Architectural Engineering Commons^™

Designing Childhood Spaces: Towards An Architecture That Responds To The Child’S Innate Needs And Enhances Interaction, Abdelrahman Mohamed Mousa

Journal of Engineering Research

: The creation of a building for children is no longer just a shelter, but rather a spatial unit for 2020, a diverse and generally direct difference in building the child's personality, which limits the strengthening of control over the child on the one hand, and the direction in which he lives. It is a loud cry, one that is diverse: children have realized us, and the reference to the cry is that we find ourselves participating in dealing properly with children and also in society years later. It is believed that attention to children during the preschool stage significantly …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Changing The Traditional Design Form Of Children's Museums: Towards Integrating Artificial Intelligence Technologies In Architectural Design Education., Nevine Ismail Mahmoud, Amira Fawzy Helmy Almaz, Heba Jahin

Journal of Engineering Research

Children's museums are crucial for their educational and entertainment value, but they also need to adapt to technological advancements to maintain their appeal, especially for older children. The design of these museums should vary between permanent and mobile spaces to maximize their benefits in different areas. Interactive exhibits in children's museums can bridge the gap between traditional and modern education, appealing to a wider age range, and adapting to changing educational needs in different communities by offering a mix of permanent and mobile museums.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the design process by enhancing efficiency and creativity. It helps architects …

Exploring The Role Of Localized Indigenous Knowledge In Developing Urban Water Resilience And Sustainability Strategies In Egypt, Nevine Ismail Mahmoud, Amira Fawzy Helmy Almaz, Amany Ragheb

Journal of Engineering Research

Urban areas worldwide face water challenges due to population growth, climate change, and inadequate construction. To tackle these issues, cities are experimenting with green infrastructure, rainwater harvesting, and wastewater recycling, integrating local data and sustainable construction methods to mitigate water scarcity and increase resilience.

This paper discusses using natural data in urban water management to tackle water scarcity, flooding, and quality issues. It suggests that this data can improve urban practicality and human well-being by addressing shared urban areas and the physical environment. Implementing natural enhancements like water harvesting, floodplain management, and shared filtration systems can enhance water quality and …

The Effects Of Recent Modifications In Egyptian Building Regulations On Urban Development And Socioeconomic Conditions Over The Past Decade, Mohamed M. Abohelal

Journal of Engineering Research

Over the past decade, Egypt has witnessed significant transformations in its urban regulatory framework, particularly through successive amendments to the Unified Building Law No. 119 of 2008. These legislative changes, implemented in 2015, 2021, and 2024, reflect evolving state strategies to manage urban growth, streamline construction processes, and address challenges in regulatory compliance. The 2015 amendments sought to enhance administrative coordination and facilitate permit acquisition, while the 2021 reforms imposed stringent restrictions on building height, coverage ratios, and facade dimensions, provoking widespread controversy due to their misalignment with local urban realities and economic capacities. In response to ensuing public and …

A Framework For The Role Of Vegetation Selection In Enhancing Educational Outdoor Spaces Through Ai Technology., Amira Mohamed, Mirette A. Esmat, Amira Mahrous Dr

Journal of Engineering Research

Well-designed outdoor spaces are increasingly recognised as critical components of environmental sustainability and community building within higher education institutions. Among the most influential elements in shaping these spaces is the strategic selection of vegetation, which must balance aesthetics, functionality, ecological value, and long-term maintenance. However, traditional plant selection methods remain time-consuming, labour-intensive, and often dependent on subjective judgement, posing significant challenges for landscape architects and campus planners. This paper explores the application of artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative solution to enhance the plant selection process in educational outdoor environments. It introduces a comprehensive AI-driven framework that integrates key variables—including …

The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Promoting Diversity And Inclusion In Urban Public Spaces Aspects Contributing To Mental Health Preservation, Rania B. Shokry

Journal of Engineering Research

I.

Cities are complex systems shaped not only by infrastructure but also by the emotional, sensory, and socio-political experiences of their inhabitants. Despite this multidimensional nature, urban planning is often guided by conventional frameworks that overlook the lived realities of residents. As critical components of the urban fabric, public spaces play a significant role in shaping social identity, cohesion, and psychological well-being.

This research explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing diversity and inclusion within urban public spaces, with a particular focus on its impact on mental health. Social segregation remains a major barrier to inclusive urbanism; …

Enhancing The Design Efficiency Of Building And Finishing Materials: "An Analytical Study On The Role Of Artificial Intelligence In Streamlining The Architectural Façade Design Process", Marwa Emad Fikry Elbishry

Journal of Engineering Research

The architecture and design sector is witnessing a profound transformation due to technological advancements, particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its integration into architectural design processes. AI has empowered designers with intelligent analytical tools that support more precise and efficient decision-making.

Architectural façades represent a vital element that embodies the identity of a building while influencing its environmental, aesthetic, and functional performance. In this regard, optimizing the design efficiency of façades through the selection of appropriate building and finishing materials stands as a central objective in the pursuit of advanced and sustainable architectural solutions.

Given that material …

Terra Lunaris: Assessment Of A Lunar Habitat For Scientific Astronauts, Space Miners, Or Space Tourists, Dirk Schumann, Robert A. Goehlich

Publications

This conceptual paper explores ground- based habitable space modules for various applications. The Terra Lunaris concept serves as the baseline and is evaluated in comparison to existing and theoretical studies in this field. Terra Lunaris is a compact hybrid habitat that expands to offer nearly four times its transport volume by combining rigid modules with an inflatable shell. With most interior elements pre-installed and foldable, setup time and complexity are minimized. The design integrates technical zones, living quarters, and shared spaces, while also supporting psychological well-being under extreme conditions. The paper provides both qualitative and quantitative analyses of lunar habitation …

Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Wall With Discrete Frp Boundary Element Retrofit, Katelyn Lowry, Roger Biddle, Peter Laursen, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Cole Mcdaniel

Architectural Engineering

This paper presents experimental results for a lightly reinforced concrete (LRC) shear wall retrofitted with discrete fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) strips at the boundary zones. The performance of this wall was evaluated through cyclic lateral load testing and compared with a wall retrofitted with continuous FRP at the boundary zones (Duong et al., 2024). Test results showed that the wall retrofitted with discrete strips exhibited a flexural tensile failure characterized by wide flexural cracks confined between FRP strips and rebar fracture at high drifts, while maintaining displacement compatibility and axial load capacity beyond strength degradation. Compared to the continuous FRP retrofit, …

A Green Concrete Mixture Using Rice Husk As Partially Cement Replacement, Khloud Khalid Eldamshiry, Zeina Salama, Amany Micheal, Rania Rushdy Moussa, Ayatallah Raafat

Architectural Engineering

Egypt's agricultural waste production has increased significantly in recent decades, leading to improper disposal methods and environmental pollution. Rice husks are the most common agricultural solid waste in Egypt, contributing to "black clouds" and causing health issues. On the other hand, Cement, a crucial component of construction materials, generates unsound residues and greenhouse gas emissions. Green concrete with rice husks could be a profitable solution for environmentally sound construction, reducing cement consumption and increasing the durability and integrity of new materials. This study investigates the use untreated rice husk fibres with a concrete mixture, avoiding burning and contributing to environmental …

Implementing Vertical Gardens In Educational Buildings To Reduce Energy Consumption And Achieve Low Carbon Emissions, Khloud Khalid Eldamshiry, Mohamed Esmat Elattar, Ahmed Abubakr

Architectural Engineering

Nowadays, the change of climate has been a crucial problem for architects to address since buildings consume more than half of the energy that results in carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. Vertical gardens have been proven in studies to be capable of significantly offsetting carbon dioxide emissions from building. in addition to passively cooling and insulating the structure As a result, the energy required for building operation is lowered in what appears to be a butterfly effect. The bulk of non-residential buildings in Egypt have been built without regard for energy efficiency regulations in recent years. As …

Kinetic Energy Harvesting From Human Footsteps: Review And Case Study, Mady Mohamed

Effat Undergraduate Research Journal

Kinetic energy generated from motion. Such energy is observable as the movement of an object. The heavier the object is, the faster it moves, and more kinetic energy it has. In this recent era where design and science integration are vital in architecture and energy and energy, both scientists and designers strive to push their respective fields towards achieving a more efficient built environment. Utilizing motion into the architecture to conserve energy for environmental and economic benefits is one of the recent challenges in the renewable energy (RE) field. This paper aims at comprehensively exploring the literature about the recent …

Demystifying The Discharge Coefficient For Flow Over Thin Weirs And Sills, Joseph E. Pugh, Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy, Timothy K. Gates

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A revised derivation of the discharge coefficient for flows over thin weirs and sills in the limits of wall overflow to a free overfall is given. Using dimensional analysis, we show that the discharge coefficient, (Formula presented), in the classical weir-discharge equation is best understood as a weir Froude number, (Formula presented), which accounts for the combined effects of inertia, contraction and viscous energy losses within the flow field. A comprehensive set of experimental data from historical studies is complimented by new data from the authors, featuring both laboratory flume experiments and three-dimensional numerical simulations of weir flows. Synthesis of …

Resilience Of Interdependent Transportation And Healthcare Systems: A Simulation-Driven Framework Incorporating Social Equity And Facility Optimization, S. Yasaman Ahmadi

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The overarching goal of this dissertation is to develop an integrated, simulation-driven framework to assess and enhance the resilience of interdependent transportation and healthcare systems before, during, and after natural hazards. By examining how spatial disruptions, social vulnerability, operational constraints, and infrastructure interdependencies affect access to and functionality of hospitals, this research offers a multifaceted evaluation of system performance under stress. This dissertation examines the impact of natural hazards, particularly floods, on the interdependent transportation and healthcare systems. The proposed approach combines and advances GIS-based network analysis, graph-theoretical modeling, and discrete-event simulation to evaluate system performance under different scenarios. The …

Evaluating The Role Of Building Information Modeling (Bim) In Minimizing Delays And Reducing Costs In Construction Projects, Hussein Elsayed Mohamed Ismail, Mohammad Ahmad Mohammad Abdulhadi

Journal of Engineering Research

The implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a construction industry technology delivers extensive effects on project duration and financial management. This investigation examines BIM as a technology specifically designed to cut down construction project delays and decrease expenditures. The scholarly review of existing research material through a secondary approach allows this study to identify BIM's major value contributions.

The implementation of BIM technology enables project schedules to reach improved accuracy which results in a reduction of project delays by 15-25% because of its automation features and effective clash detection and real-time coordination benefits. The application of building information modeling …

Incorporating Ai Into A Structural Engineering Computer Lab, Allen Estes, Peter T. Laursen

Architectural Engineering

Given rapidly increasing sophistication and wide public access to Artificial Intelligence (AI) software, the academic community is struggling with how to best incorporate this new technology into the classroom. The challenge is to use and leverage the capabilities of this new tool to enhance the academic experience without compromising student learning, engineering rigor or academic integrity. This paper describes and assesses the incorporation of AI into an existing computer laboratory course in an undergraduate structural engineering program.

ARCE 352 (Structural Computing I) is a one-unit computer laboratory that is a companion course to ARCE 302 (Structural Analysis) at xx university. …

Design-Build Capstone Projects: Continuing The Poly Canyon Legacy Of Learn-By-Doing, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Brayden A. Martinez, William R. Adam

Architectural Engineering

In the 1960s around ten acres of land behind the main campus of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo were set aside for students from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design to experiment with structural forms, materials, and construction methods. The publicly accessible Poly Canyon site has amassed a collection of structures: bridges crossing a seasonal creek, caretaker housing, a greenhouse, multiple sculptures and observation structures, among others. There were ebbs and flows of construction activity in Poly Canyon, often seeing a decade of activity with as much time dormant in between.

This paper focuses on the …

Bridging Borders: Exploring Place Attachment As Spatial Lived Experiences Of Expatriate Communities In Dubai, Uae, Gopika Balakrishnan

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Dubai, a global city where expatriate communities make up the majority of the population, offers a unique context to explore how urban environments are both shaped by and shaping people’s experiences. With rapid growth of migration and deep cultural diversity, the city exemplifies how top-down planning and bottom-up lived experiences interact to influence how individuals form emotional and spatial connections to place. This dissertation investigates the concept of place attachment through the lens of spatial behavior, lived experience, and inherited practices, with a focus on expatriate communities in Dubai. It asks: How do expatriate communities in Dubai experience and express …

New Contrast-Based Metrics For Roadway Lighting Design, Amira R. Abouelhamd

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Roadway lighting standards specify design targets of horizontal illuminance or luminance at the roadway surface for various roadway types. Although the luminance and illuminance method to roadway lighting standards incorporate some factors that affect human visibility, other important factors, such as the target’s contrast and size, are not examined in these standards. Roadway lighting standards should consider how the human visual system detects objects and provides comfortable approaches to improve visibility for drivers. As luminous contrast has a crucial impact on visibility measures, recent studies have been directed to propose new approaches that utilize it. This research aims to propose …

New Contrast-Based Metrics For Roadway Lighting Design, Amira R. Abouelhamd

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Roadway lighting standards specify design targets of horizontal illuminance or luminance at the roadway surface for various roadway types. Although the luminance and illuminance method to roadway lighting standards incorporate some factors that affect human visibility, other important factors, such as the target’s contrast and size, are not examined in these standards. Roadway lighting standards should consider how the human visual system detects objects and provides comfortable approaches to improve visibility for drivers. As luminous contrast has a crucial impact on visibility measures, recent studies have been directed to propose new approaches that utilize it. This research aims to propose …

Potentials Of Informal Household-Practiced Urban Farming As A Contributor To Sustainability And Resilience In Emirati Neighbourhoods, Hadia Al Haddad

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has integrated local agendas aimed at achieving urban sustainability and resilience, particularly in alignment with UAE Vision 2030. However, official initiatives in this domain often lack genuine community participation—a critical pillar for the success of sustainable urban development. Meanwhile, urban farming has garnered increasing recognition both globally and locally as a significant contributor to urban sustainability and resilience. In the UAE, official focus has largely centered on professional vertical farming, demonstrated through various high-profile projects. In contrast, informal, household-based urban farming is actively practiced within semi-public, semi-private, and private spaces across many Emirati public housing …

Eeri 2024: Seattle Solstice, Elizabeth P. Splees

Architectural Engineering

This senior project documents the design, analysis, construction, and testing of Seattle Solstice, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s entry to the 2024 EERI Seismic Design Competition. Developed through ARCE 453, the interdisciplinary effort involved architectural, structural, and geotechnical coordination in response to a fictional client brief set in downtown Seattle. The team designed a five-foot-tall balsa wood tower with a shifting vertical massing, integrating sustainability features and public use spaces while addressing seismic challenges such as center of mass vs. rigidity alignment, overturning risk, and off-grid load paths. The structure was modeled using ETABS and evaluated using both numerical …

Rain, Rain, Go Away: Geoengineering And The Illusion Of Control, Hannibal Newsom

School of Architecture - All Scholarship

“Geoengineering” is increasingly seen as the best, perhaps even last, hope in the fight against global warming. Calls for such practices as Solar Radiation Management are becoming urgent as the effects of the climate crisis make themselves visible. This essay uses California’s Salton Sea, a geo-engineered palimpsest of once natural terrain turned toxic and inhospitable through human intervention, as a case study against the illusion of control. Through the critical lens of Magical Realism and the visual language of the architecture studio, this essay calls into question the desire to exert human control over natural systems, illustrating that the unintended …

Tanzania Mbesese Initiative 2025, Genevieve Marie Tedder, Frances Street, Audrey Wojcik, Alex Trujillo, Tristen Mullin, Jessica Jane, Anna Marie Langer, Carissa Castro, Molly Linong Rojec, Haley Pilcher

Architectural Engineering

The Tanzania Mbesese Initiative is an ongoing project based in Same, Tanzania. The Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Design (MISD) is working in collaboration with ARUP and Cal Poly to develop a polytechnic college for the community in Same. Our team of ten students aims to support the design and construction process of the project.

Outdoor Exercise Area Renovation, Hagan T. Jackson, Chet S. Crummett, Jesse E. Muth

Architectural Engineering

The Outdoor Exercise Area Renovation project revitalizes a well-used outdoor exercise area located near the baseball fields at Cal Poly. The existing exercise equipment, originally donated by Maino Construction, was weathered, but the area remained well-utilized and presented potential for revitalization. This project transforms the site into a functional and resilient space by replacing the pull-up and dip bar equipment, constructing a 300 square foot pavilion, and adding a concrete slab and integrated concrete benches. The new design enhances usability, providing a multifunctional area for the Cal Poly community to exercise, socialize, relax, and enjoy scenic views.

The renovated area …

Untold Stories Bench Project, Elijah Labb

Architectural Engineering

No abstract provided.

Cementing Co2 Into C-S-H: A Step Toward Carbon Neutrality, Or A Step In The Wrong Direction?, John Reilly Benn, Tahne Larson

Architectural Engineering

As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, many in the construction industry are looking for sustainable solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. One of the biggest contributors to atmospheric CO2 comes from cement production. In 2023, researchers at MIT explored ways to enhance concrete’s natural ability to act as a carbon sink. Concrete does this unassisted through a chemical reaction called carbonation, by which atmospheric carbon bonds to key components in cement. The researchers at MIT proposed a process of early-stage forced carbonation, which can be induced by the addition of NaHCO3 into a standard concrete mix. Sodium bicarbonate, or …

Physical Construction Of 1/2 Scale Concrete Wall, Alicia Danielle Lee, Cali Jeanne Carson

Architectural Engineering

This senior project was the physical construction and material testing of the half-scale reinforced concrete wall specimens. This included all stages of the building process, from formwork and reinforcement to concrete placement and laboratory testing.

The Xenaform, Cassadie J. Golding

Architectural Engineering

The XenaForm explores how complex, expressive structures can emerge from simple, low-tech construction methods using principles of parametric design and structural geometry. By combining folded plate techniques with modular tetrahedral components, the project bridges high-tech digital modeling and hands-on physical fabrication. The result is a lightweight, buildable system that reclaims the engineer’s role as a form-finder.

C.H.I.I.P., Continuous Health Information For Infrastructure Protection, Lariel Sasha Henley

Architectural Engineering

This paper presents the development and validation of CHIIP (Continuous Health Information for Infrastructure Protection), a wireless structural health monitoring (SHM) device designed to provide accessible, real-time data on structural performance of building structures following a seismic event. The system integrates inclinometers, accelerometers, linear potentiometers, and strain gauges with ESP32 microcontrollers to create a compact and robust data collection device that can transmit synchronized sensor data via Wi-Fi to a remote server. A web-based interface enables users to access and download live data for rapid structural evaluation. The device was tested in three phases: a small-scale wired baseline test, a …