PORTFOLIO by khaled jamal

Khaled Gamal

khaled.ahhmeed19@gmail.com

+393517915801

khaled-jamal-32a5931a6

EDUCATION

From 2022 to 2024

- Masters in Architecture, Urban Renegeration Program at La Sapenzia di Roma University, Rome, Italy.

Thesis title: Colonial modernism in the post-colonial era, The case of Beirut from the eyes of St.George Hotel. Advisors: Prof. Angelo Figliola, Prof. Francesca lembo Fazio

From 2015 to 2020

- Bachelor of Architecture from The Department of Architecture at Kuwait University, Kuwait.

Thesis Title: The Architecture of Political Power. “ Architecture as a tool and an end ” Advisors: Dr. Abdulaziz Al Saqobi, Arch. Fareed Abdal. GPA: 3.56 / 4.00

EXPERIENCE

Architect - Remote March 2023 to Present

- Furniture designer at Nazzek Furniture Company,, responsible for designing annual dining setting including, tables, chairs, sideboards, and interior setting.

- Responsible for producing high quality renders and detailed drawings for various projects from high-end dining setting to commercial projects.

Teacher Assistant Feb 2024 to Present

- Following Prof. Angelo Figliola Environmental technological Studio for Urban Regeneration course that revolves around environmental design studio, that discuss the possibilities of transforming under-utilised, hidden, and abandoned spaces into architectural nodes that aren’t only sustainable and highly-efficient but also aesthetically and symbolically coherent.

- Attending Jury and giving seminars on the use of Climate Studio and grasshopper and extracting Bio-climatic information and applying it during site analysis, design development and concept proof stages

Researcher / Designer

From December 2022 to August 2022

- Joined as a researcher and designer with an architectural background, focusing on developing computational and product design techniques for medical applications. I established an Innovation Lab at Jaber Al Ahmed Hospital specializing in 3D printing for the medical field.

- My role included introducing 3D printing solutions, localizing production methods, and educating doctors on the technology’s potential for enhancing medical practices.

Architect

July 2021 to September 2022

- Full time Architect at Edama Consult specializing in designing energy efficient residential buildings with Solar power infrastructure installation. Responsible of the architectural design process from concept generation and development to supervising the final detailed drawings.

Junior Architect

From January 2020 until April 2022

- I contributed to a research initiative on urban sustainable development in Kuwait, focusing on the post-oil development boom and architecture’s role in this transformation.

- I co-authored the book Shelter, which documents research, methodology, and literature on formal and informal settlements across the Arab world, analyzing the political, social, and economic factors driving these developments.

Junior Architect

April 2021 until 2021 August

- Junior Architect at Bonyan.Kw design consultancy. Collaborated on various residential housing projects and interior design rendering.

Intern Architect

Dec 2020 - Feb 2021

- Internship at Parallel Studio. Collaborated on various retail and commercial design projects and successfully fulfilled and supervised implementation of 2 commercial interior design projects.

Workshops & Entries

Medea Workshop - Municipality of Carloforte

September 2024

- Presented an adaptive ecological pavilion design as part of the Medea Workshop, focused on sustainable solutions for climate adaptation in Mediterranean urban spaces.

Politecnico Di Milano

August 2020

- Scored among the first recipients of the best project and research proposal. In Sense Italiani competition about the use of Senses in architecture.

Space Wars Workshop

January 2020

- Invited by Kuwait curators of 2020 Venice Biennial in a workshop to participate in Kuwait publication (Space Wars) in the Biennial

• Rhinoceros 3D Modelling

• Grasshopper

• Revit

• AutoCAD

• Vray for Rhino

• Adobe suite

• Comfyui

• Midjourney

• Lumiun

• D5 render

• Audodesk Forma

• QGIS

LANGUAGES

Kuwait Fund of Development

March 2019

- Scored first place in designing a pavilion in Lebanon arranged by the Kuwait Fund of Development and invited to a site visiting trip to Lebanon

1- Shelter: A morphological investigation into the aesthetics of the indigenous. Part of a research of Kuwait’s future sustainable urban development.

2- Sadu Space: Stitching the Sea-Desert relationship. How can Kuwait’s architectural and cultural duality be bridged?

3- Co-living - Tiburtino III: Rehabilitation and regeneration of Tiburtina III modular blocks. Part of the environmental design studio.

4- Mura Aureliane - Indexing the Missing: A conversation design project aimed to preserve, intervene and index patchs of the wall back to the city. Part of the conservation design studio.

5- Villa Erasmus - Rehabilitation project: A regeneration project that aimed to upgrade the status quo of the adjacent context and the performance of the intervention using sustainable active and passive systems. Part of the environmental technological design studio

Academic Projects: Practice:

01 Architecture School Projects

1- Architecture of Political Power: The case of St.George Hotel

2- Comprehensive Studio: Al- Madrasa Skyscraper

1- Tla Felice: Interior design project of the Roma based bar franchise.

02 Architectural Projects

2- Villa Al Jasser: Multi-story single-family project in Kuwait city. Scope was architectural, interior design, supervision. I was the main architect involved.

1- Smurf Farmhouse

3- Levels Kashta: Winter desert resort conceptual design proposal.

2- Sense Italiani Competition (Sadu Space)

4- Venice Biennale: Mapping the Hinterland.

03 Other Projects

5- Red Cream: Interior design project of Bakery

1- Parametic Chair & Bus stop design

6- Bespoke Furniture: Featured best selling Dining/coffee tables

2- Venice Biennale Workshop

Architectural Typology

In C oll a bo r a t i o n w i th Ada n a D e s i g n a n d Fa si l a

Pr e ma cu lt u r e. Th e p r oj ec t is pa r t of a n in t ensi v e r ese a r c h fram e wo r k

o n alt e r n a t i v e b ui ld in g m e thods a n d t ec h niques in th e Ar a b wo r l d

A r e fl ec t i o n a g a in s t th e s t a t us of a r c h i t ec t u r e, c o n s t r uc t i o n, a n d

u rba ni s m. Al s o, a n e xplor a to r y oppo r t uni t y o n th e s u s ta in a b l e f u t u r e

of u r b a nis m a n d c o n s t r uc t i o n

Th is p r oj ec t a i m s to se t a p r otot y p e th a t e x e mpl i fie s n ot o n l y su s -

ta in a b l e b u i ld in g, r a th er d e mo n s tr a t es th e be aut y a n d ho ne s t y of

v e r n a cu lar n a t u ral b ui ld in g. Als o, a n in t e ra c t i v e e xp e r ience a s th e

s t r uc t u r e wo u ld be e r ec t e d b y v ol un t ee r s in a wo r k shop se t u p

w h e r e e d uc a to r s w i ll ha n d to ha n d b ui ld a n d e d uc a t e v e r n a cu la r

b ui ld in g t ec h nique s. Th e si t e i s lo c a t e d in A b dal i f a r m s a r e a so u th

of Ku wa i t a t ho u r f ar f r om th e urb a ni z e d ci t y Th e d esi g n a pp r oa c h

wa s to c r e a t e a dom e t y pology f or e a c h f unc t i o n. E a c h i s d i s t i n -

g uis h e d a n d in d e p en d en t w h i l e also bein g w e ld e d tog e th e r a n d

c ompo se d a s o ne w hol e Th e s am e n arr a t i v e wo u ld c o n t i n ue in th e

in t e r i or s pa ces w h e r e e a c h in t e r i or i s h e ld w i th d i f f e r en tl y b u t al s o

a c ompl e m en ta r y to e a c h oth e r. Mo r e ov e r, r es po n d in g to th e

c l i m a t ic c o n d i t i o ns sen s i t i v e l y a n d s t u d yin g th e sun l i ght p ene tr a -

t i o n to p r ov i d e ad equ a t e sun l i ght w h i l e also a v o i d h e a t rad i a t i o n

usin g mo r e tha n o ne l i ght in g a n d s had in g t ec h nique s

East Elevation

South Elevation

North Elevation

Tree House

Sectional Diagram

St.George Hotel:

Architecture as a tool or an aim

This project explores how architecture generates political power to shape, reshape, and control the spatial identity of a city, focusing on the concepts of Power, Identity, Memory, and Destruction. It will critically review the works of philosophers, sociologists, and architects like Michel Foucault, Elisheva Sadan, and Sare Makdese to investigate power dynamics—what power means, who controls it, and how it is exercised.

The core focus is on Beirut’s post-civil war era, where political powers reshaped the city’s identity by destroying its spatial narrative. This process, led by figures like Rafic Al-Hariri and the creation of SOLIDERE, led to the demolition of much of the old city, particularly in the central business district (CBD). The St. George Hotel, a key historical landmark designed by Auguste Perret in 1929, has been at the center of a long-standing conflict, facing attempts at demolition and renovation for over 25 years, largely due to laws created by those in power to control its future.

Starting through sketching and hand modelling the main concept was the insertion of a political incubator that will gather politicians under one roof and at the same time gather people to overlook those Politicians. The same concept of an hotel lobby where politicians informally gathers and disguise between people.Moreover, the notion of the spectator and the prospects, where under one structure the politician is always seen by the people who elected him at the first place.

Therefore, transparency was a main drive through the design, at the same time, the reinforcement of the building image to reflect against the city with firmness, thickness and solidarity. A way to express power and envy Dread from the building through architectural incisions. A way to amplify middle and high level meanings for instance, power is conveyed through the building image and narritive. Also, through empowering people to overlook and supervise thier politicians and revolve around them.

Buildings not only embed meanings, buildings are also generators of meanings. they construct stories, speak them, and document them. demolishing buildings and cities can be a way for a better future or to forget certain traumatic stories, but also the easiest and most effective way to wipe out a collective memory and the physical identity of the built environment. What is left from all ancient civilizations are their edifices. Stories about the humankind that lived once are written on the walls of the building, tombs are hidden and treasures are secured on structures that would live thousands of years to speak the story of people who once inhabited it.

Co-living: Tiburtina III Social Housing

Environmental Technological Design

From an existing building to a sustainable solution. The Tiburtino neighborhood of Rome is home to the studied space. Following a thorough analysis of the current state, a novel design has been put forth to improve the building’s efficiency and architectural quality.

The solution foucsed on active and passive systems of regulating tempreture and air flow with a specific focus on nature based solutions. This includes rearranging the spaces inside, adding green house terrace buffer zones to mitigate direct solar radiation adding vegetation to improve air quality. The structure looks out onto an interior courtyard with a small forest planned to improve air quality and provide shade.

Co-living: Tiburtina III Social Housing

Exploded Axonometric

Villa Erasmus - Roma

Rehabilitation of Ex-Filanda

Treehouse playground 400 sqm of rain-gardens Public space Bike

3300 sqm of green cover Urban Re-wilding

Lane

Ex-Filanda

Panoramic point

Villa Erasmus

Rehabilitation of Ex-Filanda

Centrally located in a densely populated area facing the Aurelian Walls between the Archbasilica of St John Lateran and the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme sets the basis for a unique chance of urban regeneration. The historical building, originally intended to be a craft institute, was later destined and used for different purposes.

Glulam Column (GLT)

Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) Roof Structural Frame Insulation

Timber cladding

Recycled Wood Envelope Cladding

Wood Cladding with Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) Insulation

Water-Resistant Membrane

GLT Roof Structural frame Wood Boards

CLT Structural panels

Mura Aureliane - Indexing the Missing

Through surveying the evolution and the current state of the wall. The aim is to highlight the stories and voices that have been left out. We're researching and designing to bring attention to the overlooked collasped parts of the galleria of the Aurelian wall.

Gio Ponti, Alessandro Mendini, and Mario Cresci were the major sources of inspiration for this concept. The first was Ponti's teachings on utilizing colors from the surroundings to create unlimited possibilities in tile patterns, furniture, and other areas utilizing the same color scheme. The second was Mendini's use of classical furniture, which he transformed into a new vision by adding a new layer of colors, materials, and so on. Finally, Cresci's pictures from the Culture Heritage lecture demonstrated how common culturally entrenched elements are transgendered and presented in new ways, revealing hidden levels of significance.

As a result, my idea attempted to encapsulate some of these notions and adapt them to a different environment, in this case Kuwait. First and foremost, I've always been fascinated by Kuwait's nomadic culture and its engagement with the city throughout history. Also, how has the junction of nomadic and urban culture in Kuwait developed and taken diverse forms before and after the oil era? As a result, my idea provides a chance to reimagine the city-desert link.

The desert was famed before Kuwait's oil boom for "Sadu," a textile woven and patterned in limitless forms from sheep's fur. For long, Sadu was indispensable as an architectural solution for shelter, furniture, cloth, and a variety of other uses. On the other hand, sea front was renowned for their use of clay earth and mud.

The experience that I want to provoke is the merge of sea and dessert trying to discover other possibilities of some well-known cultural symbols from the desert and the sea. For instance, the encloser takes the contours of the hill, but also embodies the structure of a desert tent. However, the clay texture indexes the urban city while the addition of Sadu pattern engraving marks the nomad.

Al Jasser House

KASHTA LEVELS

Sand ripples Contours., Structures Stretching from the ground., Horizontality and transparency were the main keywords driving the concept form generation of Levels Kashta resort. Through exprimentations carried-out using various AI model generations like Mid-journey and Comfy UI. Forms where later tested and optimazied to contexualize and embed.