Dr Sura Al-Maiyah

Prior to her current position, she led the BSc Architecture Programme at the University of Salford, the Master Course in Sustainable Architecture at the School of Architecture, University of Portsmouth, worked in the research-based practice Short and Associates Architects in London, and held a Research Associate position at the School of Built Environment at Ulster University.

Sura’s research interest is in daylighting design, visual and thermal performance of buildings, and sustainable development of heritage sites. She is the co-author of ‘’Daylight, Design and Place-Making’’ by Routledge (2021), and the author of over 35 journal papers and international refereed conference papers.

Sura has led and collaborated on funded research projects recently, including: ‘Basra Digital Platform for the Documentation of Built Heritage’, in collaboration with UNESCO; the Nahrein Network/UCL-funded project ‘Climate change, Old Basra Traditional Architecture’; and the AHRC-funded project ‘MOVE’.

She has served as a reviewer for several journals, conferences, and funding bodies and councils.

Sura is a member of the AHRC’s Peer Review College (PRC), and a reviewer for the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA). She is also a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

She has successfully supervised and co-supervised PhD students to completion in several UK universities. 

Current research activity

• 2025/27: Basra Digital Platform for the Documentation of Built Heritage, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Collaboration with the University of Basrah (Iraq), ($ 47,955) - PI
• 2024/26: Climate change, Old Basra traditional architecture and community socio-environmental resilience, Nahrein Network, Collaboration with the University of Basrah and the University of Salerno, (£99,579) - PI

Completed research projects

• 2018/22: Monitoring Object and Visitor Environments (MOVE) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Science & Technology Development Fund (STDF) of Egypt, Collaboration with Ain Shams University, and the University of Portsmouth (£188,498, AH/R007810/1) - Co-I
• 2018/20: Monitoring energy and environmental performance of a recently occupied nursing & residential care home, collaboration with Seddon Construction Ltd and Kingsley Healthcare Group - Project Lead
• 2018: Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development Network event – Jordan, Amman (Newton - UKRI AHRC fund)
• 2016/17: Enhancing Visual Perception Using Daylight Digital Modelling: Case Study of the Whistler Room at Mottisfont, Hampshire, Collaboration with the National Trust, CCI Research Accelerator Fund, University of Portsmouth
• 2014/16: Post Occupancy Evaluation of Daylighting and the Thermal Environment of the New Eldon West, CCI Research Accelerator Fund, University of Portsmouth
• 2012: An assessment of the visual performance of listed buildings in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Centre for Art, Architecture and Design (CAAD) and Portsmouth School of Architecture, University of Portsmouth
• 2011: Study on the visual performance of traditional settlements in Cairo: a physical model –based approach, Centre for Art, Architecture and Design (CAAD), University of Portsmouth
• 2007-2008: Design Strategy for Low Energy Ventilation and Cooling of Health Buildings funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Cambridge University-based research project

Books

• Hisham Elkadi and Sura Al-Maiyah, Daylight, Design and Place-Making, London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group,2021

Journal Papers & Selected Refereed Conferences

• Abdulkareem, M., & Al-Maiyah, S. (2025). ‘Improving the Thermal Environment of Abuja’s Affordable Housing Through Passive Design Solutions’, Sustainability, 17 (18), 8435. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188435
• Altaf, M., Al-Maiyah, S., Dimitriou, V. (2025) ‘Exploring climate resilience and the indoor environment in Pakistan’s Higher Education Institutes through stakeholder perspectives’, Proceedings of an ISIAQ International Conference: Healthy Buildings Europe 2025, Reykjavík University, Iceland, 8^th-11^th June 2025
• Al-Maiyah, S., Brett Martinson, D., & Elkadi, H. (2024). Evaluation of the indoor environment in a historic museum during the COVID-19 lockdown in Northwest England. Building Research & Information, 52(7), 748–764. Hisham Elkadi, Sura Al-Maiyah, Karen Fielder, Inji Kenawy, D. Brett Martinson (2021) Regulations and reality of objects and visitors’ indoor environmental standards in Museums, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 152 (2021)111653
• Sura Al-Maiyah and Karen Fielder (2021) The Complexity of Daylighting Design Practice in Museum Environments*, In the first International Conference,Museum Environments: Challenges and Opportunities, Cairo, Egypt, 14-15 December 2021
• Parker, R., and Al-Maiyah, S. (2021) Towards an integrated approach to the evaluation of outdoor play settings: Rethinking the position of play value, Children's Geographies
• Makore, Busisiwe C.N., and Al-Maiyah, Sura (2021) Moving from the Margins: Towards an Inclusive Urban Representation of Older People in Zimbabwe’s Policy Discourse, Societies 11, 1: 7
• Sura Al-Maiyah, Benjamin I Roberts, Richard Fitton, Will Swan (2020) Monitoring Energy and Environmental Performance of the Newly Occupied Aged Care Facility at Partington (Final Project report)
• Abdulkareem, A., Al-Maiyah, S., and Cook, M. (2018) Remodelling façade design for improving daylighting and the thermal environment in Abuja's low-income housing, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 82(3), 2820-2833
• Abdulkareem, , and Al-Maiyah, S. (2018) Environmental Performance of Abuja’s Low- Income Housing: Understanding the current state to inform future refinement, PLEA Conference, Smart and Healthy within the 2-degree Limit, New Territories, Hong Kong, 10th -12th December 2018
• Sani A, Martinson D B, Al-Maiyah, and Gaterell, M. (2018) Effects of ceiling fans on the thermal comfort of students in learning environments of Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, 10th Windsor Conference, Rethinking Thermal Comfort, The Great Park, Windsor, 12th – 15th April 2018
• Al-Maiyah S, Martinson D B and Elkadi, H. (2016) The Maturation of a Low-Impact Building: Post Occupancy Evaluation of Daylighting and the Thermal Environment Over 2 Year, PLEA Conference Cities, Buildings, People: Towards Regenerative Environments, Los Angeles, USA, July 11th -13th 2016
• Al-Maiyah S. and Elkadi, H. (2015) Turkish D-light: accentuating heritage values with daylight*, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) journal, Engineering History and Heritage, 168 (4), pp. 139-149
• Almaiyah, S., and Elkadi, H. (2012) Study on the Visual Performance of a Traditional Residential Neighbourhood in Old Cairo, Journal of Urban Technology, 19 (4), 59-86
• Almaiyah, S., Elkadi, H. and Cook, M. (2011) Study on the visual performance of a vernacular dwelling in Egypt, Built and Natural Environment Research Papers (BNERP), 4, pp 1-148
• Short A., Cook, M., Cropper, P., and Al-Maiyah, S. (2010), Low energy refurbishment strategy for health buildings of the recent past, Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 1–20
• Short, and Al-Maiyah, S. (2009) Design strategy for low energy ventilation and cooling of health buildings, Building Research & Information, 37(3), pp.264-292
• Al-Maiyah, and H. Elkadi (2007) The role of Daylight in Preserving Identities in Heritage Context*, Journal of Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 11(7), pp.1544-1557
• Elkadi and Al-Maiyah, S. (2007) Daylight for Strategic Intervention in Historic Towns: The Case of Edinburgh and Cairo, Journal of Urban Technology, 14 (3), pp.83-102

Undergraduate

• Integrated Design Project 1 (Architectural Engineering programme)
• Integrated Design Project 2 (Architectural Engineering programme)
• Indoor Environment (Architectural Engineering programme)
• Building Science Module (Architecture programme)
• Advanced technical investigations (Architecture programme)
• Dissertation projects supervision

Postgraduate

• Wellbeing and Indoor Environment (MSc programmes)
• PhD Supervision on topics aligned to my research interests

Professional affiliations

• Member of AHRC Peer Review College (2022 to present)
• Member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) (2012 to present)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2011 to present)
• Member of the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) (2005 to present)
• Member of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) (2005 to present)

Awards

• Winner of the 2026 Microgeo Calendar Contest. The 3D laser scanning conducted for the Nahrein Network–funded project “Climate Change, Old Basra Traditional Architecture, and Community Socio-Environmental Resilience” was selected by public vote as one of the winners of the 2026 Microgeo Calendar Contest (2025)
• The “Extra Mile” (Academic Staff) award for the School of Architecture, Building & Civil Engineering, Loughborough University (2024)
• Recipient of the Aurora Leadership Development Programme/Award (2019)
• University of Salford, School of the Built Environment staff award for Performing to an Exceptional Level of Engagement with Industry (2018)
• University of Salford, Nominated for the Women’s Voice awards (2018) _ Category: Rising Star

Selected external activities

• Invited speaker, Research Capacity Building in Kurdistan Regional Government, and Iraq, Erbil, Iraq (June 2024)
• Member of the Organizing Committee for the forthcoming Conference,Museum Environments: Challenges and Opportunities, 14-15 December 2021, Cairo, Egypt, the End event of the MOVE/AHRC funded project
• Reviewer for the Journal of Children’s Geographies (2023)
• Establishing Member of the ICOMOS-UK Digital Technology Committee (2021)
• Reviewer for the Journal of Historical Geography (2021)
• Reviewer for the Journal of Building Research & Information (2019)
• Reviewer for the Journal of Future Cities and Environment (2018)
• Reviewer for the Journal of Sustainable Cities and Society (2018)
• Reviewer for the Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Engineering Sustainability (2017_Present)
• Reviewer for the Passive and Low Energy Architecture 2018 Conference (PLEA): Smart & Healthy Within 2-Degree 10-12 December 2018, Hong Kong
• Reviewer for the Second International Conference for Sustainable Design of the Built Environment: Research in Practice (SDBE) at the Crystal, London, 12th -13th September 2018
• Reviewer for the Journal of Urban Technology (JUT) (2016-Present)
• Reviewer for the Passive and Low Energy Architecture 2017 Conference (PLEA): Design to Edinburgh. 3rd -5th July 2017
• Reviewer for the Passive and Low Energy Architecture 2016 Conference (PLEA): Cities, Buildings, People _Towards Regenerative Environments, organised by Cal Poly Pomona, the University of Southern California and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. July 11th-13th, 2016, Los Angeles
• Reviewer for the CIBSE Technical Symposium 2016: Integration for whole life building 14th-15th April 2016, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh
• Reviewer for the Eighth International Conference of the Arab Society for Computer Aided Architectural Design (ASCAAD) 2016, SOAS University of London – London
• Reviewer for the CIBSE Technical Symposium 2015: Simple buildings, better buildings? Delivering performance through engineered 16th-17th April, University College London
• Reviewer for the CIBSE Technical Symposium 2014: Moving to a New World of Building Systems 3rd -4th April, Dublin
• Reviewer for the CIBSE Technical Symposium 2013: Delivering buildings that are truly fit for 11th -12th April 2013, Liverpool
• Reviewer for the CIBSE ASHRAE Technical Symposium 2012: Buildings Systems and Services for the 21st April 18th -19th, Imperial College London
• Grant Application Referee for the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA), Iraq Fellowship Programme, London South Bank University (2010 -Present)
• Book Proposal Referee: Earthscan Publications Ltd, London (2010)
• Keynote speaker, Nordic conference on future hospital buildings – Milliards of investment and as much care for the money as possible. Stockholm, Sweden, 2nd -3rd December 2009
• Keynote speaker, The Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) Regional Conference, “Making A Difference”, Northern Ireland, 2008

Key collaborators

My research and enterprise activities are conducted with a range of academic and stakeholder partners, including:

• Universities: University College London  (UCL), University of Salford, University of Portsmouth, Cambridge University, Ulster University, Ain Shams University (Egypt), Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (Turkey), University of Salerno (Italy), and University of Basrah (Iraq)
• Stakeholders: Seddon Construction Ltd and Kingsley Healthcare Group
• Museums and Heritage organisations: Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Victoria and Albert, National Trust, and UNESCO Iraq