Mahmoud Alsaeed

School of Architecture

PHD Research Student

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m.alsaeed@sheffield.ac.uk

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Mahmoud Alsaeed
School of Architecture
Arts Tower
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile

Mahmoud is a Board Member, Bursary Officer and one of the directors of the Housing Studies Association in the UK and an Early Stage Researcher at Sheffield School of Architecture. Previously, he worked as a practicing architect and urban planner with several years of professional experience in the consulting engineering industry in one of the leading firms in the Middle East and North Africa.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering from Al-Ahliyya Amman University in Jordan, a Master of Science in Urban Planning and Design from Qatar University and a Master of Social Science in International Cooperation in Urban Planning from Grenoble University. He is also certified as a Green Associate by the United States Green Building Council, a Certified Green Professional by the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development and an International Associate by the American Institute of Architects. Mahmoud's current research project focuses on the environmental sustainability of social housing in the UK. His research interests include sustainable design and planning, sustainability in housing, and social housing policy and planning.

Research interests

Project title: 

Environmental Sustainability of Future Social Housing

Project outline: 

Environmental sustainability and resource efficiency are vital concepts to improve and protect our planet. Both concepts are also relevant to housing design, construction and use. With the support of local housing communities, the UK social housing sector is set to increase rapidly. In the UK, housing accounts for 30 per cent of the total energy use, 27 per cent of UK carbon dioxide emissions, while at the same time, social housing forms up to 18 per cent of total housing stock. Therefore, we must reconsider new ways of building sustainable and affordable homes that improve the quality of the built environment and create better places for people to live.

This project addresses two challenges. On the one hand, it establishes a clearer conceptual understanding of low-cost sustainable housing by investigating the definitions, principles, and theories associated with its construction. On the other hand, it examines sustainability practices currently in use by looking at the sustainability tools, guidelines, codes, and standards for achieving low-carbon homes. Consequently, this project will answer the following questions in the UK context: how do we define and measure housing sustainability? What tools can be used to achieve low-carbon housing? How do we achieve a decarbonized housing sector?

A mixed methods research design will be used. Qualitative instruments, including a literature review and case studies analysis, will identify current sustainability definitions, meanings and methods of practice. Meanwhile, quantitative instruments focused on statistical reports and sustainability codes aim to review the existing assessment methods and develop a comprehensive understanding of sustainability assessment principles.

The planned outcome of this project is to develop a comprehensive framework that promotes the sustainability of social housing. This framework will be developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including local social housing communities. It will include a theoretical database that defines the theories and principles of “low-carbon design and planning of housing”; at the same, it will form a clear, practical guideline for achieving “decarbonized housing” by improving current standards and codes of practice, therefore bridging the gap between theories of housing sustainability and actual practices of housing construction in the UK.

Primary supervisor: Karim Hadjri

Co-supervisor: Krzysztof Nawratek

Date started: 10/10/2021

Research group

Design, engagement and practice