Ma'wa - مأوى : Residential Complex

Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering Architecture Department.

Idea projektu

Due to the problem of relocation of some Egyptian Residents in certain areas of Cairo due to the informality of the area or new development projects, etc. the idea of this project as born which is to offer these people a place to live and a crafts studio to have a job in a residential complex in Fatimid Cairo in front of El-Hakem Mosque, Bab El-Fetouh and Bab El-Nasr which is a place that attracts a lot of tourists which makes this location a great location for both the relocated people by offering them lots of clients and to the residents by offering them a great view and spirit.

Popis projektu

Ma'wa is a project that focuses mainly on the people and what they need. The ground floor is a commercial zone, which includes cafes and restaurants, crafts studios and workshops, bazaars, a supermarket, clinics, a pharmacy, a vet, and a tourism office. All cafes and restaurants and crafts studios, and workshops had multiple access, one from inside a courtyard, which is from the ground floor level, and one from the alleys, which is from the zero level. In the middle of the space, closer to the alleys, there are 4 steps as a transition between the 2 floor levels. This idea is to give the spaces a chance to integrate the outdoors with the indoors, imitating the old alleys of Cairo.

There are four accesses to the zero level, one from each direction: from the main street, from the secondary street, from the outer residential zone, and from the cemeteries zone. Note that the cemetery zone has lots of historical bodies that people often visit, so this access acts as a historical gate.

The first floor has multiple zones: a residential zone where the relocated housings are located, a wellness zone where there is a female gym and spa and a male's one, an administrative zone where there is a coworking space and a head office, and the last zone is a retail one where some cafes and restaurants are located.

As for the rest of the floors, they are all residential except a spiritual hall located at the peak point of the project to offer serenity with a time schedule to manage the female and male hours. At each residential floor, I was keen to specify zones for community gatherings called open terraces.

These area has seating and tables with cosy warm overhead lights to help people communicate and engage with each other. Also the privacy is one of the main objectives, which is why mashrabeya is used as each and every window opening to offer privacy and break the sunrays. There is also a flower bed buffer under each window opening in the hallway to offer more privacy.

Technické informace

Structural Description: The project is primarily constructed using a concrete flat slab system, except for the cantilevers, where steel is incorporated by welding it to the edge of the concrete slab with a structural grid of 8*8m.

Environmental Description: The project's form is primarily characterized by semi-courtyards, which play a role in pulling air due to changes in pressure, known as cross ventilation. An Arabic screen is used outside all window openings, known as mashrabeya, which breaks the direct sunrays to maintain good weather.

Facade Description: The finishing material used for the facade is earthy-toned stones and dark brown wooden mashrabeya to blend with its context.

Basement Floor Level: Parking + Services Rooms
Ground Floor Level: Commercial and Retail
First Floor Level: Mixed Use
Second Floor Level - Ninth Floor Level: Residential

Dokumentace

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