Dr Yasser Megahed

Publication

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Research

My research interests include methods of design research, interrogating cultures of contemporary architectural practice through practice-based methodologies, in addition to a specific interest in design fiction, storytelling and cartoons as tools for communicating architectural ideas. My research culminated in the single-author book and architectural graphic novel: Practiceopolis, Journeys in the Architectural Profession (published: July 20202 by Routledge). The book is an architectural graphic novel that crosses over between design research and professional practice literature. It acts as an exemplar of unorthodox practice-based research around the values of the contemporary architectural profession. My research has been translated into several book chapters and journal papers that include papers in JAE, Interstices, and arq journals as well as a forthcoming book chapter in the edited book: Creative Practice Inquiry in Architecture, ed. by Mason A. and Sharr A. (Routledge, 2022). My research has attracted several funds from De Montfort University as well as the Newcastle University Institute of Creative Practice (NICAP). I am also interested in the critique of contemporary mosque typology, where he has produced several publications. I am a recurrent invitee, keynote speaker and conference chair for several research events for Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture and Bahrain University.

My current research involves:

• The Evolution of Design Research in Architecture
• Design Fiction, Comics, Cartoons, and Graphic Novels as a research tool for architecture
• Critiquing mainstream ‘commercial’ architecture and professional practice, the Value of the Architect, Value conflict in the building industry.
• Critique of Contemporary Mosque Design

PUBLICATIONS

Books:

Megahed, Y. Practiceopolis: Stories from the Architectural Profession (London: Routledge, 2020).

Book Chapters:

Megahed, Y., ‘Storying Practiceopolis’ in Creative Practice Inquiry in Architecture, ed. Mason A. and Sharr A. (London: Routledge, forthcoming 2022).

Megahed Y. ‘Dramatising Conflicts in Architectural Production: Using an Architecturally-themed Graphic Novel to Examine Competing Ideologies at Work among Actors of the Contemporary Construction Industry’ in RIBA President’s Awards for Research 2020/21 Book of Abstracts, ed. by. (London: RIBA, forthcoming 2022).

Megahed, Y. ‘Is the mosque a male-dedicated building?! A critical view on women praying space in contemporary mosque design’, in Mosque: Building crosses cultures, ed. by Al Naim, M., et al. (Al Khobar: Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture, forthcoming 2022).

Megahed, Y. ‘Has mosque design really developed? Notes on the hidden complexities of mosques’ architectural brief’ in Mosque architecture: Present issues and future ideas, ed. by Al Naim, M., et al. (Al Khobar: Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture and Kuala Lumpur: Institut Terjemahan & Buku Malaysia Berhad (ITBM), 2019) pp. 139-153.

Megahed Y. and Connolly K. ‘On value conflicts: negotiating difference in the renovation of historic buildings’ in REHAB 2017, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Preservation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Historical Buildings and Structures, ed. by Amoêda, R., Lira, S., and Pinhiero, C. (Barcelos: Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017) pp. 759-768.

Sharr A., Connolly K., Longfield J., and Megahed Y., ‘The pleasure’s all ours: Productive trades between practice and research’ in Asymmetric Labour, ed. by Deamer P. (New York: Architecture Lobby, 2016) pp. 220-224.

Megahed Y. ‘Practiceopolis: Journeys in the architectural profession’ in RIBA President’s Awards for Research 2017 Book of Abstracts, ed. by Martindale K. and Dixon D. (London: RIBA, 2017) pp. 66-71.

Journal papers:

Megahed, Y. ‘On ‘normative’ architecture: Notes on the domination of the technical-rational mode of thinking on mainstream architectural production: A historical highlight’, Materia Arquitectura 19 (2021): 98-103.

Megahed, Y. ‘Acerca de la Arquitectura “Normativa”. Notas acerca del dominio del modo técnico-racional de pensamiento en la producción arquitectónica convencional: Una revision histórica’, Materia Arquitectura 19 (2021): 35-43.

Megahed, Y. and Sharr A. ‘Practiceopolis: From an imaginary city to a graphic novel’, JAE, Journal of Architectural Education 72.1 (2018): 146-166.

Megahed, Y. ‘On research by design’, arq: Architectural Research Quarterly, 21/4 (2017), 338-343.

Megahed, Y. Sharr A., and Farmer, G. ‘Practiceopolis: Journeys through the contemporary architectural profession’, Interstices: Journal of Architecture and Related Arts (2017).

Conferences:

Megahed, Y. ‘Revisiting the majaz: Reading the embodied multi-sensory experience in the threshold space of Al-Sultan Hassan mosque in Cairo’, in Embodied Awareness and Space (EAS) Symposium, (Newcastle, 2021).

Megahed, Y. ‘Practiceopolis: A case study on practice-based research’, the AHRA Annual Symposium, (Newcastle: 2020).

Megahed, Y. ‘Architectural graphic novels as a potential method for practice-based research—A detailed case study’, in 16th Annual International Conference of the Architectural Humanities Research Association AHRA, Architecture Collective Life, (Dundee, 2019).

Megahed, Y. ‘Dramatising bureaucracy in architectural production: Using an architectural Graphic novel to examine the competing ideologies of multiple actors in the contemporary construction industry’, in Architecture and Bureaucracy: Entangled Sites of Knowledge Production and Exchange International Conference, (Brussels, 2019).

Megahed, Y. ‘Design Office, An Experiment in Practice-based Research’, RIBA North East Research & Innovation Symposium, (Newcastle, 2018).

Megahed Y. ‘Practiceopolis: Setting-out an imaginary city of architectural practice’, in Setting Out - 11th AHRA PhD Symposium (Dublin, 2014).

Megahed Y. and Gabr H., ‘Quantitative architectural aesthetic assessment’ in the Conference of Aesthetics + design: Dresden International Symposium; 21st Biennial Congress of International Association of Empirical Aesthetics, IAEA, (Dresden, 2010).

Teaching

I have a broad experience in Higher Education in the UK and Egypt in architecture and the built environment. I am a Fellow of Higher Education FHEA. Prior to joining WSA, I was Senior Lecturer at Leicester School of Architecture where I worked as Design Studio and Year Leader for BA2. Previously I taught design studio and architectural history and theory modules at the School of Architecture, Newcastle University and at the Department of Architecture, Cairo University.

Responsibilities

I contribute to the following areas of activity at the Welsh School of Architecture:

• Deputy Module Leader of Design Studio 2 (Year 2)
• Deputy Module Leader of Design Studio 2 (MArch 1)
• Tutor in the Research Prep. Module (MArch 1)
• Dissertation Supervisor (MArch 2)
• Postgraduate Research Supervision (PhD)
• Personal Tutelage

Biography

Yasser Megahed is Senior Lecturer in Architectu­­ral Design at the Welsh School of Architecture and Associate Architect at Design Office, Newcastle. Megahed is a researcher and practitioner with several years of experience in the profession and academia in the UK and the Middle East. He holds a PhD by Design degree from the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, as well as MSc, BArch-Eng, Dip Arch. from Cairo University.

Megahed’s research interests include methods of design research, interrogating cultures of contemporary architectural practice through practice-based methodologies, in addition to a specific interest in design fiction, storytelling and cartoons as tools for communicating architectural ideas. His research culminated in the single-author book and architectural graphic novel: Practiceopolis, Journeys in the Architectural Profession (published: July 20202 by Routledge). The book is an architectural graphic novel that crosses over between design research and professional practice literature. It acts as an exemplar of unorthodox practice-based research around the values of the contemporary architectural profession. Megahed’s research has been translated into several book chapters and journal papers that include papers in JAE, Interstices, and arq journals as well as a forthcoming book chapter in the edited book: Creative Practice Inquiry in Architecture, ed. by Mason A. and Sharr A. (Routledge, 2022). His research has attracted several funds from De Montfort University as well as the Newcastle University Institute of Creative Practice (NICAP). Megahed is also interested in the critique of contemporary mosque typology, where he has produced several publications. He is a recurrent invitee, keynote speaker and conference chair for several research events for Abdullatif Al Fozan Award for Mosque Architecture and Bahrain University.

In terms of Practice, Megahed is Associate Architect at Design Office, UK where he was part of the concept design team of the £25 million project of the renovation of the Grade II listed building: Armstrong Building, Newcastle, shortlisted for the RIBA North East Award 2019. He was selected for the AJ (Architects’ Journal) Magazine’s prestigious award 40 under 40 in 2021. Previously, he worked as Senior Architect and Design Team Leader at AUG: Architecture and Urbanism Group - Cairo, where he was involved in several projects and winning architectural competitions covering different building typologies in Egypt and the Middle East. Megahed has participated in several international architectural competitions and won the first prize in Al-Othaim Shopping mall competition, KSA, 2006 over 38 entries of renowned Middle Eastern architectural firms.

Megahed has a long experience in Higher Education in the UK and Egypt in architecture and the built environment. He is a Fellow of Higher Education FHEA. Prior to joining WSA, Megahed was Senior Lecturer at Leicester School of Architecture where he was Design Studio and Year Leader for BA2. Previously he taught design studio and architectural history and theory modules at the School of Architecture, Newcastle University and at the Department of Architecture, Cairo University.

Honours and awards

• 2020 Named in the Architects’ Journal (AJ) 40 under 40 2020 with the team of Design Office.
• 2019 RIBA North East Awards Shortlist for the Armstrong Building regeneration project, Newcastle: as part of my involvement with Design Office architectural practice.
• 2006 Winning the first prize in ‘Abdullah Al-Othaim Shopping Mall Competition, Madina, Saudi Arabia, winning over 38 entries from renowned Middle-Eastern architectural firms.

Professional memberships

• The Higher Education Academy (Fellow, FHEA)
• Member of Architectural Humanities Research Association AHRA
• Egyptian Syndicate of Engineering, Architecture Section

Academic positions

• Senior Lecturer in Architecture, Leicester School of Architecture, De Montfort University (2019 - present)
• Lecturer of Architecture VC2020, Leicester School of Architecture, De Montfort University (2018 - 2019)
• Associate Architect, Design Office, Newcastle (2012 - presently as an advisor)
• Teacher of Architecture, School of Architecture, Newcastle University (2013 -2018)
• Senior Architect & Design Team leader, the Architecture and Urbanism Group, Giza, Egypt (2004 - 2010)
• Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Cairo, Egypt (2010)
• Assistant Lecturer at the Architecture Department, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University (2004 - 2010)

Committees and reviewing

• Visiting Design Reviewer to other UK Schools of Architecture
• External examiner for the graduation projects at the Department of Architecture, Bahrain University
• Invited speaker for different events run by Abdullatif Alfozan Award for Mosque Architecture
• Reviewer for the new edition of the Saudi Mosque Building Code
• Award Nominator for the third cycle of Abdullatif Alfozan Award for Mosque Architecture

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising PhD students in the following areas:

1) The Development of Design Research in Architecture 

Keywords: Architectural Design Research, research by design, creative practice research in architecture, practice-based research, practice-led research

2) Design Fiction, Comics, Cartoons, and Graphic Novels as a research tool for architecture

Keywords: Architectural cartoon, comics, fiction, storyboards in architecture, Dramatising Conflicts in Architectural Production

3) Critiquing mainstream ‘commercial’ architecture and professional practice, the Value of the Architect, and Value conflict in the building industry.

Keywords & Topics: the Value of the Architect, Value conflict in the building industry, Corporate architecture, mainstream practice, commercial architecture, generic architecture, the architecture of bigness, globalised architecture, technical-rational architecture, architecture of capitalism, the architecture of neoliberal economy, professional practice, building industry

On CAD, REVIT, BIM, and Beyond: Interrogating the Promise of Technology, A Reading Through Mainstream Architectural Advertisement

4) Critique of Contemporary Mosque Design

Keywords: Contemporary Mosque design, creative brief, challenging architectural typologies, women in the mosque