by Architects Registration Board (ARB).

Architectural Design (MA) The course will enable you to establish a comprehensive understanding of architecture rooted in the theories of its making. This is an internationally popular course that attracts students globally and currently offers entry to the rigorous design teaching we offer at the Leicester School of Architecture (LSA). The LSA has an extensive national and international lecture series, attracting leading academics and professionals from around the world.

Architecture and Sustainability Architecture and Sustainability MSc explores a wide range of approaches related to sustainable architectural design, with a particular emphasis on building physics and design strategies that promote and encourage sustainability. The course appreciates the interface between the environmental, economical and sociocultural dimensions of sustainability in terms of building design and carbon neutrality.

Architecture Research Degree MPhil/PhD Research in the Institute of Architecture ranges from technical and empirical to practice-based outputs. The strength of the institute lies in its multidisciplinary staff and their collaborative research. The institute explores fields of thought around sustainable development and the built environment from a holistic perspective. It considers social, economic and ecological factors, aspiring for operational sustainability. Our research collects data through case studies, questionnaires, interviews, observations and archival research. Data is examined using statistical analysis, content analysis, thermal and dynamic simulations. This showed that bioclimatic design solutions have the capacity to enhance human living conditions and save our natural environment with minimum use of resources, land, energy and reduced CO2 production. This research has developed housing models for Libya, Nigeria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia that would enhance sustainable housing provisions and meet socio-cultural needs.

For information regarding postgraduate research contact Professor Ahmad Taki, ahtaki@dmu. ac.uk

“The overall aim of my PhD research work was to produce a framework for designing energy efficient dwellings satisfying social-cultural needs in a hot climate with reference to Libya. My supervisor, Professor Ahmad Taki, has been one of the supporting pillars throughout my PhD journey through his support and encouraging approach to research. In addition, DMU has outstanding values of hard work and academic rigour. It has instilled in me a fearless approach to learning and I would recommend DMU to anyone.” Dr Nagah Ali (graduated 2019)

The Impact Of Mashrabiya On Building Energy Performance And Social Cultural Aspects In Hot Climates

by: Shafiaa S. Alghamdi

Supervisor: Prof Ahmad Taki Abstract

With the adoption and influence of Western designs, the architecture in Jeddah has experienced a loss in Hejazi architectural identity resident’s lack of privacy, contributing to the increase in energy consumption. In this study, a clear outline of the background to the causes and the effects of the increase in energy consumption will be elaborated focusing on the actual specific research area of Jeddah. In the construction of buildings, the shift from traditional to contemporary architecture resulted in the use of air condition (AC) to improve the indoor environmental quality due to the hot climatic conditions.

The over-use of air condition in residential buildings led to the increase in energy usage which resulted in the government suspending the subsidy for electricity for residents followed by the increase in electricity tariffs in an attempt to minimise the usage of electricity. The research study aims to address the problems associated with the shift in architectural and the effect of operational systems by analysing the impact of mashrabiya on energy performance and identifying the social cultural needs of residents to preserve privacy and Hejazi architectural identity in residential buildings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The research approach included an initial pilot survey to ensure the effectiveness of the research methods, questions, and overall research procedure.

In this survey the researcher interviewed 3 residents who owned and built the villas for 3 days. The survey questions addressed mainly the three areas of the research which include energy consumption, identity, and privacy as well as mashrabiya. According to the pilot survey results all the residents interviewed acknowledged the fact that re-instating mashrabiya would provide privacy and enhance Hejazi architectural identity. In the area of energy consumption, the results indicated various factors that impact on energy consumption including the area, number, and behaviour of people. The relevant information identified from the literature review in relation to the objectives of this research, the historic facts about mashrabiya in terms of energy performance, particularly VII in Saudi Arabia, were combined with data collected through 261 online questionnaires. The respondents also included 8 specialists’ interviews from 4 government organisations and 48 residents from Albasateen district as well as observations and results from measurements which were then used to calculate the entry information to simulate the modelled case study villa.

A range of simulations were than conducted to evaluate the building performance in terms of lighting and energy consumptions together with indoor environmental quality’ and social cultural related issues. According to the specialists’ interview results, 100% state that mashrabiya is the most significant Hejazi architectural element which provides identity. In relation to the residents’ privacy the online and interview results show 94% of respondents who claim to have privacy while from the observations and further investigation on privacy 100% use window treatment such as curtains, blackouts, and shutters to provide privacy which indicates that they lack privacy. Therefore, the use of mashrabiya will provide both identity and privacy. One of the research areas included the energy usage, the results from simulation showed significant reduction in total energy usage in an existing villa case study compared with the villa case study with gypsum mashrabiya with large hole design.

The results showed a decrease from 106, 114 kWh to 94, 115 kWh a total reduction of 11, 999 kWh (11%). It can therefore be concluded that if mashrabiya is re-instated it has great potential to restore not only the Hejazi architectural identity but will also provide residents’ privacy while reducing the energy consumption as a shading device in residential buildings in the city of Jeddah.

Towards Reusing Private Non-Monumental Architecture: Diu Town

by: Anisha Meggi

Supervisor: Dr Yuri Hadi Abstract

Every town needs a set of old buildings, plain, ordinary low-value buildings. However, in India old buildings are being demolished by owners, developers and authorities. In Diu Town, a former Portuguese

colony, older buildings are being abandoned, neglected and left to ruin with native heritage owners being migrants’ structures are demolished and new homogenous concrete residential blocks constructed at a rapid pace. As a result, the distinct Mediterranean essence of the town is being lost. The construction of commercial tourism-related infrastructure adds to the loss of identity and culture for the town.

A sequence of onsite urban mappings and building surveys of the primary case, this research documents and analyses the urban fabric of Diu Town consolidating Diuenses seemingly conflicting issues of treatment of urban heritage environments, their devalued status and the complexities between owners, local authorities and globalised aspirations by reconnecting key stakeholders.

The research formulates an approach in the form of a set of bottom-up guidelines for the owners of privately-owned heritage structures in Diu Town to be informed and guided for the future treatment of their structures. Rather than attempt to list the structures and restrict development or modification through bureaucracy and legal matters, the guidelines will allow for disconnected diaspora members to be influenced and directed towards a bottom-up regeneration approach where owners can better utilise their heritage buildings for the town and their own benefit. Also allowing for intangible heritage to be sustained, support and regeneration of the local economy and encouraging environmentally sustainable and self-sufficient methods within the building processes.

The thesis contributes in the area of bottom-up regeneration of cultural neighbourhoods in South Asia by undertaking of the “heritage” paradigm in a town affected by global influences and processes due to the native migrant populations. survey and anecdotes). By doing so, the research attempts to discover something new about Arabian Suqs through its own dwellers’ ‘intime’ experiences, descriptions and stories.

The research concludes that despite the persistence of some particular spatial references, such as the fadaa/ tareeq duality, in the perception and experience of Arabian Suqs, the understanding of Suq-ness today points to some dialectic tensions relating to an Arab’s relationship to modernity, tradition and progress. The methodological application of this ‘new’ approach for investigating Arabian socio-urban relations substantiates the research’s contribution to knowledge, positioning it within the larger sphere of current theoretical discourses (phenomenologist, situationist and semiotic) that emphasize the importance of lived experiences—everyday practices—and poetics as key sources for understanding socio-urban phenomena.

List of Current Post Graduate Students Research (PhD) Students

Abbakyari Maryam, Abedi Mahtab, Almaawi Haya, Alsheglawi Bilal, Ayodele Tunmise, Doan Ha Xuan Viet, Egoh Enifome, Ko Ya-Hsuan, Mohammed Zainab, Odesola Enoch, Onitiju Olande, Onyenokporo Nwakaego, Phittayakorn Thansak, Shahin Jasmine, Shoaib Mah Noor, Small-Warner Kaie, Wang Daben,