EDUCATION

Ph.D. in Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, 2008.
Master of Architecture, University of Arizona, USA, 2004.
Bachelor of Architectural Engineering, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon, 2002.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Mohamad Araji’s academic teaching and scholarly research involve architecture design as it relates to environmental building technologies, fundamentals of green strategies, integrated design process, high performance envelops, effects of passive and active systems on human comfort, and sustainable materials specification. Part of his research was earlier fulfilled at the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) and the Building Research Council (BRC) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Abu Dhabi University in the UAE as an Assistant Professor of Architecture, and overly lectured at several American universities.

As a practitioner, Dr. Araji has worked at leading architecture firms in the United States, Canada and the Middle East. His experience involves several projects of consequence at the international and award winning Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture LLP, including: the Chicago DeCarbonization Plan, the unprecedented 103% surplus-energy Masdar Headquarters in the UAE, and the world’s next tallest building, Kingdom Tower, currently under construction in Saudi Arabia. Numerous of these and other landmark developments plus winning design competitions seek the design of high-performance, energy-efficient, sustainable architecture meeting optimal ecological solutions. Dr. Araji’s work always realizes partnership with scholars at HOK, AS+GG, SOM, and P+W.

Dr. Araji received a number of design/research related awards, grants, fellowships and scholarships. He regularly publishes papers at leading refereed journals and conferences, including LEUKOS, LR&T, ASR, ASME, and JMAD. Dr. Araji is a licensed architect in the Middle East, a LEED accredited professional, a member of the US Green Building Council, a member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and currently in the process of becoming a licensed architect in North America. Other professional affiliations include: the Society of Building Science Educators, the International Building Performance Simulation Association, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the Order of Engineers and Architects, and the Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects, the Journal of Building and Environment, and the Journal of Indoor and Built Environment.

RESEARCH INTEREST

The 21st century is experiencing several changes in environmental technologies coupled with economic challenges that are significantly changing the practice of architecture. In order to cope with the viable sustainable design venture, design professionals must embrace interdisciplinary work and seek knowledge beyond aesthetics and technology. This knowledge must expand to social justice, environmental stewardship, cultural diversity, and civic engagement. By addressing these dimensions jointly, designers can advance beyond offering technological fixes, and identify methods for improvement suited to the creation of a coherent built environment.

Looking forward, there are several macro-goals that should capture designers’ attention. Presently, the planning of architectural projects and urban land uses requires a completely new methodology for the physical design of buildings, districts, institutions and entire cities. By quantifying and monetizing the relationship between how we build things and the energy that these projects use, we can provide tools to decision-makers on how they might reduce environmental impacts, prioritize projects, pursue funding in a strategic manner, and increase the desirability of our contexts. We need to analyze design’s impact on the production of excess carbon dioxide relevant to the urban condition. The analysis should include: built environment typologies; energy, water, and waste systems; transit and connectivity plans; smart infrastructures; and community engagement programs. Further to this is the analysis of existing buildings carbon dioxide emissions and energy usage through inspecting their age, use, condition, types, and integrated systems. For the future of sustainability, the current building stock must be transformed into a more efficient constituency. The Chicago DeCarbonization Plan is a perfect precedent for this paradigm.

Academically, it is Dr. Araji’s interest to work with students pursuing research and design projects that emphasize applied topics in sustainability, energy, and environment. Students should be able to demonstrate understanding of the concepts of human comfort and sensorial thresholds regarding environmental factors and the performance of ecological designs. To Dr. Araji, the context of student work should be based on the belief that evaluation, feedback, and critique are all vital components of the progress of design. Progress can only be achieved when this assessment loop is completed using credible and appropriate methods. Students should be exposed to a number of investigative and analytical techniques, including prediction, simulation, and measurement. This approach represents the seamless balance between the methodological imperatives and the critical concerns. In studio settings, the process of learning paired with critical examination ensures the student a deeper understanding of the essential experiences, connecting different subjectivities therein. The educational architecture design process is further enhanced by students’ self-discovery, strengths and preferences to position their work within the wider context.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (REFEREED JOURNAL PAPERS)

Araji MT, Shakour SA. Realizing the environmental impact of soft materials: Criteria for utilization and design specification. Materials and Design. 43(2013), pages 560-571

Araji MT, Darragh SP, Boyer JL. Paradigm in Sustainability and Environmental Design: Lighting Utilization Contributing to Surplus-energy Office Buildings. LEUKOS The Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society. 1(9)(2012), pages 25-45.

Araji MT, Boubekri M. A novel way of utilising Radiance-Matlab visualisations for façade design optimization. Lighting Research & Technology. 43(1)(2011), pages 103-118.

Boyer JL, Jalayerian M, Silverstein A, Araji MT. Systems integration for cost effective carbon neutral buildings: a masdar headquarters case-study. In: Proceedings of the 4th American society of mechanical engineers international conference on energy and sustainability. Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 17-22 May, 2010.

Araji MT, Boubekri M. Window sizing procedures based on vertical illuminance levels and degree of discomfort glare in buildings interiors. Architectural Science Review. 51(3)(2008), pages 252-262.

Araji MT, Boubekri M, Chalfoun NV. An examination of visual comfort in transitional spaces. Architectural Science Review. 50(4)(2007), pages 349-356.