Belma Elsaej is an Assistant Professor of Interior Architecture at Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus. With a passion for innovative design and a commitment to sustainable practices, Belma brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the academic community. Holding advanced degrees in architecture and design, she has made significant contributions to both the theoretical and practical aspects of the field.
Belma specializes in biophilic design for hospital facilities, design principles for well-being, and human-centered design. Her research interests include biophilic design parameters and well-being in interior design for hospitals, reflecting a deep engagement with the challenges and opportunities within the rapidly evolving design landscape.
In the classroom, Belma is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and dynamic learning environment, encouraging students to explore interdisciplinary approaches and think critically about the role of design in society. Address: Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus, Floor 3
Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, ea... more Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. In short, irregular details or patterns are repeated themselves in even smaller scale. Fractal geometry deal with the concept of self-similarity and roughness in the nature. The most important properties of fractals are repeating formations, self-similarity, a non-integer dimension, and so called fractional size which can be defined by a parameter in irregular shapes. Fractals are formed by a repetition of patterns, shapes or a mathematical equation. Formation is dependent on the initial format. Not only in nature, fractals are also seen in the study of various disciplines such as physics, mathematics, economics, medicine and architecture. For a variety of reasons, in different cultures and geography, many times the fractal pattern had reflected on creating the architecture. In the computer-aided architectural desi...
Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, ea... more Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. In short, irregular details or patterns are repeated themselves in even smaller scale. Fractal geometry deal with the concept of self-similarity and roughness in the nature. The most important properties of fractals are repeating formations, self-similarity, a non-integer dimension, and so called fractional size which can be defined by a parameter in irregular shapes. Fractals are formed by a repetition of patterns, shapes or a mathematical equation. Formation is dependent on the initial format. Not only in nature, fractals are also seen in the study of various disciplines such as physics, mathematics, economics, medicine and architecture. For a variety of reasons, in different cultures and geography, many times the fractal pattern had reflected on creating the architecture. In the computer-aided architectural design area, fractals are considered as a subset for the representation of knowledge for design aid and syntactic science of the grammatical form. If compared with the grammar of shapes, the number of rules used in the production process of fractals is defined as less, with number of repetitions as more and self-similarity feature, it can be a tool to help qualified geometric design. A simple form produced with fractal geometry with ultimate repetition is being transformed into an algorithmic complex. This algorithm with an initial state and a production standard that applies to this initial state produces self-similar formats. In this study, the development of the fractals from the past to the present, the use of fractals in different research areas and the investigation of examples of fractal properties in the field of architecture has been researched.
Fractal geometry defines a rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, ... more Fractal geometry defines a rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. In short, irregular details or patterns are repeated themselves in even smaller scale. Fractal geometry deal with the concept of self-similarity and roughness in the nature. The most important properties of fractals are repeating formations, self-similarity, a non-integer dimension, and so called fractional size which can be defined by a parameter in irregular shapes. Fractals are formed by a repetition of patterns, shapes or a mathematical equation. Formation is dependent on the initial format. Not only in nature, fractals are also seen in the study of various disciplines such as physics, mathematics, economics, medicine and architecture. For a variety of reasons, in different cultures and geography, many times the fractal pattern had reflected on creating the architecture. In the computer-aided architectural design area, fractals are considered as a subset for the representation of knowledge for design aid and syntactic science of the grammatical form. If compared with the grammar of shapes, the number of rules used in the production process of fractals is defined as less, with number of repetitions as more and self-similarity feature, it can be a tool to help qualified geometric design. A simple form produced with fractal geometry with ultimate repetition is being transformed into an algorithmic complex. This algorithm with an initial state and a production standard that applies to this initial state produces self-similar formats. In this study, the development of the fractals from the past to the present, the use of fractals in different research areas and the investigation of examples of fractal properties in the field of architecture has been researched.
The territory of the Republic of Macedonia is divided to geographical regions, in which different... more The territory of the Republic of Macedonia is divided to geographical regions, in which different types of monuments and houses from Ottoman character can be found. The monuments and regions presented through this paper do not cover all the regions of Macedonia but only the territories of Skopje, the capital of Macedonia and Ohrid. This paper involves а research of Ottoman housing and settlements in Macedonia according to the architectural characteristics and settlement textures using old-new photographs, related literature, internet sources and site investigation. The rich vernacular traditions we inherited from Ottoman ancestors would be a source for inspiring the architects in establishing the guiding principles for new buildings in Macedonia. Finally, this study concludes with some ways forward on how to attain cultural continuity for achieving sustainable development in the long run.
Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, ea... more Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. In short, irregular details or patterns are repeated themselves in even smaller scale. Fractal geometry deal with the concept of self-similarity and roughness in the nature. The most important properties of fractals are repeating formations, self-similarity, a non-integer dimension, and so called fractional size which can be defined by a parameter in irregular shapes. Fractals are formed by a repetition of patterns, shapes or a mathematical equation. Formation is dependent on the initial format. Not only in nature, fractals are also seen in the study of various disciplines such as physics, mathematics, economics, medicine and architecture. For a variety of reasons, in different cultures and geography, many times the fractal pattern had reflected on creating the architecture. In the computer-aided architectural desi...
Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, ea... more Fractal geometry defines rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. In short, irregular details or patterns are repeated themselves in even smaller scale. Fractal geometry deal with the concept of self-similarity and roughness in the nature. The most important properties of fractals are repeating formations, self-similarity, a non-integer dimension, and so called fractional size which can be defined by a parameter in irregular shapes. Fractals are formed by a repetition of patterns, shapes or a mathematical equation. Formation is dependent on the initial format. Not only in nature, fractals are also seen in the study of various disciplines such as physics, mathematics, economics, medicine and architecture. For a variety of reasons, in different cultures and geography, many times the fractal pattern had reflected on creating the architecture. In the computer-aided architectural design area, fractals are considered as a subset for the representation of knowledge for design aid and syntactic science of the grammatical form. If compared with the grammar of shapes, the number of rules used in the production process of fractals is defined as less, with number of repetitions as more and self-similarity feature, it can be a tool to help qualified geometric design. A simple form produced with fractal geometry with ultimate repetition is being transformed into an algorithmic complex. This algorithm with an initial state and a production standard that applies to this initial state produces self-similar formats. In this study, the development of the fractals from the past to the present, the use of fractals in different research areas and the investigation of examples of fractal properties in the field of architecture has been researched.
Fractal geometry defines a rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, ... more Fractal geometry defines a rough or fragmented geometric shapes that can be subdivided in parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced-size copy of the whole. In short, irregular details or patterns are repeated themselves in even smaller scale. Fractal geometry deal with the concept of self-similarity and roughness in the nature. The most important properties of fractals are repeating formations, self-similarity, a non-integer dimension, and so called fractional size which can be defined by a parameter in irregular shapes. Fractals are formed by a repetition of patterns, shapes or a mathematical equation. Formation is dependent on the initial format. Not only in nature, fractals are also seen in the study of various disciplines such as physics, mathematics, economics, medicine and architecture. For a variety of reasons, in different cultures and geography, many times the fractal pattern had reflected on creating the architecture. In the computer-aided architectural design area, fractals are considered as a subset for the representation of knowledge for design aid and syntactic science of the grammatical form. If compared with the grammar of shapes, the number of rules used in the production process of fractals is defined as less, with number of repetitions as more and self-similarity feature, it can be a tool to help qualified geometric design. A simple form produced with fractal geometry with ultimate repetition is being transformed into an algorithmic complex. This algorithm with an initial state and a production standard that applies to this initial state produces self-similar formats. In this study, the development of the fractals from the past to the present, the use of fractals in different research areas and the investigation of examples of fractal properties in the field of architecture has been researched.
The territory of the Republic of Macedonia is divided to geographical regions, in which different... more The territory of the Republic of Macedonia is divided to geographical regions, in which different types of monuments and houses from Ottoman character can be found. The monuments and regions presented through this paper do not cover all the regions of Macedonia but only the territories of Skopje, the capital of Macedonia and Ohrid. This paper involves а research of Ottoman housing and settlements in Macedonia according to the architectural characteristics and settlement textures using old-new photographs, related literature, internet sources and site investigation. The rich vernacular traditions we inherited from Ottoman ancestors would be a source for inspiring the architects in establishing the guiding principles for new buildings in Macedonia. Finally, this study concludes with some ways forward on how to attain cultural continuity for achieving sustainable development in the long run.
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