Expo Site Visit, 27 January, 2021

Brief_EXPO2020_AE Student Society Field Trip_

This trip was organized from the AE Student Society (AESS) in 27 January 2021 after a call from UAEU in visiting the Site of EXPO2020. In this activity participated 20 AESS members from different years of COE Architectural Engineering Department under the supervision of Dr. Lindita Bande.
The aim of the trip was to show the students the different pavilions that were under construction. The trip was well organized. The Welcome Center was the first point to visit where it was given a general idea about EXPO2020. Afterwards the organizers of the EXPO2020 Site Tours brought the team of students in the main pavilions. The trip was done on an opened bus, since the structures were being build and it was a hazard to walk thru the area on foot. The students could see the different stages of the construction and the innovative structures applied in all pavilions. The experience of the site visit was very helpful to them as a live learning process. Several contractors were working in each pavilion; therefore, it was explained to the students the relevance of the project management in buildings. Coordination between different teams is an important role of an architectural engineer.
The trip lasted a full day and included also exploring some new areas in the welcome center. The students were quite excited to experience this trip and understand the high importance of an event such as EXPO2020. 

 

Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Louvre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, 19 February, 2019

A field trip was organized to Sheikh Zayed Mosque and Louvre Abu Dhabi as part of ARCH340: History and Theory of Architecture course. The students were accompanied by Dr. Ahmed Agiel (Instructor) and Ar. Najeeba Ali (Research Associate). The visiting team was introduced to each of the buildings by informed guided tours. This academic experience provided the students with a clear understanding of the historical, theoretical and cultural contexts of the buildings.

All the 23 students were excited to engage themselves in various exploratory tasks both on/off site. These were based on their current understanding and recognition of the two opposing architectural styles/images. In addition to several tasks, photographs were also captured by the students based on specific architecture meaningfully attached to them.

The field trip achieved its main purpose by enabling the students:

• To comprehend the historical influence in contemporary architectural production.
• To recognize/distinguish the visual representation of different architectural styles.
• To explore their perceptions/experiences within the architectural masterpieces.

 

 Masdar City, Site Visit-Abu Dhabi, 4 November, 2019

1. Location of the buildings: Orientation, connection with the surrounding environment, the importance of the north direction connected to the facades.
2. The residential buildings/ the office buildings: Function, façade treatment, structural description, sustainable solutions, relations between the plan, section, facade.
3. The use of the internal courts: The function, the distribution, the importance into cooling the external/internal environment, natural ventilation.
4. Sustainable buildings: Explanation of LEED platinum building (Siements ) and the relationship with Estidama . Use of the PV panels.
5. The value of natural ventilation: The use of the Mashrabiya, the different levels in the plan, the openings in the facade.
6. Evapotranspiration process: The use of the water in the solar chimney to cool the courtyard, the use of the fountains, the use of the water surfaces.

 

 Solar Decathlon-Dubai, 19 November, 2018

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park Seih Al Dahal, Dubai, UAE
Activity: The ten contests of Solar Decathlon ME 2018 contests will follow the lines of those in previous edition of the international competition. However, these contests will have the necessary customization to challenge the teams to adapt their designs to the heat, dust and high humidity that we experience during part of the year.
Participants: Arch 302, Arch 320.