Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
PurposeThe study assesses user satisfaction of workspaces modified at home in response to the COV... more PurposeThe study assesses user satisfaction of workspaces modified at home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby analyzing the flexibility of modern homes in the twenty-first century in the United Arab Emirates.Design/methodology/approachData was collected using a structured online survey from 113 participants about their home office created to accommodate working/studying from home. Analysis of survey revealed the importance of type of residence in affecting satisfaction of functionality and well-being.FindingsThe collected demographic variables played a crucial role in affecting satisfaction with various elements, from indoor air quality of the working space to the amount of natural light received by the space. Finally, participants who felt the need to add color and change furniture layout, experienced feelings of productivity, commitment and motivation by working from home. The same participants decided to keep the amended changes to their living spaces, even after they ...
"According to a report prepared by Habitat International Coalition, nomadic communities cons... more "According to a report prepared by Habitat International Coalition, nomadic communities constitute to approximately 7% of the overall population in India1. Political, geographical, social and cultural reasons force these communities to stop moving and settle in cities. Many of these “Static Nomads” struggle to integrate into a sedentary lifestyle. The following Thesis illustrates the sphere of knowledge required to approach a previously nomad settlement in Agra and apply an architectural proposal that allows development to the ac- companiment of self-sufficiency. The aim is to Test the model for a culturally sensitive proposal that complies closely within the philosophy behind Architecture of Rapid Change and Scarce Resources. Once the Architectural proposal has been applied in one situation, the result will be analyzed and further tested in two other previously nomadic settlements or tribes in two other cities of In- dia, Delhi and Mumbai. The aim is to figure out the problems, some common to all sites and some that are not, and then proclaim architectural solutions to facilitate integration. The Thesis will investigate how a common architectural language or typology can be applied and sometimes slightly reconfigured depending on the required needs."
The International Journal of Design Education, 2024
The presented research delves into a transformative pedagogical framework within higher education... more The presented research delves into a transformative pedagogical framework within higher education, particularly in the domain of design learning. Traditionally confined to academic boundaries, the article advocates for a paradigm shift toward interdisciplinary immersive learning through strategic industry collaborations and active student engagement. Narrating the developmental journey of faculty in devising a tailored teaching methodology for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design program at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, the approach centers on the innovative concept of Adaptive Ephemeral Interiority. This involves repurposing airplane interiors, originally stored as spare parts by Etihad Airways, for novel applications. Addressing the critical concern of industrial waste, comprising 70 percent of solid waste in the United Arab Emirates, the methodology presented here explores sustainable design solutions of novice alternate appropriation. Enhanced industry dialogue extended learning beyond the classroom boundaries and empowered students to devise effective waste management strategies. This immersive learning experience not only enhanced the students' design skills but also equipped them for success in the dynamic regional creative industry, empowering them with knowledge and experience emphasized on adaptability and material decontextualization.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a glob... more In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a global Pandemic (WHO, 2020). During this time, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced national preventative measures to slow the spread of the deadly virus by announcing the closure of schools and higher education institutions, and the commitment of online learning. Teaching faculty at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) at Zayed University were suddenly facing the challenge of teaching design through a distance learning approach. As educators of interior design, the authors were part of the team tasked to find ways to teach design without physical contact with the students nor access to campus facilities traditionally used to run the program and its associated courses. This paper charts the pedagogy approach that the authors adopted as a response to the national lockdown. As design faculty, the authors felt that, despite the restrictions imposed on society because of COVI...
Adaptive reuse in architecture refers to the process of redesigning, converting, and reappropriat... more Adaptive reuse in architecture refers to the process of redesigning, converting, and reappropriating existing spaces for functions different from the ones they were originally designed for. This research is a case study showing an alternative to this concept, re-purposing aviation parts and finding new programmatic functions in the design learning studio. The pedagogy approach, adopted by a design studio in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), presents the fluidity of adaptive interiority against rigidity and site specificity. The research results in the creation of adaptive modular spaces and ephemeral interiority through upcycling design, flexibility, materiality, reusability, recyclability, and connectivity while simultaneously showcasing the rigorous interplay of innovation, research, science, and technology. The case study design studio was based at Zayed University and partnered with Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, highlighting the importance of industry and educat...
What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered a... more What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered as a clear component demarcating interiority from the outside environment? Could light or water be just as clear? How can scale challenge the identification of an internal space? Is a living space more identifiable as an interior volume? What about an internal courtyard for a family house outlining the beginning of a nation or the opposite extreme in the time-space continuum, a 24,000 square meters domed roof over a series of intimate spaces establishing a nation’s cultural intention internationally? Can a central space act as a gravitational point to other space fragments and elements? Can the ephemerality of the space bind it together in a unique, memorable encounter?We set ourselves to answer these questions using different phenomenological responses methods including digital video, photography, drawings, and architectural observations. All depict different layered trajectories through...
On June 2014, the United Arab Emirates inaugurated its first architectural pavilion at the 14th V... more On June 2014, the United Arab Emirates inaugurated its first architectural pavilion at the 14th Venice International Architecture Biennale. The pavilion chartered the impact of modernist architecture in the UAE and provided a charting of the history of architecture in the UAE for the past 100 years. The exhibition took the form of an archive but was never seeing as a finished collection, but as the beginning of a future architectural collection. Part of the problem encountered during the gathering of the data, was the lack available and accessible information related to modern heritage buildings partly due to the rapid development of the nation. Modern Heritage in the UAE is defined the period after ‘Etihad’ or ‘union’ of the UAE as a nation in 1971. These buildings are from a period ranging from the early 1970’s and early 1990’s and they play an integral role of bringing ‘modernity’ to the UAE and in the forming of the three main cities, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah as modern late 20th century metropolis. Two strategies were developed during the data gathering leading to the Biennale; 1 To photograph specific buildings that played an important role to the development of the nation for the purpose of the National Pavilion exhibition at the Biennale. 2 To continue the exercise of photographing other buildings that are not often recognized as higher profile, but still play an important role in forming the urban fabric of Emirati cities. Methods were developed using the photographs for documenting by making elevation drawings and models of the facades. The second strategy is of outmost importance as the UAE, like other modernizing nations, is constantly undergoing rapid redevelopment of its cities, therefore many of these buildings are rapidly being demolished to make way for the newly built.
The proposed paper entitled: The Al Bidiya Mosque in Fujairah: A Vessel Of Cultural and Religious... more The proposed paper entitled: The Al Bidiya Mosque in Fujairah: A Vessel Of Cultural and Religious Heritage in the Emirates Today, is a phenomenological Study which explores the philosophical design of the Al Bidiya Mosque based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties. This study is accompanied by extensive photographic research carried out at the oldest recorded functional mosque in the UAE, whose estimated construction date sits between 1650 and 1670 AD. The photographic research which accompanies my paper (which is currently being published by the Zayed University Books), is the first formal photographic research documentation of this historic structure. As an architect and interior designer, I have selected the medium of black and white photography to capture my subject utilizing my signature technique of collaging imagery together (see enclosed images) to emanate an enigmatic presence that is suitable for capturing the textures and the poetic interpl...
Developing countries are more and more committed to building a knowledge-based economy as a means... more Developing countries are more and more committed to building a knowledge-based economy as a means to diversify from their current resource-based economy. The current focus of many governments is on technology with real insights on creative economy and arts. In this context, universities are seen as a key partner of the government. This article presents the results of two innovative case studies of professors working in the College of Art and Design collaborating with a professor in the College of Business to integrate the concepts of entrepreneurship into their interior design courses. This was done through designing space for entrepreneurial projects and by the students acting as entrepreneurs themselves with an external client. This dual model of training combines (1) learning processes about the habits and the needs of entrepreneurs and (2) learning by acting as an entrepreneur. Such methods demonstrate the role of universities to provide a proper theoretical background for students and to foster entrepreneurial behaviors through arts entrepreneurship education. Furthermore, the central role of professors to introduce innovative teaching methods to combine entrepreneurship and the creative economy into non-business courses is an important finding in these case studies.
What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered a... more What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered as a clear component demarcating interiority from the outside environment? Could light or water be just as clear? How can scale challenge the identification of an internal space? Is a living space more identifiable as an interior volume? What about an internal courtyard for a family house outlining the beginning of a nation or the opposite extreme in the time-space continuum, a 24,000 square meters domed roof over a series of intimate spaces establishing a nation's cultural intention internationally? Can a central space act as a gravitational point to other space fragments and elements? Can the ephemerality of the space bind it together in a unique, memorable encounter?
POSSIBLE AND PREFERABLE SCENARIOS OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, 2021
The paper presents a case study of a developed production system designed to produce customized s... more The paper presents a case study of a developed production system designed to produce customized social settings and spatial enclosures, responding to specific social needs of a particular group within an identified social unit. The paper describes the relation between digital fabrication and the rules for design and assembly; how varied interlinked parameters are generated towards the realization of the final design. The presented case study narrates and reflects upon the system deployment within a selected context; an academic regional setting with a monocultural learners' population. Going back and forth between practical and digital evaluation, the paper describes the sequential stages of applied design and several prototypes realization. The case study; Urban points of rest, argues for a design variation within formulated digital fabrication systems in par with user participation. KEYWORDS lean-production, discrete architecture, digital fabrication, community involvement, prototype Lina Ahmad, Architect and M.Arch, is an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of Design at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University (United Arab Emirates). She is an advocate of digital fabrication technology and its impact in regional higher education and UAE Creative Industry. She co-founded LIMass, a unit dedicated to prompting creative design solutions within UAE community.
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
PurposeThe study assesses user satisfaction of workspaces modified at home in response to the COV... more PurposeThe study assesses user satisfaction of workspaces modified at home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby analyzing the flexibility of modern homes in the twenty-first century in the United Arab Emirates.Design/methodology/approachData was collected using a structured online survey from 113 participants about their home office created to accommodate working/studying from home. Analysis of survey revealed the importance of type of residence in affecting satisfaction of functionality and well-being.FindingsThe collected demographic variables played a crucial role in affecting satisfaction with various elements, from indoor air quality of the working space to the amount of natural light received by the space. Finally, participants who felt the need to add color and change furniture layout, experienced feelings of productivity, commitment and motivation by working from home. The same participants decided to keep the amended changes to their living spaces, even after they ...
"According to a report prepared by Habitat International Coalition, nomadic communities cons... more "According to a report prepared by Habitat International Coalition, nomadic communities constitute to approximately 7% of the overall population in India1. Political, geographical, social and cultural reasons force these communities to stop moving and settle in cities. Many of these “Static Nomads” struggle to integrate into a sedentary lifestyle. The following Thesis illustrates the sphere of knowledge required to approach a previously nomad settlement in Agra and apply an architectural proposal that allows development to the ac- companiment of self-sufficiency. The aim is to Test the model for a culturally sensitive proposal that complies closely within the philosophy behind Architecture of Rapid Change and Scarce Resources. Once the Architectural proposal has been applied in one situation, the result will be analyzed and further tested in two other previously nomadic settlements or tribes in two other cities of In- dia, Delhi and Mumbai. The aim is to figure out the problems, some common to all sites and some that are not, and then proclaim architectural solutions to facilitate integration. The Thesis will investigate how a common architectural language or typology can be applied and sometimes slightly reconfigured depending on the required needs."
The International Journal of Design Education, 2024
The presented research delves into a transformative pedagogical framework within higher education... more The presented research delves into a transformative pedagogical framework within higher education, particularly in the domain of design learning. Traditionally confined to academic boundaries, the article advocates for a paradigm shift toward interdisciplinary immersive learning through strategic industry collaborations and active student engagement. Narrating the developmental journey of faculty in devising a tailored teaching methodology for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design program at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, the approach centers on the innovative concept of Adaptive Ephemeral Interiority. This involves repurposing airplane interiors, originally stored as spare parts by Etihad Airways, for novel applications. Addressing the critical concern of industrial waste, comprising 70 percent of solid waste in the United Arab Emirates, the methodology presented here explores sustainable design solutions of novice alternate appropriation. Enhanced industry dialogue extended learning beyond the classroom boundaries and empowered students to devise effective waste management strategies. This immersive learning experience not only enhanced the students' design skills but also equipped them for success in the dynamic regional creative industry, empowering them with knowledge and experience emphasized on adaptability and material decontextualization.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a glob... more In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a global Pandemic (WHO, 2020). During this time, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced national preventative measures to slow the spread of the deadly virus by announcing the closure of schools and higher education institutions, and the commitment of online learning. Teaching faculty at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) at Zayed University were suddenly facing the challenge of teaching design through a distance learning approach. As educators of interior design, the authors were part of the team tasked to find ways to teach design without physical contact with the students nor access to campus facilities traditionally used to run the program and its associated courses. This paper charts the pedagogy approach that the authors adopted as a response to the national lockdown. As design faculty, the authors felt that, despite the restrictions imposed on society because of COVI...
Adaptive reuse in architecture refers to the process of redesigning, converting, and reappropriat... more Adaptive reuse in architecture refers to the process of redesigning, converting, and reappropriating existing spaces for functions different from the ones they were originally designed for. This research is a case study showing an alternative to this concept, re-purposing aviation parts and finding new programmatic functions in the design learning studio. The pedagogy approach, adopted by a design studio in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), presents the fluidity of adaptive interiority against rigidity and site specificity. The research results in the creation of adaptive modular spaces and ephemeral interiority through upcycling design, flexibility, materiality, reusability, recyclability, and connectivity while simultaneously showcasing the rigorous interplay of innovation, research, science, and technology. The case study design studio was based at Zayed University and partnered with Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, highlighting the importance of industry and educat...
What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered a... more What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered as a clear component demarcating interiority from the outside environment? Could light or water be just as clear? How can scale challenge the identification of an internal space? Is a living space more identifiable as an interior volume? What about an internal courtyard for a family house outlining the beginning of a nation or the opposite extreme in the time-space continuum, a 24,000 square meters domed roof over a series of intimate spaces establishing a nation’s cultural intention internationally? Can a central space act as a gravitational point to other space fragments and elements? Can the ephemerality of the space bind it together in a unique, memorable encounter?We set ourselves to answer these questions using different phenomenological responses methods including digital video, photography, drawings, and architectural observations. All depict different layered trajectories through...
On June 2014, the United Arab Emirates inaugurated its first architectural pavilion at the 14th V... more On June 2014, the United Arab Emirates inaugurated its first architectural pavilion at the 14th Venice International Architecture Biennale. The pavilion chartered the impact of modernist architecture in the UAE and provided a charting of the history of architecture in the UAE for the past 100 years. The exhibition took the form of an archive but was never seeing as a finished collection, but as the beginning of a future architectural collection. Part of the problem encountered during the gathering of the data, was the lack available and accessible information related to modern heritage buildings partly due to the rapid development of the nation. Modern Heritage in the UAE is defined the period after ‘Etihad’ or ‘union’ of the UAE as a nation in 1971. These buildings are from a period ranging from the early 1970’s and early 1990’s and they play an integral role of bringing ‘modernity’ to the UAE and in the forming of the three main cities, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah as modern late 20th century metropolis. Two strategies were developed during the data gathering leading to the Biennale; 1 To photograph specific buildings that played an important role to the development of the nation for the purpose of the National Pavilion exhibition at the Biennale. 2 To continue the exercise of photographing other buildings that are not often recognized as higher profile, but still play an important role in forming the urban fabric of Emirati cities. Methods were developed using the photographs for documenting by making elevation drawings and models of the facades. The second strategy is of outmost importance as the UAE, like other modernizing nations, is constantly undergoing rapid redevelopment of its cities, therefore many of these buildings are rapidly being demolished to make way for the newly built.
The proposed paper entitled: The Al Bidiya Mosque in Fujairah: A Vessel Of Cultural and Religious... more The proposed paper entitled: The Al Bidiya Mosque in Fujairah: A Vessel Of Cultural and Religious Heritage in the Emirates Today, is a phenomenological Study which explores the philosophical design of the Al Bidiya Mosque based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties. This study is accompanied by extensive photographic research carried out at the oldest recorded functional mosque in the UAE, whose estimated construction date sits between 1650 and 1670 AD. The photographic research which accompanies my paper (which is currently being published by the Zayed University Books), is the first formal photographic research documentation of this historic structure. As an architect and interior designer, I have selected the medium of black and white photography to capture my subject utilizing my signature technique of collaging imagery together (see enclosed images) to emanate an enigmatic presence that is suitable for capturing the textures and the poetic interpl...
Developing countries are more and more committed to building a knowledge-based economy as a means... more Developing countries are more and more committed to building a knowledge-based economy as a means to diversify from their current resource-based economy. The current focus of many governments is on technology with real insights on creative economy and arts. In this context, universities are seen as a key partner of the government. This article presents the results of two innovative case studies of professors working in the College of Art and Design collaborating with a professor in the College of Business to integrate the concepts of entrepreneurship into their interior design courses. This was done through designing space for entrepreneurial projects and by the students acting as entrepreneurs themselves with an external client. This dual model of training combines (1) learning processes about the habits and the needs of entrepreneurs and (2) learning by acting as an entrepreneur. Such methods demonstrate the role of universities to provide a proper theoretical background for students and to foster entrepreneurial behaviors through arts entrepreneurship education. Furthermore, the central role of professors to introduce innovative teaching methods to combine entrepreneurship and the creative economy into non-business courses is an important finding in these case studies.
What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered a... more What defines an interior space? Is a traditional threshold the only building element considered as a clear component demarcating interiority from the outside environment? Could light or water be just as clear? How can scale challenge the identification of an internal space? Is a living space more identifiable as an interior volume? What about an internal courtyard for a family house outlining the beginning of a nation or the opposite extreme in the time-space continuum, a 24,000 square meters domed roof over a series of intimate spaces establishing a nation's cultural intention internationally? Can a central space act as a gravitational point to other space fragments and elements? Can the ephemerality of the space bind it together in a unique, memorable encounter?
POSSIBLE AND PREFERABLE SCENARIOS OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, 2021
The paper presents a case study of a developed production system designed to produce customized s... more The paper presents a case study of a developed production system designed to produce customized social settings and spatial enclosures, responding to specific social needs of a particular group within an identified social unit. The paper describes the relation between digital fabrication and the rules for design and assembly; how varied interlinked parameters are generated towards the realization of the final design. The presented case study narrates and reflects upon the system deployment within a selected context; an academic regional setting with a monocultural learners' population. Going back and forth between practical and digital evaluation, the paper describes the sequential stages of applied design and several prototypes realization. The case study; Urban points of rest, argues for a design variation within formulated digital fabrication systems in par with user participation. KEYWORDS lean-production, discrete architecture, digital fabrication, community involvement, prototype Lina Ahmad, Architect and M.Arch, is an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of Design at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University (United Arab Emirates). She is an advocate of digital fabrication technology and its impact in regional higher education and UAE Creative Industry. She co-founded LIMass, a unit dedicated to prompting creative design solutions within UAE community.
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Papers by Marco Sosa