Noise pollution is increasingly recognized as a critical environmental challenge with direct implications on public health and well-being. In Egypt, data from the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA, 2019) identify noise as the second most reported environmental concern, affecting both indoor and outdoor spaces. At the same time, the growing volume of waste generated on university campuses represents an underexploited resource for sustainable design. This study addresses these challenges by investigating how generative AI can serve as a design collaborator in suggesting high-performance acoustic tiles from recycled campus waste. Two AI-driven prototypes were developed through prompts emphasizing acoustic absorption, aesthetic versatility, environmental impact, and ease of installation. Each design was standardized in thickness and fabricated using discarded materials such as foam, egg cartons, cardboard, and cotton. The prototypes were then physically tested within a controlled micro-environment to evaluate their acoustic performance. Results show that both designs significantly reduced sound reverberation, with Prototype B achieving better performance—cutting reverberation time by 57.7%. Beyond performance, both prototypes demonstrated low embodied energy and high adaptability, though material sourcing posed practical challenges. By combining generative AI with recycled resources, this research presents a scalable approach to tackling noise pollution while advancing circular economy practices. This approach underscores the role of AI as a conceptual co-design partner in sustainable material exploration, while simultaneously serving as a catalyst for eco-driven innovation within educational settings. The findings support the integration of AI-assisted co-design into building material research, offering new pathways for sustainability in architectural interiors.
Security-oriented urban design at strategic national gateways often restricts spatial openness, cultural identity, and social inclusion, all essential to functional public spaces. This study develops a multi-criteria framework for security-inclusive urban design at East Qantara, the primary vehicular gateway between continental Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula. This study employed a sequential quantitative–interpretive design approach. In the quantitative phase, 51 criteria were identified from Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) guidance, publicness theory, and context-specific desert and socio-cultural literature, and subsequently revised to 37 criteria through expert panel validation. A structured expert questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale for importance was distributed to 64 professionals across six stakeholder groups, yielding 54 valid responses. One-way ANOVA was performed for each criterion, with stakeholder group as the independent variable. Statistical analysis revealed that 29 criteria were classified as high priority (RII > 0.80), and no criterion scored below 3.0, indicating strong professional support for the framework. The most significant inter-group contrast was between civil defense and safety consultants and landscape architects and socio-cultural experts, with C22 (tree and planting barriers) showing the largest pairwise divergence. The findings indicate broad expert support for integrating physical protection with urban functionality, environmental adaptation, and socio-cultural responsiveness. The study therefore proposes an expert-reviewed and empirically weighted decision-support framework for arid, security-sensitive MENA gateway contexts. The framework is intended to guide context-sensitive design and governance decisions; its transferability and performance require testing through participatory, post-occupancy, and site-based validation in future applications.
Public parks in Cairo represent important urban assets, however, their operation and maintenance (O&M) face many challenges due to fragmented information, reactive maintenance practices, organizational constraints, and limited digital integration. Digital Facility Management discipline still lacks the tailored framework that adequately addresses the operational needs of public parks in Egypt with all its specific details. This study develops an integrated digital FM framework for improving the efficiency of the management process of public parks. A four-phase methodology was adopted, comprising a literature review, framework development, technical system specification, and expert assessment. The proposed framework integrates BIM, COBie, CMMS, IoT technologies, and mobile applications through an interoperable information workflow that links asset information, maintenance management, field operations, and performance monitoring. The applicability and contextual suitability of the framework was assessed through structured interviews with 11 selected Egyptian experts, including five FM/O&M specialists and six landscape and urban design specialists. The findings indicate that O&M practices remain predominantly reactive, while preventive maintenance remains comparatively limited. Notably, reliance on corrective maintenance was rated far higher than its perceived suitability as an appropriate strategy. The primary implementation challenge differed between the two expert groups: FM/O&M experts identified high implementation cost as the most significant barrier (normalized score of 72.0), whereas landscape and urban-design experts identified organizational resistance as the most significant barrier (93.3%); Technical knowledge and system-integration challenges were comparatively less pronounced across both groups. Experts identified BIM as a key technology for supporting integrated digital FM, whereas familiarity with COBie and integrated digital workflows remained comparatively limited. The interviewed experts also expressed that the framework is applicable (84.0% and 86.7%, respectively), while emphasizing the need for local contextual adaptation. The findings further indicate that successful implementation requires phased digital transformation, workforce capacity building, interoperable information standards, and carefully evaluated open-source or lower-cost solutions. The proposed framework provides a contextually adaptable basis for integrating lifecycle asset information and digital O&M processes in Egyptian public parks.
Social infrastructure, as the physical medium for social life in cities, is increasingly being acknowledged for its ability to offer climate-proofing benefits both in times of climate stability and climate disturbances. However, more evidence is needed on how social infrastructure can be deliberately shaped to contribute to climate-proofing cities. Our study addresses this gap through exploring the key strategies which ensure the effective engagement of social infrastructure (SI) in climate proofing cities (CPC). An explorative case study of Rotterdam city is performed, as the city is well recognized as a pioneer in climate resilience through spatial planning. Data sources for the case study include the review of key city documents and primary data collected from walk-through observations of three social infrastructure projects in the city (Watersquare Benthemplien, Dakpark, and Markthal). Through a reflexive thematic analysis of the collected data, we identify six key strategies for enabling active engagement of SI in CPC: Contextualize, Reframe, Collaborate, Integrate, Mobilize, and Evaluate. These strategies work together through all stages of SI development, with climate, society, and economy as core values of the process. The findings reveal that effective climate-proofing through SI requires more than engineered interventions or planting greenery on sites; it demands a holistic vision, deep community integration, a robust strategic framework to ensure long term success. Ultimately, the research provides a strategic framework that solidifies the link between SI design and CPC, with valuable practical implications for urban planners and policy makers. The proposed strategies help to amplify the multidimensional benefits of SI in CPC, through infusing climate-proofing measures within the place shaping process of SI. Furthermore, the study offers a transferable analytical framework that can be conducted on other cities with variant urban and climate contexts to further scrutinize the findings.
The integration of supportive outdoor environments (SOEs) in healthcare settings has gained increasing attention for their potential to enhance patient recovery, support staff well-being, and contribute to holistic therapeutic outcomes. This scoping review examines design recommendations for inclusive outdoor environments in healthcare settings that impact user health and experience. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework for scoping reviews, a comprehensive search was conducted across five databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, Sage), yielding 697 records. Following screening and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 articles were selected for analysis. This scoping review identified consistent evidence linking outdoor environment qualities with improved psychological and physiological health. Thematic analysis revealed 5 key themes forming 15 domains that articulate a set of evidence-based design recommendations, reflecting user-centered health needs and experiential outcomes. Building on this synthesis, this study proposes a multidimensional conceptual framework that elucidates how SOEs shape health outcomes through interactions between user engagement, design conditions, and experiential processes. The framework provides an integrative synthesis of evidence to architects, landscape designers, and healthcare policymakers to support outdoor design and evaluation in healthcare settings. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating spatial design with operational and policy-level strategies and highlight the need for further empirical research to strengthen evidence-based practices and address existing knowledge gaps.
