Hussa Alghunaim
(she/her)

BSc, MA

Research student

My name is Hussa, and I’m currently a PhD student at the Welsh School of Architecture. My educational background is in Architectural Technology, graduating from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2020.

Through a personal interest in exploring current issues in architecture and design, I completed the MA in Architectural Design program at Cardiff University under the supervision of Dr. Marie Davidova in her unit, 'Synergetic Landscapes'.

During this time, I developed an interest in systems design methodologies and co-design tools, particularly in the context of expanding urban biodiversity. During my degree, I was part of a group who developed a prototype of an app to encourage circular economy in the Grangetown area of Cardiff, Wales.

I also designed a vermicomposting system encouraging co-creation between humans and worms, and supporting the expansion of edible and habitable landscapes. Throughout this process, as a group, we collectively created a Gigamap illustrating a narrative of our progress, inspiration, connections, and aspirations.

Currently, I’m researching the use of co-design approaches for biodiversity enhancement in university campuses, specifically in hot, arid climates, such as that of my home country of Kuwait.

I am interested in particpation, particularly co-design and co-production in university campuses. My research explores multidisciplinary co-design and cross-demograpahic collaboration for biodiversity enhancement on university campuses.

I am also interested in biodiversity enhancement in hot arid regions, particularly in the Arabian Gulf.

Thesis

A multidisciplinary co-design framework to enhance biodiversity in university campuses: the case of the Oasis at the Sabah Al-Salem University City

The aim of this research is to develop and pilot a co-design framework in order to create a vision for enhancing biodiversity in the new Kuwait University campus, the Sabah Al-Salem University City. The research will be particularly centred around the Oasis, an outdoor landscaped area at the heart of the campus.

This project will be based on a single research site of the new Kuwait University campus, as it is a new development with opportunities for biodiversity enhancement through the physical infrastructure of the campus. The organizational structure and internal stakeholders linked to the university will be included in the study in order to understand their respective roles in developing the vision. External stakeholders such as industry professionals will also be included in the research as they provide context to the wider issues of biodiversity enhancement and collaboration in Kuwait. They will be engaged through interviews, as well as through multidisciplinary workshops. More generally, the ‘university campus’ was selected due to the availability of diverse demographics and the presence of outdoor spaces across the areas that universities occupy. The university community and infrastructure represents a microcosm of the larger context surrounding it.

The focus of the research will be the engagement of the staff and students at Kuwait University alongside industry experts. This engagement will be applied towards the development and piloting of a co-design framework aimed at achieving a vision of biodiversity protection and enhancement in the Oasis. The framework proposed is a multidisciplinary co-design framework, navigated through the use of Systems-Oriented Design tools such as Gigamapping, and facilitated through an Appreciative Inquiry approach as an alternative to deficit-based inquiry. The current climate of decision-making and hierarchies in Kuwait will also be considered as part of the framework.

Applications of co-design are limited in Kuwait, especially for biodiversity enhancement. Biodiversity loss in Kuwait is severe, therefore, methods of enhancing biodiversity need to be studied.