Academic Projects List

Graduation Project

Rafik Nassif
architect

2001

A New Headquarters for The Arab League

Required: The Arab League is an international assembly for Arab States, similar in structure to the United Nations. Approaching the turn of the century, a new concept was needed for the assembly to enable it to play its planned role in unifying Arab states on various levels. How could architecture respond to this challenge? Approach: A study was conducted for the functional and structural requirements of the headquarters, as well as case studies of similar buildings like the United Nations, European Union, etc. My approach for the new headquarters was based on promoting interaction between the public and decision makers. This was achieved by creating the new building around three successive interconnected plazas. The first was a public plaza around which all public activities aimed at promoting intercultural recognition were distributed, such as: exhibitions, concerts, campaigns etc. The 3rd plaza was a closed space secured for delegations, while the 2nd plaza was the space where the interaction between the public and their representatives would occur through press conferences, discussion forums, conventions, etc.

4th Year

2000/2001

Historical Museum of the 1952 Revolution

Required: The 1952 Revolution is an important turning point in Egyptian history. Hence arose the idea of designing a new historical museum to consolidate this vivid era in modern history. The museum was located on a Nile front land plot that compromised a historical building once used as the headquarters for the Revolutionary Council. The design should address how to deal with the historical/natural context. Approach: The idea was to integrate the historical Revolutionary Council Headquarters building with a contemporary historical museum about the revolution. The connection was established by means of an arcade connecting the old building to the new one and hosting a number of art pieces which account for the incidents that took place before the revolution. The visitor would move through those artistic forms by means of small boats in a trip that prepares him/her to go back in time to 1952. The visitor then would reach the main museum, starting from the ground floor and then moving up to the first floor, resembling the upward steps towards freedom. The visitor would then be introduced to a recreation area with gardens, restaurants and cafes, symbolizing the stage of freedom that followed the 1952 revolution.

A Residential Multi-Storey Building

Required: The aim of this project was to train young architects to deal with the restrictive design constraints of a multi-storey residential building in the capital city. The designer had to respect building regulations and functional requirements, in a design that had to be economically efficient. Approach: My approach was trying to achieve a balance between regulations, functional & economical requirements, while - at the same time- creating a building with an attractive form and pleasant residential units which could be a marketing vantage point. An inner open space was created in the building form, allowing street view for all units, and allowing for a central facility area in the first floor that comprised a swimming pool, gymnasium and other facilities serving the whole building.

A Toll Station on an Inter-provincial Highway

Required: An inter-provincial highway toll station is functionally simple, yet it represents the entrance to the province, and thus it has to reflect its culture and character. Approach: My approach for a toll station at the entrance of Luxor city, had to reflect the city's rich historical character but at the same time boast it's modern facilities. Some distinctive elements were chosen from Ancient Egyptian architecture and were used to create an abstract modern architectural design.

3rd Year

2000/2001

A Sports Arena

Required: The task was to design a Sports Arena in Cairo for hosting international sports events. The projects presented design challenges on several levels, starting from design data for several sports playgrounds to thermal, lighting and structural demands that had to be satisfied. Approach: My approach was based on structural and environmental aspects. A shell shaped structure with large curved frames maximizes free spans which are necessary for the functional purpose. A detailed calculation for the sunshines horizontal & vertical angles throughout the year was conducted to investigate the best orientation in order to get the maximum of natural lighting while minimizing the glare. Movable louvers were also added at certain locations to achieve this goal.

A Waterfront Restaurant by the River Nile

Required: Building on the Nile bank has its specific regulations, among which is a height limit to ensure an unobstructed view of the river. Designing a restaurant by the river Nile has to maintain these regulations while creating a functional and pleasant space, making use of the spectacular view. Approach: My approach was to create a number of successive stepped terraces, organic in form, inspired by the smooth water waves. As for the building, a triangular form was chosen with 2 different floor levels, to maximize front faade allowing a clear view of the river to all the tables. Also a study of the wind directions in the area was conducted, to adjust the building orientation so as to achieve maximum natural ventilation and catch the desirable water breeze.

A Complex Building (Administrative/Commercial/Residential) at Maspero vicinity.

Required: The design task was to create a multipurpose high-rise building, with an underground parking facility, in downtown Cairo, while at the same time addressing the various functional, architectural & structural requirements, within the strict regulations of the business centre, aiming for maximum utility of the space. Approach: I started by creating an architectural/structural module, based on a space "unit" that could be suitable for various building purposes; parking lot, residential room, office cubicle and commercial unit. Every 3 or 4 units formed a "cluster" that shared common service facilities, bathrooms, electrical and mechanical supplies. Using this unit/cluster concept as a base for my design allowed for maximum utility & flexibility for each floor.

2nd Year

2000/2001

A Motel at Ismailia

Required: The design task was to create a small resort at the lakeside in the town of Ismailia, comprising a number of cabins plus central facilities; reception, restaurant, gymnasium, staff housing etc. Approach: My approach was based on separating two circulation patterns; a C-shaped ring around the project, comprising staff housing, service areas and parking lots. Inside, the cabins were distributed around a swimming pool and a water stream, with a lake view, isolated from the outside in order to achieve a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere for the visitors.

A Bank/ Office Building in Down Town Cairo

Required: The design task involved a research for bank design criteria as an example for building types requirements. Also the context of downtown Cairo provided tight design constraints but with rich historical context. This was my first multi-purpose project, so part of the design task was to study both vertical & horizontal circulations for the various users: bank costumers, bank employees, bank service and office building users.

Approach: I started my project with a research about banks and their requirements, with visits to a number of banks in Cairo to see for myself the essential design components of a bank. My approach was based on this research and inspired by the surrounding context of the 19th century architecture of downtown Cairo. I tried to produce something that blended the old with the new, and reflected context and function. I also studied the circulation of both the building and the bank users, separating them where necessary.

An International Pavilion for Egypt

Required: The task for this project was to design an international pavilion for Egypt inspired by Ancient Egyptian architecture in an abstract way that would reflect contemporary design at the same time. Approach: My approach was to extract a specific geometric form characteristic of Ancient Egyptian architecture. This form was the Pylon; a tapered wall that was used to indicate the entrance for Ancient Egyptian temples. I studied the proportions of this geometric form and the taper angles used to create it. Then I used this abstract unit in different sizes and forms to create the pavilion with all its components.

A Shopping Mall at 6th October City

Required: The task was to design a two-storey shopping mall at the newly developed city of 6th October. Being the 1st commercial project, the task included a study for shopping malls and commercial design standards. Approach: Along with the functional studies, I also focused on coming up with an architectural theme for the mall. As the context for the project was in a new city, located outside Cairo and surrounded by desert, my theme was inspired by traditional desert architecture, with curved corners and irregular openings. The thick irregular walls also minimized thermal gain, thus reducing load and helping to save electrical power.

1st Year

2000/2001

A Bus Terminal Station in Cairo

Required: The bus terminal is a simple building but its design process involves a detailed study of road standards for heavy vehicles and how to provide functional parking lots, turning points and other facilities usually required for such buildings. Approach: My approach was focused mainly on circulation, providing sufficient space for buses to enter and exit the terminal smoothly, taking into account the space required for maneuvering. The passengers circulation pattern was also studied, separating arrival from departure.

A Student Hostel at Ismailia

Required: The task was to design a student hostel at the city of Ismailia by the Suez canal. The hostel would consist of 3 single storey cabins with the capacity of 10 students each, in addition to designing the layout and common facilities. Approach: The city of Ismailia is known for its Colonial Architecture style, as it used to host a large number of expatriates working for the Suez canal company. I traveled to the city to study this style in detail and tried to use it in designing the hostel cabins. The project was also located by the Suez canal. Designing the layout in order that all the units could have a canal view was a main challenge I tried to solve.

A Rural Community Service Center

Required: A design for a community service center in a rural area was required. The center had to include classrooms for adult education, spaces for tapestry and sewing classes for local women, in addition to other facilities. To minimize the cost, the building had to be built with materials available in the local environment. Approach: I started my project with a study of the design standards for the required spaces in addition to studying the material locally available which was stone. I designed the building using a wall bearing structural system, which required limited spans for architectural spaces.

A Cafeteria at The Faculty of Engineering

Required: The project was to design a cafeteria in a restricted land plot inside the university, using a wood structure system. The cafeteria should host 40 people inside and 60 outside in a Semishaded area. The trees existing on the site had to be integrated into the design. Approach: In my first architectural design project, and based on the limited knowledge I had acquired, I tried to produce a creative geometric form using wooden trusses, applying design standards for furniture and circulation normally applied for similar building types.