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Ashraf Nessim

Ain Shams University, Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty Member

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My current position is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Sham University.
I hold my Ph.D. from Ain Shams University dated June 2011.
My postgraduate researches were within the field of Lighting (Both daylighting of underground buildings in M.Sc. and Artificial Lighting of facades and surrounding environment in Ph.D.).
Phone: (+2012)-22303474

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Papers by Ashraf Nessim

Design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements of multi-modal hub stations

by Esraa Hany and Ashraf Nessim

Many countries are increasing their research interest in multi-modal passenger transportation des... more Many countries are increasing their research interest in multi-modal passenger transportation design, including hub, interchange, and other typologies. Multi-modal transportation is the act of connecting and moving people and goods using at least two different modes of transportation. As a result, expanding the country's transportation system is part of its economic reform strategy. The problem of the paper is the lack of guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements in public transportation stations in Egypt. This paper analyzed and evaluated the pedestrian circulation requirements in public transport stations in Egypt. With the aim of suggesting the design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements in multimodal hub stations in Egypt. After identification, the findings are formed by the suggested design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements of multi-modal hub stations in Egypt. This paper recommends a framework for the design aspects of multi-modal hub stations.

مراجعة على التقييم الاقتصادي لدمج المواد المغلفة متغيرة الطور في أغلفة المباني

Mağallaẗ al-ʿulūm al-handasiyyaẗ wa-al-tiknūlūğiyā al-maʿlūmāt, Mar 30, 2024

The worldwide energy crisis has made energy-saving a topic of concern in almost every country. Pr... more The worldwide energy crisis has made energy-saving a topic of concern in almost every country. Previous research has explored the use of thermal energy storage materials (TES), such as phase change materials (PCMs), as an effective energy-saving technique. Among various immersion techniques, macro-encapsulation has proven to be efficient, safe, and convenient. However, choosing the right PCM system can be complicated due to the variety of available PCM types, encapsulation materials, and encapsulation shapes. Moreover, while macro-encapsulated PCM systems are efficient, their feasibility depends on several factors, including energy prices, economic situation, and climatic conditions. Therefore, this research aims to provide a comprehensive overview to help create a deeper understanding of the design and application of macro-encapsulated PCM systems. It explains the different types of PCM, encapsulation materials, and encapsulation shapes, guiding the selection for the most appropriate system regarding the surrounding environment. Additionally, it aims to present a guideline for conducting feasibility studies on energy-saving systems such as PCM. A total of 80 research papers covering the intersection between the thermal performance of PCM and the economic assessment have been categorized, studied, and analyzed in order to identify the most accurate method of assessing the system's feasibility. By providing a base knowledge regarding the various types of each element of the system and the factors that govern the selection of each, this research will help engineers appropriately design the system. In addition, providing a detailed guideline to the assessment of the system shall aid the decision makers in determining the system's feasibility which encourages its application. Finally, the research investigates and addresses the key issues for future studies.

Optimizing Phase Change Material on Opaque Building Envelope to Reach nZEB

Civil engineering and architecture, Oct 31, 2023

Bio-based Adaptive skins: Investigating the impact of using shape-morphing skins on the energy consumption of administrative buildings

Engineering Research Journal (Shoubra), Jun 30, 2023

Recent research indicates that by employing adaptive architectural skins, energy consumption can ... more Recent research indicates that by employing adaptive architectural skins, energy consumption can be significantly reduced, as building skins are regarded as a boundary line between external and internal conditions and play the primary role in regulating energy consumption in buildings and preserving internal comfort. In architecture, smart materials with intrinsic properties that vary in response to different material-specific inputs or operating conditions are becoming widely researched. As they accumulate sensors and actuators that allow them to detect a stimulus, respond to it in a controlled manner, and return to their initial condition when the stimulus is removed. Accordingly, the main aim of this research is to investigate the viability of using smart materials in building skins in Egypt and how this will affect the energy consumption of buildings using a biomimetic approach. This approach suggests a compact, silent, lightweight dynamic building panel with simple actuation components. A performance comparison between the proposed shape morphing skin and a base case meeting room indicates that energy consumption can be reduced by 43%. These substantial results indicate that adaptive façades have the potential to improve building energy efficiency.

Convivial Evening Atmospheres in Old Cairo: Urban Planning and Design Toolkit

Journal of urban planning and development, Jun 1, 2024

This paper reviews how excessive lighting in historical sites can negatively affect the enjoyment... more This paper reviews how excessive lighting in historical sites can negatively affect the enjoyment of social gatherings. Because light pollution has the potential to affect socialization negatively, we need the appropriate tools to handle these effects. As part of this research, three techniques were used to analyze these effects: a bibliographical examination of relevant concepts, field measurements of illumination levels at historical sites in Cairo, Egypt, as well as questionnaires sent out to users around the world to determine what influences their perceptions of historical sites at night. Based on the results of a systematic review, we developed the concept of toolkits for creating a lively ambiance for evening events. Furthermore, based on the spatial measurements made in the case study, it was determined that the challenge of visual pollution hinders creating a vibrant atmosphere at historical sites. An online survey that investigated the factors influencing the enjoyment of historical sites at night around the world found that positioning the lighting fixtures and illumination is one of the most critical factors. The results of the current study confirm that the urban form of the context provides a pleasant visual and perceptual experience at night as well. The findings of this study have led to three design considerations that can help urban planners and designers when it comes to implementing lighting in public spaces. As a result of these considerations, the historical site in the case study, Al-Hussein Square, Cairo, presents a livelier ambiance at night; hence they can be used by urban designers to enhance the ambiance in similar settings to the present case study. This toolkit provides valuable insights into how local authorities and citizens can work together to reduce lighting pollution by examining the causes of the pollution.

A New MINDSET: Regenerative Design to Counter Climate Changes for Reaching Net-Positive Energy Buildings in Egypt

Journal of Engineering Research

Climate change is the most critical global challenge countering today; therefore, the impacts of ... more Climate change is the most critical global challenge countering today; therefore, the impacts of climate change require an urgent and collective response where building and construction industry is regarded as one of the highest contributors to many issues that the world is encountering today, especially in a country undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization such as Egypt. The primary objective of this paper is to promote the use of regenerative design to develop buildings intended to restore and improve the surrounding natural environment by aiming to leave a positive impact instead of harm reduction and participation in Egypt's plan for encountering climate change through a theoretical study for regenerative design and the Living Building Challenge (LBC) as a supporting tool to simplify the regenerative approach for discussing Net-Positive Energy Buildings; where the buildings aim not simply to generate energy but to identify the purpose and the way to handle resources to provide more than the building requires. Then the paper summarized two office buildings that achieved the Living Building Challenge certification, which provides using different architectural and mechanical systems working in concert to perform better, and this could be a reference repeated in developing countries such as Egypt. The study found that regenerative buildings offer an exceptional opportunity to effectively solve current environmental problems and achieve Net-Positive impacts on buildings to "add value" and be designed and operated to generate more than is needed.

Origami-inspired interactive kinetic façades design: Using different interaction areas of students’ positions to improve visual comfort in schools in Egypt

MSA Engineering Journal

Nowadays, we are faced with multi-sustainability challenges in the existing buildings in differen... more Nowadays, we are faced with multi-sustainability challenges in the existing buildings in different sectors. Especially in the educational sector, this is a result of the disregard for their orientations and location and changes in the education system, which leads to the possibility of developing the functions and needs of these buildings. Thus, dealing with and monitoring educational buildings, especially schools, and changing them to sustainable and smart buildings are the main approach in recent days. Besides using Kinetic and interactive building envelopes is the main factor of building sustainability as referred by the literature and occupants' preferences involvement in the façade design, it provides more efficiency of the environmental performance, especially in visual comfort and improving the users' comfort. Enhancing visual performance and decreasing energy consumption leads to improvement in occupants' well-being and productivity and

Effect of Adaptive Facades on Daylight -An Analytical Study in Hot Arid Climate

Arts and Architecture Journal

Adaptive façades respond to outdoor and indoor stimuli to provide a design solution that enhances... more Adaptive façades respond to outdoor and indoor stimuli to provide a design solution that enhances the visual comfort of office space[1].The visual comfort is improved by solving useful daylight illuminance and glare simulation, which is performed in this paper using Rhino software, algorithmic modelling by Grasshopper and Diva with Galapagos interface to explore the applicability of parametric design to increase daylight performance and decrease glare[2]. The principal aim of this paper is to estimate the effect of sunscreen configuration on achieving a balance between enough illuminance level and glare uniformity inside a selected space.

Design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements of multi-modal hub stations

Ain Shams Engineering Journal

The impact of biophilic attributes on university students level of Satisfaction: Using virtual reality simulation

Ain Shams Engineering Journal

Retrofitting Shading Units to Optimize Daylighting in the Governmental School Building in Cairo

Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector

Recently, the influence of building skin on daylighting performance has attracted great attention... more Recently, the influence of building skin on daylighting performance has attracted great attention. therefore, many countries have adopted the retrofitting strategy for existing buildings to improve efficiency, the main concern of this work is to improve daylighting performance inside a classroom in a public school in Cairo, through a retrofitting strategy. Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) framework and Genetic algorithms methodology will be adopted to optimize daylighting performance. The investigations were carried out via the use of "Ladybug and Honeybee" which could gather many simulation engines, Radiance & Daysim will be adopted for daylighting computation, integrated with Rhino & Grasshopper for 3D parametric modeling, and with Octopus plug-in as a (MOO) tool. The investigated building was designed by the General Authority of Educational Buildings, representing an example of southern oriented classroom prototype in Cairo. Daylighting performance was evaluated by using Dynamic Daylighting Performance Metrics as objective parameters. three variables for shading units' configurations were suggested as solution parameters, these variables were: shading units' number of slats rows, depth, and inclination angle. Results indicated that the base case has sufficient daylighting level while suffering from nonuniformity and discomfort glare. The suggested shadings resulted in a 91% reduction in the area exposed to direct sunlight, as it reduces the aSE 1000/250h on the occupied area from 31.5 % in the base case to 2.7 %, which is classified as a preferred value. Besides, helped efficiently in reducing glare probability and at the same time keeps the SDA 300/50% within preferred limits.

“Biophilia as a Sustainable Design Approach for University Buildings Design: a case study in university campus drawing studios Cairo, Egypt.”

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science

University campuses have a long history of enriching the social, cultural, and economic value of ... more University campuses have a long history of enriching the social, cultural, and economic value of societies. Worldwide, there is a rising demand for the integration of new approaches into the planning and design of university buildings to further improve their quality. According to the literature, many approaches needed to be considered while designing university buildings that can enhance students’ performance. Biophilic design is known to have enhancing levels of interaction, and interaction patterns, enhancing health and wellbeing in terms of physiological, psychological, cognitive, and social/ spiritual benefits, while rigorous scientific evidence that supports such claims is rare. Many researchers have previously investigated the application of biophilic elements in working environments, however limited research is related to university building designs, specifically in Egypt. There is limited research on methods for quantifying the effect of biophilic design patterns on the phy...

Reduction of Thermal Loads by Biomimetic Responsive Skins

Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector

Previous studies proved that building skins are mostly responsible for the energy consumed inside... more Previous studies proved that building skins are mostly responsible for the energy consumed inside the buildings. Recently, new perspectives for building skins appeared; some of them were enhancing their responsiveness to the surrounding environment. Biomimicry is also one of the innovative approaches that the world starts to head for, to find ideas and solutions for humans' problems through mechanisms and materials found in nature. This paper is seeking to integrate biomimetic characteristics of plants into the design of a responsive skin as a way to reduce thermal loads in office buildings by adjusting the model and testing variables using Grasshopper as a simulation program to reach the best result. The study took place in Giza, Egypt, for a medium-sized office building consisting of 3 levels of open spaces with an area of 1,665 m 2 for each floor. Results showed That the proposed skin could decrease the thermal loads, especially cooling loads with an 8% reduction.

Achieving sustainability through reducing risks during architecture design process: a lean management perspective

IOP conference series, Aug 1, 2022

Biomimetic Facades for Optimizing Daylighting Performance in Office Buildings

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Sep 1, 2022

Architecture is considered one of the biomimetic fields demanding to learn from nature. Biomimeti... more Architecture is considered one of the biomimetic fields demanding to learn from nature. Biomimetic helped the designer's on discovering new techniques that could enrich the building performance. This paper explored the relative relationships between Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI), and daylight glare probability (DGP) with modifications on Voronoi screen variables. It aimed to evaluate the effect of biomimetic sunscreen configuration on achieving a balance between illuminance level and glare inside a selected space. Generic office model had been chosen as a base model-oriented south in Cairo, Egypt. The daylighting and glare simulations were combined by using Grasshopper, Diva, and opossum to the office facade. Finally, the results demonstrated that the proposed biomimetic screen technique provided satisfactory daylighting levels within the office space. The optimization with the genetic algorithm system had proved to be successful and the best four solutions for the Voronoi screens were chosen regarding UDI, with a percentage of 88.7%, 88.6%, 84.78%, 77.72%, respectively. Then the DGP percentage tested for the best four cases regarding the worst five camera positions from 8, and the results showed that case 1 and case 3 tend to represent acceptable performance; where the intolerable glare prevented and decreased values of the Daylight glare probability sensation level to perceptible and imperceptible glare.

Implications of Glazed Facades on Occupants’ Productivity in Office Buildings “A Review of the Literature”

Engineering Research Journal - Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), 2021

Nowadays architects are evidencing a trend towards office buildings that are covered with glazing... more Nowadays architects are evidencing a trend towards office buildings that are covered with glazing façades. The goal of this paper is to reviewing the current literature to explain the relationship between the effect of glazing façades on the quality of the indoor environment and the efficiency of occupants in an office environment. To achieve the aim of the study, a literature review which have cases studies for office building has been performed. The research provides a thorough discussion and examination of various IEQ variables affected by glazing façades that influence the productivity of occupants. This paper recommends that the necessary studies be made on office buildings before using glazing facades, because of their implications on the productivity of occupants.

Daylighting Retrofitting in Existing Educational Spaces (By using Solar Tube( “A Case Study of Design Studio Hall in Cairo, Egypt”

Engineering Research Journal - Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), 2021

Recently, many researchers have been interested in designing the buildings to get the benefit fro... more Recently, many researchers have been interested in designing the buildings to get the benefit from daylight inside, which saves a lot of building consumption for artificial lighting, which gives visual and thermal comfort and also contributes to reducing costs. But a few of them were interested in how to modify the designs of the existing educational spaces that did not reach daylight, which increases the consumption of these spaces for industrial lighting and gives a lack of a sense of visual and thermal comfort, and that is inconsistent with the principles of designing educational spaces that aim to reach the maximum visual comfort for the student, which helps in raising the performance of the student during the educational process. Therefore, this research will cover possible retrofits of daylight with existing educational spaces using modern daylight techniques to reach the visual comfort which students need.

Use of Vertical Greenery Systems to Conserve Energy in Administrative Buildings in Egypt

Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector, Apr 1, 2022

Urban development in Egypt has led to increased energy consumption. At the same time, development... more Urban development in Egypt has led to increased energy consumption. At the same time, development sometimes comes at the expense of green spaces, and this is another problem. Many of the green spaces and large trees that had already existed over the years were removed, whether to develop a road network or other encroachments on green areas. Administrative buildings have a large share of energy consumption in Egypt, so the aim of this study is to rationalize energy consumption in administrative buildings, as well as increase green spaces in Egypt. Therefore, the research studies in detail the types of vertical green systems, their use, their structural and technological systems. The study aims to prove the effectiveness of vertical greenery systems in Egypt by simulating a three-story administrative building. The vertical greening system is applied to the southern facade using the Design Builder program.

Implementation of PCM in Commercial Buildings Envelope in Egypt

Journal of emerging technologies and innovative research, Sep 1, 2021

Nowadays, new commercial building envelopes are seeking to reach sustainable design standards and... more Nowadays, new commercial building envelopes are seeking to reach sustainable design standards and codes worldwide. However, buildings in hot climates poorly adapt to external environmental conditions. The building envelope plays a major role in the outdoor and indoor environment. An appropriate indoor thermal condition in buildings is important because of the building occupant's comfort. This paper tests the effect of building envelope using Phase Change Material on the HVAC energy consumption and thermal performance of medium office buildings in Cairo using the Design Builder simulation tool. The model external building envelope is designed according to the Egyptian code and the model building of a medium office on design builder follows the ASHRAE standards. The model building envelope uses the same PCM material in different building allocations to test the effect of PCM on the building envelope on the indoor thermal comfort and energy consumed.

Double-Skin Facades in Healing Environments: An Approach for Enhancing Daylighting Performance in South-Oriented Patient Rooms in Cairo, Egypt

Daylighting provision is an efficient approach in achieving a healing environment. Several resear... more Daylighting provision is an efficient approach in achieving a healing environment. Several researches praised the effect of daylight on stress reduction, shorter hospital length of stay, and the increasing of patients’ satisfaction. The building façade has the primary role in controlling the indoor environment. In addition to daylighting, Double-Skin Façade (DSF) is an approach that can create a balance between patients’ needs without sacrificing energy reduction and thermal comfort in the hot arid desert climate. This paper aimed at investigating the effect of fixed horizontal louvers integration in a multi-story double-skin façade to enhance daylighting performance and visual comfort in south-oriented patient rooms located in Cairo, Egypt. Rhinoceros software was used for modeling the proposed designs coupled with Diva-4-Rhino for daylighting simulations. The effect of changing louver’s depth and slats’ number resulted in 16 designs that were modeled for examination. Daylighting p...

Design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements of multi-modal hub stations

by Esraa Hany and Ashraf Nessim

Many countries are increasing their research interest in multi-modal passenger transportation des... more Many countries are increasing their research interest in multi-modal passenger transportation design, including hub, interchange, and other typologies. Multi-modal transportation is the act of connecting and moving people and goods using at least two different modes of transportation. As a result, expanding the country's transportation system is part of its economic reform strategy. The problem of the paper is the lack of guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements in public transportation stations in Egypt. This paper analyzed and evaluated the pedestrian circulation requirements in public transport stations in Egypt. With the aim of suggesting the design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements in multimodal hub stations in Egypt. After identification, the findings are formed by the suggested design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements of multi-modal hub stations in Egypt. This paper recommends a framework for the design aspects of multi-modal hub stations.

مراجعة على التقييم الاقتصادي لدمج المواد المغلفة متغيرة الطور في أغلفة المباني

Mağallaẗ al-ʿulūm al-handasiyyaẗ wa-al-tiknūlūğiyā al-maʿlūmāt, Mar 30, 2024

The worldwide energy crisis has made energy-saving a topic of concern in almost every country. Pr... more The worldwide energy crisis has made energy-saving a topic of concern in almost every country. Previous research has explored the use of thermal energy storage materials (TES), such as phase change materials (PCMs), as an effective energy-saving technique. Among various immersion techniques, macro-encapsulation has proven to be efficient, safe, and convenient. However, choosing the right PCM system can be complicated due to the variety of available PCM types, encapsulation materials, and encapsulation shapes. Moreover, while macro-encapsulated PCM systems are efficient, their feasibility depends on several factors, including energy prices, economic situation, and climatic conditions. Therefore, this research aims to provide a comprehensive overview to help create a deeper understanding of the design and application of macro-encapsulated PCM systems. It explains the different types of PCM, encapsulation materials, and encapsulation shapes, guiding the selection for the most appropriate system regarding the surrounding environment. Additionally, it aims to present a guideline for conducting feasibility studies on energy-saving systems such as PCM. A total of 80 research papers covering the intersection between the thermal performance of PCM and the economic assessment have been categorized, studied, and analyzed in order to identify the most accurate method of assessing the system's feasibility. By providing a base knowledge regarding the various types of each element of the system and the factors that govern the selection of each, this research will help engineers appropriately design the system. In addition, providing a detailed guideline to the assessment of the system shall aid the decision makers in determining the system's feasibility which encourages its application. Finally, the research investigates and addresses the key issues for future studies.

Optimizing Phase Change Material on Opaque Building Envelope to Reach nZEB

Civil engineering and architecture, Oct 31, 2023

Bio-based Adaptive skins: Investigating the impact of using shape-morphing skins on the energy consumption of administrative buildings

Engineering Research Journal (Shoubra), Jun 30, 2023

Recent research indicates that by employing adaptive architectural skins, energy consumption can ... more Recent research indicates that by employing adaptive architectural skins, energy consumption can be significantly reduced, as building skins are regarded as a boundary line between external and internal conditions and play the primary role in regulating energy consumption in buildings and preserving internal comfort. In architecture, smart materials with intrinsic properties that vary in response to different material-specific inputs or operating conditions are becoming widely researched. As they accumulate sensors and actuators that allow them to detect a stimulus, respond to it in a controlled manner, and return to their initial condition when the stimulus is removed. Accordingly, the main aim of this research is to investigate the viability of using smart materials in building skins in Egypt and how this will affect the energy consumption of buildings using a biomimetic approach. This approach suggests a compact, silent, lightweight dynamic building panel with simple actuation components. A performance comparison between the proposed shape morphing skin and a base case meeting room indicates that energy consumption can be reduced by 43%. These substantial results indicate that adaptive façades have the potential to improve building energy efficiency.

Convivial Evening Atmospheres in Old Cairo: Urban Planning and Design Toolkit

Journal of urban planning and development, Jun 1, 2024

This paper reviews how excessive lighting in historical sites can negatively affect the enjoyment... more This paper reviews how excessive lighting in historical sites can negatively affect the enjoyment of social gatherings. Because light pollution has the potential to affect socialization negatively, we need the appropriate tools to handle these effects. As part of this research, three techniques were used to analyze these effects: a bibliographical examination of relevant concepts, field measurements of illumination levels at historical sites in Cairo, Egypt, as well as questionnaires sent out to users around the world to determine what influences their perceptions of historical sites at night. Based on the results of a systematic review, we developed the concept of toolkits for creating a lively ambiance for evening events. Furthermore, based on the spatial measurements made in the case study, it was determined that the challenge of visual pollution hinders creating a vibrant atmosphere at historical sites. An online survey that investigated the factors influencing the enjoyment of historical sites at night around the world found that positioning the lighting fixtures and illumination is one of the most critical factors. The results of the current study confirm that the urban form of the context provides a pleasant visual and perceptual experience at night as well. The findings of this study have led to three design considerations that can help urban planners and designers when it comes to implementing lighting in public spaces. As a result of these considerations, the historical site in the case study, Al-Hussein Square, Cairo, presents a livelier ambiance at night; hence they can be used by urban designers to enhance the ambiance in similar settings to the present case study. This toolkit provides valuable insights into how local authorities and citizens can work together to reduce lighting pollution by examining the causes of the pollution.

A New MINDSET: Regenerative Design to Counter Climate Changes for Reaching Net-Positive Energy Buildings in Egypt

Journal of Engineering Research

Climate change is the most critical global challenge countering today; therefore, the impacts of ... more Climate change is the most critical global challenge countering today; therefore, the impacts of climate change require an urgent and collective response where building and construction industry is regarded as one of the highest contributors to many issues that the world is encountering today, especially in a country undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization such as Egypt. The primary objective of this paper is to promote the use of regenerative design to develop buildings intended to restore and improve the surrounding natural environment by aiming to leave a positive impact instead of harm reduction and participation in Egypt's plan for encountering climate change through a theoretical study for regenerative design and the Living Building Challenge (LBC) as a supporting tool to simplify the regenerative approach for discussing Net-Positive Energy Buildings; where the buildings aim not simply to generate energy but to identify the purpose and the way to handle resources to provide more than the building requires. Then the paper summarized two office buildings that achieved the Living Building Challenge certification, which provides using different architectural and mechanical systems working in concert to perform better, and this could be a reference repeated in developing countries such as Egypt. The study found that regenerative buildings offer an exceptional opportunity to effectively solve current environmental problems and achieve Net-Positive impacts on buildings to "add value" and be designed and operated to generate more than is needed.

Origami-inspired interactive kinetic façades design: Using different interaction areas of students’ positions to improve visual comfort in schools in Egypt

MSA Engineering Journal

Nowadays, we are faced with multi-sustainability challenges in the existing buildings in differen... more Nowadays, we are faced with multi-sustainability challenges in the existing buildings in different sectors. Especially in the educational sector, this is a result of the disregard for their orientations and location and changes in the education system, which leads to the possibility of developing the functions and needs of these buildings. Thus, dealing with and monitoring educational buildings, especially schools, and changing them to sustainable and smart buildings are the main approach in recent days. Besides using Kinetic and interactive building envelopes is the main factor of building sustainability as referred by the literature and occupants' preferences involvement in the façade design, it provides more efficiency of the environmental performance, especially in visual comfort and improving the users' comfort. Enhancing visual performance and decreasing energy consumption leads to improvement in occupants' well-being and productivity and

Effect of Adaptive Facades on Daylight -An Analytical Study in Hot Arid Climate

Arts and Architecture Journal

Adaptive façades respond to outdoor and indoor stimuli to provide a design solution that enhances... more Adaptive façades respond to outdoor and indoor stimuli to provide a design solution that enhances the visual comfort of office space[1].The visual comfort is improved by solving useful daylight illuminance and glare simulation, which is performed in this paper using Rhino software, algorithmic modelling by Grasshopper and Diva with Galapagos interface to explore the applicability of parametric design to increase daylight performance and decrease glare[2]. The principal aim of this paper is to estimate the effect of sunscreen configuration on achieving a balance between enough illuminance level and glare uniformity inside a selected space.

Design guidelines for pedestrian circulation requirements of multi-modal hub stations

Ain Shams Engineering Journal

The impact of biophilic attributes on university students level of Satisfaction: Using virtual reality simulation

Ain Shams Engineering Journal

Retrofitting Shading Units to Optimize Daylighting in the Governmental School Building in Cairo

Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector

Recently, the influence of building skin on daylighting performance has attracted great attention... more Recently, the influence of building skin on daylighting performance has attracted great attention. therefore, many countries have adopted the retrofitting strategy for existing buildings to improve efficiency, the main concern of this work is to improve daylighting performance inside a classroom in a public school in Cairo, through a retrofitting strategy. Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) framework and Genetic algorithms methodology will be adopted to optimize daylighting performance. The investigations were carried out via the use of "Ladybug and Honeybee" which could gather many simulation engines, Radiance & Daysim will be adopted for daylighting computation, integrated with Rhino & Grasshopper for 3D parametric modeling, and with Octopus plug-in as a (MOO) tool. The investigated building was designed by the General Authority of Educational Buildings, representing an example of southern oriented classroom prototype in Cairo. Daylighting performance was evaluated by using Dynamic Daylighting Performance Metrics as objective parameters. three variables for shading units' configurations were suggested as solution parameters, these variables were: shading units' number of slats rows, depth, and inclination angle. Results indicated that the base case has sufficient daylighting level while suffering from nonuniformity and discomfort glare. The suggested shadings resulted in a 91% reduction in the area exposed to direct sunlight, as it reduces the aSE 1000/250h on the occupied area from 31.5 % in the base case to 2.7 %, which is classified as a preferred value. Besides, helped efficiently in reducing glare probability and at the same time keeps the SDA 300/50% within preferred limits.

“Biophilia as a Sustainable Design Approach for University Buildings Design: a case study in university campus drawing studios Cairo, Egypt.”

IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science

University campuses have a long history of enriching the social, cultural, and economic value of ... more University campuses have a long history of enriching the social, cultural, and economic value of societies. Worldwide, there is a rising demand for the integration of new approaches into the planning and design of university buildings to further improve their quality. According to the literature, many approaches needed to be considered while designing university buildings that can enhance students’ performance. Biophilic design is known to have enhancing levels of interaction, and interaction patterns, enhancing health and wellbeing in terms of physiological, psychological, cognitive, and social/ spiritual benefits, while rigorous scientific evidence that supports such claims is rare. Many researchers have previously investigated the application of biophilic elements in working environments, however limited research is related to university building designs, specifically in Egypt. There is limited research on methods for quantifying the effect of biophilic design patterns on the phy...

Reduction of Thermal Loads by Biomimetic Responsive Skins

Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector

Previous studies proved that building skins are mostly responsible for the energy consumed inside... more Previous studies proved that building skins are mostly responsible for the energy consumed inside the buildings. Recently, new perspectives for building skins appeared; some of them were enhancing their responsiveness to the surrounding environment. Biomimicry is also one of the innovative approaches that the world starts to head for, to find ideas and solutions for humans' problems through mechanisms and materials found in nature. This paper is seeking to integrate biomimetic characteristics of plants into the design of a responsive skin as a way to reduce thermal loads in office buildings by adjusting the model and testing variables using Grasshopper as a simulation program to reach the best result. The study took place in Giza, Egypt, for a medium-sized office building consisting of 3 levels of open spaces with an area of 1,665 m 2 for each floor. Results showed That the proposed skin could decrease the thermal loads, especially cooling loads with an 8% reduction.

Achieving sustainability through reducing risks during architecture design process: a lean management perspective

IOP conference series, Aug 1, 2022

Biomimetic Facades for Optimizing Daylighting Performance in Office Buildings

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Sep 1, 2022

Architecture is considered one of the biomimetic fields demanding to learn from nature. Biomimeti... more Architecture is considered one of the biomimetic fields demanding to learn from nature. Biomimetic helped the designer's on discovering new techniques that could enrich the building performance. This paper explored the relative relationships between Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI), and daylight glare probability (DGP) with modifications on Voronoi screen variables. It aimed to evaluate the effect of biomimetic sunscreen configuration on achieving a balance between illuminance level and glare inside a selected space. Generic office model had been chosen as a base model-oriented south in Cairo, Egypt. The daylighting and glare simulations were combined by using Grasshopper, Diva, and opossum to the office facade. Finally, the results demonstrated that the proposed biomimetic screen technique provided satisfactory daylighting levels within the office space. The optimization with the genetic algorithm system had proved to be successful and the best four solutions for the Voronoi screens were chosen regarding UDI, with a percentage of 88.7%, 88.6%, 84.78%, 77.72%, respectively. Then the DGP percentage tested for the best four cases regarding the worst five camera positions from 8, and the results showed that case 1 and case 3 tend to represent acceptable performance; where the intolerable glare prevented and decreased values of the Daylight glare probability sensation level to perceptible and imperceptible glare.

Implications of Glazed Facades on Occupants’ Productivity in Office Buildings “A Review of the Literature”

Engineering Research Journal - Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), 2021

Nowadays architects are evidencing a trend towards office buildings that are covered with glazing... more Nowadays architects are evidencing a trend towards office buildings that are covered with glazing façades. The goal of this paper is to reviewing the current literature to explain the relationship between the effect of glazing façades on the quality of the indoor environment and the efficiency of occupants in an office environment. To achieve the aim of the study, a literature review which have cases studies for office building has been performed. The research provides a thorough discussion and examination of various IEQ variables affected by glazing façades that influence the productivity of occupants. This paper recommends that the necessary studies be made on office buildings before using glazing facades, because of their implications on the productivity of occupants.

Daylighting Retrofitting in Existing Educational Spaces (By using Solar Tube( “A Case Study of Design Studio Hall in Cairo, Egypt”

Engineering Research Journal - Faculty of Engineering (Shoubra), 2021

Recently, many researchers have been interested in designing the buildings to get the benefit fro... more Recently, many researchers have been interested in designing the buildings to get the benefit from daylight inside, which saves a lot of building consumption for artificial lighting, which gives visual and thermal comfort and also contributes to reducing costs. But a few of them were interested in how to modify the designs of the existing educational spaces that did not reach daylight, which increases the consumption of these spaces for industrial lighting and gives a lack of a sense of visual and thermal comfort, and that is inconsistent with the principles of designing educational spaces that aim to reach the maximum visual comfort for the student, which helps in raising the performance of the student during the educational process. Therefore, this research will cover possible retrofits of daylight with existing educational spaces using modern daylight techniques to reach the visual comfort which students need.

Use of Vertical Greenery Systems to Conserve Energy in Administrative Buildings in Egypt

Journal of Al-Azhar University Engineering Sector, Apr 1, 2022

Urban development in Egypt has led to increased energy consumption. At the same time, development... more Urban development in Egypt has led to increased energy consumption. At the same time, development sometimes comes at the expense of green spaces, and this is another problem. Many of the green spaces and large trees that had already existed over the years were removed, whether to develop a road network or other encroachments on green areas. Administrative buildings have a large share of energy consumption in Egypt, so the aim of this study is to rationalize energy consumption in administrative buildings, as well as increase green spaces in Egypt. Therefore, the research studies in detail the types of vertical green systems, their use, their structural and technological systems. The study aims to prove the effectiveness of vertical greenery systems in Egypt by simulating a three-story administrative building. The vertical greening system is applied to the southern facade using the Design Builder program.

Implementation of PCM in Commercial Buildings Envelope in Egypt

Journal of emerging technologies and innovative research, Sep 1, 2021

Nowadays, new commercial building envelopes are seeking to reach sustainable design standards and... more Nowadays, new commercial building envelopes are seeking to reach sustainable design standards and codes worldwide. However, buildings in hot climates poorly adapt to external environmental conditions. The building envelope plays a major role in the outdoor and indoor environment. An appropriate indoor thermal condition in buildings is important because of the building occupant's comfort. This paper tests the effect of building envelope using Phase Change Material on the HVAC energy consumption and thermal performance of medium office buildings in Cairo using the Design Builder simulation tool. The model external building envelope is designed according to the Egyptian code and the model building of a medium office on design builder follows the ASHRAE standards. The model building envelope uses the same PCM material in different building allocations to test the effect of PCM on the building envelope on the indoor thermal comfort and energy consumed.

Double-Skin Facades in Healing Environments: An Approach for Enhancing Daylighting Performance in South-Oriented Patient Rooms in Cairo, Egypt

Daylighting provision is an efficient approach in achieving a healing environment. Several resear... more Daylighting provision is an efficient approach in achieving a healing environment. Several researches praised the effect of daylight on stress reduction, shorter hospital length of stay, and the increasing of patients’ satisfaction. The building façade has the primary role in controlling the indoor environment. In addition to daylighting, Double-Skin Façade (DSF) is an approach that can create a balance between patients’ needs without sacrificing energy reduction and thermal comfort in the hot arid desert climate. This paper aimed at investigating the effect of fixed horizontal louvers integration in a multi-story double-skin façade to enhance daylighting performance and visual comfort in south-oriented patient rooms located in Cairo, Egypt. Rhinoceros software was used for modeling the proposed designs coupled with Diva-4-Rhino for daylighting simulations. The effect of changing louver’s depth and slats’ number resulted in 16 designs that were modeled for examination. Daylighting p...