General International Congress of Engineering (ICE)
9th International Architectural Conference of Assiut University (IACA-9)
Planning and Design for Tomorrow:
Challenges, Experiences and Solutions
October 28–30, 2025, Hurghada, Egypt.
About IACA9
The 9th International Architectural Conference of Assiut University (IACA-9) provides a distinguished academic platform for researchers, professionals, and academics to explore innovative ideas and share experiences in urban planning, urban design, and architecture. Held this year in Hurghada, Egypt, the conference will address current and future challenges in planning and design, with a focus on environmental sensitivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness, integration of technology, livability and resilience, and architectural education.
As the challenges of climate change, rapid urbanization, and technological transformation reshape our world, architecture and planning must evolve. IACA-9 explores how we can respond to these challenges through resilient design, sustainable development, community-centered approaches, and forward-looking education. Together, we aim to build tomorrow’s cities with creativity, inclusivity, and responsibility.
Publication
Conference Themes
Environmental Planning and Design
• Impact of urbanization on local ecosystems
• Climate-responsive planning and design
• Urban heat islands: mitigation strategies
• Environmentally sustainable transportation networks
• Vertical gardens and green building designs
• Zero-Net-Energy buildings
• Noise pollution: solutions for a quieter city
• Air quality and carbon footprint
• Water management in urban areas: challenges and innovations
• Nature-Based Solutions (NbS): using ecosystems to address urban challenges
• Circular economy in architecture: reuse, recycling, and cradle-to-cradle strategies
Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness
• Parking solutions in buildings and urban centers
• Urban security concerns through design
• Affordable housing solutions
• Affordable public spaces: designing for everyone
• Real estate development trends
• Building materials
• Building construction
• Lifecycle cost analysis in design: long-term cost-efficient planning
• Adaptive reuse of existing structures: sustainable and cost-effective development
Integration of Technology
• Smart cities: integrating technology into urban planning
• Smart building technologies
• AI applications
• IoT solutions
• Data-driven planning and design solutions
• AR/VR in architecture: design visualization and immersive experiences
Livability and Resilience
• Strategic urban planning and emergency response
• Walkable cities: designing for pedestrian connectivity
• Public transportation and mobility
• Urban green spaces
• Promoting community well-being
• Mixed-use development
• Design for inclusiveness
• Citizen-centric design
• Community engagement in planning and design
• Promote healthy living conditions through planning and design
• Disaster management
• Designing cities for aging populations
• The impact of public art on urban spaces
• Planning and design for post-pandemic contexts
• The role of landscape architecture in urban resilience
• Biophilic urbanism: enhancing the human-nature connection
• Cultural heritage in resilient cities: preserving identity while building resilience
Architectural Education
• Integrating technology into architectural education
• Fostering creative design thinking
• Development of architectural curricula
• Interdisciplinary approaches in architectural education
• Teaching architecture across cultures
• Community engagement in design education
• Pedagogical innovations in architectural design studios
• Equity and diversity in architecture programs
• Research methodologies in architectural education
• Collaborative learning
• Experiential learning: internships and real-world projects
• Online learning and the flipped classrooms
• Ethics in architecture: teaching responsibility and accountability
• Impacts of global events on architectural education trends
• AI-Assisted design education: leveraging generative tools in design studios
Under the Auspices of
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ayman Ashour
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt.
Prof. Dr. Ahmed El-Menshawy
President of Assiut University, Egypt.
Prof. Dr. Gamal Gamal Abdelraouf Badr
General International Congress of Engineering (ICE) Superintendent & Vice-President for Graduate Studies and Research.
Prof. Dr. Khaled Salah Said
General International Congress of Engineering (ICE) Chairman & Dean of the Faculty of Engineering.
Prof. Dr. Shehata Eldabie Abdel Raheem
General International Congress of Engineering (ICE) Co-Chairman.
Prof. Dr. Khaled Ali Youssef
IACA9 Chairman & Head of the Department of Architectural Engineering.
