September 14, 2009

Mahmoud Riad, a recent graduate of the Master of Architecture program, won the AIA Maryland Student Design Award for his project, Architecture: Music, City, and Culture. Riad also received the Thesis Prize for this work.

Architecture Professor of the Practice Peter Noonan had this to say about Riad's work: "Mahmoud Riad's thesis took our school’s community to a place not frequently visited before. The initial research looked back through the history of ideas and texts that have explored the relationship between music and architecture. Following this research, an architectural investigation entitled Maquam: The Place of Listening gave shape and identity to these ideas along the streets of historic Cairo." The thesis was lauded for the way it brought together and synthesized Mahmoud’s wide interest in human culture, fostered in a variety of courses, international travel programs, and independent studies undertaken during graduate school.

Noonan went on to say, "With understanding and sensitivity, Mahmoud's thesis brought together his interest in the relationship between music and architecture; digital methodologies, analysis, and representation; regionalism; and an approach to architecture in tune with human perception and the senses."

 

---

The School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland is home to four academic disciplines: architecture, urban planning, historic preservation and real estate development. Committed to educating its students and community about the importance of sustainability and smart growth, the School practices an interdisciplinary approach to education, research, creative work, and community and professional service. For more information, please e-mail us or call 301.405.8000.

School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation  |  Collaborative Education for a Sustainable Future