I have finished my PhD from Technical University of Berlin on the 31st of August 2021 which was a simulation based study that focused on the relation between urban form/geometry and its relation to outdoor thermal comfort in arid climates. The research was conducted in Upper Egypt which is characterized by an arid and severely hot climatic conditions especially during summer. The totality of my doctoral work has led to the publication of two conference papers, one book chapter and two journal articles (Q1 web of science). My main research interest is related to the reinterpretation of urban form and space within the context of current local and global challenges faced by countries of the MENA region especially on the environmental level. Exploring how urban settlements (on scales varying from a single building to an entire city) can be designed/transformed to become more sensitive and responsive to their local climate and energy efficient is my core research interest. These explorations are currently occurring through supervising five different master’s theses focusing on two main themes. The first theme (researched by two students) is concerned with outdoor thermal comfort in cities a) a simulation based study that explores how social housing schemes in 6thof October city can be densified in a way that improves outdoor thermal comfort in the spaces between the buildings, b) an experimental study that analyse how university students react to and use two different outdoor spaces in the campus according to the variations in the climatic conditions in these spaces. The second theme (researched by 3 students) is concerned with walkability in cities c) A comparative study which explore how urban form parameters affect walking rates by car owners in 4 neighbourhoods in Cairo, d) an in-depth analysis of how highways and bridges that were constructed in central urban areas affected modes of mobility in Heliopolis, Cairo, e) A study that utilize street view imagery and deep learning algorithms to evaluate walkability in the streets of the Greater Cairo Region. That being said, in future post-doctoral studies, I hope I can complement my knowledge of outdoor spaces requirements with indoor spaces requirements. As I believe that indoor thermal conditions (implications on cooling, heating and ventilation) affects outdoor conditions (anthropogenic heat) and vice versa (anthropogenic heat further worsening the indoor conditions). I want a broader chance for international collaboration and I want to have more tools/logistics to use to explore design solutions for cities in a continuously warming up planet and overheating human habitat. In terms of practice, I was a member of the design team of Dar El-Handasah for two years, in addition to collaborating with diverse range of consultancies, real estate developers and construction entities as well. Furthermore, I have participated in and won various architectural and urban design competitions. In terms of teaching, I instructed classes in Architectural Designs, Graduation Project, and Energy Environment Aspects.
