Motivation:
Sustainable Urbanism focusses on topics of landscape-based urban design strategies framed by the urgencies of water and land scarcity in Egypt. As a design practice Sustainable Urbanism takes a strategic design approach. It is framed by systemic boundaries on a regional scale and can therefore address existing and new, but also formal and informal contexts. It may nonetheless start from the objects scale to achieve change, for example, accumulatively. Apart from the interdependencies of the landscape condition, infrastructures and the actual building layer, sustainable urbanism relies on a transdisciplinary and participatory practice to develop integrated solutions capable of touching ground.
Research Topics:
Arid Zones:
Water Sensitive Urban Design in Arid Environments
Optimizing Urban Morphologies for Arid Zones
Updating Vernacular Knowledge
Urban Upgrading:
Ecotourism as a means to local empowerment and ecological protection
Hydroponic Green Roofs and Facades
Solid Waste Management
Decentralized Infrastructure:
Grey Water Recycling and Landscape Design
Constructed Wetlands
Strategic Design Methodology:
Back-Casting Strategies
Design and Awareness-Building
Architects as Moderators of Transdisciplinary Processes
Currently, there are four projects running under this group as follows:
RG1.1 NILE ISLANDS INITIATIVE (NII)
RG1.2 HYDROPONIC ENVELOPE:
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Motivation / Research Aim:
Hydroponic green roof systems aim to combine a micro-gardening infrastructure with an insulation mat in one modular element. As a building component it is capable of addressing several crucial issues on different scales:
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Providing building insulation to enable thermal comfort
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Mitigating the urban heat island effect
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Organic food production with up to 80% less water use for irrigation than conventional agriculture
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Enhancing the spatial quality of rooftops
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Providing an additional income
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Planned application for GERFF funding with University Of Applied Sciences Augsburg
RG1.3 Egyptian German Water Energy Network (EGWENET):
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Motivation / Research / Aim:
Aiming to establish or at least initiate a network between Egypt Germany Water Energy Network (EG-WENet).
RG1.4 SUSTAINABLE NEW CAIRO:
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Motivation / Research / Aim:
To foster a more sustainable urban development of New Cairo as a case study for other NUCAs focusing on:
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Transportation and Public Space (super tram, bus feeder system, bike lanes)
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Water Sensitive Urban Design