PhD in Architecture + Design

l.24, l.25 New groundform and planting designed and built by 2017-18 Landscape Architecture students. Bug hotel byJ onny Williamson. Thamesview Primary School, Construction fortnight, the first two weeks of term one. l.26 Parc del Clot, Barcelona, one of the programmed sites visited in this year’s foreign study trip. l.27 Conversion year/ PG Dip theory students view Geoffrey Jellicoe’s plans and sketchbooks, at the Landscape Institute drawing collection, Museum of Rural Life, Reading.

Part time MA (Conversion), year one l.28 Small park study, Thames Barrier Park, Louise Fitzgerald. Longitudinal planting study - winter to spring l.29 Shannon du Hasky, l.30 Jon Diss, l.31 Liz Rasmussen

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Dr Renee Tobe

The School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering developed a strategic research voice for REF 2014 based on key areas of practice within Architecture and the Built environment. This responded to the UEL research theme of Sustainability Science and Technology and Social Equality and Justice, Human Rights and Security. Three areas of overlapping interest frame the selection of potential PhD Scholars: Smart Cities and Heritage (how the city of the past is fundamental to the city of the future), Sustainable Cities and Construction (material and technical provenance and purpose for social benefit), together with Resilient Cities and Civic Engagement (practice based education for the direct benefit of stakeholders – the University in the community). PhD and Masters programmes play a critical role in the development of a louder, sharper voice on this in relation to Urban Design, Policy, Heritage and the definition of what sustainable architecture is or should do.

Sample of students and topics:

Wei Shi: An investigation into energy consumption behavior and lifestyles in UK homes: Developing a smart application as a tool for reducing home energy use.

The research hypothesizes that domestic building occupants’ energy-related behaviours and their socio-demographical characteristics have not been thoroughly considered for optimizing domestic energy performance. To address the research problem, correlations between above-mentioned factors and home energy performance are investigated by adopting a mixed sequential research methodology where a questionnaire survey and focus group interviews were conducted to collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data. According to the research findings, a great number of energy use patterns are significantly correlated to energy performance, such as the use of heating controls, thermostat and ventilation schedules. Additionally, occupants tend to use more heating in the winter due to health issues or for the comfort of their children. The research aims to develop the design specifications of an innovative smart phone application that may help improve occupants’ energy-related behaviours.

Supervision team: Dr. Heba Elsharkawy, Prof. Hassan Abdalla, Mr. Alan Chandler

Bertug Ozarisoy: Optimising Occupants’ Thermal Comfort in Post-war Housing Developments in Northern Cyprus: Passive Cooling Strategies for Retrofit

Problems on mass housing estates are currently a topic for research on energy and policy interventions in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Modern residential tower block developments often have inefficient energy performance and lack consideration of the climatic features of the building site. The aim of the research is to develop passive design strategies which are energy-efficient and cost-effective for the retrofit of the existing residential building stock. The research adopts a ‘quantitative’ research design primarily using building performance evaluation modelling and simulation of prototype buildings, thermal imaging and a questionnaire survey distributed to the occupants of one of the existing prototypes. The selected residential tower block is modelled using Integrated Environmental Solutions - Virtual Environment (IES-VE) software where extensive dynamic thermal simulations have been produced to test feasible retrofit strategies to improve thermal comfort and energy performance.

Supervision team: Dr. Heba Elsharkawy, Mrs. Maria Segantini, Prof. Darryl Newport

Hashem Taher: Vertical Green Systems as a way for Adapting Climate changes 2050 - 2080

It is expected that London will face increasing risks of flooding, overheating and drought, through hotter drier summers and warmer wetter winters. In response, the Mayor of London adopted new policies for encouraging the use of living roofs and green walls. Greenery systems are considered as promising solutions for improving energy and thermal efficiency of buildings as well as reducing pollution, encouraging biodiversity and water runoff, reducing Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects and improving the microclimate overall. The research aims to illustrate the potentials, limitations and impact of vertical greenery systems and green roofs on energy and thermal performance of buildings and urban heat island effect in temperate climates by 2050 and 2080. The research is undertaken through an extensive review of the literature and modelling and simulations of green walls and green roofs when used as a passive design strategy to enhance energy savings in buildings.

Supervision team: Dr. Heba Elsharkawy, Prof. Darryl Newport

Fatemeh Rostami: A Place for Culture; Case Study: Yazd, Iran

This research explores how the notion of an urban place is defined by its inhabitant’s memories and everyday activities with a particular case study; Yazd, a traditional Iranian desert city. It is assumed that social studies of Iranian cities can contribute a new approach in investigating traditional Iranian urban places. Researchers and urban designers argue that Iranian cities are on the periphery of losing their architectural and urban identities while facing modern urban problems because of inconsistent relevant procedures in analysing urban places, both traditional and new. In the absence of this, some research has been done studying the physical forms of the cities. However, at the present time, the social studies have not been given serious consideration. This research attempts to fill this gap. The city of Yazd, a UNESCO heritage site, has been chosen for this study because of its extreme contrast of forms of development that exist between the Historic, Old, and New parts. These areas are still active and occupied by the locals, which provide opportunities to study older and new parts of the city from its local’s stances. Inductive approaches have been applied in conducting mixed methods used for data collections. Three distinct districts of Yazd were chosen to be examined in detail: Fahadan located in the Historic Fabric, Nasr Abad situated in the Old fabric, and Safaieh in the New fabric. Since the city has been mainly formed and occupied by Zoroastrian and Muslim people, both communities are considered in this study. The inhabitants of the selected areas were surveyed and interviewed to examine their life stories and day-to-day activities. Locally trained architects and professionals were also interviewed to have their thoughts about the present state of the city. This information is combined with the researcher’s experiences of living within the selected areas to see how the place is used. The results of the data gathered show that the meaning of an urban place is defined by both similar and different factors within selected areas while socio-cultural relationships exist between different parts of Yazd. The results indicate that the city needs the existence of Historic, Old, and New fabrics because each section answers specific desires and daily needs of the locals. It is assumed that social studies of Iranian cities can contribute a new approach in investigating traditional Iranian urban places. Researchers and urban designers argue that Iranian cities are on the periphery of losing their architectural and urban identities while facing modern urban problems because of inconsistent relevant procedures in analysing urban places, both traditional and new. In the absence of this, some research has been done studying the physical forms of the cities. However, at the present time, the social studies have not been given serious consideration. This research attempts to fill this gap. This research concludes that in analysing traditional Iranian urban fabric, their social fabrics must be investigated using multiple social approaches.

Supervision team: Dr. Renée Tobe, Mr Roland Karthaus

PHD.1 Bertug Ozarisoy: The solar calculation of the building envelope between May and September within adjacent buildings of base-case residential tower block development in Famagusta, Northern Cyprus. PHD.2 Hashem Taher PHD.3 Wei Shi PHD.4-5 Fatemeh Rostami

PHD.1 PHD.2

PHD.4

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