Many cities in Egypt have been built recently with spatial characteristics that differ structural... more Many cities in Egypt have been built recently with spatial characteristics that differ structurally from the spatial configuration of the ancient Arab city. There is a growing interest in understanding how social and economic phenomena related to the community are trans- formed in new cities, particularly those that extend from the old city, as is the case with the city of New Cairo. We have developed an analytical framework to study the effects of spatial configuration on the pace of growth of the new city and identify its characteristics in terms of phenomena related to movement and the distribution of economic activities, as well as urban vitality. A framework for combining quantitative and qualitative analysis helps in understanding phenomena related to the morphology of the development of the new city. Using syntactic analysis, place syntax and field observation, the spatial characteristics of the city of New Cairo were investigated, then compared with Old Cairo to determine which features were enriched in terms of the city’s vitality or what has been lost during the expansion phases, based on the planning concepts that were applied. The study concluded that changes in the characteristics of the spatial configurations of the new Egyptian cities by increasing the flow of vehicular traffic via wide arterial roads do not reflect the requirements of the local community, but instead impede local movement within the city and reduce the integration of its neighbourhoods, turning them into isolated islands. The greatest impact of this is the way in which the characteristics of society in these cities have been limited, resulting in isolation and a lack of connection with the identity of the place and the customs and traditions of the community. This paper presents an analytical framework for evaluating similar cities in terms of the characteristics of this planning configuration, identifying the extent to which the old has been preserved or changed and emphasising the validity of the methodology by evaluating the characteristics of other new cities.
Coding and visual programming are becoming an important component of design education, with focus... more Coding and visual programming are becoming an important component of design education, with focus on algorithmic thinking, form finding, and generative design. Programming languages such as Processing are becoming increasingly explored in the area of shape studies in architecture, thus opening unique possibilities for creative design exploration. Most pedagogical approaches that integrate coding in the exploration of heritage-inspired geometric patterns focus on shape grammars and rule-based design. This exploratory paper further examines the potential of traditional geometric patterns as sources of inspiration for interactivity in architectural design. We discuss the process and outcomes of an undergraduate architectural computing course, where students implement visual programming using Processing to develop interactive architecture prototypes based on elements of cultural heritage. Results demonstrated a variety of abstraction and translation strategies for both tangible and intangible heritage inspirations, and generation of emergent concepts for diverse architectural prototypes including urban grids, movable structures, and responsive façades.
This paper presents a multi-objective method of analysing the energy efficiency associated with u... more This paper presents a multi-objective method of analysing the energy efficiency associated with upper class houses in Gated Communities in Arid Zones. The application of building energy regulations has an impact on improving energy efficiency. Energy codes identify the effective techniques that could help in achieving energy efficiency on the building scale, but there is a gap in applying these techniques on the existing urban community scale. This paper proposes a method of integrating energy retrofitting tech- niques with renewable energy systems to achieve energy efficiency in residential gated communities. The study applies simulation analysis to determine the energy performance when applying these strate- gies using different building materials in light of the requirements stipulated in the Egyptian Energy Code for Residential Buildings (EECRB). The results show that the entire gated community’s energy usage is reduced by 88.68 percent and suggest a framework for achieving energy efficiency in existing buildings and communities.
This research aims to collect empirical evidence on the nature of design by investigating the que... more This research aims to collect empirical evidence on the nature of design by investigating the question: What role do procedural activities (where each design step reflects a unit in a linear process) and contextual activities (an action based on the situation, environment and affordances) play in the generation of creative insights, critical moves, and the formation of design concepts in the reasoning process? The thesis shows how these activities can be identified through the structure of a linkograph, for better understanding the conditions under which creativity and innovation take place. Adopting a mixed methodology, a deductive approach evaluates the existing models that aim to capture the series of design events, while an inductive approach collects data and ethnographic observations for an empirical study of architectural design experiments based on structured and unstructured briefs. A joint approach of quantitative and qualitative analyses is developed to detect the role of...
Egypt is characterized by an abundance of cities built along the narrow valley of the Nile river ... more Egypt is characterized by an abundance of cities built along the narrow valley of the Nile river and into the delta since ancient times, accounting for nearly 90% of the total population. This has led to a need to find alternatives to urban development and expansion beyond the borders of the narrow valley. One of these alternatives is the establishment of new urban communities extending deep into the Sahara, characterized by a wide horizontal extension, highways and arterial roads, entirely vehicle-oriented as a means for movement throughout the city because of a lack of public transportation. This paper evaluates this trend by analysing one of the newly established cities outside Greater Cairo, known as New Cairo city, which requires changes to its physical structure to increase the pedestrian crossing routes because of the high number of accidents involving pedestrians crossing main roads. Using space syntax as an informative theory, utilizing syntactic analysis of the impact of highways and arterial roads on integration and connectivity in the spatial structure shows isolated islands of districts with no pedestrian routes to connect them. This methodology allows us to determine the main points in the structure of the city where pedestrian accessibility can be added to provide a remedy to overcome the shortage of access points in the city’s network system. The study provides further value by discussing the impacts at pedestrian level, human dimensions in the living community, diversity of land uses and real estate financial classification.
This paper detects the levels of contribution to design creativity of critical moves and sudden i... more This paper detects the levels of contribution to design creativity of critical moves and sudden insights and identifies the syntheses the creative process may take. Using architecture case studies, designing situations are analysed as sketching episodes that reflect the structural units of reasoning to deduce common characteristics for the emergence of critical moves and sudden insights.
Abstract The historic core of Rosetta, Egypt, is a possible nomination for UNESCO World Heritage ... more Abstract The historic core of Rosetta, Egypt, is a possible nomination for UNESCO World Heritage status. However, the enduring controversy over the conservation scheme for Rosetta’s old market has highlighted the difficulties in reaching a satisfactory decision. The challenge lies in determining the best location for relocating the market without affecting locals’ life and culture of locals as part of the urban built heritage. The main objective of this study is to present a model of decision-making criteria, which can have many applications in heritage conservation decision making for preserving heritage in historic cities that are distinguished by religious, societal and economic activities. A Multi Criteria Decision Making model (MCDM) is a framework for project selection and is developed utilizing the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution; (TOPSIS) method, in reference to UNESCO guidelines, and Space Syntax analysis. The joint analytical framework helps to select the best location for the market that would promote the development of the area while also preserving the identity of the historic core. By adopting this proposed joint model, it is possible to meet social needs during urban development. Thus, the outcome of this study is to achieve a balance between the dual elements that the community works to achieve its integration with the historical urban fabric and at the same time allows development and tourism and tries to exist and takes part of the development plan, and promotes the identity of the city in terms of heritage, commercial and cultural activities as well as benefit from achieving development. This model can be tested against development plans for cities of historical economic values in a variety of circumstances extended with other specific criteria related to the context of the case study under analysis and development study, in addition to UNESCO guidelines to ensure its reliability. An urban conservation and development policy will enable the city’s authorities to register its historical core as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This research outcome validates a model for decision-making assessment that can be utilized to assess historic cities that include historical commercial activities.
Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 2020
PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956... more PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956) in Khartoum and their effects on domestic architecture, analysed using space syntax analysis. The built representation of the political change in Khartoum, which had led economic, cultural and social transformation, has not been well investigated. The domestic architecture is envisaged here to reflect the change from a liberal and secular British colonial lifestyle to a post-colonial native conservative and religious one.Design/methodology/approachThe study explored twenty representative samples from the two eras in order to reveal the hidden nature of these patterns by employing space syntax analysis, particularly convex mapping. This analysis attempted to both decipher space transition and to identify patterns. Interviews were conducted to interpret the social meaning of these configurations and to factor in the historical context of the transition.FindingsThe analytical comparisons ...
This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with... more This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with an aim to investigate whether there is a recurring pattern between design creativity and cognition. In the design process, paradigm shifts and sudden changes in the flow of prevailing thoughts are venues of interest to search for creative insights. Our question is: What is the cognitive context of which the sudden emergence of insights occur in absence of, convergence with, or in conflict with, the preceding established stimulus-responses? A design case study is analysed using a descriptive model; linkography protocol is constructed and the gleams of sudden insights (creative notions) are demarcated. Two major recurring patterns of the emergence of insights are perceived: 1) insights appearing in dense linkograph networks with significance to one chief prevailing idea reflects “incremental” thinking process; the concept evolves through accumulative gradual moves of design), while 2) sud...
Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 2020
PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956... more PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956) in Khartoum and their effects on domestic architecture, analysed using space syntax analysis. The built representation of the political change in Khartoum, which had led economic, cultural and social transformation, has not been well investigated. The domestic architecture is envisaged here to reflect the change from a liberal and secular British colonial lifestyle to a post-colonial native conservative and religious one.Design/methodology/approachThe study explored twenty representative samples from the two eras in order to reveal the hidden nature of these patterns by employing space syntax analysis, particularly convex mapping. This analysis attempted to both decipher space transition and to identify patterns. Interviews were conducted to interpret the social meaning of these configurations and to factor in the historical context of the transition.FindingsThe analytical comparisons ...
This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with... more This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with an aim to investigate whether there is a recurring pattern between design creativity and cognition. In the design process, paradigm shifts and sudden changes in the flow of prevailing thoughts are venues of interest to search for creative insights. Our question is: What is the cognitive context of which the sudden emergence of insights occur in absence of, convergence with, or in conflict with, the preceding established stimulus-responses? A design case study is analysed using a descriptive model; linkography protocol is constructed and the gleams of sudden insights (creative notions) are demarcated. Two major recurring patterns of the emergence of insights are perceived: 1) insights appearing in dense linkograph networks with significance to one chief prevailing idea reflects “incremental” thinking process; the concept evolves through accumulative gradual moves of design), while 2) sud...
There has been a growing interest in investigating indoor air quality levels in complex buildings... more There has been a growing interest in investigating indoor air quality levels in complex buildings such as primary schools to assess the impact of students’ performance and well-being. Concerns are raised towards identifying the parameters that negatively affect indoor air quality in classrooms. Poor indoor air quality is expected to play a vital role in the prevalence of allergic and respiratory diseases. Indoor air quality in schools plays an important role in assessing student exposure to air pollution as children are more sensitive when exposed to unhealthy air because they breathe more air than their body weight and at a faster rate. This study shows measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on indoor air quality for classrooms in a primary school in Cairo, Egypt, and discusses the concentration levels of these parameters on indoor air quality. Readings of the measurements were applied on an air quality monitoring system that is developed by the authors. This study raises awareness towards considering indoor air quality in schools designs with the purpose to minimize health risks and improve students’ Learning performance.
Many cities in Egypt have been built recently with spatial characteristics that differ structural... more Many cities in Egypt have been built recently with spatial characteristics that differ structurally from the spatial configuration of the ancient Arab city. There is a growing interest in understanding how social and economic phenomena related to the community are trans- formed in new cities, particularly those that extend from the old city, as is the case with the city of New Cairo. We have developed an analytical framework to study the effects of spatial configuration on the pace of growth of the new city and identify its characteristics in terms of phenomena related to movement and the distribution of economic activities, as well as urban vitality. A framework for combining quantitative and qualitative analysis helps in understanding phenomena related to the morphology of the development of the new city. Using syntactic analysis, place syntax and field observation, the spatial characteristics of the city of New Cairo were investigated, then compared with Old Cairo to determine which features were enriched in terms of the city’s vitality or what has been lost during the expansion phases, based on the planning concepts that were applied. The study concluded that changes in the characteristics of the spatial configurations of the new Egyptian cities by increasing the flow of vehicular traffic via wide arterial roads do not reflect the requirements of the local community, but instead impede local movement within the city and reduce the integration of its neighbourhoods, turning them into isolated islands. The greatest impact of this is the way in which the characteristics of society in these cities have been limited, resulting in isolation and a lack of connection with the identity of the place and the customs and traditions of the community. This paper presents an analytical framework for evaluating similar cities in terms of the characteristics of this planning configuration, identifying the extent to which the old has been preserved or changed and emphasising the validity of the methodology by evaluating the characteristics of other new cities.
Coding and visual programming are becoming an important component of design education, with focus... more Coding and visual programming are becoming an important component of design education, with focus on algorithmic thinking, form finding, and generative design. Programming languages such as Processing are becoming increasingly explored in the area of shape studies in architecture, thus opening unique possibilities for creative design exploration. Most pedagogical approaches that integrate coding in the exploration of heritage-inspired geometric patterns focus on shape grammars and rule-based design. This exploratory paper further examines the potential of traditional geometric patterns as sources of inspiration for interactivity in architectural design. We discuss the process and outcomes of an undergraduate architectural computing course, where students implement visual programming using Processing to develop interactive architecture prototypes based on elements of cultural heritage. Results demonstrated a variety of abstraction and translation strategies for both tangible and intangible heritage inspirations, and generation of emergent concepts for diverse architectural prototypes including urban grids, movable structures, and responsive façades.
This paper presents a multi-objective method of analysing the energy efficiency associated with u... more This paper presents a multi-objective method of analysing the energy efficiency associated with upper class houses in Gated Communities in Arid Zones. The application of building energy regulations has an impact on improving energy efficiency. Energy codes identify the effective techniques that could help in achieving energy efficiency on the building scale, but there is a gap in applying these techniques on the existing urban community scale. This paper proposes a method of integrating energy retrofitting tech- niques with renewable energy systems to achieve energy efficiency in residential gated communities. The study applies simulation analysis to determine the energy performance when applying these strate- gies using different building materials in light of the requirements stipulated in the Egyptian Energy Code for Residential Buildings (EECRB). The results show that the entire gated community’s energy usage is reduced by 88.68 percent and suggest a framework for achieving energy efficiency in existing buildings and communities.
This research aims to collect empirical evidence on the nature of design by investigating the que... more This research aims to collect empirical evidence on the nature of design by investigating the question: What role do procedural activities (where each design step reflects a unit in a linear process) and contextual activities (an action based on the situation, environment and affordances) play in the generation of creative insights, critical moves, and the formation of design concepts in the reasoning process? The thesis shows how these activities can be identified through the structure of a linkograph, for better understanding the conditions under which creativity and innovation take place. Adopting a mixed methodology, a deductive approach evaluates the existing models that aim to capture the series of design events, while an inductive approach collects data and ethnographic observations for an empirical study of architectural design experiments based on structured and unstructured briefs. A joint approach of quantitative and qualitative analyses is developed to detect the role of...
Egypt is characterized by an abundance of cities built along the narrow valley of the Nile river ... more Egypt is characterized by an abundance of cities built along the narrow valley of the Nile river and into the delta since ancient times, accounting for nearly 90% of the total population. This has led to a need to find alternatives to urban development and expansion beyond the borders of the narrow valley. One of these alternatives is the establishment of new urban communities extending deep into the Sahara, characterized by a wide horizontal extension, highways and arterial roads, entirely vehicle-oriented as a means for movement throughout the city because of a lack of public transportation. This paper evaluates this trend by analysing one of the newly established cities outside Greater Cairo, known as New Cairo city, which requires changes to its physical structure to increase the pedestrian crossing routes because of the high number of accidents involving pedestrians crossing main roads. Using space syntax as an informative theory, utilizing syntactic analysis of the impact of highways and arterial roads on integration and connectivity in the spatial structure shows isolated islands of districts with no pedestrian routes to connect them. This methodology allows us to determine the main points in the structure of the city where pedestrian accessibility can be added to provide a remedy to overcome the shortage of access points in the city’s network system. The study provides further value by discussing the impacts at pedestrian level, human dimensions in the living community, diversity of land uses and real estate financial classification.
This paper detects the levels of contribution to design creativity of critical moves and sudden i... more This paper detects the levels of contribution to design creativity of critical moves and sudden insights and identifies the syntheses the creative process may take. Using architecture case studies, designing situations are analysed as sketching episodes that reflect the structural units of reasoning to deduce common characteristics for the emergence of critical moves and sudden insights.
Abstract The historic core of Rosetta, Egypt, is a possible nomination for UNESCO World Heritage ... more Abstract The historic core of Rosetta, Egypt, is a possible nomination for UNESCO World Heritage status. However, the enduring controversy over the conservation scheme for Rosetta’s old market has highlighted the difficulties in reaching a satisfactory decision. The challenge lies in determining the best location for relocating the market without affecting locals’ life and culture of locals as part of the urban built heritage. The main objective of this study is to present a model of decision-making criteria, which can have many applications in heritage conservation decision making for preserving heritage in historic cities that are distinguished by religious, societal and economic activities. A Multi Criteria Decision Making model (MCDM) is a framework for project selection and is developed utilizing the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution; (TOPSIS) method, in reference to UNESCO guidelines, and Space Syntax analysis. The joint analytical framework helps to select the best location for the market that would promote the development of the area while also preserving the identity of the historic core. By adopting this proposed joint model, it is possible to meet social needs during urban development. Thus, the outcome of this study is to achieve a balance between the dual elements that the community works to achieve its integration with the historical urban fabric and at the same time allows development and tourism and tries to exist and takes part of the development plan, and promotes the identity of the city in terms of heritage, commercial and cultural activities as well as benefit from achieving development. This model can be tested against development plans for cities of historical economic values in a variety of circumstances extended with other specific criteria related to the context of the case study under analysis and development study, in addition to UNESCO guidelines to ensure its reliability. An urban conservation and development policy will enable the city’s authorities to register its historical core as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This research outcome validates a model for decision-making assessment that can be utilized to assess historic cities that include historical commercial activities.
Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 2020
PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956... more PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956) in Khartoum and their effects on domestic architecture, analysed using space syntax analysis. The built representation of the political change in Khartoum, which had led economic, cultural and social transformation, has not been well investigated. The domestic architecture is envisaged here to reflect the change from a liberal and secular British colonial lifestyle to a post-colonial native conservative and religious one.Design/methodology/approachThe study explored twenty representative samples from the two eras in order to reveal the hidden nature of these patterns by employing space syntax analysis, particularly convex mapping. This analysis attempted to both decipher space transition and to identify patterns. Interviews were conducted to interpret the social meaning of these configurations and to factor in the historical context of the transition.FindingsThe analytical comparisons ...
This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with... more This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with an aim to investigate whether there is a recurring pattern between design creativity and cognition. In the design process, paradigm shifts and sudden changes in the flow of prevailing thoughts are venues of interest to search for creative insights. Our question is: What is the cognitive context of which the sudden emergence of insights occur in absence of, convergence with, or in conflict with, the preceding established stimulus-responses? A design case study is analysed using a descriptive model; linkography protocol is constructed and the gleams of sudden insights (creative notions) are demarcated. Two major recurring patterns of the emergence of insights are perceived: 1) insights appearing in dense linkograph networks with significance to one chief prevailing idea reflects “incremental” thinking process; the concept evolves through accumulative gradual moves of design), while 2) sud...
Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 2020
PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956... more PurposeThe focus of this paper is the changes in domestic social patterns from independence (1956) in Khartoum and their effects on domestic architecture, analysed using space syntax analysis. The built representation of the political change in Khartoum, which had led economic, cultural and social transformation, has not been well investigated. The domestic architecture is envisaged here to reflect the change from a liberal and secular British colonial lifestyle to a post-colonial native conservative and religious one.Design/methodology/approachThe study explored twenty representative samples from the two eras in order to reveal the hidden nature of these patterns by employing space syntax analysis, particularly convex mapping. This analysis attempted to both decipher space transition and to identify patterns. Interviews were conducted to interpret the social meaning of these configurations and to factor in the historical context of the transition.FindingsThe analytical comparisons ...
This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with... more This paper investigates the emergence of creative insights in architectural design processes with an aim to investigate whether there is a recurring pattern between design creativity and cognition. In the design process, paradigm shifts and sudden changes in the flow of prevailing thoughts are venues of interest to search for creative insights. Our question is: What is the cognitive context of which the sudden emergence of insights occur in absence of, convergence with, or in conflict with, the preceding established stimulus-responses? A design case study is analysed using a descriptive model; linkography protocol is constructed and the gleams of sudden insights (creative notions) are demarcated. Two major recurring patterns of the emergence of insights are perceived: 1) insights appearing in dense linkograph networks with significance to one chief prevailing idea reflects “incremental” thinking process; the concept evolves through accumulative gradual moves of design), while 2) sud...
There has been a growing interest in investigating indoor air quality levels in complex buildings... more There has been a growing interest in investigating indoor air quality levels in complex buildings such as primary schools to assess the impact of students’ performance and well-being. Concerns are raised towards identifying the parameters that negatively affect indoor air quality in classrooms. Poor indoor air quality is expected to play a vital role in the prevalence of allergic and respiratory diseases. Indoor air quality in schools plays an important role in assessing student exposure to air pollution as children are more sensitive when exposed to unhealthy air because they breathe more air than their body weight and at a faster rate. This study shows measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on indoor air quality for classrooms in a primary school in Cairo, Egypt, and discusses the concentration levels of these parameters on indoor air quality. Readings of the measurements were applied on an air quality monitoring system that is developed by the authors. This study raises awareness towards considering indoor air quality in schools designs with the purpose to minimize health risks and improve students’ Learning performance.
This research aims to collect empirical evidence on the nature of design by investigating the que... more This research aims to collect empirical evidence on the nature of design by investigating the question: What role do procedural activities (where each design step reflects a unit in a linear process) and contextual activities (an action based on the situation, environment and affordances) play in the generation of creative insights, critical moves, and the formation of design concepts in the reasoning process? The thesis shows how these activities can be identified through the structure of a linkograph, for better understanding the conditions under which creativity and innovation take place. Adopting a mixed methodology, a deductive approach evaluates the existing models that aim to capture the series of design events, while an inductive approach collects data and ethnographic observations for an empirical study of architectural design experiments based on structured and unstructured briefs. A joint approach of quantitative and qualitative analyses is developed to detect the role of evolving actions and structural units of reasoning, particularly the occurrence of creative insights (‘eureka’ and ‘aha!’ moments) in the formation of concepts by judging the gradual transformation of mental imagery and external representations in the sketching process. The findings of this research are: (1) For any design process procedural components are subsets in solving the design problem for synchronic concept development or implementation of the predefined conceptual idea, whereas contextual components relate to a comprehensive view to solve the design problem through concept synthesis of back- and forelinking between the diachronic stages of the design process. (2) This study introduces a new method of looking at evolving design moves and critical actions by considering the time of emergence in the structure of the reasoning process. Directed linkography compares two different situations: the first is synchronous, looking at relations back to preceding events, and the second is diachronic, looking at the design state after completion. Accordingly, creative insights can be categorised into those emerging in incremental reasoning to reframe the solution, and sudden mental insights emerging in non-incremental reasoning to restructure the design problem and reformulate the entire design configuration. (3) Two architectural designing styles are identified: some architects define the design concept early, set goals and persevere in framing and reframing this until the end, whereas others initiate the concept by designing independent conceptual elements and then proceed to form syntheses for the design configuration. Sudden mental insights are most likely to emerge from the unexpected combination of synthesis, particularly in the latter style. In its contribution to design research and creative cognition this dissertation paves the way for a better understanding of the role of reflective practices in design creativity and cognitive processes and presents new insights into what it means to think and design as an architect.
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Papers by Tamir El-Khouly
Indoor air quality in schools plays an important role in assessing student exposure to air pollution as children are more sensitive when exposed to unhealthy air because they breathe more air than their body weight and at a faster rate.
This study shows measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on indoor air quality for classrooms in a primary school in Cairo, Egypt, and discusses the concentration levels of these parameters on indoor air quality. Readings of the measurements were applied on an air quality monitoring system that is developed by the authors. This study raises awareness towards considering indoor air quality in schools designs with the purpose to minimize health risks and improve students’ Learning performance.
Indoor air quality in schools plays an important role in assessing student exposure to air pollution as children are more sensitive when exposed to unhealthy air because they breathe more air than their body weight and at a faster rate.
This study shows measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on indoor air quality for classrooms in a primary school in Cairo, Egypt, and discusses the concentration levels of these parameters on indoor air quality. Readings of the measurements were applied on an air quality monitoring system that is developed by the authors. This study raises awareness towards considering indoor air quality in schools designs with the purpose to minimize health risks and improve students’ Learning performance.