Dana El Hajjar: From Research at IAAC to Residential Design in Florida

The Master in Advanced Architecture sits at the intersection of technology, biology and the built environment, and it “fundamentally shaped my way of thinking about architecture,” Dana said. Students learn to move beyond static forms towards dynamic, performative designs that respond to their environment.

In an urban research studio, her class travelled to Berlin to study the former Tempelhof airport. The project focused on cohabitation as a more than human urban form: designing for people, ecosystems, communities and future adaptability. Her team used computational analysis of solar radiation to optimise the orientation, position and height of buildings and to give every space access to natural light. At IAAC, models also had to become physical objects through CNC milling, 3D printing, laser cutting and robotic techniques.

After graduating, Dana bought a small 3D printer and kept experimenting at home, and took an online course in furniture, fixtures and equipment design to widen her knowledge beyond architecture. She found her job at BPA through a connection with an IAAC alumnus.

At BPA the computational skills meet client briefs, strict regulations and buildability. In Florida, flooding is a major design factor. For a private residence on a coastal peninsula, between the beach and a river, the design gives equal weight to both facades and raises the whole house to protect the living spaces from floods. For a mixed-use residential and commercial building, balconies, softened edges and vegetation break down the mass and create a facade that responds to light and movement. Many projects are presented to clients and contractors through 3D printed models, as she learned at IAAC.

Dana names three pillars. Data-based logic: turning a coastal flood zone or a solar restriction into design parameters and opportunities. Advanced detail: computational modelling for faster iterations and precise technical coordination, so the design intent survives from concept to construction. Performative luxury: homes that are personalised and beautiful, and also sustainable and responsive to the climate.

Dana did not have a clear career path when she started the master; it took shape through the programme, the projects and the people she met. “Something that helped me is the teamwork and the connections we develop,” she said.