Emad Mushtaha

University of Sharjah | US · Department of Architectural Engineering

Considering cohousing as a new typology in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) housing market is a challenge due to the cultural and societal dimensions. However, the variety of societies in the Emirates reflecting various habits, experiences, and traditions can allow testing such new types of housing which can be adapted to the local context, consider...

The historic centre of Algiers ( Casbah ) presents a state of severe decay. Laws and legislative measures have been promulgated in the past three decades to provide an adequate framework for the conservation of the old city. This paper investigates the law and subsequent legal instruments used in heritage management and the impact of legislative pr...

Virtual reality was investigated with various computational design approaches to improve users’ ability to communicate, share, and grasp the design’s requirements to better conceptualize ideas during various design and review stages. The study aims to show how computational design and virtual reality are utilized to forecast challenges, address des...

Purpose This paper aims to identify the pre-design critical success factors CSFs pertaining to different types of construction projects in the rapidly growing city of Dubai, by adopting one of the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools, analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Design/methodology/approach A mapping process was utilized to filter and...

Purpose This paper investigates thermal mass performance (TMP) in hot climates. The impact of using precast concrete (PC) as a core envelope with different insulation materials has been studied. The aim is to find the effect of building mass with different weights on indoor energy consumption, specifically cooling load in hot climates. Design/meth...

Purpose This study analyzes the effect of the techniques of active teaching and learning as a way of delivery on the outcomes of quality learning. Focusing on the courses of architectural science taught in a nontraditional method using various active learning strategies, the study takes the case study of the course Building Illumination and Acousti...

This research seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the current ecosystem of BIM technology and its utilization in the UAE. Since the UAE has been an early adopter of BIM, its utilization of BIM is now likely to reach that of developed nations. By adopting the BIM case study analysis framework, two sets of projects of similar categories in terms...

A marathon is a grueling endurance race, and runners are at risk of heatstroke. Therefore, the thermal environment of the marathon course should be accurately assessed. Solar radiation, a factor in the thermal environment, is particularly affected by the surrounding environment. In this study, we proposed a method to calculate wet-bulb globe temper...

There is an increased research focus on the benefit of the green roof system (GRs) as a sustainable solution to overcome environmental challenges related to urbanization. Although GRs have been widely implemented in some countries throughout the globe, there needs to be a clear gap in the literature associated with the lagging implementation in the...

Introduction: With the rapid development in computational design, both architectural design and representation processes have witnessed a revolutionary change from the analog to the digital medium, opening new doors for adaptability in the architectural design process by leveraging nature concepts in design. The computational design approach starts...

Rapid urbanisation has boosted demand for ecosystem goods and services, accelerating land-use development. This is concerning because urban forest acreage and biodiversity would be on the declining trend. With the heat island effect, radiant heat, and soil moisture evaporation all on the rise, this “urban infill” may place additional strain on exis...

This paper describes the setting and infrastructure management at the University of Sharjah (UoS) as a continuous effort towards a livable and sustainable campus. The UoS has been participating in the UI GreenMetric World Universities Ranking (UIGWUR) since 2017 to measure its performance in the field of sustainability for continuous improvement. D...

Conventional concrete is a common building material that is often ridden with cracks due to its low tensile strength. Moreover, it has relatively low shear strength and, unless reinforced, undergoes brittle failure under tension and shear. Thus, concrete must be adequately reinforced to prevent brittle tensile and shear failures. Steel fibres are c...

In 2003, new building regulations were introduced in the city of Dubai. In 2012, the municipality requested a survey of every building that existed prior to that year. This paper documents the method used for this significant undertaking, not performed by any other large city. The survey was conducted using a combination of Global Positioning Syste...

This study aims to create an iconic dust-control skyscraper that resembles an environmentally friendly structure, by adapting a new dust simulation design approach. This method seeks to reduce dust dispersion in the air, control dust movement, and siphon it from the ambient air to purify the surrounding environment by implementing design techniques...

Several studies have indicated that traditional architecture is known for its sustainable capability to manage climate effects, while contemporary architecture focused on style more than sustainability. This study intends to improve thermal performance and comfort in modern urban districts with reference to traditional districts in the UAE using EN...

Photovoltaics (PV) can make a significant contribution to achieving carbon neutrality in buildings. Geographic information systems (GIS) make it easy to model cities and simulate PV with high accuracy. However, the computational burden from 3D urban models remains high. In this study, the complex geometry of a city was represented in 2D images, and...

Improving buildings' energy efficiency while preserving indoor thermal comfort conditions of hot climate regions has been within the high-interest topics among academics. Researchers have noted that achieving both concepts is essential to improve buildings' sustainability and energy management system. Therefore, it pushes the need to conduct a comp...

One of the major concerns for achieving comfortability and sustainability inside studios is lighting quantity and quality. Integration of daylighting without creating glare or overheating in building design would reduce the day’s artificial lighting. The latitude and high insolation levels of the UAE” United Arab Emirates” lead to the high in...

Façade cladding system is essential contributor to the sustainable performance of buildings. Holistic investigation of building facade cladding performance with respect to the regional microclimate is paramount and can contribute to an under investigated research area. The research aims at analyzing the different building facade cladding systems an...

This research aims to detect the reasons for, challenges to, and methods of settling disputes from private housing construction contracts in the Palestinian Territories (the West Bank) and their consequences in the construction market. Literature on the subject was reviewed, then free discussions were conducted with a focus group of 39 local commun...

In today's business environment, competitive characteristics are considered essential to be able to develop and compete. Therefore, the government applied the best quality systems at all levels. In recent years most governmental institutions focused on using Total Quality Management. There are lots of factors that affect the implementation of TQM i...

The purpose of this study is to examine the artificial lighting systems and perceived safety of underpass vacuum borders in light of gender equality. Although lighting underpasses pedestrian corridors is a critical environmental feature that affects safety perception, there is still a gap in the literature regarding the needed quality of light requ...

The purpose of this study is to examine the artificial lighting systems and perceived safety of underpass vacuum borders in light of gender equality. Although lighting underpasses pedestrian corridors is a critical environmental feature that affects safety perception, there is still a gap in the literature regarding the needed quality of light requ...

Adaptability is a crucial quality in nature, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides leverage for adaptability in Architecture. In this paper, AI is integrated to create Self-learning buildings that can adapt to future challenges. The aim of this study is to make buildings that collect data from their environment through sensors and adapt themsel...

Education has been one of the major areas disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on users' (students and faculty members) learning in higher education, examining how engineering students and faculty perceived the abrupt transition in comparison to other colleges. The current research aims t...

This study investigates the visitors' satisfaction of Al Majaz Waterfront Park using the pull and push factor approach. The case study was selected as one of the most popular urban spaces for different activities in Sharjah. The main aim behind the study is to guide and support the development of the district, which can be taken as a reference for...

Innovation is the process of making an idea or something into a good or service that creates value for its stakeholders. In this study, we developed and designed an innovative assistive cane to provide independence for visually impaired people to move around safely. The methodology followed consists of eight phases: product planning, identifying cu...

Jus and coral stone houses thrived in the 18th and 19th centuries on Sharjah Creek, distinguished by its architectural design that met environmental and social requirements through the distribution of the rooms and the traditional techniques. The courtyard was the core of the traditional house, which provided a suitable environment, given the high...

While many universities persist in receiving better rankings and recognitions for their sustainability endeavours, the stakeholders’ voices, notably the universities’ main customers, the students, are almost absent in the process. This study intends to include stakeholders’ voices in the campus planning to achieve a comprehensive university campus...

This study used innovative computational design tools to improve a corridor's visual and environmental conditions, such as solar radiation exposure and optimal daylighting, at the University of Sharjah's (UoS) campus in the United Arab Emirates. The research methodology used computational design software to develop two sets of codes. The first set...

Courtyards are traditionally associated with the Middle East countries, where climate and culture have given shape to a particular type of traditional architecture. The study evaluates the environmental and social impacts of courtyards in an educational building integrated with occupant’s interaction behavior. The case study of the University of Sh...

Adaptability is a crucial quality in nature, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides leverage for adaptability in Architecture. In this paper, AI is integrated to create Self-learning buildings that can adapt to future challenges. The aim of this study is to make buildings that collect data from their environment through sensors and adapt themsel...

Residential and commercial buildings consume over a third of the world's total energy. The residential sector accounts for most energy use in the Gaza Strip, necessitating the development of feasible energy-saving techniques. Herein, a simulation-based study has been prepared to examine the integration of some practical passive design strategies in...

Residential and commercial buildings consume over a third of the world’s total energy. The residential sector accounts for most energy use in the Gaza Strip, necessitating the development of feasible energy-saving techniques. Herein, a simulation-based study has been prepared to examine the integration of some practical passive design strategies in...

Advances in building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems for residential and commercial purposes are set to minimize overall energy requirements and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The BIPV design considerations entail energy infrastructure, pertinent renewable energy sources, and energy efficiency provisions. In this work, the performance...

Neighborhood sustainability plays a fundamental role in preserving the city for population growth and future expansion. It also plays a significant role in reducing urban sprawl, one of the main issues facing rapidly growing cities. Ideal sustainable neighborhood planning should address the three sustainability dimensions: environmental, economic,...

Urban development in urban areas accommodates a high concentration of human activities. The constant state of evolution in these urban areas is accompanied by environmental problems, including the formation of the Urban Heat Island effect (UHI), where the air is hotter than in rural areas. This research investigates where they occur the factors tha...

Hot water supply is one of the leading consumers of energy in the building sector in cold climate areas. The use of woody biomass is effective in reducing CO2 emissions in hot-water supply systems. This report deals with a system that combines a wood pellet boiler (PB) and a heat pump system with CO2 (CO2HP) that is used in a facility for disabled...

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for governments, business organizations and the community at large due to the consequences of global warming. There is an urgent need to change the way we think, design, construct and operate buildings. It is evident that designs regularly fail to achieve the anticipated levels of in-use energy cons...

Urban planners must ensure that urban public spaces are enjoyable to use to create a lively city that expresses their culture and traditions and welcomes social diversity. This study aims to develop a theoretical index for assessing the livability levels in tourist districts. Therefore, a survey-based study accompanied by a literature review is use...

Purpose This research introduces a hypothesis for establishing typologies and patterns for architectural plans based on their climate, culture and orientation. The repetition and reproduction of spaces in architectural plans are rooted in mathematical equations. Factorial and permutation formulae are the type of equations used as scientific tools t...

In January 2019, Lebanon was hit by the storm Norma. The Inter-Agency Coordination of Lebanon from the UNHCR reported severe damages in several informal settlements in Eastern Lebanon. There, refugees were already striving to live with their families along with being a vulnerable community at risk from various hazards. Architectural engineering off...

The involvement of the public in the decision-making process is essential, especially in the early stages of a design process. This study aims to achieve the development of an architectural program for a memorial public project, using the outcomes of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on public opinion. It employs a novel approach that sh...

Due to the great importance of natural daylight in interior spaces, architects keep experimenting different techniques to achieve a good luminous environment. One of the techniques used in building design is the skylight. This study focuses on the impact of the skylight on internal spaces in schools with regards to daylight factor, glare, and cooli...

The purpose of this study is to develop a list of building sustainability criteria and prioritize them in order to identify the most important ones for the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study also aims to assess buildings as heritage, ordinary modern or sustainable modern buildings with respect to defined sustainability criteria,...

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Dubai metro stations, studying their external roof forms as well as their internal level of services (LOS). The first stage of the study generally studied the best roof form of metro station buildings suitable for Dubai in hot climate regions. Common shapes of roof surfaces of metro stations...

Dubai is a city of rapid urban changes, and superlative architecture. These non-incremental urban changes tend to leave large urban areas unexplored. Dubai Metro line and its surrounding area is one of these sites that can be classified under Jane Jacobs’ Border Vacuum. In this study, the authors take on the challenge of transforming a wasted area...

Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation—ZEMCH 2016; Direct link: http://www.mdpi.com/books/pdfview/book/636

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of daylighting in educational buildings and consequently, maximize the daylighting performance in the Architectural Engineering Department, (M8 Building), of the University of Sharjah. The academic, psychological, and physiological effects of daylighting on students in addition to the effects of decreasi...

Lighting can be used in an efficient way to maximize occupant comfort and to conserve energy. This paper studies a residential villa located in Sharjah that has been converted into a nursery. In the study, methodology includes Autodesk Revit and its lighting analysis plug-in, light-meter to validate initial results, Climate Consultant and a questio...

This paper aims to solve one important problem while designing halls with domes in universities such as a central lobby of Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Sharjah. Most architects consider aspects/factors of esthetics, form, function, and to some extent sustainability besides illumination, but in general they drop issues o...

This study mainly discusses how the immature behaviour of a part of the society, resulting in vandalism, affects the building aesthetics and design features in the districts of the city of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Initially explaining the term "vandalism" in itself, this study goes on to debate on the reasons behind vandalism, it...

Urban development in the Arabian Gulf region has been remarkable within a relatively brief period. The urban expansion of Arabian Gulf cities includes many multi-story housing projects of urban form is influenced by those built in Europe during the post-World War II period of reconstruction. According to the literature, these types of urban forms i...

The aim of the research is to investigate best retrofitting strategies that minimizing energy consumption within the context of thermal comfort. The research has targeted two residential compounds in the University of Sharjah: Al Khwarizmi and Al Baironi. Climate Consultant and ECOTECT were used in the simulation process in order to select best pas...

This paper aims to solve one important problem while designing halls with domes in the university such as a central lobby of Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Sharjah. Most architects consider aspects/factors of aesthetics, form, function, and to some extent sustainability besides illumination, but in general they drop issue...

The aim of this paper is to study the impact of daylighting in educational buildings and consequently, maximize the daylighting performance in the Architectural Engineering Department, (M8 Building), of the University of Sharjah. The academic, psychological, and physiological effects of daylighting on students in addition to the effects of decreasi...

In recent times, residential districts in modern cities face certain new and undesired problems related to antisocial behaviour by adolescents in its urban public spaces. In this study, we investigate the relationship between the design features of public spaces in residential areas and the problem of vandalism within the districts. This paper exam...