The transcendent architecture : A cradle-to-cradle sustainability-achieving approach / by Mostafa Mohamed Ahmed Metwaly ; Under the Supervision of Prof. Dr. Mohamed Moemen Afifi, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Anwer Zayed.

Thesis (Ph.D)-Cairo University, 2023.

Bibliography: pages 162-189.

The research begins by investigating the sustainability factor by reviewing its
definitions and pillars and relating it to the architectural field through the principles of
the sustainable architecture paradigm. The research then tracks the relationship between
sustainable architecture and the used construction materials and technologies and their
roles in the current sustainable achieving strategies, especially those related to biological
systems. The research then examines the biomimicry strategy spectrum with its different
approaches, recent attempts, and obstacles through various case studies. The research
ends this factor investigation by categorizing the biomimicry different approaches
according to an advanced classification technique that the research developed.
The research then examines the nanology factor by reviewing its definitions and the
various terms used within the field. The research then tracks the relationship between
nanology and biology and how the latter inspired the approaches of the prior, especially
the molecular self-assembly approach. Next, the research executes two analytical studies;
the first compares biological and artificial examples that apply this approach, focusing
on mimicking the DNA processes, while the second targets the approach-related growth
phenomenon. The research ends this factor examination with a comparative study
between the natural growth phenomenon's sub-processes and the built environment's
different components, using various examples for each component.
The research then moves towards the factor of the cyber-physical systems by reviewing
the different categories of automated construction systems, especially the architectural-
oriented category, which the research then analyses to define the approaches, principles,
and working mechanisms of each system, focusing on the distributing systems. Next, the
research examines the role of cyber-physical systems in the fourth industrial revolution
and in fulfilling the architecture 4.0 paradigm. Finally, the research performs a practical
study to properly integrate cyber-physical systems into the built environment industry by
using transcendent robotics as an application. In this context, the research establishes an
innovative knowledge-based system structure to deal with transcendent robotics as a
construction tool. However, as a part of the practical study, the research executes a
simulation process to verify the functionality of the generated knowledge-based system.
The research ends by generating a conclusion by presenting a wrapping-up process for
the various theoretical and practical studies that the research performed in the form of a
group of findings and results, in addition to a hypothesis and question review based on
these findings and results. The research also presents a set of recommendations that
address architects and researchers so that they can build upon the current achievements
included within this research to enhance the overall performance of the architectural
field, along with a group of futuristic areas of research that could use this research as a
benchmark.

على الرغم من تبني مبادئ الاستدامة في الهندسة المعمارية وصناعة البيئة المشيدة منذ فترة طويلة، إلا أن التأثير لم يصل بعد إلى المستوى المناسب. تكمن المشكلة الرئيسية في أن مناهج تحقيق الاستدامة المطبقة حاليًا تتبع منهجية مختلفة تمامًا عن تلك التي تطبقها الطبيعة والأنظمة البيولوجية، بما في ذلك نهج التقليد البيولوجي. من ناحية أخرى، فإن الجمع بين الفرص الهائلة التي توفرها تقنية النانو والقدرات المبتكرة لأنظمة البناء المؤتمتة يمكن أن يؤدي إلى نظام بناء فائق متكامل من الأنظمة السيبرانية الفيزيائية. يمكن أن يتغلب دمج هذه الأنظمة على العقبات الحالية التي تواجه التطبيق السليم لنهج التقليد البيولوجي. في هذا السياق، يحاول البحث توفير خارطة طريق واضحة وموثوقة لعملية الدمج سالفة الذكر من خلال سلسلة كاملة من الدراسات النظرية والعملية لكل من المكونات المتعلقة بهذه العملية في شكل هيكل بحثي من خمسة فصول

Issued also as CD

Text in English and abstract in Arabic & English.