Dr. Arar is an Associate Professor and the Program Coordinator for the Department of Architecture at Ajman University. He was the head of DAE at Ajman University for five years (2007-2012). Dr. Arar earned his Ph.D. in Urban Environmental Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, USA, and his Master of Architecture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Los Angeles, California. He also holds two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of City and Regional Planning from the University of Louisiana, USA. Before Joining Ajman University, Dr Arar was an Assistant Professor and the Head of the architectural Engineering Department at Applied Sciences University in Amman, Jordan (1997-2001). Dr Arar has several publications, focusing on architecture, urban design, urban planning and the built environment.
Tadao Ando's architecture allows users to experience various spaces based on the architectural vocabulary of geometry. However, his architecture is not only composed of geometry but also proportion. This paper aims to determine the theoretical proportions by analyzing Tadao Ando's housing projects. As a methodology, nine housing projects as case studies are selected and analyzed. The proportional value obtained through the floor plan analysis is compared with the proportionate value of the theoretical proportionality. The result showed that mass and room show proportional values close to theoretical proportional weights within an error range of ±0.1. In the case of mass, symmetrical spherical shapes having a similar spherical ratio (40%), an integer ratio (30%), and a root ratio (30%) are shown. A root ratio (48.8%) and an integer ratio (44.0) are shown. The golden ratio (6.0%) and proportional spheres have a similar spherical percentage (1.2%). In general, proportionality can be seen in his elevations. However, it was proven that there is proportionality in the house floor plan of Tadao Ando. Keywords: Tadao Ando, Houses, Floor Plan, Proportion, Golden Ratio
According to UAE Health Ministry and Dubai Healthcare City reports, 15% of Dubai residents have a chronic respiratory disease such as asthma. Moreover, 90% of the 150,000 patients at Al Ain Hospital suffered from upper respiratory tract respiratory diseases, bronchitis, or asthma. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) has emerged as a social problem in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Dubai Municipality regulates Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with strict stipulations before moving in, but they are relatively passive about regulations related to healthy living. This paper aims to explore the actual state of perception of the IAQ from townhouse residents in Dubai, UAE. The characteristics of the resident’s perceptions of the IAQ are identified, and the influential factors affecting residents’ perceptions of IAQ are extracted. As a methodology, the survey was conducted on four townhouse projects in Dubai from December 2021 to January 2022. A total of 114 copies were distributed, and 98 documents were used. Analysis of the survey data was processed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0. The results showed a statistically significant correlation between the cognitive and anxiety levels of SBS with the presence or absence of experience. It was statistically confirmed that the most influential factors were the age of the children and the occupancy time of housewives and children. This is because of the perception that wives who spend a relatively long time in the house and their young children are exposed to indoor air pollution for a long period of time and are easily affected by this influence on the concerns about young children about SBS. Ninety-five percent of the respondents answered that they knew more than average about SBS, indicating a very high level of awareness. As for the degree of anxiety, 87.0% of the respondents felt higher levels of anxiety than usual. However, most of them did not know or were indifferent to the understanding of the air quality improvement methods. The awareness of actual contents was lower than that of residents who assessed that they knew about SBS. Keywords: IAQ (Indoor Air Quality); SBS (Sick Building Syndrome); SBS symptom perception; influential factors; United Arab Emirates
This study investigates the tourism-oriented heritage districts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and explores a new approach to fostering heritage tourism. This is envisaged through conducting a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) to detect the characteristics of the tourism-oriented heritage districts from the residents and tourists. The systematic evaluation of opinions is based on indicators developed by UNESCO and ICOMOS international principles. According to the survey results, it is found that Dubai’s approach was successful at reuniting people with their history via modern materials in the restoration works. This has preserved the heritage value and increased their culture and national identity. The social goal to reconnect residents to their cultural history has been realized despite the inconsistencies compared to the specification of the World Heritage Convention, which requires technical authenticity and integrity. People perceived the identities of tourism-oriented heritage districts in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman differently. Based on the POE survey, the Shindagha area and Al Fahidi Historical Area in Dubai were perceived as traditional destinations for tourist attractions. The Heart of Sharjah area was perceived as cultural and educational tourism, and the Ajman Heritage District area was perceived as community tourism. Keywords: heritage district; tourism; conservation; post-occupancy evaluation (POE); United Arab Emirates (UAE)
The Urban Heat Island (UHI) has a detrimental impact on human thermal comfort and the health of city dwellers through raising average temperatures. Urban geometry is one of the factors that affect the intensity of the UHI phenomena. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and compare traditional vs. modern urban forms with respect to temperature and thermal comfort in the United Arab Emirates. Three of each were chosen based on their densities and form. Traditional buildings in the UAE differ from others in the Middle East in that they are primarily single-story, while in the surrounding countries of the region, such as Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, they are mainly two stories. The UAE climate also has its distinct characteristics. Each configuration was investigated using the ENVI-met urban microclimate simulation software. The comparisons were made for three seasons: summer, winter, and spring. Each configuration was evaluated through four parameters: building shape, street geometry, orientation, and urban density. The results revealed that the lowdensity traditional urban form exhibited the lowest air temperature in August because it has a low sky view factor (SVF), high height-to-width ratio, and less density. The highest ambient temperature was observed in the sites with low-medium density, lowest height/width ratio, and maximum SVF. The high-density modern urban form displayed lower air temperatures in the summer season than the low and low-medium-density modern urban sites due to the building form, high height-to-width ratio, low SVF, and wind corridors. The traditional compact urban form in Al Fahidi, which has the highest urban density of the six configurations, achieved the best thermal comfort levels in the summer due to the sizable height-to-width ratio and lowest SVF. Keywords: urban heat island; urban microclimate; human thermal comfort; urban density; ENVI-met; urban configuration; hot-arid climate
The museum is one of the building types that lead the development of architecture, transcending physical borders and regionalism and revealing the experimental nature of modern architecture. Japanese architect Tadao Ando is a representative architect of contemporary architecture but also designed the most significant number of museums and sublimated traditional Japanese architecture into a modern interpretation. This paper explores Ando’s philosophical background, which seeks to inform the relationship between architecture, humans, and the environment via unique Japanese culture. As a methodology, an existing literature study collected and analyzed various materials necessary to understand Tadao Ando's architectural theory and museum. His workspace's components and details of expression were observed and explored through field visits. Regarding the characteristics of his work, the architectural background and history, and the overall spatial composition and features of the pieces were analyzed with references and drawings. The result showed that Tadao Ando has been constructing architecture using the geometric formative language formed through his experiences in various fields, influenced by Western classical architecture and abstract art. Tadao Ando embodies his attitude towards nature, which is entrenched within him. As a result of a holistic analysis of Tadao Ando's architecture after 1985, It was proven that it is a phenomenon that appears throughout the work, and as the plane of geometry is repeated, the logic of form composition is consistently shown. Keywords: Tadao Ando, Museum, Dismantling, Simplicity, and Complexity, Borrowing Landscape
The purpose of this study is to examine the artificial lighting systems and perceived safety of underpass vacuum borders in light of gender equality. Although lighting underpasses pedestrian corridors is a critical environmental feature that affects safety perception, there is still a gap in the literature regarding the needed quality of light required for this purpose and how it may affect perceiving safety. The study employed a mixed-methods approach that included a quantitative survey, DIALux lighting software, and field measurements. The survey was distributed to 94 randomly selected pedestrians who were roaming the corridors of Al-Qasba. Three parameters: illuminance level (Lux), Uniformity ratio (U0), and Unified Glare Rating (UGR), were considered in simulation using DIALux software in order to improve the visibility in the site. Several simulation scenarios of the existing underpasses corridors were proposed and analyzed. Six simulation cases were conducted and compared among each other and the base case to identify the best-simulated case. Accordingly, two cases among all the cases had a significant impact on visibility which improved safety perception.
Due to fast economic development, Dubai has built many high-rise apartments in a short period of time. The Dubai Municipality attempts to control indoor air quality with strict regulations, but the detailed provisions are still not comprehensive. The objective of this paper is to conduct on-site measurements for new high-rise apartments before moving on to investigate indoor air pollution and to analyze pollutant emissions by type of finishing material. As a methodology, on-site measurements were conducted fornine different housing units (three lower, three middle, and three higher floors) before moving on to investigate the status of indoor air pollution in new apartments. Based on the on-site measurements data, lab experiments with a small chamber for the same finishing materials from the most polluted housing unit (a lower two bedroom unit) were conducted to measure the emission of pollutants over 30 days. The result shows that the average of CH2O (64.4 μg/m3 for studio, 64.5 μg/m3 for one bedroom, and 83.4 μg/m3 for two bedroom) was lower than the standard (100 μg/m3) in all units, while the average TVOC (520.1 μg/m3 in the studio, 509.5 μg/m3 in one bedroom, and 754.7 μg/m3 in two bedroom) exceeded the standard (500 μg/m3) in most of the units. It was proven that regarding the CH2O, silk wallpaper, initial wallpaper, and wallpaper adhesive had the highest emissions and for the TVOC, tile and tile adhesive had the highest emission. During small chamber experiments, CH2O and TVOC emissions tended to decrease gradually over time, but the emission amount changed significantly in high pollutant emission material especially from day 1–10. Therefore, Dubai municipality should establish the regulation for residents to move into their new apartment after at least 10 days to avoid the high polluted emission from the curing process of the interior finishing material.
Children inhale indoor air at 400 mL/minkg per body weight, 2.76 times more than adults. They have weaker immunity than adults and are more exposed to asthma, allergies, and atopic diseases. The objective of this paper is to suggest effective management and improvement measures for indoor air quality for nurseries. As a methodology, 16 nurseries (total of 35 classrooms) were selected to measure the indoor air quality compared with WHO IAQ Standard, and identify the daily concentration change of the pollutants. Based on the measurements, IAQ improvements for selected facilities are carried out to compare the results before and after improvement. The result has shown that the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), Total Suspended Particles (TSP) and formaldehyde (CH2O) exceeds WHO IAQ standards. The concentration of CO2 and TSP is changed mainly by physical activity of children and that of CH2O and TVOC is changed mainly by ventilation after school start. TVOC decreased by 46.4% and the TSP decreased by 21.7% after air purifier, but CH2O and TVOC increased 1.8–3.8 times after interior renovation with low-emission finishing materials. After new ventilation installation, the CH2O and TVOC reduced half and the TSP reduced one third. It is proven that the most effective way to reduce the concentration of air pollutants in nurseries is the installation of a new ventilation system, followed by an air purifier. The renovation with low-emission finishing materials cannot improve IAQ in a short period of time.
Peter Zumthor is a cult figure within the realm of architecture. His portfolio may be relatively small, but his influence is beyond imagination. He is renowned for his authentic approach to his design, his craftsmanship, and his innovative use of materials and light. The Therme Vals in Switzerland, one of his best-known projects, shows Peter Zumthor’s own high standards, with no apparent compromises. The objective of this study is to explore his design methodology to design emotional architecture and discover new emotional design vocabulary. As a methodology, Therme Vals’ emotional design method is to be investigated via literature review, field study, and the opinions of not only Peter Zumthor himself, but also of previous researchers. The Analysis result had shown that Peter Zumthor’s spatial approach is unique. Compared to the existing emotional architecture that allows rapid entry into the core attraction, it guides users into the space at a very secret and slow speed. Unlike most emotional architecture that arouses curiosity through strong colors or unusual finishing material, Peter Zumthor designed with the intrinsic characteristics of ordinary materials and human memories of them. Regarding spatial experience, Peter Zumthor maintained a more natural continuity of spatial experience, not the concept of continuity as a scenario with a beginning and an end. Artificial direction is never given, and the users maintain continuity according to the movement of individual emotions. Keywords: Peter Zumthor, Therme Vals, Emotional Architecture, Vernacular Material,
In contemporary architecture, emotional architecture is usually a design methodology to trigger an emotional response from its users. The emotional experiences from a particular architecture can be generated by its sense of place. Luis Baragán was one of the pioneering architects who integrated localism and universalism, and the reason why his works are more impressive in real space than in other architects is that they contain emotional elements that are invisible to the eye but appeal to human emotions. The objective of this paper is to explore Luis Baragán’s emotional architecture. For Luis Baragán, emotion is concerned with the search for essence, and architecture has the potential to bring essence into existence. As a methodology, the extraction of Luis Baragán’s architectural vocabulary that he mainly used and analyzes their relationships. For this analysis, the principle of the synesthetic architectural approach and the method of handling volume (void and solid) and light as the formative elements were investigated. The Analysis result had shown that his emotional architecture used three elements such as volume, light and objects. Regarding volume, his method of handling volume was confirmed through the relationship between void and solid, which are combined to obtain various sense of awe. His method of handling light is analyzed in two ways: half-Light and direct incoming light. In addition, Luis Baragán’s uses objects made of natural materials, objects of artificial materials, and objects as a means of maximizing the effect of space that he wants to realize through the juxtaposition. These spatial devices usually linked with the senses that stimulate the senses of sight, hearing, touch, speed, and temperature to induce a synesthetic spatial experience. This study will serve as a foundation to re-evaluate the emotional architecture that stimulates human sensibility with synesthesia that stimulates existing memories, norms, and spiritual values. Keywords: Luis Baragán, Emotional Architecture, Serenity, Synesthesia, Sensory Experience
Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) governments are encouraging advances in renewable energy and its deployment to reform domestic energy market policy. GCC countries including United Arab Emirates (UAE) all have begun to explore renewable energy technologies. This research intended to develop a framework model to use Grid Tied photovoltaic renewable energy (GT-PV) in the housing design of the GCC region particularly in UAE. In this regard, research has analyzed the various types of housing plans and worked out the possibilities of retrofit design to adapt renewable energy model to implement (GT-PV) in existing housing for their energy needs. This study has determined the total energy need of each type of house, data of energy need was statically analyzed, and renewable energy output was calculated. The end-result of research has surfaced a comprehensive model to design a grid-tied photovoltaic renewable energy system to cater the need for private housing in UAE. This research demonstrated that GT-PV is a sustainable and renewable energy system and its adaptation of in existing housing would bring substantial reduction in national energy usage. This research also shared the opinion that, principal cost of GT-PV system is a key drawback in adaptation of this system. However, study determined that high principal cost would be payback within 08 years and principal cost could be termed as the investment cost. Keywords: Housing, Renewable energy, Grid-tied system, Electrification.
: Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa are founding partners of the firm SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) and renowned for their refined simplicity, spatial fluidity, and thoughtful integration into urban contexts. SANAA has developed the architectural ‘atmosphere’ as its design methodology and called it as a landscape (the contemporary scenery) for people. The objective of this paper is to explore the examples of ‘Atmosphere’ in their projects and SANAA’s design methodology to define Atmosphere and discover new design vocabulary for Atmosphere. As a methodology, the interpretation of SANAA's own statements and explanatory texts and exploration to find consistency in fragmentary and multi-faceted statements were conducted. In addition to the analysis of speech, in approaching the atmosphere as an embodied substance, it was attempted to trace and discover which architectural representations are closely related to the concept of atmosphere in the design result. The analysis result had shown that SANAA used three main approached for atmosphere as follows: 1) an expression strategy to reset the hierarchy, 2) an expression strategy of transparency and abstract simplicity to clearly express the architectural concept they want to convey, that is, the essential nature of the project, 3) a strategy of tricks to induce discovery. SANAA has been pursuing a new freedom and has incorporated multiple values into it and tries to embody the concept of atmosphere via the various representational strategies: hierarchical reconstitution of space, transparent and abstract simplification, and non-deceptive trick. Keywords: Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA, Atmosphere, Transparency
Water is an indispensable element for Tadao Ando’s architecture. The exploration of the role of water in his projects is an essential process to comprehend his philosophy. In this study, the composition type of water used in the architecture of Tadao Ando was analyzed. Based on the concept of ma and shintai, the three types of water were categorized as architectural elements, reflecting water basin, continuous cascade, and waterfall. The relationship between entry and water was compared and classified into three types: water presence before entry, water presence before and after entry, and water presence after entry. The Japanese ma, which understands time and space as a unified concept, is embodied through water that reveals the nature of time and forms a perfect gap between the building and its surroundings. Water is used as an architectural device that allows shintai to fully recognize and accept space as a medium that allows people to perceive the world through the combination of body and mind, reinforcing architectural experiences through perception. Keywords: Tadao Ando, Water Composition, Typology, Shintai, Ma
This paper establishes the context of housing and urbanization in Ajman. Changes in land use are pressing on a pattern of settlement. One central issue concerning the UAE is the fast track development in the newly peri-urban areas with the construction of infrastructure, although most areas are barren desert. Due to the urban sprawl from Dubai and nearby cities, there is an issue of growing importance in light of urban urgency for housing in Ajman. The increasing housing demand is due to expatriates looking for accommodations. The UAE national housing program is catering to its citizens. However, the growth of housing development pushes for immediate action on the city systems planning. The rush to supply housing without paying attention to the detailed aspects of housing design, and focusing mainly on functional vitality requirements without considering the long-term impact on urban morphology and urban design will adversely affect the environmental policy of development in Ajman. As housing supply growth, a wise idea is to check the increasing concern over the long-run economic growth and the infrastructure connecting the other Emirates and the Gulf Cooperation Council (G.C.C) states. Hence, this paper delves into the nature of urban housing in the Emirates by focusing on Ajman in parallel to a projection of economic and physical development. The research mixed-method bases on primary and secondary data with mapping techniques, informal interviews, observations, photography and visual analysis to analyze the consequences of housing development and its impact on land-use and pace of urbanization. The findings cover the morphology of Ajman city, the price index of housing affordability and patterns development according to urbanization rate concerning the needs and progress of the Emirates. Disciplinary: Architecture and Town Planning, Urbanization, Migration, and Mobility Studies, Sustainability Development.
Bamboo has been known widely as a material for buildings since the dawn of the century. Nevertheless, bamboo is often regarded as a lowclass building material which has commonly used by low-income people. Since the issue of global warming and sustainability, bamboo became a focus for building material due to its sustenance and fast growth in the natural environment. Architects and builders alike started to choose bamboo as an alternative to wood. Furthermore, it is difficult to get good-quality woods for construction and historically, a vast tract of land has been ruined due to deforestation that caused an adverse effect on the surroundings. This paper attempts to discuss the properties of bamboo and how it is inventively applied in building design. Descriptive-qualitative methods were used in this study to reveal an understanding of the application of bamboo in building design. To further enhance the finding and context of discussing a case study on how bamboo has been used in designing the structure in an innovative organic form. The result from this research found out that bamboo is noble to be considered as an alternative material in building design due to its natural properties, exclusively for curvilinear organic-form building that hardly achieved in steel and concrete. Disciplinary: Architecture (Green/Sustainable Architecture). ©2020
Dubai city is considered as one of the most popular city in the last ten years worldwide. The reasons behind this special magic feature that makes Dubai to have such appreciation can be seen in many factors; however, this paper will focus on one major factor in this city which is Dubai Metro. The Metro is an important public transportation function that meant to serve the general population and to make the flow of public movement much more efficient. Dubai has a rapidly growing population and severe traffic congestion problems. The population forecast to increase by 6.4% annually, rising to three million by the year 2017. Through this public transportation lines there are 49 stations as nodes. The function of these nodes is to allow the public to use the metro in an efficient way and to be accessible to pedestrian in the street, and to link strategic locations including Dubai Airport terminals, Shopping centers, and other important functions in the city. Through the survey conducted in the selected nodes, the paper highlights the positive and negative impact of Dubai Metro and suggests alternatives to enhance the quality of urban life in this part of the city. The paper provides statistical analysis of people reaction in using the metro as public transportation to reduce the traffic congestion. It also evaluates the impact on the architectural aesthetic as a result of this major project especially in the selected nodes or stations, which creates a severe visual influence in the surrounding build environment, and causing a major change in the pattern language of the architectural product among buildings. Keywords: Public Transportation, Population growth, traffic congestion, build environment.
This paper addresses the metamorphoses of the historic city center and the impact of the commercial activities and signage on the streetscape and urban-scape. Most of the historic core of the Arab cities and towns has been transformed as areas for commercial centers. The challenge is that the development of these commercial activities should not be done on the detriment of the preservation of the historic center. Most of our historic centers have been through a process of transformation which might be seen as an evolutionary and natural development, but the rapid and drastic change of the urban development on the name of the contemporaneity and modernity, which are behind the insertion of this negative impact in the urban scape. This paper will focus on three historic city centers: Bastakia in Dubai, El Mereeja in Sharjah and Al Bustan in Ajman. After having been through different proposals developed by the different offices and organisms, the study will examine the followings: The questions of commercial activities and signage The mechanic circulation and preservation of historic heritage The spatial use according to the different charters on heritage and conservation The tools used in this investigation are an urban design and urban scape analyses. The objective is to end up with recommendations on the development of the commercial activities compatible with the preservation of the historic heritage. These recommendations should take into consideration a guideline to achieve a sustainable environment (physically and culturally) and to avoid or at least to reduce the pollution (visual, atmospheric and phonic) in the historic city center. Key words: Urban scape, heritage, historic city center, Commercial activities, culture, identity, preservation.
There are few attempts to study the vernacular architecture in Gaza based on indoor space distribution. No attempts, so far, has been made to analyze Gazan indoor housing spaces from the perspective of adjacency distribution. This study aims to provide specialists with future design that meets the demand and requirement of Gazan people. A survey conducted in 2005 by the main author on some semidetached houses built by people themselves to fit with their culture and climate revealed that majority of these houses were categorized into two common types: type one: ”Corridor-Type Plan” and type two: “Hall-Type Plan”. To select the most flexible type that could be used in future housing development, evaluations and social analyses were carried out using the theory of Adjacency Distribution and part of the Space Syntax. As a result, the outcome of the analysis has shown that the number of alternatives of space distribution in the type one is greater than those of type two as the ratio between these types is 30 to 4 types consequently. Keywords: Adjacency distribution theory; space syntax; corridor-type plan, hall-type plan, Gaza city.
No attempts, so far, has been made to analyze the indoor spaces of a house from the perspective of geographic direction. There are few studies in a house typology based on indoor space distribution. Many tools like Adjacency Diagram Theory (A.D) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) were used by the author to typologize architecture. In general, these attempts ignored the true direction of spaces from its hypothesis. Therefore, this paper will develop the Adjacency Diagram Theory to consider the true geographic direction of spaces in the analysis. An experimental case of a corridor-plan has been deeply investigated using both theories. Accordingly, the outcome of the analysis has shown that the number of patterns using Space Orientation Theory is greater than those patterns of Adjacency Diagram Theory by 196:30 respectively. As a result, house patterns based on Space Orientation Theory is more comprehensive and effective, and it is worthy to use it in counting patterns. This approach adds a new room for house typology and helps find the summer, winter, and summer-winter patters easily. It is advisable that decision makers, planners, architects and architecture students study this theory and use it in future house design. Keywords; Adjacency Distribution Theory; Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Space Orientation Theory; Corridor-Type Plan, House Typology .
The urban expansion of the Gulf cities included many multi-story housing projects of urban form types similar to those built in Britain during the post Second World War period of reconstruction. According to the literature, these types of urban form are associated with a number of social problems in relation to the health of some residents, anti-social behavior of some youngsters, and some types of crime. The aim of this research is to identify the types of urban form in the context of the British built environment and to conduct a pilot study to investigate the presence of social problems in Gulf housing projects, which encompass urban forms similar to those built in Britain during the post Second World War period. The conclusion is that some social problems can be traced in some of the projects inspected in the study. The study suggest further in depth research to determine the extent of such social problems and suggest design some guidance for new housing projects in order to avoid such problems.