AASTMT Design Review & Exh.

Last week we had our final studio projects evaluation and exhibition at the aast in cairo. Our design studio this semester focused on notion of space, and spatial qualities. Students were required to start designing their projetcs from the inside first, focusing on 4 themes, light, color, scale, and texture. More information here.
Most students were able to grasp the power of these qualities in creating specific atmospheres and were successsful in conveying statements such as grandness, seclusion, diversity... etc. Here are some selected images of the finished projects.

Projects by:
Amr Al Awady
Heba Bayoumi
John Mourad
Saeed A. Moneim
Salma Sabry
Shady Mohamed
Hasan Ashraf



The followwing day the department hosted the semester design studio review and exhibition. An underground memorial in tahrir square, a community center in downtown helipolis, a municipality office building, an auto mall, along our forum building, portrayed the diversity of projects undertaken by different studios, with the multitude of themes they addressed such as context, structure, materiality, sustainability, and space. While a common thread of rationale seemed to be passing through all the projects (see my previous notes on the AUC exhibition here), I was concerned with several issues regarding the processes by which the projects have been achieved. It was clear there was a general lack of diverse opinions within the studio critiques. The one-way discussions that occur inside the studios, are apparently not enough to generate students with critical thinking skills, and who are able to disscuss and question their and others work. This is a very common pedagogical issue in the way egyptian architecture schools are being run, dominated by a clearly outdated tradition of teaching. But that is another story.

Forum for the Future

A forum space for free speech, discussions and activities. A future vision for democracy in egypt.

In such revolutionary moments in history, similar to the one egypt amd the whole middle east is going through, can architects act as provisioners and/or catalysts of such transformations?
Our studio this semeter at the aastmt discusses the possibilties and challenges of post-revoluionary egypt, and the role of architects in redifining political spaces. Unlike our previous semester (which was concerned with environmental issues check it here) this semester's design unit focuses on space, spatial experience and spatial qualities. This is applied through designing a future forum space for all types of interaction, discussions, events... etc. The main focus will be on 4 major spatial themes, color, texture, light, and scale as tools of defining space and experience.

The initial assignment to students was to research and analyze spatial experiences of similar congregation spaces for masses from futuristic or sci-fi visions in cinema, literature, or computer games. The diversity and creatvity resulting from this research assignment proved essential for the developing of the individual visions of each student. Examples included avatar, star wars, harry potter books, wall-e, tron computer game and others.
More about the development of the studio work as work progresses.

The galactic senate (Star Wars)