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Quality of Life in the Built Environment

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Research on the Quality of Life in the Built Environment supports SDG3 by examining how the built environment influences physical and mental health. It aligns with SDG9 by promoting the development of efficient and resilient infrastructure. It also contributes to SDG11 by fostering inclusive, safe and sustainable urban spaces. by addressing these goals, this subtheme enhances the well-being of individuals and communities.

health and wellbeing

Description of Subtheme:

The research subtheme "Quality of Life in the Built Environment" is dedicated to redefining the symbiotic relationship between individuals and the spaces they inhabit. It seeks to explore, innovate, and redefine the parameters of architectural practice to create environments that not only serve functional needs but also uplift the overall well-being and satisfaction of the inhabitants.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Quality of Life is the individuals’ perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a multifaceted concept used by a variety of disciplines and at different spatial levels. Theoretically, Quality of Life relates to happiness, health, comfort, life satisfaction and needs satisfaction approaches. Its measurement is multidimensional. The Built Environment refers to human-made conditions such as architecture, landscape, urban planning, public health, among others. To measure the Quality of Life in the Built Environment, that needs conducting research to fulfil the human desires and to serve mid-and-low-income layers of society. The outsider factors that may harm individuals are diverse, such as noise, environmental pollutants, and general neighborhood conditions including infrastructural adequacy, which can facilitate or hinder physical and psychological functioning. This subtheme is aligned with three UN-SDGs: SDG3. Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG4. Quality Education, and SDG6. Clean Water and Sanitation.

Research Action Plan:

The faculty adopts this subtheme through prioritizing "Health and Life Safety" as an important requirement matching with the recent circumstances of environmental dangers, the expected pandemic spread, or man-made disasters. The aim beyond adopting this subtheme is to let our students demonstrate authoritative knowledge of statutory frameworks to safeguard the community and end user. Improving the Quality of Life needs serious research investigating the relation between the human behavior and the surrounding environment. Without a doubt, the status qua of individuals in our local community - due to several factors - needs urgent enhancement, to fulfil their basic requirements. Tens of research projects are required to reach the accepted standards of people’s quality of life. The faculty, therefore, envisions that staff members and students can conduct research under this subtheme through searching for grants, offered by national and international bodies.

The welcomed tracks that may serve this subtheme are:

  • Health and life safety criteria in buildings
  • Healthy cities and urban health initiatives
  • Quality of life in urban design and planning
  • Healthy interior design features

On both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, the faculty offers some courses, such as "Urban Design", "City and Town Planning", and "Execution Design", and others concern with health and quality of life. On parallel, architectural design instructors are keen to ensure that students apply the criteria of health and life safety in their design projects. We encourage adopting multi-disciplinary research, gathering other disciplines with architecture and urban design. For instance: Hygiene, psychology, physical health, safe traffic, and landscape are fields that intersect with architecture. Beirut Arab University provides an Urban Laboratory, Environmental Laboratory, licensed software programs, and library references to facilitate conducting research under this subtheme. In 2018, the faculty organized an international conference, titled: Urban Health & Wellbeing - in partnership with International Science Council (ISC) and International Society for Urban Health (ISUH). It was a fruitful forum to discuss the latest topics that amalgamate architecture of the built environment and individuals’ quality of life. We target to encourage our staff members and students to publish research papers in indexed and high-ranking journals. Prominent research papers the faculty wishes to highlight under each subtheme.

Prominent Research:

  • Boushra Naim and Mary Felix (2022). Cycling Safety Problems in Urban Context. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 28, Issue 1, published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Mary Felix and Mostafa El-Hefnawi (2021). Forward to enhancing Informal Transportation Stations in Crowded Cities. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 25, Issue 1, published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Valerie Kassem and Ayman Afify (2021). Developing Design Guidelines towards safer Park - The case of Ramlet El-Baida. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 27, Issue 2, published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Christina Najem, Maged Youssef, Marwan Halabi, and Hiba Mohsen (2021). The Role of Smart Architectural Elements in reducing the Pandemic Effect in Residential Compounds. BAU Journal - Health & Wellbeing, Vol. 3, Issue 3, published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Farah Mefleh, Hiba Mohsen, and Baher Farahat (2021). Exploring the qualities of Child-Friendly outdoor spaces - A field study in a Low-Income Neighbourhood in Sabra, Beirut, Lebanon. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 27, Issue 1, published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Baher Farahat (2020). Towards improving the quality of workspaces for a better human performance in Lebanon. Proceedings of the International Conference on Architecture and Civil Engineering ACE2020: Building the World with innovative Structures towards a Sustainable Future, 12-13 March 2020, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Hisham Al-Arnaouty, Nader Azab, and Osama Omar, (2020). Health and Wellbeing Re-Visited: An Exploratory Study towards a “Healthy & Wellbeing University Campus. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ), Vol. 25, Issue 1, published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Salah Missi and Maged Youssef (2018). Architecture against Crime. Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Urban Health & Wellbeing, Beirut Arab University in partnership with International Science Council, ISC, & International Society for Urban Health, ISUH, hosted by Beirut Arab University, Debbieh Campus, Lebanon, 23-25 October 2018. The proceeding is a special edition of BAU Journal - Health & Wellbeing.
  • Khaled El-Daghar. (2018). Applying Learning Methods with Architecture Students to Improve Indoor Quality for Health and Wellbeing in Buildings – Case Study: Enhancing Lighting Efficiency of Public Spaces. Special Issue, BAU Journal: Health & Wellbeing: 1(1), 635-646, ISSN 2617-1635. Published by Elsevier Digital Commons.
  • Maged Youssef and Nour El-Baba (2017). Guidelines of upgrading Quality of Life in Low Income Areas - Case Study: Sabra-Tarik Jdideh, Beirut, Lebanon. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment 226, 391-403 - Proceedings of (9th International Conference on Sustainable Development & Planning), Wessex Institute of Technology, hosted by the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK, 27-29 June 2017.
  • Khaled El-Daghar. (2017). Performance Improvement Plan in Building Process According to Quality Leaders and Quality Improvement Tools and Techniques. Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ): 24(1), 67-82, ISSN 2079-4096. Published by Elsevier Digital Commons. DOI: https://digitalcommons.bau.edu.lb/apj/vol24/iss1/5
  • Maged Youssef (2017). Problems of Neglected Places under Bridges - Case Study: Yerevan Bridge, Beirut, Lebanon. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment 226, 739-750 - Proceedings of (9th International Conference on Sustainable Development & Planning), Wessex Institute of Technology, hosted by the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK, 27-29 June 2017.
  • Maged Youssef and Bashir Abou-Ali (2017). Revival of the Forgotten Rivers through recreating a Cultural Promenade - Case Study: Revival of Beirut River, Lebanon. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment 226, 725-737 - Proceedings of (9th International Conference on Sustainable Development & Planning), Wessex Institute of Technology, hosted by the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK, 27-29 June 2017.
  • Adeeb Sidani and Maged Youssef (2016). Potential of Fresh Water Supply in Developing Countries. Proceedings of CATE-16, International Conference on Civil, Architecture, and Transportation Engineering, Organised by the International Association of Civil, Agriculture, and Environmental Engineering Researchers, Dubai, UAE, 10-11 January 2016.