The long stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic implied that most people had to perform all their daily activities at home. That raised the need for special home features related to the health, safety, and well-being of residents. This study aimed to explore the most essential features of home design during the pandemic and to measure the perception of their importance by Cairenes (Egypt) and construction industry experts for their further implementation in the future home design as part of the buyers’ preferences and house quality features. The study employed an exploratory survey, identifying eight design features, followed by a quantitative questionnaire to measure the importance of each feature among the stakeholders. The results showed that all eight indicators were of a certain degree of importance. It was found that the availability of natural ventilation and natural light were the most essential features, followed by the availability of a private outdoor space, such as a terrace with a good-looking view or a private garden, and the availability of at least one bedroom with an enclosed bathroom for the isolation needs. In contrast, the availability of an extra storage space for food and supplies, as well as the availability of an indoor family entertainment space was reported as the least important.
Historical sites in the City of Dubai have recently been used for events during the city's popular tourist attraction, the annual winter Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). This article investigates the possibility of productive and sustainable use of historical sites for events during the DSF, while preserving the heritage, integrity, and fragile built environment of these sites. The aim of this development strategy is to attract more visitors, to attract special types of tourists, to promote cultural experiences, and to enhance the market economy. Representative samples of residents and potential tourists were surveyed to assess their attitudes towards possible uses of historic sites. Among the factors studied in the survey are consumer acceptance of the idea of exploiting historic sites for festival events, perceived meanings of the preservation of historic buildings, suggestions for kinds of possible use, and opinions on strategies use. The results of the study could assist the Historical Building Section of the Dubai Municipality to decide appropriate uses of the historic sites that are under their jurisdiction. Moreover, the findings should serve architects and help developers to understand development needs and requirements that support sustainable goals of environmentally sensitive and culturally rich historic sites.
The relation in between architecture and nature has been one of combination for the last 400 years. Throughout history, architects have looked to nature for inspirations for building shapes, forms, and ornamentation without understanding nature's behavior. Moreover, new architectural approaches are being called for integrating nature as a tool for solving problems and enhancing adaptation within the context. This has been recently implemented in biomimicry theories that are applied in design processes. Biomimicry is considered a new discipline that studies living organisms' design and behavior in nature to solve human problems. Not only does this help in finding new ways for adaptation, it also generates new sources of inspiration for aesthetic expressions. This is of great importance nowadays as buildings are becoming inefficient; consuming a lot of energy, materials, and resources. Furthermore, construction processes are becoming increasingly unsustainable. While on the other hand organisms are creating effective and intelligent solutions in their homes by using less material. Engineers can also mimic natural methods of construction for building and design rather than their exact shapes. In addition, they also lead to efficiency in terms of energy, material usage, time, effort, and cost and can promote more adaptable, sustainable, and optimum solutions. This research paper aims to explain the organism's behavior when producing the material and translating it by using a digital tool by mimicking its behavior in construction. Methodology used for this process involves case studies analysis and observations of living organisms' behavior. The cases selected apply biological techniques through their construction process. This involves using natural organisms to produce physical components for architectural product design. Results from the experimental and case studies will aim to conclude a set of findings on approaches for linking organism behavior with future construction processes.
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