RIAS CPD: Retrofit, home design and ethics in Architecture

Tuesday 18 June 2024, 14:00 - 17:00 (online)

Event description:

On 18 June, we are pleased to welcome Dr Heba Sarhan, Research Fellow - Architecture, University of Strathclyde and Michael Dougall, Director at O’Donnell Brown, for an insightful event exploring ethical approaches to housing design.

This session will look at:

  • home design as a tool for supporting access to experiencing ‘home’ and alleviating barriers of social inequality

  • research on how home design affects well-being

  • examples and case studies for achieving accessible, adaptable home design in practice

Please note this could contribute towards the ARB 2024 mandatory requirement for CPD on ‘Environmental Sustainability’.

Programme:

  • 14.00 – 14.10 Introduction, Chair - Zoe Black

  • 14.10 – 15.15 Ethical approach to housing design - Dr Heba Sarhan

  • 15.15 – 16.00 Ethical approach to housing design, case study discussion - Michael Dougall

  • 16.00 – 16.45 Q&A, Chair - Zoe Black

  • 16.45 – 17.00 Close, Chair - Zoe Black

The timings and full programme for the day can be found here: https://media.rias.org.uk/files/2024/05/03/CDABBBC2-12AE-387D-0085-02104418817E.pdf. For group booking discounts, please see here. For future learning opportunities from the RIAS, please use the explore tab above.

About the Speakers

Dr Heba Sarhan, Research Fellow - Architecture, University of Strathclyde

Dr Heba Sarhan is a Research Fellow in Architecture with an interest in the blurred boundaries between knowledge, practice and community interests. Participatory work forms a central theme in her work in academia and professional practice in the areas of design, sustainability and well-being.

Heba explored new dimensions of home design and retrofit in her PhD and post-doctoral research. She is planning to pursue a following career step with particular interest in sustainable and community engagement practices.

Community engagement practices include an interactive tool that aims to engage members of the community, including children, in creating ideas for home adaptation for supporting wellbeing https://athomewithchildren.ac.uk/findings/homehacktoolkit/ & a game-based tool kit for engaging diverse stakeholders in conversations about home retrofit. The tool included comic illustrations and verbal prompts. https://retrofit.uca.ac.uk/events/retrofitting-post-1950s-houses-and-flats/

Michael Dougall, Director, O’Donnell Brown

Biography to be added shortly.