Shameel Mohammed

“Shameel Muhammed is an architect and an educator with a research focus on Computation Architecture, Digital Fabrication, and Robotic Construction. He holds an M. Arch degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the Design Research Laboratory (DRL) of Architectural Association School of Architecture, London -U.K. His collaborative master thesis at the DRL - ‘W.A.V.E’, addresses the regeneration of the disappearing coastline along the Thames estuary using algorithmic symbiotic systems.

Following his postgraduate studies, he has worked with world-renowned architecture practice - Zaha Hadid Architects, London. He has worked on several winning architecture projects, including the ‘Morpheus hotel in Macau – China. Shameel’s practice ‘Studio 7’ is a progressive studio with a key focus on residential and retail design. In the recent past, he has collaborated on several projects with a Dubai-based design collective – ‘Caravan’ where his expertise on digital platforms and fabrication methodologies actively contributed to design outcomes.

Shameel has extensive experience in academia. He has been associated with various design workshops at regional and international platforms such as AAVS DXB ‘Expo City’ - Dubai and ‘Future Earthen Shells’ at Boisbuchet – France. His works have been exhibited at various forums in the Middle East and the U.K.

Shameel is a member of the Council of Architects - India and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy – U.K.”

Shameel Muhammed is an active researcher with interests in digital fabrication, computation, and interactive architecture. He is currently a Ph.D. student (part-time) with The Urban Institute (TUI), EGIS Edinburgh, under the supervision of Dr. Harry Smith from TUI and Prof. Richard Coyne, Director of Research in Digital Media and Culture at the University of Edinburgh. The research topic – ‘Live City’ will investigate the benchmarking of smart cities based on citizen participation and their access to Big Urban Data. Part of the research is to revisit the definition of a smart city and investigate the limitations and opportunities of citizen participation in a smart city within a   ‘Neo-Patrimonial’ governance framework. 

Alongside the primary research on ‘Live City’, Shameel is currently leading a small-scale design and build project with a small undergraduate student team from Dubai. The project, ‘Alternative Morphology’, is based on enabling intelligent building façade and resilient skins to enhance building performance. The exploration expands to geometry, materiality, digital computation, and mechanical engineering. In its initial phase, the team intends to build three interactive wall installations of 2m x 2m, capturing core aspects of intelligent facades. The project has received nominal funding from the HWU Annual grant for its first phase. Upon completing the first phase and further funding, a full-scale prototype of a building façade will be proposed.

Integrating research with year two architecture design studios, Shameel has been developing the following research:

• Karama 2040 - will explore the possibilities of improving community facilities and green spaces within the dense and diverse residential neighborhood of Karama - Dubai. The research aligns with the recently launched Dubai 2040 Master plan which sets improving educational spaces, incorporation of inclusive communities and doubling green corridors as some of its key outcomes.
• Softscapes - The primary aim of Softscapes is to investigate how independent functional spaces can be overlapped, blurring their boundaries and edge conditions, leading to new opportunities and spatial definitions. The building envelope that conventionally defines the perimeter is approached as a permeable facade/edge, resembling the Middle East’s traditional souks. The permeable facade can offer functional and environmental sustainability by encouraging interaction and improving comfort conditions passively.

Shameel has been supervising undergraduate architecture dissertations. In 2021, a dissertation supervised by Shameel – ‘ ENLIVENING OUR WORKSPACES: Switching to an active work culture nudged by space’ by Venusri Harigopal, received the best undergraduate research award (Architecture and Urban Design) from Abu Dhabi University.

In the past, Shameel has been the Faculty Lead for the design and build of the ORA House at the first ever Solar Decathlon Middle East competition in 2018 (SDME 2018). The two-year-long design and build competition was jointly hosted by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy. ORA house is a 100 sqm residential villa for a small family based in Dubai. The house has an eco-system of active and passive systems that symbiotically work together to operate as a net zero residential house. Amongst various successes, the project received commendations in Innovation in Architecture, Engineering and Construction.”

• ORA House – An exosystemic approach to the design of a net zero house for the middle east - 108th Annual Conference – ‘Open’, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture – USA, 2019
• Improving student engagement in an architectural design studio(learning environment) by aligning it to a work environment - HWUD, 2018
• Team’ as a design strategy, W.A.V.E, M.Arch Thesis, AADRL - 2009
• Information is ‘Alive’ - Influence of Data on Built Space - W.A.V.E, M.Arch Thesis, AADRL -2009
• From ‘Function’ to ‘Performance’, M.Arch Thesis,  AADRL – 2009

Exhibitions:

1.  ADS[4] Project Showcase, X Architects, Dubai, 2019
2.  ORA HOUSE, Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018, Dubai - UAE
3.  PolyArk 4, Sharjah Art Foundation
4.  ADS[3] Project Showcase, ATKINS, Dubai, 2017
5.  Emergence, Public Art Installation - Innovator 2015, Abu Dhabi
6.  False Ceiling, Middle East Revealed, Wallpaper*, London
7.  A4 Launch, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
8.  Quoz Arts (Venue Branding), Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
9.  Beehive, Visual Art Installation, Sikka 2014, Dubai
10. False Ceiling, Visual Art Installation, Sikka 2013, Duba