About
Noha Gamal Said is a Lecturer at Ain Shams School of Architecture in Cairo and a researcher-teacher at the Cresson laboratory, École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Grenoble. She holds a PhD in Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Grenoble (2014) and has established herself as a specialist in sensory urban environments, particularly focusing on soundscapes and multisensory approaches to architecture.
Her research explores urban temporality, the evolving nature of urban atmospheres, and contemporary issues like sustainability and urban densification through the lens of daily sensory experience. She has developed expertise in the sound dimension of cities, co-creation approaches to urban planning, and the multisensory aspects of architecture and urbanism, with particular focus on memory, heritage, and oasis urbanism.
Dr. Gamal Said's recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on sensory urban environments, with notable contributions to understanding acoustic heritage, urban soundscapes, and the rehabilitation of historic urban spaces. Her 2025 article on 'Ambiance and acoustic heritage' represents the cutting edge of her research, building on earlier work examining sacred springs, urban courtyards, and Mediterranean urban identities.
She has been actively involved in research projects including Esquis'Sons (2016), Zerka (2015), and the Imhotep French-Egyptian collaboration (2014-2015). As co-founder of the Cresson winter school, she has organized specialized training on European sound heritage (2013), sound auscultation of architecture (2014), and sketching sound atmospheres in dense urban spaces (2017).
Her academic work bridges Egyptian and European contexts, applying comparative methodologies to study sensory urban experiences across cultural settings. As co-director of the 2021 publication 'Résonances oasiennes,' she has made significant contributions to understanding Saharan urban environments through sensory approaches.
