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Digital Technology in Architecture and Design

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This theme aligns with SDG9 by fostering technological innovation and enhancing infrastructure efficiency. It also supports SDG11 by promoting the development of smart cities and resilient urban environments. Moreover, it addresses SDG12 by optimizing resource use and reducing environmental impacts through digital design and manufacturing processes.

Science and Technology

Description of Subtheme:

The research subtheme “Digital Technology in Architecture and Design’ focuses on the transformative impact of digital technologies on architectural practice, exploring advancements such as parametric design, virtual reality, and computational tools. Researchers within this subtheme aim to unravel the potential of these technologies in shaping more efficient, sustainable, and aesthetically groundbreaking architectural solutions.

Within the onslaught of Information Age, digital technology has invaded our daily life. Our intellectual ways of thinking have been changed. As many other fields, architecture hosted the digital technology through design, construction, education, making models, virtual environment, and others. Since the invention of computer in 1960s, building construction technology has witnessed a revolution on the scale of accelerating construction duration, developing the building materials and tools, using robots and artificial intelligence systems. Architects have changed their design approaches, especially after the booming leap happened in the software programs that ease imagining the 3D form, adding design features and materials virtually. Designing the interior spaces using digital technologies has converted the human perception towards the architectural space. Artists diverted their innovation in creating products to digitalisation. The subtheme “Digital Technology in Architecture and Design’, therefore, adopts all the research attempts, projects, ideas, experiments that employ the advanced skills and tools to test new construction techniques, to experience new trends of digital architecture, and to apply the computational design approaches. This subtheme is aligned with two UN-SDGs: SDG9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and SDG11. Sustainable Cities and Communities.    

Research Action Plan:

The faculty is keen to tackle this subtheme to be always on the international track, synchronised with the latest technology that applies digitalisation in architectural education. On the national level, our Faculty owns the only robotic arm in Lebanon. This machine, titled (KUKA), opens horizons for staff and students to create endless number of form solutions, using different materials. Our KUKA is erected in the “Digital Fabrication Laboratory’. It facilitates making innovative 3D physical models. Our staff team used it before to produce parametric benches, seats, and tables. Besides KUKA, the Digital Laboratory, Model Making Laboratory provide several machines, such as 3D Printer, Laser Cutter, CNC, and others give potentials to staff and students to make experiments and explore new capabilities of materials. In addition to these two laboratories, the Faculty provides a Virtual Reality Laboratory, calling students and researchers to conduct research using Googles, Helmets, Cameras, Software Programs to experience new environments in the Metaverse world. These tools enable our students to innovate new design dimensions. In 2017, the Faculty organised an international workshop titled “Constructing the Future’, and published valuable research papers in a special issue of Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ). In 2021, a team of undergraduate students registered a patent, titled: "Infrastic". They created a brick, reinforced by haystack waste. After making experiments, this new brick was tested in the construction of rural area’s residential façade. This promising invention is a fruitful contribution to serve the surrounding mountain villages, which aligns with the targets of SDG9. In 2022, Beirut Arab University organised the international conference (ASCAAD 2022 - Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse: Architecture in the Age of Metaverse - Opportunities and Potentials) in partnership with Arab Society for Computation in Architecture, Art and Design (ASCAAD). This conference aimed to envision new horizons of thoughts that can shift the architectural profession and education into new worlds of Metaverse. Organising conferences and workshops, employing laboratories, and publishing papers in this subtheme is the Faculty’s plan to disseminate the culture of science and technology among staff and students. The Faculty, therefore, welcomes conducting research through the following tracks:

 

  • Digital Design and Fabrication
  • 3D Printing in architectural construction
  • Parametric and computational design
  • Virtual environments in architecture and design (VR, AI, AR, Metaverse, Holograms, … etc.)
  • Robotics in digital fabrication
  • Intelligent building construction and smart materials
  • Digital media, manufacturing, and product design
  • Smart systems in the execution of interior design elements

 

On both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the faculty offers some courses, such as "Virtual Reality", "Computer Graphics", "Intelligent Buildings", "Parametric Design & Digital Fabrication", "Building Information Modelling", "Digital Modelling", "Integrated Systems in Buildings", and others concern with digital technology in architecture and design. These courses equip our students with advanced knowledge to be able to create innovative designs. Using these computational and digital approaches are not only for the sake of testing technology, but to explore new thoughts that may serve the human needs and go in harmony with the natural environment.

Prominent Research:

  • Lena Abbas and Maged Youssef (2023). Applying 3D Printing Technology in Constructing Sustainable Houses. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 29, Issue 1, Published by Elsevier - Digital Commons, 2023.
  • Hiba Mohsen, Mohamed Tohme, and Rawan Nashi (2022). From Passive to Immersive: Metaverse as a Pedagogical Approach in History Class - Presenting a constant reminder of historical remnants and a customisable reality for future preferences - Beirut as a case study. Special Issue of APJ / Proceedings of ASCAAD-2022 the international conference on Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse: Architecture in the Age of Metaverse - Opportunities and Potentials, Organised by Beirut Arab University in partnership with Arab Society for Computation in Architecture, Art and Design (ASCAAD), 12-13 October 2022.
  • Mona Salem and Ramy Moussa (2022). A Hybrid Approach based on building physics and Machine Learning for thermal comfort prediction in smart buildings. Special Issue of APJ / Proceedings of ASCAAD-2022 the international conference on Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse: Architecture in the Age of Metaverse - Opportunities and Potentials, organised by Beirut Arab University in partnership with Arab Society for Computation in Architecture, Art and Design (ASCAAD), 12-13 October 2022.
  • Aya Chehab and Bilal Nakhal (2022). Exploring Virtual Reality as an approach to resurrect destroyed historical buildings - An approach to revive the destroyed “Egg Building’ through VR. Special Issue of APJ / Proceedings of ASCAAD-2022 the international conference on Hybrid Spaces of the Metaverse: Architecture in the Age of Metaverse - Opportunities and Potentials, Organised by Beirut Arab University in partnership with Arab Society for Computation in Architecture, Art and Design (ASCAAD), 12-13 October 2022.
  • Graziano Valenti and Chadi El-Khoury (2021). Let’s Join - A Pavilion inspired by the Weaire and Phelan Space Tessellation. Nexus Network Q1 Journal, 23, pp. 107-120.
  • Mohamed Abd-Allah, Marwan Halabi, Maged Youssef (2021). Technology of Mobility Hubs in Autopian Futuristic Cities. BAU Journal - Science & Technology, Vol. 2, Issue 1, Published by Elsevier - Digital Commons, 2021.
  • Marwan Halabi (2020). The Digital Fabrication Lab Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals - Exploring Waste Materials and Fabrication Techniques. BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development, Vol. 1, Issue 2, Published by Elsevier - Digital Commons, 2020.
  • Rasha Sukkarieh (2017). Applied Studies in Digital Fabrication and Parametricism. A special issue of APJ / Proceedings of the international workshop - Constructing the Future (CoF), organised by Beirut Arab University, in the occasion of inauguration of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in BAU Debbieh Campus in March 2017.
  • Mostafa Khalifa (2017). Parametric Design Optimisation and Robotic Fabrication of Joints for Irregular Grid-Based Structure. A special issue of APJ / Proceedings of the international workshop - Constructing the Future (CoF), organised by Beirut Arab University, in the occasion of inauguration of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in BAU Debbieh Campus in March 2017.
  • Eslam El-Samahy (2017). An investigation into using Digital Games based learning in Architecture Education. A special issue of APJ / Proceedings of the international workshop - Constructing the Future (CoF), organised by Beirut Arab University, in the occasion of inauguration of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in BAU Debbieh Campus in March 2017.
  • Marwan Halabi (2017). Interfaces expanding boundaries of architectural design education with industrial robots. A special issue of APJ / Proceedings of the international workshop - Constructing the Future (CoF), organised by Beirut Arab University, in the occasion of inauguration of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in BAU Debbieh Campus in March 2017.
  • Marwan Halabi (2017). Influential Pedagogies using digital fabrication laboratories on architectural education. A special issue of APJ / Proceedings of the international workshop - Constructing the Future (CoF), organised by Beirut Arab University, in the occasion of inauguration of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in BAU Debbieh Campus in March 2017.
  • Chadi El-Khoury (2017). Folding: A Parametric Model to support the creative stage of architectural project. A special issue of APJ / Proceedings of the international workshop - Constructing the Future (CoF), organised by Beirut Arab University, in the occasion of inauguration of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory in BAU Debbieh Campus in March 2017.
  • Maged Youssef (2016). Vibration Structure System - A Building Technology for Resisting Dangers. Proceedings of (ICASC, 2nd International Conference on Architecture, Structure, and Civil Engineering), Universal Researchers in Civil and Architecture Engineering, hosted by Holiday Inn Hotel, Slough - Heathrow, London, UK, 26-27 March, 2016.
  • Maged Youssef and Tamer Saab (2016). Towards Energy Autonomous House in Beirut. Proceedings of (ICASC, 2nd International Conference on Architecture, Structure, and Civil Engineering), Universal Researchers in Civil and Architecture Engineering, London, UK, 26-27 March, 2016.
  • Osama Omar, Maged Youssef, and Rania El-Messeidy (2016). Impact of 3D Simulation Modelling on Architectural Design Education. Special Issue of APJ / Proceedings of the 1st International Conference (RAE’2016, Rethinking Architectural Education: Towards a better practice), Faculty of Architectural Engineering, Beirut Arab University in partnership with RIBA, Debbieh, Lebanon, 9-11 March, 2016.
  • Eslam El-Samahy (2016). Mixed Reality Framework for Architectural Design Education. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 23, Isse 2, Published by Elsevier - Digital Commons, 2016.
  • Maged Youssef and Fatima Khalife (2015). Architecture of Digital Pavilion and Recalling Future. Engineering Research Journal, Faculty of Engineering, Vol. 145, 2015.