March 30th, 2016: Professors from the School of Architecture and Interior Design at Canadian University Dubai have been sharing the findings of their latest academic studies during the first in a series of events to showcase research conducted within the School.
Associate Professor, Dr. Hamoud Dekkiche, and Assistant Professors, Mr. Luca Donner and Mr. Massimo Imparato, each presented results from their recent studies, focusing on various innovative aspects of the design industry.
Dr. Dekkiche opened the seminar by presenting the findings from his research paper entitled ‘Infrared Imaging as a Tool to Improve the Energy Efficiency of Building Envelopes’.
Describing how the application of infrared technology can assist in evaluating and enhancing the energy efficiency of the built environment, Dr. Dekkiche drew upon a recent case study he undertook, involving a LEED Gold Standard educational building located in Toronto. The research concluded that integrating infrared imaging into the LEED certification process could help to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the future.
‘Multicultural Housing scenarios’ was the subject of the presentation delivered by Mr. Luca Donner, who spoke about the relationship between residences and culture in the context of architectural design.
Focusing particularly on Italian territories, Mr, Donner revealed how increasing rates of migration across the globe have created cultural melting pots, resulting in the development of a new architectural typology that translates different lifestyle needs into the design of residential developments. He also spoke about how this typology is relevant to the Middle East region.
Concluding the seminar was Mr. Massimo Imparato, who discussed his research on ‘Interior Outdoors of tomorrow’. Mr. Imparato revealed how design is evolving to a state where it is no longer the building and the architect that dictate the rules, but it is the expression and promotion of a building’s purpose that drive its design, resulting a ‘blurring of the intersection’ between architecture and interior design.