Reflection and transparency are two valuable properties associated with the use of glass as an architectural material. While proponents of modernism favored transparency over reflection, whether in its physical or conceptual implications, to justify the designs of façades of Modernist buildings and in architectural criticism, contemporary architects are revisiting the neglected trait of ‘reflection’. Taking advantage of the technological advances in glass and other materials that have taken reflection to new limits, they are able to design reflective façades, providing new implications and significance. This paper aims to fill the theoretical gap that arises from the different conceptual ideas of using reflective façades. It will also explore the implications intended by architects to be perceived by viewers, thereby facilitating the future use of these façades in a way that satisfies architects and attracts beholders. The research methodology employed thematic analysis of various experiences of the use of reflective façades in different buildings with diverse functions and locations. The vocabulary used by architects and their intended implications were analyzed, coded, and categorized under three main themes: ‘Aesthetics of Disappearance’, ‘Games of Optical Illusions’, and ‘Mystery and Arousing Curiosity’.

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into design education is no longer optional; it has become an essential tool for enhancing innovative design and preparing students for data-driven practice and rapid technological acceleration. However, ignoring AI risks professional irrelevance; it introduces a range of concerns about students’ cognitive skills and comes with many drawbacks in the education process, as it threatens the attainment of learning outcomes, renders a fair assessment process unachievable, and places academic integrity in a vulnerable position. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research employs semi-structured interviews with 27 senior-year students in the interior design department to gain in-depth academic insights into how AI influenced their design process in their term project and its impact on their cognitive development and decision -making. Instructors’ observations on students’ skills, their pace in the project, and their end-products were documented. This study demonstrates that integrating AI into design education cannot be avoided, making a new paradigm for addressing design education inevitable. Based on the analysis, the paper proposes a conceptual framework outlining key dimensions in teaching and assessing strategies in design education adopting AI, focusing on analysis, critical thinking, reasoning, and process rather than on the end-product and its presentation.

Airport terminals are considered transitional spaces in travelers’ journeys. They tend to be globalized in architectural features, competing to show their superiority by using the latest technologies and contemporary designs, yet it is often forgotten that they are the gateways to their host cities and that they should reflect their identity. This paper aims to investigate the impact of adopting the identity of the host city in the terminal’s design through different identity indicators, asking if it would enhance the user’s experience and motivate the passengers to explore the cultural side of the city. Through the analysis of four major airports in Saudi Arabia, identity indicators in the architectural design and interior settings were explored to understand how identity is reflected in each airport. A questionnaire was distributed to delve more into the impact of these identity indicators on the passengers’ experiences in the different spaces in the four airports. It appeared that these indicators create a sense of attachment and interaction between the users and the spaces, transforming them into places that have the potential to enhance travelers’ journeys and emotions to present a memorable and sustainable cultural user experience, elevating the quality of their trips.