MC2026 Conference Program
Keynote speaker
We are delighted to welcome Dr Rofayda Salem as a keynote speaker at the People & Buildings Masters Conference 2026 (MC2026).
Rofayda studied on the MSc Architecture and Environmental Design at the University of Westminster in 2018–19 and won the MC2019 Best Paper Award for her research on the environmental performance of the traditional Mashrabiya.
Seven years later, she returns to the conference as a keynote speaker. Having completed her PhD at Westminster in 2025, Rofayda is now a Research Associate at ProBE, University of Westminster, and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the British Library.
In her keynote, “From MC2019 to Academia: A Journey in Environmental Design,” Rofayda will share her journey from Master’s student and conference winner to doctoral researcher and academic.
Timetable
09:15 – 09:45
Registration desk opening, coffee break and networking
09:45 – 10:00
Welcome address by Prof Hector Altamirano
10:00 – 11:15
Session 1
Session 1: Materials, Construction & Whole Life Carbon
Chair Dr Luisa Brotas
11:15 – 11:35
Question panel for Session 1
11:35 – 12:45
Session 2
Session 2: Building Energy, Passive Design & Retrofit
Chair Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan
12:45 – 13:00
Question panel for Session 2
13:00 – 13:50
Lunch, Coffee break and Networking
13:50 – 14:15
Keynote by Dr Rofayda Salem, introduced by Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan
14:15 – 15:15
Session 3
Session 3: Indoor Environment, Thermal Comfort & Occupant Wellbeing
Chair Dr Stephanie Gauthier
15:15 – 15:35
Question panel for Session 3
15:35 – 16:15
Session 4
Session 4: Urban Spaces, Architecture & Social Sustainability
Chair Prof Hector Altamirano
16:15 – 16:30
Question panel for Session 4
16:30 – 17:00
Coffee break and Networking
Awards, Closing ceremony, by Dr Luisa Brotas
Speaker List
Session 1: Materials, Construction & Whole Life Carbon
10:00 – 10:10
Adam Bigas
Development of a Timber-Stone Composite Floor System and Assessment for Early-Stage Design
10:10 – 10:20
Zahra Ghenaat
Balancing Embodied and Operational Carbon through Shading Design in Vertical Extension Retrofits
10:20 – 10:30
Shufa Ansari
How future decarbonisation pathways affect the life-cycle carbon footprint of rooftop PVs: A UK scenario analysis
10:30 – 10:40
Zahra Jahangiri
Design Strategies for Achieving Circular Economy in Buildings
10:40 – 10:50
Sean Wu
[Video Presentation] From Geometry to Reality: Prototyping a 3D-Printed Translucent Porcelain Facade Module
10:50 – 11:00
Deepsi Shah
[Video Presentation] Analysing Carbon and Cost of External Wall Materials and Construction Methods in the Context of Affordable Housing in the UK.
Session 2: Building Energy, Passive Design & Retrofit
11:35 – 11:45
Farhan Ishrak
Simulation-Based Assessment of Smart Adaptive Façade Retrofits for a Tall Office Building in London
11:45 – 11:55
Daizie Truong
Evaluation of passive design strategies for high rise office buildings in Ho Chi Minh City and their impacts on thermal comfort and energy efficiency
11:55 – 12:05
Samantha Loveday
Heat Deferral Acceptance Within The UK
12:05 – 12:15
Nivedita Sinha
Integrating vernacular passive design strategies in high-rise retrofitting: A framework for enhanced energy performance in Dubai
12:15 – 12:25
Sadia Aaminah
[Video Presentation] Climate responsive homes for Karachi: Residential Design for Semi Arid Climates
12:25 – 12:35
12:35 – 12:45
Shaden Alshwaier
Pragnya Thakur
[Video Presentation] To Retrofit or Reconstruct: The Environmental Future of London’s Ordinary, Unlisted Buildings
[Video Presentation] Housing Retrofits for More-than-Humans: Rethinking Building Fabric to Support Decarbonisation and Biodiversity.
Session 3: Indoor Environment, Thermal Comfort & Occupant Wellbeing
14:15 – 14:25
Dora Yilei Qiu
Timber Buildings and Indoor Air Quality: Evaluating the Relationship Between Measured Environmental Conditions and Occupant Perception
14:25 – 14:35
Ghadah Altammam
A Sensitivity Analysis of Insulation Material and Thickness in a Timber Frame External Wall
14:35 – 14:45
Merve Kanidagli
Beyond Occupant Density: The Influence of Local Bodily Proximity on Perceived Thermal Comfort During Congregational Prayer
14:45 – 14:55
Ciara McLarnon
What is the Impact of Thermal Conditions on Staff Thermal Comfort and Control in a Surgical Ward of a Northern England Hospital?
14:55 – 15:05
Xingjian Wan
Assessing the Effectiveness of Commercially Available Mould-Removal Products on Indoor Fungal Growth under Controlled Laboratory Conditions
15:05 – 15:15
Thirth Rishubh Jayapal
[Video Presentation] Evaluating the Suitability of Adaptive Thermal Comfort Models for Free-Running Buildings in different Climatic conditions in India
Session 4: Urban Spaces, Architecture & Social Sustainability
15:45 – 15:55
Areeba Rizwan
Publicness as a Dimension of Social Sustainability: Evaluating Regenerated Public Spaces in Manchester
15:55 – 16:05
Toby Miles
[Video Presentation] Regenerating Railway Stations in the Solent Region
16:05 – 16:15
Chara Pouliou
[Video Presentation] Transitional Space Typologies in Three Athenian Atrial Buildings