22/07/2026
🇪🇬 This week, our BA (Hons) Architecture students have been on a group trip to Egypt and have had the very exciting opportunity to work on a live design project in Heliopolis, Cairo, in collaboration with the Heliopolis Heritage Initiative and our friends and partners at University of Hertfordshire hosted by GAF
Together, they explored a simple but important question: How can Heliopolis continue to evolve while preserving the architectural identity that makes it so special?
Inspired by the history and character of this extraordinary district, our students developed design proposals that show how heritage can inspire innovation rather than limit it.
A special thank you to Prof. Heidi A. Shalaby (Head of Central Administration for Technical Affairs) for sharing her expertise in Egypt’s architectural heritage, and Mr. Choukri Asmar, Chairman of the Heliopolis Heritage Initiative, for opening the doors of Heliopolis to us and helping our students truly understand its history, architecture and identity.
We are equally grateful to our friends and partners at University of Hertfordshire hosted by GAF especially Professor Indjy M. Shawket, Professor Gehan Nagy, Mirna Philip Farag, and the whole team for their incredible support, generosity and hospitality. You made us feel at home from day one.
This collaboration was made possible through an IAA Impact Accelerator Award, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), helping transform research into real-world international impact.
The team look forward to working on the next phase of this exciting initiative!
Stay tuned... this is only the beginning. 🇪🇬🇬🇧
