Architecture & Urban Design Portfolio by Hesham Balbaa

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO SELECTED WORKS

HESHAM BALBAA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Curriculum Vitae

Undergrad Projects Aida | Under Construction GUC Berlin Campus Redesign The Pavillion | Triangadillo Luhmuhlen Island | Berlin

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Graduation Project The German Embassy in Cairo

Pre-Masters Projects The Mediteranean Village & Resort Young City Cairo Manial Waterfront Sustainable Urban Redevelpment

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CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: Date Of Birth: Nationalities: Address: E-mail Address: Phone Number:

Hesham Sherif Anwar Balbaa 20.01.1993 Egyptian/American Othman Ahmed Othman Towers | Maadi | Cairo h.balbaa@hotmail.com | h.balbaa14@gmail.com 01001238230 EDUCATION

2008-2010 International General Degree of Secondary Education (IGCSE) | High School Degree Manor House October Schools, Dokki, Giza 2010-2014 Faculty of Architecture and Urban Design | German University in Cairo 2013 Studied abroad in GUC Berlin campus | Berlin 2014 Bachelor Degree | Faculty of Architecture and Urban Design | GUC Bachlor Grade A+ | (0.7 GPA) German System 2014-2015 Pre-Master in Urban planning and Design |German University in Cairo QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS Languages Arabic English German French Software Microsoft Office Adobe AutoCAD Google SketchUp Revit Rhinosorus Grasshopper 3ds Max Adobe Indesign Adobe photoshop Drawing Ink Sketching Conceptual illustration Doodling WORK EXPERIENCE August 2012 August 2013 July 2014 March 2015

“

Career I feel that my three greatest strenghts are firstly my ability to Statement have a clear understanding of the needs of a client. Secondly the satisfaction I get from being involved in an architectural building project. And finally my passion for being involved in creating buildings and spaces that could last for decades and knowing that they will make a positive impact on people’s lives .....

”

Academic A Student | 1.5 GPA German System status Graduated with Bachelor of Science in Architecture Engineering with Honors Ranked 5th in the faculty of Arhitecture and Urban Design Valedictorian for the graduating architecture class of ‘15

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AIDA

UNDER CONSTRUCTION In a world where constuction is all around us, a story takes place in a construction site as to resemble a more contemporary interpretation of the traditional pharoahnic AIDA. With a shocking twist where AIDA is transformed into a male, to resemble a different kind of love, respect and moral. The story begins with an existing construction site with beams and scaffoldings acting as a vertical and horizontal Grid, where a group of workers that were newly recruited to work on some project, but they are only met with arrogance and superiority, Being oppressed by their employers, they decided to revolt, a strike to be able to retain justice and their demands to be met. The site manager then struggles to choose between loyalty to the landowners or to the workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; leader, his own son. Will he choose to keep his Job, and lose the respect of his own child, or will he decide to do otherwise?..

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ACT IV - SCENE II THE ULTIMATUM Then it all came down to this, the site manager was confronted with his co-supervisors and landowners with hate, anger and blame and left them no option but to let him go leaving him in shame, but as to repay him for his sacrifice, his son and followed by the other workers decided to stick with him and abandon the oppressors in their own site, leaving the site completely abandoned. LIGHTING SITUATIONS AND EFFECTS Bright light coming from behind to resemble the truth being revealed and that everything is exposed. Then at the end of the play everything is now abandoned and the place is completely dim with a faded circular white light coming from above and the place is completely blurred and foggy. Characters Involved Everyone.

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ACT II - SCENE II

THE CLIMAX

The climax scene where the strike actually broke free, and the workers flood into the open space filled with rage and anger under only the moonlight. The workers are now shouting and chanting their rights with torches and banners expressing their fury against their supervisors, the oppressors. And the landowner, next to the site manager are watching over from above with arrogance and neglectance. Lighting Situations & Effects : The only light now is coming from above as to interpret the moon light, deep in the night, and is directed at the strike to resemble inferiority, and the flare coming from their torches and flames reflect on the superiors watching over from below so that their shadows would spread behind them to emphasize their position and arrogance. The atmosphere is foggy and the walls are dark to resemble the darkness and mystery of the night.

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BERLIN

GUC Campus Redevelopment The purpose of the design and redevelopment of the German University in Cairo branch in Berlin was mainly to be able to create a more visible entrance on the main pedestrian access routes in Borsigwerk. The main university building was located behind the police station next to am borsigturm. The new entrance is to be located adjacent to the old railway track accessed directly next to the station. The expansion and redevelopment of the new Campus would be able to sustainably use the abandoned adjacent buildings including a ship maintenance workshop which would be used to accomodate the campus students dorms. An old library to be used as a new sports center, and the redundant building currently used as a bike retailer behind the current building to be used as an exhibition hall. The new project would accomodate a new building addittion to be used mainly as student labs, workshops and a university library.

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TRIANGADILLO THE PAVILLION

For quite long the GUC architects are seeking a place where both academic and social activities can take place, students and staff need to set up meetings, discussions, sociable events and annual exhibitions under the roof of a place with iconic image to represents the Architecture and Urban Planning Department in the university. The course aimed to focus on the investigation and designing of a standalone, module based Pavilion of 15 square meter area, in front of the Architectural Building at the industrial Park. The form of the pavilion is requested to emerge out of the constitution of single modules connected together as a 3d mesh system. Their designs should simultaneously work on the three main subsystems of a building (Form, Structure and Interface) together in order to achieve the main idea of associative and parametric design.

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FIRST IDEA

The idea first was derived from the simple orientation of tripod chairs above each other to form in between triangle like modules with the chair legs resembling the offsetted distance in between each module for light entry inside the proposed pavilion design. The idea of the space in between each module was to allow the formation of a grid of light inside the volume of the pavilion to allow both concentrated light and nonetheless diffused.

JOINT DEVELOPMENT

The triangular module design proposed at first with the arrow like design was neglected because the cut outs we removed from each of the triangle and the joints reduced the strength and stability of the connection. Alternative joints were then created to connect each triangle with its adjacent ones with two tongue and cuts connections perpendicular on each edge; thus reducing the weight and complexity of the joint. Also it became easier to taper the joint and panel openings to bend the structure in whichever way.

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FORM DEVELOPMENT

The first proposal of surface design was to create a wavy like surface that hits the ground and rebounds again, but the first problem that faced us was that the joints wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bear the weight of the panels vertically upon bending. The second proposal derived from the Armadilloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shell. First we tried doing the curves on Rhino 3D by lofting the curves but when checking the planarity of the surface it turned out to be false. Next step was to draw them as tangent arcs on grasshopper to ensure the planarity of the surface. A second layer was created, offsetted from the exterior shell to create depth to the shell and for light diffusion and scoping.

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LUHMUHLEN ISLAND BERLIN The island lies within the cultural district of Kreuzberg in the center of Berlin.The new development on the island, currently accomodating factory warehouses and redundant factories, aims to create a mixed use complex reflecting the history and image Kreuzberg. The new design is divided by a main diagonal axe acting as a main avenue along the new project. This avenue acts as a connective spine of the three special public cultural spaces that define the concept behind the design. Adjacent to the public garden and along the street lies the entrance to the project with a huge square next to the entrance spine. The entrance accomodates the historic gas station along with explanatory panels added as a maze; explaining the history of kreuzberg. The intersection of the main axis in the middle of the project created a central public space infront of the museum which is the second node within the new design. The third and final node lies on the spree river at the end of the main diagonal axe ahead of the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s iconic building with a deck overlooking the art gallery. Functions within the mixed use island where added according to sun orientation; resedentials where located on east side oriented to the south facade to ensure maximum sun exposure. Contrary to the west side where office buildings and commercials are located, conncected by a bridge to the adjacent administrative neighborhood left of the Island.

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ISLAND SITE PLAN KREUZBERG

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MASS BREAKDOWN

THE FOCUS MIXED USE BUILDING The next step was to select a building on the new developed island to act as the node for the new project. This building complex should act as a mixed use building with functions serving the needs of the whole project. The iconic building was located directly on the spree river with part of the building cantelivered beyond the island border. The building is of 8 storeys height overlooking the deck and the adjacent public space. The first two floors accomodate an art gallery and exhibition with restaurants to serve the public beneath the building. The next 4 storeys consists of offices with different sizes and spaces to accomodate different enterprises, with the intergration of apartments in between on the southern facade. Then two storeys of maisonettes are added on top with a common roof space and swimming pool. The idea was to create a cubic building form with the offices and resedentials divided on multistories to be added upon eacg other with common spaces or voids in between for social interaction. The challenge while designing was the dilemma of connection and seperation of the different functions within the building, to provide suitable privacy and isolation for apartments and resedentials, whilst connecting the office spaces together.

ACCESSIBILITY & CIRCULATION CORES

FORM FINDING DIAGRAM

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EXTERIOR DESIGN FACADES The facade design concept was to act a medium to reflect the complexity of the forms of the multistorey offices within. The slabs were shifted and extended within the facade to create an image as if the building is asembled together like lego pieces to form the building mass. As for the resedentials, a more solid form was chosen to reflect privacy in contrary to the transparency of the offices. This creates an equilibrium between glazed and solid walls to give the buiding its unique appearance. To treat the southern facade, different shades of opacity for windows were selected according to sun exposure, with louvers from the inside so as not to break the rythm within the building elevations.

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FLOOR PLANS COMPANY OFFICE TYPES

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FLOOR PLANS DUPLEX APARTMENTS

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GRADUATION PROJECT THE GERMAN EMBASSY IN CAIRO PROJECT BRIEF

Representation, Accomodation, and Security The three juxtapositions The deplomatic representation of the Federal Republic of Germany in Cairo is currently using a building belonging to the Federal Government, which was designed in the mid 1970s and was finished in 1982. The building ensemble includes both the chancellary and the ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s residence. This Bachelor Project builds upon the international open planning and design competition for designing and building a new German Embassy in Cairo which is intended to substitute the old building on the same site, around 6000 m2 in the district Zamalek as a sustainable and economic solution. Nevertheless, the required usbale and residential space for the new building covers around 3500 m2. For security reasons the developable area is around 1550 m2. German Embassies should always showcase the German Building culture as well as conveying the current standards of sustainable building. The challenge lies, in one hand on fulfilling the security reqquirements, and conveying a hospitable and open impression for the public. While the competition program is the baseline which will be adhered to for the Bachelor Project, the submission requirements, however, will be tailored to accomodate educational and curricula requisites.

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THE GERMAN EMBASSY IN CAIRO The new Embassy form was designed according to the new restrictions and guidelines of the competition and meating the new national security constraints accordingly. The new design offers a series of outdoor informal gathering spaces with direct visual connections between different stories, and thus, offering employees and embassy personnel a special working environment as well as allocating different informal gathering spaces for communication and social interaction, which was a huge issue and a concern from the employees in the current building which lacked such spaces. The selected form also reflects an important concern in the new embassy building, which must reveal the perception that the new diplomatic representation of the Federal Republic of Germany must be inviting rather than act as fortress. This form clearly emphasizes and highlights this concern with the negative space engraved inside the building and thus reflecting to the public that the German embassy embraces an open door policy. Furthermore, the informal engraving running through the mass, helped create a building with no typical floors and thus creating an independent spatial atmosphere for every floor.

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The residence and visa area’s location are pre-identified in the competition code. This distribution divided the ground plan into 3 different sections with the chancellery acting as a middle lobe. The embassy has 4 separate entrances in the ground floor plan; a main entrance for the chancellery ahead of the main embassy entrance from Berlin Street in the northern sector of the plot. A separate entrance for the ambassador’s residence is also allocated on the northern façade on the right side of the chancellery entrance where the residency is located. On the southern backside of the embassy the third entrance is located, used for the residence services such as catering and delivery purposes. This entrance is located on the backside to be as much hidden as possible. The fourth and last entrance is for the visa applicants located on the eastern side of the embassy directly in front of the visitors’ entrance located on Hassan Sabry Street. This entrance is reserved only for non-employees and they only have access to the visa waiting area.

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FACADE DEVELOPMENT AND FINAL DESIGN

FORM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

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THE MEDETERANEAN VILLAGE The idea of this design was to create a village that would, not only function in the summer holidays as most of the medeteranean villages in egypt, but to be inhabitable along the whole year. To do this, the challenge was to create some sort of urban catalyst that would liven the village in seasons other than the summer. A college campus was optimum to achieve such equilibrium, and to provide the village with users throughout the year. Adjacent to the campus lies an hotel that works as a normal hotel throughout the summer months, while working as college dorms and residence for staff members of the university through the autumn, winter and spring seasons. The village is divided in three sections; A semi public sector east of the site accomodating the campus and hotel which are accessed from the street outside. A semi private sector which lies between the resedential section and the public one, comprising of restaurants shops and fitness centers to be used by users within the village. And a private sector west of the village including all resedential units; chalets, twinhouses and villas.

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YOUNG CITY CAIRO CAR WORKSHOPS

This project targets the redevelopment of the informal settlements in east Cairo. The new design lies between the districts of Sakr Qoraysh and Torab el Yahood underneath the ring road in a redundant waste space currently used as a trash dump. The new design aims to connect the socially disconnected districts. Car workshops were used as a theme for the new development due to the history of both districts in car manufacturing and repair. The ground floor will be reserved entirely for workshop spaces and custum body parts outlets, while on the platforms on the second floor comprises of coffee shops and market spaces overlooking the cars below. Addittionally, sewing workshops will be placed in the second floor to provide job oppurtunities for women from both sides, and will be able to exhibit their goods in the market spaces within and outside the project site. The project will be constructed according to an investment plan, where the people will actually design their work spaces.

HISTORY OF THE LOCATION

CURRENT SITUATION

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EXPLANATORY DIAGRAMS & INVESTMENT PLAN INVESTMENT STEPS - ADDITION OF THE PROJECT INFRASTRUCTURE BENEATH THE SITE TO PROVIDE WATER AND ELECTRICITY. - ADDING RAMPS TO ACCESS THE SITE AND STREETS FOR CAR CIRCULATION WITHING THE PROJECT. - DIVIDING A SECTION OF THE PROJECT ALONGSIDE THE STREET FOR RENTAL WORKSHOP SPACES. - THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIVEN SPACES INTO INFORMAL ADAPTATIONS ACCORDING TO EACH TYPE. - THE SELF GROWING WORKSHOPS BEGIN TO EXPAND THROUGH THE SITE ALONGSIDE THE STREET. - THE EXPANSION OF THE WORKSHOPS INFORMALLY ALONG THE WHOLE SITE. - ADDING THE FIRST TWO SLABS OF THE FIRST FLOOR ACCOMODATING THE MARKET SPACES. - ADDITION OF THE OTHER FIRST FLOOR SLABS INCLUDING THE CAFETERIAS AND OPEN PUBLIC SPACES.

WORKSHOP MODEL CAR SPARE PARTS SINK

ROLLING TOOLBOX WORKING DESK

STORAGE RACK

STORAGE SHELVES

ENGINE STAND

CAR TYRES ENGINE HOIST

TWO POST CAR LIFT

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

TRANSVERSE SECTION

MODEL PHOTO: PLATFORMS CLOSE UP

MODEL PHOTO: PROJECT OVERVIEW

MODEL PHOTO: PLATFORMS CLOSE UP

MODEL PHOTO: PROJECT OVERVIEW

YOUNG CITY F CAIRO O A F WORKSHOPSL

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MANIAL WATERFRONT DESIGN & REDEVELOPMENT

The redevelopment of manial waterfront, is divided into three zones, each zone including a variety of uses of with a specific theme. Zone one acts as a central business district in a central location to reflect the identity of a new downtown. The zone is divided into 6 different plots, including several nodes and landmarks, from an aquarium, conference landmark center, to a skyscraper visible anywhere from central cairo. Plot 4 is one of two main business quarters in the project. Divided into two clusters with five different buildings. The upper cluster comprises of 3 office buildings directly on the business promenade. While on the waterfront, adjacent to the main promenade are more publicly accessed buildings; a boutique hotel and a conference center with a unique form providing a landmark for the capital.

AERIAL VIEW WITH MATERIALS

CAST ON SITE FAIRFACED CONCRETE

PRECAST CONCRETE BLOCKS

SHORT GRASS LAWN

EXPOSED CONCRETE BLOCKS

MARINE WOOD TILES GLASS FIBER CONCRETE PANELS

FAIFACED CONCRETE PANELS

GLASS FIBER CONCRETE PANELS

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URBAN FORM FINDING DIAGRAM MASSES EXTRUDED WITHIN THE PLOT AND EACH FUNCTION DEFINED.

FACADE OPENING LOGIC AND RELATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT MASSES.

BUSINESS PROMENADE DIVIDES THE PLOT HORIZONTALLY IN TWO.

MAIN PROMENADE ACTS AS A BOUNDING WRAP TO THE PLOT.

GREEN CORRIDOR IS SUBTRACTED FROM PLOT MASS.

GREEN CORRIDOR, BUSINESS PROMENADE AND GREEN CORRIDOR PASSING THROUGH THE PLOT .

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BALCONY VIEW ONTO BUSINESS PROMENADE

STREET VIEW HIGHLIGHTING PLOT ENTRANCE

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CONTACT INFO NAME: HESHAM SHERIF BALBAA MOBILE: (002) 01001238230 EMAIL: H.BALBAA@HOTMAIL.COM