February 21st, 2016: Faculty and students from the School of Architecture and Interior Design at Canadian University Dubai (CUD) have been showcasing their latest research and design work at the 4th International Architectural Conservation Conference and Exhibition, held recently in Dubai.
Assistant Professor of interior design, Mr. Serkan Gunay, presented a paper at the conference, and Assistant Professor of architecture, Dr. Hoshiar Nooraddin, was called upon to chair the scientific session of the event. Meanwhile, students from across the School displayed and presented their design work in an exhibition that ran alongside the conference proceedings.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of Dubai Municipality, the event brought together researchers, professionals and policy makers from across the globe to share knowledge on issues surrounding sustainability and conservation. The conference program covered a wide range of conservation themes, from smart solutions for preserving heritage, to sustainable cultural tourism.
The opening ceremony, which was attended by CUD Chancellor, Mr. Buti Saeed Al Ghandi, heard from His Royal Highness, Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, president and chairman of the board of the Saudi commission for tourism and national heritages, KSA, who spoke about the policies that the country has adopted to support architectural conservation.
Day two saw Mr. Gunay present his paper ‘Sustainable Value Analysis of Partite Usage on a Timber Frame Structure: Case Study Amasya Yorguc Pasa Mansion’, which discussed conservation decision-making in the restoration of historic buildings. While on day three of the event, Dr. Nooraddin chaired a conference session on approaches to sustainable heritage.
Throughout the three days, students attended the parallel architecture exhibition, displaying a range of design projects that showcased their own work on conservation and restoration, as well as architecture of the Islamic world.
Fifth year students Mahjabeen Ali and Aisha Farida Aminu impressed the gathering of professional architects with their model depicting the renewal of an urban heritage site. Mahjabeen explained, “Our concept was based on empiricism – integrating sensory experiences in the re-development of a historic area of Dubai, while retaining its heritage and taking account of modern functionality requirements.”
Aisha continued, “It was exciting to see our work attract a lot of interest from architects, who were visiting the exhibition from all over the world, and we received some really positive feedback and valuable advice that will help us when we enter the profession.”
Fourth year students Khadeeja Tul Kubra was among the students exhibiting their work on conservation and Islamic architecture. She said, “The event provided an opportunity for us to network and gain insights from industry experts, as well as to demonstrate our own research on an international platform.”
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