Achitecture and Urban Planning

While the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning-AUP is a new academic unit within Qatar University, we have a strong beginning with five faculty members. Our faculty members are active researchers with a substantial record of research outputs and publications in well-established academic journals. We have a research a strategy, themes and topics in place. They are derived from issues that pose themselves on the map of academic research and reflect recent regional discourse on architecture and urbanism.

Our definition of research is aimed at contributing to the advancement of knowledge that informs architectural and design practices,  that contributes to the creation of livable environments, and that reflects an ethical responsibility toward the environment, culture, and society.  We look at research within two perspectives; a) research that seeks to understand the future through a better understanding of the past—research that tests accepted ideas, and b) research that probes new ideas and concepts which will shape the future—research that develops new visions and conceptual understandings. Therefore, our research is wide in scope and addresses a spectrum of issues that are technically oriented, or conceptually focused, or philosophically and historically driven, or a combination of these.

Architecture and Urban Planning Research Theme

Sustainable and Liveable Environments

The generic research theme the guides our research activities is “Sustainable and Liveable Environments.” This theme addresses sustainability as it relates to the built environment in its entire range—Physical, Economical and Socio-Cultural. The goal is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this area by developing research findings—based on both conceptual and empirical approaches. Investigating and delivering sustainable environments is the core of investigation in this theme. Additionally, issues addressed involve the development of tools for analyzing, designing, assessing, and delivering sustainable environments at different scales that range from interior spaces and near environments, to exterior spaces, landscape architecture, and urban public spaces. Under the areas of: 1) Awareness, 2) Education, 3) Assessment, 4) Practice-Project Delivery, 5). Building/Urban Conservation, 6) Energy Efficiency and Building Design, and 7) Technology, our research activities would take place

1. Awareness:

     This area involves the development and implementation of tools that aim at sensitizing building users in understanding sustainability.  The aim is to conceive bottom up collaborative strategies for involving users in assessing their existing environments or participating in designing new environments.  (school buildings, workplaces, small scale housing projects are  targeted building types).

2. Education:

   This area includes the development of research as it relates to the ways in which sustainability is addressed in architectural/built environment education. It involves surveys of architecture schools, observation studies, content analysis etc. It also explores the study and analysis of new research and taught programs within the region and worldwide that have strong sustainable design/construction components. Exploring, developing, and investigating design studio teaching practices that have the capacity to address regional sustainability is one of the priorities underlying this area.

3. Assessment:

    This area encompasses evaluation of buildings that have received recognition/merits/awards for materializing sustainable design and construction aspects into responsive built environments. The purpose is to analyse and diagnose best practices, impact of one sustainable design aspect over others, and shortcomings or deficiencies.

4. Practice/Project Delivery: 

    This area aims at developing a comprehensive understanding into how sustainable buildings/environments are delivered. It investigates the way in which sustainability imperatives and guidance documents influence professional design and construction practices. It involves comparisons of sustainable design/construction guidance documents while exploring how professionals believe their time and effort should best be invested over the various phases of delivery of a building project from inception through briefing to building commissioning and occupancy.

5. Building and Urban Conservation:

   This area involves investigating how old/historic buildings or urban environments are re-qualified / or adapted for new uses and functions. It explores recent practices in remodelling, upgrading, renovation, and reusing old/historical buildings. Whether or not these practices respect the old design/structure, the immediate urban fabric, environmental aspects and their impact on socio-cultural sustainability are crucial questions underlying this area.

6. Energy Efficiency and Building Design:

    Energy used in buildings in the Gulf region and Qatar is no exception counts for up to 60%. This includes air conditioning, ventilation, and lighting. Most of the decisions on building design are made at the early stages of the design process. This area of research aims at exploring ways of reducing energy consumption of residential environments through the effective use of passive strategies.

7. Technology:

   This area investigates new technologies and building systems and how they are integrated into sustainable buildings. It includes studies of lighting, material, waste, energy conservation strategies, and computer technologies.  The impact of these aspects on the environment and building occupants would be a base for exploring these aspects.

Underlying the preceding areas the following is a list of priority research topics:

• Investigating spatial typologies and architectural language in Arab region (with specific reference to Qatar)
• Assessing the spatial quality of buildings and urban spaces in the emerging regional metropolis in the Arabian Peninsula (with specific reference to Qatar)
• Incorporating Inquiry Based Learning into Lecture Based Modules in Architecture
• A multiple criteria-decision support framework for assessing construction systems of sustainable affordable housing projects
• Delivering sustainable buildings (DSB): the impact of sustainability guidance documents on professional design and construction practices
• Awareness based assessment methods for sustainable learning environments
• Assessment of eco-lodges and environmentally friendly facilities for tourism in biologically sensitive destinations
• Sustainable and inclusive work environments: the impact of the spatial environment of workplaces on users health, comfort, and productivity
• An investigation into collaborative mechanisms in designing for sustainable development
• A cross cultural investigation into renewable energy policies and initiatives
• The impact of spatial and indoor environmental quality on users behavior, productivity, and performances in learning and work environments.
  

Research Clusters Interests & Highlight of Recent Research Activities:

Livable Architecture & Built Environment

Research Interests

•         Sustainable Architecture & Urban Design
•         Sustainability assessment and modeling
•         Ecological planning and landscape urbanism
•         Environmental Impact Assessment
•         Smart Cities
•         Sustainable Urbanism

Building, Technology and Architectural Apps

Research Interests

•         Building Information Modeling BIM
•         Energy efficiency
•         Topology Optimization in BE
•         Emergency Preparedness
•         Intelligent Project management
•         Safety in Architectural Design

Cultural Identity & Architectural Heritage

Research Interests

•         Digitizing Architectural Heritage
•         Investigating the socio-cultural aspects of architecture in Qatar and the GCC
•         Studying Human behavior in the built environment
•         Exploring the impact of traditional arts in local architecture
•         Architectural Identity