Noura Ghabra

Saudi Arabia is taking significant steps to improve urban lifestyles by implementing the Quality-of-Life Program, which focuses on increasing public participation in physical activities. Studies have shown a link between physical inactivity and poor health. A large percentage of the adult population does not meet the World Health Organization's physical activity recommendations due to many reasons, including the lack of active design strategies in the built environment. This research aims to measure the extent to which active design strategies are applied in university buildings at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia and suggest recommendations for university educational buildings in KSA. A comparative analysis of systems for evaluating the application of active design strategies was conducted, and The Movement Checklist in WELL Building Standard was used as a tool to evaluate educational buildings. Additionally, a questionnaire and interviews were used to identify the awa...

Because of the remarkable interest in preserving the architectural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the emergence of multiple models of adaptively reused heritage buildings in the historic Jeddah area, it is necessary to ensure their correct usage, periodic evaluation, and sustainability. This study develops a model for evaluating the adaptive reuse of historical buildings to preserve their integrity and originality. It adopts a qualitative approach and analyzes references and charters, as well as classifications and methodologies associated with the adaptive use of heritage buildings. The model consists of two main axes. The first includes the basic information on the building, and the second includes elements and criteria for reuse, restoration, and repair, as well as intangible elements of the cultural heritage that can improve people’s livelihoods. It was judged by five architectural heritage specialists in the region to ensure comprehensiveness. This study will draw ...

Since its completion in 2009, the Broadcasting Tower in Leeds, designed for student accommodation, has been recognised for its architectural excellence and has won many prestigious local, national and international prizes, including a RIBA Award and Best Tall Buildings Overall Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The asymmetrical façade was designed with the intent of achieving high levels of daylight without overheating. However, does architectural excellence denote good environmental performance? In this paper, the authors report on an investigation of the building’s environmental performance regarding thermal and visual comfort, particularly with relation to the unique façade design of the tower. The qualitative and quantitative assessment included onsite observations, occupants’ feedback through surveys and interviews, and a parametric study of the existing thermal and visual performance using computer simulations programs (TAS and Ecotect) for four perime...

Since its completion in 2009, the Broadcasting Tower in Leeds has won many prestigious local, national and international prizes. But as a students' residence tower, do these recognitions for architectural excellence reflect a comfortable indoor environment? To answer this question, the author has investigated the building's environmental performance regarding thermal and visual comfort in particular relation to the unique irregular facade design of the tower. The qualitative and quantitative assessment included onsite observations, occupants' feedback through surveys and interviews, and a detailed comparative analysis of the existing thermal and visual performance using computer simulation programs (TAS and Ecotect). The results showed that the contribution of the window design which affected the natural ventilation systemand the solar gain due to the building orientation toward west and east without shading devices; all led to overheating and affected the daylighting pe...

The energy demand in the oil- dependent Gulf countries in general and in Saudi Arabia in particular has been increasing sharply in the last decades as a result of the diversification plans. Tall building construction, associated with many environmental and ecological challenges, played an essential role in these plans, as a mean to attract new economies based on global placemaking and international tourism. The significant use of air conditioning to cool indoor spaces, particularly in residential buildings, accounts for more than half of all energy consumption in the country, and despite governmental efforts, the scattered conservation efforts have been largely ineffective due to factors such as lack of awareness and information, in addition to the limitation of the local energy efficiency building regulations. This research aimed to find and prioritise building envelope design solutions that can reduce high energy consumption and cooling loads while maintaining indoor environment f...