Vernacular Architecture
Courtyards, thresholds, and dwelling forms in Najdi and wider Arab traditions.
Research Portfolio
Dr. Mohammed
Mashary Alnaim
Heritage & Urbanism Expert | Architectural Identity (Academia + Advisory + National Projects) | Associate Professor
Focus on how the built heritage of the Arabian Peninsula shapes culture, identity, and the future of contemporary architecture. My work explores how traditional environments—their courtyards, thresholds, urban patterns, and quiet spatial hierarchies—offer enduring lessons for designing resilient, culturally rooted, and human-centered cities. Bridging heritage and innovation, I am interested in how the wisdom embedded in historic places can inform contemporary architectural practice and urban development.
1,118
Citations
17
h-index
28
i10-index
58
Publications
About
Between heritage
and the modern city.
Faculty member in Architectural Engineering at the University of Hail, with a doctorate in Design and Planning from the University of Colorado at Denver. My research maps the generative principles of the traditional Najdi built environment and asks how they can inform sustainable urbanism today.
Recent projects extend across five threads: vernacular architecture, urban morphology, heritage management, environmental performance, and the socio-cultural life of public space.
Read full biography →Selected work
Most-cited papers
- 01Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on socio-economic, energy-environment and transport sector globally and sustainable development goal (SDG)
S Nundy, A Ghosh, A Mesloub, GA Albaqawy, MM Alnaim
Journal of Cleaner Production 312, 127705 · 2021
397citations - 02Active smart switchable glazing for smart city: A review
A Ghosh, R Hafnaoui, A Mesloub, K Elkhayat, G Albaqawy, MM Alnaim, et al.
Journal of Building Engineering 84, 108644 · 2024
64citations - 03The heritage jewel of Saudi Arabia: a descriptive analysis of the heritage management and development activities in the At-Turaif district in Ad-Dir'iyah, a World Heritage Site
MA Bay, MM Alnaim, GA Albaqawy, E Noaime
Sustainability 14 (17), 10718 · 2022
52citations - 04The typology of courtyard space in Najdi Architecture, Saudi Arabia: a response to human needs, culture, and the environment
MM Alnaim
Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering 23 (1), 91-110 · 2024
43citations
Fields of inquiry
Five threads running through the work.
Urban Morphology
Spatial hierarchies, neighborhood clustering, and the fabric of traditional towns.
Heritage & Identity
Documentation, rehabilitation, and cultural tourism from Diriyah to AlUla.
Sustainable Environments
Daylighting, glazing, and thermal performance in hot-arid climates.
Public Space & Society
Walkability, campus urbanism, and the mosque as civic anchor.
Modern Heritage
Documenting Riyadh's mid-century architectural transformation.
Open to collaboration.
Reach out about joint research, doctoral supervision, invited lectures, or heritage-led urban design consultations.