2017-2022
Ayah I. I. Alkhatib
Selected Works
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Biblioteca Public Library
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PXL. Multi Purpose Tower
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HOP-3 Lunar Base Desert Eyes Eco Lodge Extra Work
Information
Studio VI
Year 2021
Supervised by Dr Nadia Mounajjed
Located in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, UAE Softwares Utilized: Grasshopper, Rhino 6, AutoCad, Photoshop, Enscape
Project Description
The Biblioteca library is located in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, UAE, in the city’s oldest areas. The center derives its design from the concept of natural shapes and simple shapes that respond to the environment they are placed in. the Mobius shaped shell responds to the site by blocking and diffusing the harsh southern sun. The public library is distributed into three main areas; educational (classrooms, studios, and libraries), recreational (Shops and cafes), and entertainment (auditoriums, galleries, and a plaza). The shell organically sits on the site. It forms a sunken courtyard containing greenery from the original site, centralized, and it serves as an enjoyable plaza. In addition, the courtyard sits as a reminder for the visitors of the significance of preserving the environment.
Formation Diagram
The design concept of the Biblioteca Library is meant to impose on the traditional style of the area, meant to stand out and merge the old with the new. A Morbius shell is explored to achieve that juxtaposition, a continuous and folded shell within itself. More than 15 different forms of a Morbius shell were explored, some more complex than the others; however, due to the program, a more simple form was selected.
The site is placed in a residential area that houses one of the oldest malls in Abu Dhabi. The mall will soon be closed for the renovation of the area alongside some of the smallsized office buildings speckled around the site. Furthermore, due to the awkward shape of the site, this project chooses to expand the boundaries and create a park that connects the old mall and repurposes the old office buildings to serve as cafes for the library.
Information
Studio V
Year 2021
Supervised by Dr Nadia Mounajjed
Located in Al Cornish, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Softwares Utilized: Grasshopper, Rhino 6, AutoCad, Photoshop, Enscape, 3Ds Max
The PEL. Tower is a multi-purpose highrise located in the al bateen area, Abu Dhabi, UAE. the site overlooks a lagoon and a large park, which provide beautiful views that are a great perk of the site. The design concept was manifested out of collective living and human colonies. Nowadays, we feel more distant and fragmented; therefore, the architecture abstracts the idea of fragmentation into pixelization, where each unit connects to another to create a holistic structure. The form’s cavities serve to be a social hotspot, similar to that of Arabian neighborhoods, where some of the houses overlook each other and share common spaces for socializing and other fun outdoor activities. The building reaches up to 150m in height. The internal divisions of the tower are segmented into three parts: podium, Offices, and residential.
Formation Diagram
The project is set to be placed in the al bateen area of Abu Dhabi. The area houses a variety of modern-styled towers that make up Abu Dhabi’s skyline, and it was imperative to create a design that stands out yet does not clash with the sleekness of the cityscape in that area. The modular style of the building is a comment on the modernization of current times, creating a shape resembling pixels that form a complete image. It also allows for indoor-outdoor spaces to be implemented in the building usually absent in modern buildings, something reminiscent of old Arabian neighborhoods with patios that overlook each other, thus creating an exciting sense of community.
Site Plan
Since the design of PXL. Tower aims to create a sense of liveliness and digitalization. The facade implements a series of LED screens that display ADs and digital artwork to provide a dynamic and fun touch to the area. The LED panels are placed within a steel grid supported by a series of horizontal braces fitted on the concrete frames of the facade. The screens are only placed on the northeastern facade, the side that overlooks the street and the rest of Abu Dhabi.
Information
Sustainable Design
Year 2021
Supervised by Dr Sandra Meusburger and Dr Paolo Caratelli
Located in Lunar North Pole,The Schakelton Crater.
Softwares Utilized: Rhino 6, AutoCad, Photoshop, Enscape
The concept of producing food in outer space has become more popular in the past decade. Resources in space, like oxygen and water, are precious. Hence, lunar bases must find ways to provide these resources to elongate the astronauts’ stay. It is necessary to have fresh food available for the astronauts’ health as the nutritional value of the prepackaged food disintegrates with time. Therefore, growing food in outer space is more reasonable other than transporting it. This project explores the design of a greenhouse lunar base meant to supply food and a research base for a six-member crew consisting of scientists, technicians, and astronauts. The longevity for the base is meant to last for 12 months.
Formation Diagram
Exploded Diagram
Due to the problematic location of the base, sustainability and resourcefulness are not a choice but a matter of survival. One of the main approaches was to use modularity; repetitive modules made of light material would be assembled to shape the lunar base. Using the inflatable pods allows for easy construction and the possibility for future expansion and development. In addition, the modules would be covered with a 3d printed made out of local materials, lunar dust, to serve as a protective layer for the base.
A satellite will be sent to the Shackleton crater to analyze and locate an optimal position to build the Food Research page space.
An ecosystem of robots will be sent before the arrival of humans to the base. The robots offer a variety of configurations that will enable them to complete a multitude of tasks that will hasten the base’s construction process.
The excavation robots will level out the site. Then store the collected regolith as a building material for the 3D printed protective shell.
The 3D printing robots will initiate the shell construction process using the lunar dust as one of the components for the shell structure the thick shelter protects the research base from the high UV radiations and any incoming asteroids.
In this phase the actual construction of the center will initiate by sending in prefabricated pods that are constructed from lightweight materials and compacted for more convenient transport.
The compacted pods will unravel from a box into Oval shaped base.
The pods will inflate and expand from high pressurized air
Once the remaining pods are connected and arranged underneath the shelter, the Research Center will be operatable
Information
BeeBreeders (Buildner) Architectural Competition
Year 2020
Supervised by Dr.Nilufer Ozak
Located in Al Cornish, Abu Dhabi, UAE Softwares Utilized: Rhino 6, 3Ds Max, AutoCad, Photoshop, Lumion
Project Description
Desert Eye Eco Lodges is a canvas of beauty that provides a real-time experience of reconnections with yourself and nature. The architecture sets amidst an ocean of dunes and consists of lodges, each called eye. The Desert Eyes incorporates the functionality of the human eye through the adjustable roof design, providing optimal shade to combat the UAE’s harsh desert sun in the morning and a full view of the starry sky at night. The designed architecture comes in two forms where Sustainability, luxury, and privacy, go hand in hand with our VIP and Standard Desert Eyes. Each differs in size and has some interior features, maintaining the UAE desert’s ever-changing outlook for a versatile experience.
The lodges are available as two types, standard and VIP. Both have the same features yet only differ in size and interior, where the VIP is considerably larger than the standard lodge.
To combat the harsh sun in the morning without jeopardizing the view of the Milky Way at night, an interactive sunshade is added to the lodge. The system is heavily inspired by eyes and how they function. The sunshade also ensures privacy and maximum comfort for the lodges’ occupants.
The lodges utilize one of the prominent sources of energy found in the UAE desert; the sun. it’s used to power every lodge including the common hub, as well as heat up water and power the AC system
The lodges are dispersed in the area, they are all connected to the common hub Iris. To give a node to UAE’s vernacular architecture methods, the lodges incorporate palm leaves thatching in their design, which wraps around the exterior of each lodge to tie the look of each lodge and make it more localized to the region.
Plans and Sections
Standard Lodge Common Area
Vip Lodge GF
Vip Lodge
Mezzanine
Information
Year 2018-2022
Softwares Utilized: Photoshop, Lightroom, Clip Studio Paint.
Media Utilized: Copics, Ink, Penciles, and Canon EOS 2000
