About
Beyond the Façade is an ongoing research initiative dedicated to documenting and analyzing modern architectural heritage in the United Arab Emirates. Through analytical drawings, field documentation, photography, spatial reconstruction, and digital technologies, the project
examines how significant buildings across the country responded to local climatic, cultural,
and social conditions.
Conceived as an open-access digital platform, Beyond the Façade aims to make architectural knowledge more widely accessible to students, researchers, practitioners, designers, and the broader public. The project addresses the absence of a centralized resource dedicated to the study of the UAE’s modern built environment by bringing together drawings, photographs, research texts, archival references, and interactive three-dimensional models within a single platform.
Rather than presenting buildings solely as objects of preservation, the project approaches architecture as a source of knowledge. By examining the spatial, environmental, and construction strategies embedded within these projects, Beyond the Façade seeks to reveal how architecture can inform contemporary design practice while contributing to a broader understanding of the
UAE’s cultural and architectural history.
The platform is designed to expand over time through the addition of new case studies, archival discoveries, oral histories, and ongoing research, creating a growing public resource for the study
of architecture in the UAE.
Acknowledgements
Beyond the Façade was initially developed by Omar Darwish in an independent study course supervised by Professor Kevin Mitchell at the American University of Sharjah. The project was initially supported through an American University of Sharjah Undergraduate Research Grant in 2025, which provided the foundation for the research methodologies and analytical drawing techniques that continue to inform the project today.
The current phase of Beyond the Façade has been made possible through the Modern Heritage Grant Program, an initiative by the UAE Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Zayed University and Majra – National CSR Fund. Their support has enabled the expansion of the project into an open-access digital platform dedicated to documenting and analyzing modern architectural heritage across the United Arab Emirates.
The project is the result of a collaborative effort involving a number of contributors and partners. The website design, interface, and digital development were created by Möbius Design Studio. Analytical drawings and spatial reconstructions were produced with the assistance of Amer Ayyash. Photographic documentation was undertaken in collaboration with Khaled Esguerra. The photographic survey was made possible through equipment support generously provided by Fujifilm Middle East.
Beyond the Façade would not have been possible without the institutions, archives, building custodians, and individuals who have supported the work through access, research, documentation, and the preservation of the buildings featured throughout the platform.
Project Team
Research Lead
Omar Darwish
Research Advisor
Professor Kevin Mitchell
Analytical Drawings
and Spatial Reconstruction
Amer Ayyash
Photography
Khaled Esguerra
Website Design
and Development
Möbius Design Studio
Photography
Equipment Partner
Fujifilm Middle East
About
Beyond the Façade is an ongoing research initiative dedicated to documenting and analyzing modern architectural heritage in the United Arab Emirates. Through analytical drawings, field documentation, photography, spatial reconstruction, and digital technologies, the project
examines how significant buildings across the country responded to local climatic, cultural,
and social conditions.
Conceived as an open-access digital platform, Beyond the Façade aims to make architectural knowledge more widely accessible to students, researchers, practitioners, designers, and the broader public. The project addresses the absence of a centralized resource dedicated to the study of the UAE’s modern built environment by bringing together drawings, photographs, research texts, archival references, and interactive three-dimensional models within a single platform.
Rather than presenting buildings solely as objects of preservation, the project approaches architecture as a source of knowledge. By examining the spatial, environmental, and construction strategies embedded within these projects, Beyond the Façade seeks to reveal how architecture can inform contemporary design practice while contributing to a broader understanding of the
UAE’s cultural and architectural history.
The platform is designed to expand over time through the addition of new case studies, archival discoveries, oral histories, and ongoing research, creating a growing public resource for the study
of architecture in the UAE.
Acknowledgements
Beyond the Façade was initially developed by Omar Darwish in an independent study course supervised by Professor Kevin Mitchell at the American University of Sharjah. The project was initially supported through an American University of Sharjah Undergraduate Research Grant in 2025, which provided the foundation for the research methodologies and analytical drawing techniques that continue to inform the project today.
The current phase of Beyond the Façade has been made possible through the Modern Heritage Grant Program, an initiative by the UAE Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Zayed University and Majra – National CSR Fund. Their support has enabled the expansion of the project into an open-access digital platform dedicated to documenting and analyzing modern architectural heritage across the United Arab Emirates.
The project is the result of a collaborative effort involving a number of contributors and partners.
The website design, interface, and digital development were created by Möbius Design Studio. Analytical drawings and spatial reconstructions were produced with the assistance of Amer
Ayyash. Photographic documentation was undertaken in collaboration with Khaled Esguerra.
The photographic survey was made possible through equipment support generously provided by Fujifilm Middle East.
Beyond the Façade would not have been possible without the institutions, archives, building custodians, and individuals who have supported the work through access, research, documentation, and the preservation of the buildings featured throughout the platform.
Project Team
Research Lead
Omar Darwish
Research Advisor
Professor Kevin Mitchell
Analytical Drawings
and Spatial Reconstruction
Amer Ayyash
Photography
Khaled Esguerra
Website Design
and Development
Möbius Design Studio
Photography
Equipment Partner
Fujifilm Middle East