Portfolio & Presence

To be updated soon

To be updated soon

Project Story

Weaving Modern Heritage into Contemporary Architecture is a conceptual research and design project led by Dr. Ahmed Agiel, in collaboration with Alessandro Colombo and Al Reem Al Shamsi. The project was developed as a proposal for the UAE Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2027.

The project proposes a new architectural vernacular for desert contexts by integrating modern heritage principles with advanced technologies, including 3D printing and locally sourced sand-based materials. Traditional elements such as mashrabiya logic, climate responsiveness, and material honesty are reinterpreted through abstraction and parametric design to generate high-performance architectural components. A central conceptual element, the Memory Pillar, introduces a participatory space where visitors leave personal traces, transforming the project into a living archive of collective identity. Through its spatial language and material innovation, the project positions architecture as a medium that connects heritage, technology, people, and place.

Project Story

Branding in Architecture is an advanced design studio that reframes architecture as a cultural, psychological, and strategic practice rather than only a physical form. The course introduces students to brand design strategy, personal construct psychology (PCP), and cultural sustainability, positioning architectural design within broader social and identity-based contexts. Delivered across three editions to 27 participants from the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, the studio was developed in collaboration with UAE University and supported by the UAE Ministry of Culture & Youth, with the European Cultural Academy in Venice as an international partner.

Students analyze established architectural brands—especially within Venice’s historic urban setting—to understand how architectural identity is shaped and communicated over time. Combining theory, case studies, and hands-on design, the course includes workshops and site-based learning in Venice, enabling students to produce culturally responsive, concept-driven architectural proposals that bridge local identity and global discourse.

Project Story

As part of UAE University’s academic and cultural participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, the College of Engineering organized an experimental workshop titled A New School of Thought for Creative Architectural Design Studio at the Australian Pavilion. Led by Dr. Ahmed Agiel, the workshop engaged 62 architecture students and alumni in exploring innovative, psychology-driven approaches to architectural education. The model focused on strengthening creativity, analytical thinking, and intellectual depth while examining the psychological bond between communities and their architectural heritage, particularly in Al Ain.

The workshop presented outcomes from the earlier Brand Design Strategy Studio, showing that emotional attachment to heritage architecture is a psychological need that should inform design education and practice. Discussions emphasized integrating history, psychological tools, and competition-based learning. It concluded with the Staying F.O.C.U.S.E.D methodology, a framework for tackling complex design challenges with clarity and precision, advancing contemporary architectural pedagogy.