Urban climatology is a complex field owed to the intersecting parameters. In city planning, neighborhood fabric and vegetation plays a great role in modifying arid microclimates. This work presents an approach to enable urban designers to find the optimum land use parameters to achieve pedestrian thermal comfort. In this study, a model was developed based on ENVI-met simulations of two urban and suburban sites in Cairo, Egypt. Initial design parameters were; compactness degree, grass coverage, leaf area density, trees ground coverage, and asphalt and buildings areas. After regression analysis, the step-wise algorithm succeeded in creating the best fit of 94% R² and 92% adjusted R². The suggested Urban Design Comfort Model (UDCM) was examined using MATLAB to find the optimum design parameters. Optimum values were applied to generate primitive urban configurations using Grasshopper. The primitives were simulated again in ENVI-met to validate UDCM. The resulted value of Physiological Equivalent Temperature, PET at peak time was reduced from the initial result of ENVI-met (42.3 °C) in both sites to reach (38.7 °C) then (36.8 °C) after refinement with extra foliage. This approach, as a tool for urban designers, not only facilitates and speeds up urban form design process on a passive basis, but also provides deep insights on the development of UDCM considering all different city transects rather than two.

Historic Cairo, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, is renowned for its rich Islamic architecture, including sabils, which have played a crucial role in the urban fabric of this arid region. This study focuses on the oldest surviving Ottoman sabil in Cairo—the Sabil and Kutab of Khusru Pasha—as a case study for digital heritage preservation using advanced documentation technologies. We propose a flexible, dynamic documentation workflow based on the heritage digital twin (HDT) framework, which integrates both physical and digital-native processes. Through a hybrid methodology that combines 3D laser scanning, photogrammetry, and building information modeling (BIM), this study aims to transition from static heritage record-keeping to an interactive, semantically structured digital representation. This approach enhances the efficiency and accuracy of documentation, supports long-term conservation, and facilitates immersive public engagement. Quantitative data, including scan resolution and processing time, are used to assess the effectiveness of the adopted workflow. The digital twin created from this case study offers a replicable model for safeguarding similar mid-scale heritage assets across Islamic Cairo. Furthermore, integrating HDTs into virtual tourism frameworks creates new possibilities for cultural accessibility, education, and sustainable tourism development. By illustrating how historical buildings like the Khusru Pasha Sabil can be virtually preserved, monitored, and promoted, this study highlights the transformative potential of digital twin technology in heritage conservation. It contributes to the evolving discourse on smart documentation and management strategies, aligning with global sustainability goals and digital heritage preservation initiatives.

Architecture students have a limited understanding of technology’s pedagogical benefits, which creates a gap between the potential of technology-enhanced learning and its actual implementation. A promising solution to this underlying problem would be the integration of GAI in architecture education. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of GAI in architecture education from students’ perspectives. A self-developed questionnaire was employed to collect data from 239 architecture students from three universities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Frequency distribution and structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed for data analysis. The study found a low level of awareness and moderate level of perception toward GAI. Integrating GAI into architecture education through knowledge and ethical awareness enhances students’ general skills competency and architecture and design expertise. Students who perceive GAI as beneficial enhance their general skills competency, while those who perceive GAI as challenging undermine their architecture and design expertise. The study also reported that students who intend to integrate GAI in architecture education have high ethical awareness toward GAI and possess a positive perception about GAI while inclining toward its benefits. Students should gain a better understanding of GAI tools and the ways to use them in architecture education in order to improve their general and field-specific skills proficiency. Educators must work with students to enhance their knowledge about GAI and the perception of its benefits and challenges, so that a focused skills development can transform students’ basic competencies to advanced architecture and design expertise.