The  American  University  in  Cairo      

   

School  of  Sciences  and  Engineering  

Department  of  Construction  and  Architecture  

AENG  351-­‐02  Design  I  

 

                                                                                                         Research  Study:  A  Home  for  the  Orphans  

 

Presented  by:  Ismet  Madkour                                                I.D.  #  900060127    Professor:    Dr.  Nagwa  El  Sherif                                          Dr.  Zeinab  Shafik      

   

2

International Case

Introduction

Santa Fe Indian School, located in New Mexica, United States, is a boarding school for grades 7 -12. It was designed for a special population of

students from the Nineteen Northern New Mexico Pueblos and other Native Reservations. Conceived as an extension of their traditional pueblo

home, the school’s learning environment was designed to support the educational process of these students living away from their families by

surrounding them with important cultural and

environmental markers. The school is focused on the dual

mission of educating students for the challenges and

opportunities of life outside the pueblo while preserving

and strengthening the cultural and spiritual aspects of the

learner’s Native American heritage.

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Site and Building Analysis

Orientation of the site plan is on a north-south/east-west axis in order to benefit from passive solar energy and natural lighting

and to emphasize and celebrate the Pueblo reverence for the spiritual nature of the cardinal directions.

The campus is organized around the Student Life Plaza. Academic buildings and dormitories are strategically placed on the site and around the

Plaza to form outdoor courtyards and to frame

important views of sacred mountain peaks.

Sustainable, cost efficient design elements

include: central heating plant, energy efficient

building envelope, indoor air quality, thermal

comfort, natural lighting, appropriate acoustics,

and native building materials that recall the adobe

building tradition of the Pueblos.

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Exterior

The design of the school brings together Pueblo culture, architectural forms, traditional building materials, educational

philosophy, and student needs across body, mind, and spirit. The buildings were designed to support learning within the context of Pueblo

community values.

The multi-story buildings are stepped back with building mass, exterior stairways, roof

top gathering places, and punched windows that recall the Pueblo design idiom.

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Interior/Plan

The overall plan provides spaces for learning, living, recreation, and spiritual growth in an inviting, home-like environment

that is safe, secure, and comfortable. Learning occurs in classrooms and throughout the environmental campus.

The dormitory consists of a girls and boys wing separated by a centralized living room, kitchen, and administrative area. Each wing is divided

into three clusters having the bedrooms, living rooms, and

bathrooms in each cluster. In each wing there is one laundry

room, storage and one mechanical room. The dormitory is

designed in the Pueblo Revival style and the three-story,

staggered configuration achieves the massing and stepping

appropriate to the style and minimizes the building footprint on

the site. A cultural learning space is within the dormitory.

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Area Division Chart

10%  

38%  

13%  

5%  

34%  

Services   Bedrooms   Living  rooms   Admin   Courtyard  

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Activities Relation Analysis

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Bubble Diagram

Personal

Rooms

Personal

Rooms

Personal

Rooms Personal

Rooms

Personal

Rooms

services

Services

Admin.

Courtyard

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Conclusion

The design of the dormitory building was essential to the success of the school experience for the students who come from a

tradition of very close family ties. The home Pueblos of the students are in sparsely populated areas unable to support education

facilities for today’s world. Both families and students make significant sacrifices in order for the students to attend school in the city and it was

important that the dormitory experience provide a family-like living experience for the learners. That is why, the choice of this case was

important as it is related in statement to my own project.

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Local Case Study

Introduction

Mabaret El Mar’a Al Gadida is a complete institution that deals with Egyptian orphan girls. Located at Manial Al Rodah, the orphanage hides

behind large fences inside of which major social work takes place. The orphanage hosts 200 girls approximately between new born children and

adults. Girls are taken care of until they finish their college

education, find proper work or get married. However, older girls

attending universities and working are moved from the main

building into another dormitory. They offer as well a nursing

education on a very high level as well as. The orphanage also

provides a morning nursery for those who are not able to take

care of their children in this period and need support.

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Site and Building Analysis

Orphanage

Hospital

Workshops

Dormitory

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Interior

The interior of the orphanage is simple and plain, and to a large extent deteriorated. However, there are major efforts to improve this case by

adding to the walls extra decorative elements such as wall paintings. This trial helps the arousal of the children’s joyful spirits.

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Plan

The plan is symmetric and considerably linear. The personal

rooms are all connected through a corridor and are directly

connected to the main garden of the orphanage.

The plan is simple and plain to a large extent that it’s not

stimulus to the orphans and does not contribute in the process of

their upbringing. However, it does not stand as an obstacle in

preparing them for a better life. In other words, it has no effect

on their psychological aspects.

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Bedrooms

There are four bedrooms in each floor. In the ground level, the first bedroom holds up

to 15 newborn girls and two supervisor’s rooms; the second holds 14 girls between

the ages of 4-7 years; the last two rooms holds 14 girls, 7 in each room between the

ages of 7- 10 years. The older girls occupy the second floor.

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Bathrooms

Each section of the orphanage has its own bathroom; hence, in each floor there

are three bathrooms. They are large bathrooms, well maintained, to serve the

large number of users.

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Exterior

The orphanage is surrounded everywhere by trees and greenery which makes it a

proper environment for raising children. The large garden on the side of the building

is large space appropriate for the recreational time of the girls. It is also used an area

for different visitors.

The building itself from the outside forms a large mass done in art-deco style, which

was the trend of the period in which it was built.

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Area Division Chart

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Activities Relation Analysis

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Bubble Diagram

Admin.

Services

Personal Rooms Reception and Lobby

Common rooms

Garden

Entrance

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Conclusion

This orphanage, although dedicated to girls only, offers a typical Egyptian social institution with its design and functions. However the design is

not proper because it is detached from the main statement of the project and does not help in the psychological improvements of the children.

However, it will help in the design of my project because it is a large scale orphanage that has different functions.

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Comparison

  International  Case  Study   Local  Case  Study   My  project  Location    

New Mexico, USA Manial al Rodah, Cairo, Egypt 6th of October City, Egypt

Design  in  relation  to  statement    

The design serves perfectly the statement delivered by the project

The design has no relation to the project And the style is not related to the orphan life

Inspired by Egyptian slums which is the primary society of the children

Exterior    

Vernacular architecture style Art-deco style

Interior/  plan    

Cluster like plan Linear and symmetric Cluster and asymmetric

Activities   School education and sports activities

Besides education, there is a nursing school, computer labs and workshops

All possible activities

Environment     Used Green architecture Not considered in the design Will use green architecture to enhance the statement of the project.