🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Hicham Fawzi Arrar!
As Hicham Fawzi Arrar completes his PhD and moves forward to new opportunities, I want to express my admiration for his exceptional work, professionalism, and perseverance. The PhD defense of Hicham Fawzi Arrar took place this year on Monday, 23 June 2025 at 10:00, at the Institut d’Architecture, Université de Blida 1, Algeria.
His thesis, “Thermal analysis and environmental assessment of urban quality in a Mediterranean climate: Case of the Medina of Algiers,” co-supervised with Prof. Dalel Kaoula at Université de Blida 1, advances our understanding of urban microclimates, thermal comfort, and environmental quality in dense Mediterranean cities.
I still recall our collaboration from field campaigns in Brussels to data analysis and model validation ; moments that reflect Hicham’s scientific rigor and commitment to quality. His research has produced high-impact publications in Building and Environment and Atmosphere, and open-access datasets on Harvard Dataverse that strengthen transparency in urban climate research:
đź“š
-Arrar, F. H. et al. (2024). Coupling of different nature-based solutions for pedestrian thermal comfort in a Mediterranean climate. Building and Environment, 256, 111480. https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/315975
-Arrar, F. H. et al. (2022). Quantification of Outdoor Thermal Comfort Levels under Sea Breeze in the Historical City Fabric: The Case of Algiers Casbah. Atmosphere, 13(4), 575. https://orbi.uliege.be/handle/2268/289498
-Arrar, F. H. et al. (2022). Environmental outdoor parameters dataset in the Casbah, Algeria. Harvard Dataverse. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/R0AYI7
-Arrar, F. H. et al. (2022). Thermal comfort sensation survey – in the Casbah of Algiers. Harvard Dataverse. https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/JGBSLY
🌿 Hicham’s work bridges architecture, environmental physics, and urban sustainability, and his contributions will continue to support future studies on microclimate adaptation and heritage preservation.
👏 Congratulations, Dr. Arrar, on an impressive PhD journey. You’ve been an outstanding scientist, professional, and colleague. The entire SBD Lab wishes you continued success and fulfillment in the next chapter of your career. 🌍
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