Founder & Academic Lead · 2026
MASKAN / KEMET REIMAGINED
A 10-day, 25-hour CPD-accredited architectural masterclass developed with AASTMT and AIMETA Studio, connecting Egyptian contexts with responsible AI design.
Architect. Researcher. Founder.
Dr.
Rana
Kandil.
Working at the intersection of architecture, artificial intelligence, and the future of education.
Explore my world ↘Based in Lincoln, UK · Working internationallyScroll to discover ↓
Ideas. Platforms. Impact.
01 / A little about me
Designing places.
Connecting possibilities.
I’m Rana Ashraf Kandil—an architect, educator, researcher, and founder whose work connects the built environment with technology and people.
As a Chartered Architect in Egypt and an Associate Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, I bring professional practice into the classroom. My experience spans architectural design, urban planning, postgraduate supervision, and AI-assisted design education.
My doctoral research, completed in 2026, explores how AI and digitisation can support carbon awareness and behavioural change towards net-zero cities. Through Phoenix Global Education and FutureED, I also develop spaces for international learning and collaboration.
2013Teaching journey began
80+Students trained in AI design
UK & EgyptAcademic and professional practice
In focus / Latest highlights
What’s next.
26 November 2026 · Online
Inside the Jury Room
A public conversation on architectural judgement. 5:00–6:30 pm GMT.
Explore the conversation ↗20–21 March 2027 · DubaiFutureED 2027
Two days of learning, technology, and international exchange at Amity University Dubai.
Discover the summit ↗Recognition · NominationEducation with impact
Multicultural Inspire Awards: Outstanding Contribution to Education. Nomination submission received; review pending.
Explore my research & recognition ↗02 / Selected work
Ideas into action.
Education / Architecture / TechnologyFounder & CEO · International education
Phoenix Global Education
Connecting academia, industry, government, and emerging technologies through programmes and strategic partnerships.
Founder & Executive Chair
FutureED
A global summit and tech expo platform exploring education, AI, sustainability, future skills, and international collaboration.
Academic & Methodological Co-Lead
Site Analysis Pro ↗
An AI-powered environmental intelligence platform connecting climate, solar, wind, terrain, and contextual site analysis with architectural decision-making.
05Architectural & urban practice
From concept to construction
+
Architectural & urban practice
From concept to construction
Selected professional project experience includes New Mansoura Phase 10, Sharm El-Sheikh city wall, and Abu Qir pier development, alongside independent office and residential design work.
Exhibition / MASKAN 2026
KEMET REIMAGINED · Award-winning programme projects
Tomorrow,
rooted in place.
Six recognised projects. New perspectives on home, heritage and a more human future.
Created by MASKAN participants through the programme founded and academically led by Dr. Rana Kandil, developed with AASTMT and AIMETA Studio. Project authorship belongs to the credited creators.
01 / MSK26-T14First Prize · AIMETA Studio Internship
Wasl Ankh
MASKAN 2026 · Siwa Oasis
Discover the project
A home rooted in place.
A desert eco-settlement conceived around people, craft, water and land. Courtyards, local construction and a connected water spine bring Siwan traditions into a contemporary housing proposal.
Project authors
Farah Ibrahim Shabaka · Hana Anwar Mahmoud Mohamed Hassan · Ahmed Osman Zaid
Concept proposal · AI-assisted architectural visualisation
02 / MSK26-T13Second Prize · Creative Direction Mentorship
Aswan Courtyard Network
MASKAN 2026 · Aswan
Discover the project
Life connected by the Nile.
A shaded pedestrian network connects homes, courtyards and community spaces. The proposal brings the river into everyday life through a connected landscape of water, shade and shared public space.
Project authors
Lojaina Tarek Khairat · Sherihan AlShahed
Concept proposal · AI-assisted architectural visualisation
03 / MSK26-T11Third Prize · Human-Centred & Sustainable Housing Award
Fustat Breathing Commons
MASKAN 2026 · Cairo
Discover the project
A cooler Cairo, together.
An interconnected courtyard housing proposal that reinterprets Fustat’s urban traditions. Homes, craft, landscape and shared water infrastructure form a dense, walkable neighbourhood.
Project authors
Trust Joseph
Concept proposal · AI-assisted architectural visualisation
04 / MSK26-T03Outstanding Architectural Concept · Cinematic Storytelling & Visual Communication
Nile Courtyard Community
MASKAN 2026 · Aswan
Discover the project
Rooted in place.
A climate-responsive residential community organised around shaded courtyards and the Nile. Wind catchers, transitional spaces and shared facilities explore passive comfort and social connection.
Project authors
Ahmed Mohamed Onsy Elshafei · Nada Amr Samier Elba
Concept proposal · AI-assisted architectural visualisation
05 / MSK26-T04Responsible AI Integration Award
Tomorrow’s Ancestors
MASKAN 2026 · Al Fustat
Discover the project
Heritage as a living practice.
Affordable housing, craft workshops and public life meet along a pedestrian spine toward the Nile. The concept explores local materials, productive roofs and shared spaces as part of Fustat’s living heritage.
Project authors
Salwa Walid Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed Alqattan · Mai Mostafa Mohamed Elsayed Rahal
Concept proposal · AI-assisted architectural visualisation
06 / MSK26-T07Context & Climate Responsiveness Award
MASKAN Al Fustat
MASKAN 2026 · Al Fustat
Discover the project
A dialogue with context.
A housing proposal exploring the relationship between contemporary urban living, local architectural identity and environmental response in Al Fustat.
Project authors
Naela Wael Alaaeldin Mohamed Elagroudy · Menatalla Araby Elsayed Ezzelregal Hefny
Concept proposal · AI-assisted architectural visualisation
Exhibition / AURA RELIEF
AI Humanitarian Innovation Challenge · 2026
Shelter.
Dignity. Possibility.
Architecture as an instrument of resilience.
Explore seven participant submissions connecting shelter design, deployment methodology and AI-assisted tools. Created through the Phoenix programme led by Dr. Samer ElSayary; project authorship belongs to the credited participant teams.
AURA-T008AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
KENAN ADAPT
Damietta · Coastal adaptation
Explore the concept
A modular shelter proposal for Mediterranean coastal communities, combining rotating panels, incremental elevation and local furniture-making expertise. Its configurator explores household layouts, materials and adaptation planning.
Design intelligence
KENAN ADAPT AI
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T008
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
AURA-T001AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
Naseej: The Stitch of Resilience
Gaza · Cultural resilience
Explore the concept
Tatreez embroidery and the Palestinian courtyard inform an expandable housing concept. Reused rubble, local making and shared spaces connect shelter with cultural identity and community rebuilding.
Design intelligence
NASEEJ Configurator
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T001
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
AURA-T011AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
Rooted in Earth, Resilient in Crisis
Borno State, Nigeria · Earthen recovery village
Explore the concept
An incremental courtyard settlement concept for Kaleri, using local earth and phased self-build. Housing, water, solar energy and productive landscapes form a proposed pathway from emergency shelter to purposeful home.
Design intelligence
EARTHWRIGHT
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T011
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
AURA-T003AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
The Float-Hope Shelter
Emergency shelter · Modular relocation
Explore the concept
A speculative buoyancy-assisted hexagonal shelter system that travels as a collapsed bundle. Fillable wall cavities use local materials, while a planning tool explores shelter configurations, risk and relocation guidance.
Design intelligence
Float-Hope AI
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T003
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
AURA-T007AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
Gaza 320
Gaza · Emergency-to-permanent housing
Explore the concept
A modular shelter concept using a lightweight frame and rubble-filled walls. The proposal treats the emergency unit as the first room of a future courtyard home, supported by a deployment-planning tool.
Design intelligence
RUBBLE.AI
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T007
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
AURA-T009AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
The Gaza Shelter Project
Gaza · Family shelter
Explore the concept
A vaulted family-shelter proposal combining pipe ribs, rubble gabions, privacy screens and passive ventilation. Its tool explores layouts, material quantities and deployment sequences.
Design intelligence
AI-assisted deployment planning
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T009
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
AURA-T014AURA RELIEF 2026 · Submitted project
Earth-Block Shelter System
Modular shelter · Local materials
Explore the concept
A submitted shelter concept exploring interlocking earth blocks, a shaded courtyard and expandable construction. The design studies natural ventilation, water collection and the reuse of local resources.
Design intelligence
Composable shelter concept
Project credit
Participant team AURA-T014
Concept proposal · AI-assisted visualisation. Performance and deployment figures in submissions are proposed targets.
Technology / Site Analysis Pro
My role / Academic & Methodological Co-Lead
Read the site.
Reveal its potential.
Environmental intelligence for architecture and climate-responsive design.
Developed in collaboration with Dr. Samer ElSayary within the Phoenix Global Education × FutureED ecosystem, Site Analysis Pro brings mapping, climate analysis and design intelligence into one connected workspace.
Platform screenshot · Site analysis workspace
See the bigger picture.
GIS mapping, terrain and contextual site information.
Design with the environment.
Climate analysis and passive-design intelligence.
Connect insight to action.
Environmental scoring, AI-supported consultation and reporting.
Explore the globe view +
Phoenix / Digital workspace
Phase one · Coming soon
Your next chapter.
More connected.
Phoenix OS brings learning, research, and career development into one connected workspace—built around your growth.
Developed through Phoenix Global Education, the platform is being shaped through a four-week pilot ahead of its Phase One launch.
Connect about Phoenix OS ↗03 / Phoenix programmes
A world of learning, built together
Beyond the
classroom.
Through Phoenix, I develop programmes that connect architectural creativity, emerging technologies, professional practice, and international exchange.
Delivered · 2026My role / Founder & Academic Lead
MASKAN
Kemet Reimagined.
An Egyptian-context architectural journey through Decode, Imagine, Build, and Reimagine.
10 days25 CPD hours
Upcoming · March 2027My role / Founder & Executive Chair
FutureED
Dubai 2027.
AI, education, sustainability, research, and future skills brought into one international platform.
20–21 March 2027
Amity University Dubai
Delivered programme · Humanitarian architecture
AURA RELIEF.
Humanitarian design.
Emergency housing.
Learning with purpose.
A Phoenix programme led by Dr Samer ElSayary, combining 30 CPD hours of learning with an architectural design challenge and international review.
30CPD hours11Challenge jurors
11Challenge jurorsExplore the international jury +
Rasem Badran · Patrik Schumacher · Tim Fu · Areti Markopoulou · Andy Shaw · Neveen Hamza · Amira Elnokaly · Mohamed Abdelnaby · June Chow · Rolando Cedeño de la Cruz · Ibrahim Abdelhady
Delivered / 30 CPD hoursAURA RELIEF
+
Humanitarian design and emergency housing, led by Dr Samer ElSayary. The programme includes a design challenge reviewed by 11 international jurors.
View programme spotlight ↑Delivered / 2026MASKAN · KEMET REIMAGINED
+
A 10-day, 25-hour CPD-accredited architectural masterclass developed with AASTMT and AIMETA Studio. An Egyptian-context design challenge progresses through Decode, Imagine, Build, and Reimagine.
My role: Founder and Academic Lead—curriculum and brief development, instructor and partner coordination, participant guidance, assessment rubrics, and jury governance.
Delivered / 2025AI Applications in Architecture
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From Concept to Rendering: training delivered to 80+ first-year architecture students at the University of Lincoln, introducing prompt engineering, concept development, and AI-assisted visualisation.
Upcoming public panelInside the Jury Room
+
A public conversation on architectural judgement and design competitions, planned for 26 November 2026, 5:00–6:30 pm GMT, as a free LinkedIn Live panel.
Programme contributors include Dr Samer El Sayary, Ossaid Aleitan, Dr Matias del Campo, Mariana Cabugueira, and George Guida. Media partners: Competitions.Archi and Edarabia.
Ask for the event link ↗Confirmed / 20–21 March 2027FutureED · Global Summit & Tech Expo
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An international platform for AI, education, sustainability, research, and future skills. FutureED 2027 is confirmed for 20–21 March at Amity University Dubai. Its draft programme combines workshops, keynotes, panels, research sessions, exhibition activity, and venture engagement.
Programme and registration updates are available through FutureED; the detailed programme remains in development.
Explore FutureED ↗Confirmed / Date to be announcedCreative Machines
+
A programme with Joshua Vermillion exploring emerging technologies for architectural design. Programme confirmed; delivery dates are to be announced.
Confirmed / Date to be announcedFrom AI to Matter
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A programme with Aldo Sollazzo connecting robotic fabrication with design-to-production. Programme confirmed; delivery dates are to be announced.
Research-led programme conceptAI × Ocean Futures
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A programme concept connecting AI, architectural imagination, ocean futures, and interdisciplinary design through an Imagine–Design–Activate journey. Delivery dates and arrangements remain under development.
Workshop conceptFRAME_SHIFT
+
A workshop initiative in the Phoenix development pipeline. The final curriculum, instructors, and delivery arrangements are still to be confirmed.
Phoenix practice areas
Global summits · University partnerships · AI & EdTech strategy · Executive training · Institutional advisory · Sponsorship development · Leadership initiatives · Government engagement · AI platforms
Explore Phoenix services ↗04 / Research & learning
A more intelligent,
sustainable future.
Architecture is my starting point. Understanding how people, places, and technology interact is the thread through my research.
AI & net-zero cities
Research at the University of Lincoln into urban carbon-footprint awareness and behavioural change. PhD completed in 2026.
Urban sustainability
Research on ecological footprints in Alexandria and walkability in El-Mansheya Square, across three peer-reviewed publications.
Future-ready designers
Postgraduate supervision and assessment in MA Interior Architecture and Design, alongside workshops in AI-assisted architectural workflows.
Selected publications & outputs
Research archive / 2019–2026Analysis of Ecological Balance Issues for the Built-Up Land and Cropland Footprints in Alexandria City, Egypt (2005–2019)
R. A. Kandil · International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, 15(6)
Urban Ecological Footprint Analysis as an Evaluation Tool for Sustainability: Analysis of the Built-Up Land Footprint of Alexandria City, Egypt
R. A. Kandil · The Sustainable City conference proceedings · Valencia
Quality of Life in Egypt: Walkability Assessment in El-Mansheya Square, Alexandria, Egypt
R. A. Kandil · Coastal Cities and Their Sustainable Future conference proceedings · Rome
From Prediction to Verified Decarbonisation: A Bibliometric and Critical Review of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Low-Carbon Buildings
R. A. Kandil, A. Elnokaly & A. Aliyu · Submitted to Journal of Cleaner Production
Closing the Building Performance Gap: A Behaviour-Aware AI Framework for Intelligent Building Management Systems
R. A. Kandil, A. Elnokaly & A. Aliyu · 2nd Global Cleaner Production Conference
Beyond Optimisation: Artificial Intelligence as Verification Infrastructure for Dynamic Life-Cycle Carbon Assessment
R. A. Kandil · Continuing research on AI and carbon verification
Methods & research tools
Systematic reviews · Bibliometric analysis · Mixed methods · Stakeholder interviews · AI/ML modelling · Data visualisation · Python · RStudio · VOSviewer · CiteSpace · Biblioshiny
Recognition & international engagement
Junior Ambassador
Fondation Jacques Rougerie · France · 2026–present
Multicultural Inspire Awards
Outstanding Contribution to Education
Nomination submission received; review pending.
05 / The journey
Built through
experience.
Associate Lecturer
University of Lincoln · MA Interior Architecture and Design
Postgraduate supervision, treatise and viva assessment, first marking, research-led tutorials, and inclusive student support.
Founder & education leader
Phoenix Global Education · FutureED
International programmes, professional learning, and collaborations across architecture, AI, sustainability, and education.
Research Assistant
University of Lincoln
Digital cultural-heritage engagement, proposal development, research outputs, and stakeholder collaboration.
Lecturer
Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport
Introduction to City Planning and Building Technology 1.
Lecturer
Pharos University
Architectural Design 3, Execution Design 3, and Graduation Project.
Senior Architectural Designer & Urban Planner
Kamal Habib Construction Company · Egypt
Multidisciplinary project coordination from concept to construction across public and private developments.
Teaching Assistant
AASTMT · Egypt
Visual Studies, Building Technology, and Architectural Design studio teaching.
Education
PhD · Design & ArchitectureUniversity of Lincoln · Completed 2026
MBA · Business AdministrationUniversity of South Wales · 2022 · Merit
MSc · Architectural Engineering & Environmental DesignAASTMT · 2020 · Excellent with Honours
BSc · Architectural Engineering & Environmental DesignAASTMT · 2013
Speaking & engagement
Innovation Fest 2026Invited panellist
Female Business Leaders and Founders: Challenges and Opportunities for Growth
Birmingham City University
Listed as Dr Rana Kandil, Founder and CEO of Phoenix Global Education LTD, alongside fellow female business leaders and founders.
View the official panel listing ↗Research presentations in Rome, Valencia, and Lincoln, alongside international summer-school participation in sustainable architecture and entrepreneurship.
Together / Work with Rana
Good ideas begin
with a conversation.
Speaking
Panels, keynotes, and conversations across architecture, AI, and education.
Start a conversation ↗Academic collaboration
Research partnerships, teaching, and interdisciplinary exchange.
Start a conversation ↗Architectural projects
Design conversations connecting place, people, and emerging technologies.
Start a conversation ↗Education partnerships
Programmes, institutional collaborations, and professional learning.
Start a conversation ↗06 / Let’s connect
Collaborations · Speaking · Education · Design
Let’s start
a conversation.
For academic collaborations, architectural projects, speaking opportunities, or education partnerships.
info@phoenixglobaled.org ↗