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The subject of this thesis is 'Ethical Principles for Hospital Design'. The mission of this research is to identify the ethical principles for hospital design in the form of a structured framework for ethical discourse about the medical environment. I think this thesis addresses a gap in the current literature, in which, there is not really an already existing structured framework for ethical discourse about the hospital environment. The ethical principles for hospital design can guide designers to identify their ethical duties toward users of the hospital environment (e.g. patients, staff, and visitors). For this sake, I will be engaging with literature that is critical of using the concept of dignity in biomedical contexts, as well as, Nussbaum's capability understanding of dignity. In the introductory chapter, I will explain my reasons for working on this subject and briefly introduce the content of each chapter. In the second chapter, I will discuss the concept of human dignity from the viewpoint of Kant. I will then consider the standpoint of Nussbaum in relation to the meaning and the theory of human dignity. In the third chapter, I will link the idea of human dignity to the notion of human entitlements in the hospital environment. In this regard, I will explain and develop the implications of human dignity in Nussbaum's thought and, accordingly, I will suggest a list of the entitlements of people in hospitals. Such a list of entitlements is the first part of the ethical method in hospital design which I call the dignity approach. The second part is addressed in the fourth chapter, in which I will suggest and elaborate upon three ethical principles; namely, design for vulnerability, design for healing, and design for reverence. These will form my proposed basic ethical principles of hospital design grounded in respect for human dignity and entitlements. Suggesting the dignity approach, I will, also, be critiquing and seeking to supplement in a certain way the influential Evidence-Based Design approach in hospital design. The last chapter will supply a conclusion of the arguments of this thesis and indicate some directions for future research.

Building skins have become an expression of the unique forces that are defining their context, either tangible such as weather conditions or intangible, such as social and cultural heritage. Egypt is currently experiencing excessive importation of Western technology and design concepts in architecture due to the desire of rapid development accompanied by social and political changes, threatening its culture and causing an identity crisis. Nowadays, office building design in Egypt adopts the design principles of fully glazed western buildings that were built for different environmental conditions and cultures. The negligence towards local climates and heritage, especially in a country with a hot desert climate and a rich culture like Egypt, resulted in unsatisfactory building performance. The satisfaction of occupants with their work environment is important, both regarding well-being and productivity. Therefore, ensuring acceptable environmental conditions must be achieved along with the need to include sustainability–performance related features within any design. For office buildings, two of the primary energy demands are associated with artificial lighting and thermal comfort. Therefore, any approach that attempts to reduce excessive solar gains while enhancing daylight availability can be considered as a sustainable design strategy. Building skin is the key moderator between the internal and external environments. Historically, the environmental control through façade was static. However, recent technological advances enabled building skins to dynamically react to the external environment with the aim of enhancing internal conditions. Territorial adaptive building skin (TABS) is one example of this new types of building skins. The methodology proposed in this research employed a parametric modelling, building performance simulation and Genetic Algorithm tools for optimising the performance of TABS for a south facing office space in Cairo, Egypt, based on predefined criteria, at twelve different times during the year. The TABS integrated two subsystems: (1) Shading: a dynamic geometric pattern inspired by the Egyptian solar screen ‘Mashrabia’; (2) Daylight redirecting: active horizontal louver system, to harness the advantages of both strategies. The results showed that TABS achieved the required performance at all the twelve examined times using it's predefined capabilities regarding six performance indicators (task points illuminance levels, illuminance contrast ratio, daylight distribution, daylight penetration depth, solar gain and glare). Moreover, the TABS performance surpassed the performance of the fully glazed base case and two other optimised traditional façade solutions at all examined times. Furthermore, in this study, each physical appearance of the optimised TABS solutions was an authentic representation of the Mashrabiya form, which continually achieved to represent the Egyptian cultural identity. An empirical validation process was conducted using 3D printed physical models of optimised TABS in an artificial sky facility. Acceptable agreement between the validation and simulation models regarding illuminance values was achieved. Finally, the findings proved that TABS could be a complex geometry that satisfies the ornamental desires of the contemporary architecture and address the concerns over building performance and user comfort.

My research explores the early to mid-twentieth century architecture of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Nigeria. It does this by examining official colonial records, PWD surviving buildings and architecture professional records. By adopting these three strands of investigation, the research aims to better understand the department’s building operations, building types and designs, and the composition of its architectural personnel. More importantly, the research aims to demonstrate that a study of Nigeria PWD architecture significantly contributes to wider debates on tropical imperial architecture and Nigeria’s colonial architecture. There has been a host of previous literature on empire and its influences on architecture in the tropics, with a number of these studies examining the PWD in some former imperial environments. However, Nigeria’s imperial architecture literature is mostly limited to the country’s late colonial tropical modernist works, while the PWD remains largely un-researched. The only previous work found on Nigeria PWD architecture, is Davidson’s 1957 The architectural works of the ministry of works, Western Region, Nigeria. This focuses on drawing approvals, the architectural staff strength, and the building output and climatic design factors employed. But this is all presented in a two page article that provides very limited insights. Are the issues raised in Davidson’s study all there is to PWD architecture in Nigeria? Other emerging questions will be - what comprehensive building operations did the department undertake? What were the building types constructed, and was climate the only design consideration? Who were the architects, why had they worked there at the time, and what was the relation to Nigeria’s early architectural profession? To answer these questions and obtain the insights needed to build on Davidson’s 1957 study, the research methods employed are - archival investigations, to source official colonial records; fieldwork, to track down surviving PWD buildings; and unstructured interview so as to obtain a veteran’s account of working in the department. The data obtained is analysed in the three sections of PWD building operations, PWD building output and PWD architectural personnel. The main findings which emerge therefore are that, (a) although PWD building operations were being implemented at all levels by colonial officials, the native administration level imbibed significant native operational inputs; (b) Although PWD buildings were mainly initiated to serve colonial administrative purposes, the designs largely portrayed architecture as a vital tool for improved tropical health; and (c) although PWD architects were perceived as agents of a grand imperial building scheme, in reality they had functioned more as professionals taking up practice opportunities. On the whole, the mainstream arguments have mainly stressed the PWD’s role in imperial building agenda. However, the findings of the research indicate and also further the argument that within this wider agenda, the PWD also operated in what may be termed as localized agendas. While this better addressed the practical realities of working, building and living in the colonies, it also aimed to limit certain colonizer-colonized barriers.