Laila Saleh
M.Sc Building Technology
Delft Technical University
B.Sc Architectural Engineering
American University in Cairo
L.H.Saleh@student.tudelft.nl/ lailahanyawad@yahoo.com +31617908513
Date of Birth: June 15, 2000 Nationality: Egyptian
Location: Utrecht, NL
Location: Islamic Cario, Egypt
Location: Downtown Cario, Egypt
Location: Fayoum, Egypt
Location: New Cairo, Egypt
Location: Vienna, Austria
Location: Utrechit, The Netherlands
MEGA, 1st Year Masters in Building Technology
Date: April 2024 - June 2024
The MEGA 2024 project in Utrecht, located atop the Hoog Catharijne mall, challenges participants to create an innovative, multifunctional design that integrates with existing structures, including apartments and vacant office spaces.
The goal is to effectively balance public and private areas, retaining or repurposing elements where beneficial, and ensuring smooth connections between functions that harmonize with the surroundings.
Architecture Designers: Laila Saleh and Jelle Van Amstel
Climate Designer: Mark De Kanter
Facade Designer: Djurre Barten
Structural Designer: Lynn Klootwijk
Computational Designer: Cansu Esroy
Maximizing daylight
Maintaining structure A green connector
The rotating hotel and twin towers in Utrecht create a dynamic urban presence, with the hotel becoming progressively smaller and more private as it ascends. The rotation optimizes privacy, daylight, and views, while bridges between the hotel and residential tower provide functional and experiential connections. Inspired by Dutch openness, a “village” concept integrates a park between the residences, connecting a restaurant to a communal garden. The left tower offers 3 long-stay apartments per floor, while the right has 6 shortstay units, fostering connectivity and vibrant, layered living spaces.
Preserving the octagonal identity
Location: Islamic Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
5th year Thesis I Individual Design Project
A joint program between the University of Salford, Queens University Belfast, and the American University in Cairo
Date: September 2022 - June 2023
This project aims to revive the people’s connection to the site by shattering all boundries created through the revival of the lost authentic stained glass culture to bridge the social, spacial, historical, and environmental gaps between the fragile past and the dynamic future.
Through a zero carbon initiative the project encourages sustainable solutions through environmental considerations, adaptive reuse of two historic buildings, reuse of the structure of an existing building, and a glass waste recycling facility.
Passive Strategies
Carving using light
Dissertation on color combinations
Heritage Buildings
The Bemaristan Mo’ayad sheik and the Tekkia are adaptively reused. The Bemaristan contains the rest of the admin and conference spaces, and the Tekkia is the temporary artisans’ residence.
The Cracks
The cracks start from the recycling plant to the main plaza. Each crack is a different experience and goes through a different function. The users go through the shatters to experience the stories.
Levels
The levels show the different typologies that create the stained glass village. Each building is a different experience.
Column and Flat Slab System
The flat slab system is the structure used in the rest of the project. It allows for the huge spans. Conceptualy, the system allows a smooth tansition from one system to another.
Slanted Roof with Solar Panels
The roofs are slanted towards the south to maximize the solar panels’ efficiency. There are opening towards the north to maximize natural cooling.
Green Roof
This is an accessible green roof. It is designed to create the main cooling area for the administration and innovators. It also aims to reduce the carbon emission and helps to cool the building.
Steel Frames and Glazing System
The steal frames are part of the main structure system that represents the main concept of the project, breaking boundaries through shattered glass. This is the main element that contains the stained PV glass throughout the entire project.
Site Plan
Folded Plates
H2 Steel Frames
Interplaying with Heights
Stained Glass
Concrete Folded Plates Systems
The folded plates system represents the main concept where the shatters are start and end. The folded plates are the envelope for the museum, aimed to create a sense of curiousity and dynamism
Lighting Analysis
Location: Downtown Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
4th year Individual Design Project
The building responds to the community’s need for a sense of belonging in the heart of Downtown Cairo. A gap between people and space was created with time in relation to the sensitivity of the context. Through studies of the origins of the urban design, the project utilizes the free masons’ approach and linkage. Biogeometry harmonics were used to create rotations that responded to the chosen nodes in Downtown Cairo. The concept of this project is to create a switch that promotes unity in a constrained context. The project aims to be effecient, sustainable, and effective.
Downtown is designed based on BG3 power spots
Date: February 2022 - May 2022 Key Violent Historical Events
Switched to negative vibration points due to violent historic events
Entrances as magnets based on original spots
Interlocking Concept
Rotation Concept According to Biogeometry harmonics
Rotation Concept According to Biogeometry harmonics
Opportunities
Waterfall
Upper Floor Portrusion
Circulation overlooking courtyard
Transparency
Northern Entrance
Green seating area enclosure
Seating Steps
Location: Al-Fayyum, Egypt
3rd year Individual Design Project
Date: February 2021 - May 2021
The project aims to focus on the health and well being of people and their relation to the farming industry. Through organic farming and a unique form, the agrohub is to be seen, experienced, and felt. A sustainable and contextual apporach is utilized to maintain the identity of the context through the use of natural building materials and load bearing structures. Due to its proven success in the farming industry, Biogeometry design principles were taken into consideration, and were proven to be effective by Biogeometry experts.
The building’s octagonal shape and series of openings allow for the circulation of comfortable winds while preventing high velocity winds
Transparency & Privacy for workshops
The processing area mainly relies on artificial light, especially in storage rooms to ensure temperature control
Natural daylighting is more prominent in the upper floors, highlighting the high level of interaction and activity
The terraces and offices are well lit, however, this floor relies on both artificial and natural daylighting due to the small sized windows used for privacy and noise
Location: New Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
4th year Individual Digital Design Project
Date: September 2021 - December 2021 Ninja Star Concept
The project focused on creating an optimized double skin facade using parametric tools to enhance the existing building’s environmental response, efficiency, comfort, and experience. Through an origami inspired design, the double skin addresses lighting, wind, and solar radiation exposure through programed sensors.
The double skin and the structural connection were assessed through multiple digital approaches including a VR emerssive experience and digital vabrication then modified accordingly.
to minimize solar radiation
The double skin proved to decrease the amount of solar radiation inside the building
Shading Analysis
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Meet the Team:
Houyem Snene (Architecture Student)
Drillon Buleshkaj (Mechanical Engineer)
Quinton Frederick (Architecture Student)
Emma Dal Pino (Architecture Student)
Laila Saleh (Architecture Student)
Rihab Oubaidah (Architecture Student)
Eloise Kalavsky (Accoustics Engineer)
Yuliia Frolova (Architect & Landscaper)
Location: Vienna, Austria
3 Week Summer course: Group Project
The aim of this project was to put into practice all the sustainable techniques that we learned to design sustainable and effecient affordable social housing in 1 week.
Greenery Pedestrian walkways
Landscape Concept
Concept
Building form generation based on solar radiation
Quinton Frederick and Laila Saleh
Structure and Materials
Mass Timber Structure
Concrete base and service core
Prefabricated CLT Panels
Low thermal conductivity
Vibration Isolation for balconies
Attach with standard thermal
Solar panels
200 mm Rigid cellulose insulation
The cooling load in summer is high Solution:
Shading, natural ventilation, chemical ventilation
HVAC Solution
Ground Source heat pump Heating/Cooling by floor
Pumps Connection to PV Panels
PV to supply the heat pump
AHU for ventilation of the spaces
