AUS Architecture Students Unveil Unique Design-Build Project

Architecture students and faculty from the College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) at American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated their most recent outstanding achievement yesterday, February 17 at the unveiling of the Tarkeeb Gate House and Garden, CAAD’s first standalone, habitable structure created by students.

The Tarkeeb Gate House and Garden was created as part CAAD’s Design-Build Initiative, which sees students executing full-scale architectural projects of various scales from conception to final construction.

Led by Professors of Architecture William Sarnecky and Michael Hughes, the project was completed with the dedication of faculty and students, and was made possible by contributions of time, materials, equipment and labor from several outside sponsors. These sponsors and contributors include Dubai Metal Industries, Habitus, Qasioon Trailers Industries, Gibca Ltd, Fast Construction, Andrew Paddock Engineering, Fagerhult Lighting, along with University City Services, Voltec, AUS Project Management Office, AUS Facilities Department and CleanCo.

“Over the course of the project, more than twelve people representing seven companies have donated time and expertise to assist participating students as they worked from the initial, conceptual stage, through to construction documents, and finally to the full-scale construction,” said Hughes.

“Along the way, our design-build students have developed collaborative relationships with craftsmen in the building industry and developed new skills by working with professionals in the HVAC, millwork, glazing and metal-working trades as well as consultants from the allied professions of engineering, contracting and landscaping,” he said.