Outdoor seating with bird nesting zone among projects from the American University in Dubai

Dezeen School Shows: an outdoor seating collection with bird feeding points and a "nesting zone" is among the projects from the American University in Dubai.

Also included is an outdoor playground designed for cats and seating informed by the structure of a tree.

American University in Dubai

Institution: The Centre for Research, Innovation and Design (CRID), School of Architecture, Art and Design (SAAD)
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

School statement:

"At the School of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University in Dubai, DDFT 373 Virtual Designs explores the integration of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and mixed reality within contemporary design practice.

"Developed and led by Georges Kachaamy at the Centre for Research, Innovation and Design, the course positions immersive technology not as a supplementary tool, but as a primary spatial and conceptual medium.

"At the Center for Research, Innovation and Design (CRID), students worked within fully immersive VR and MR environments using generative AI tools, Gravity Sketch and Twinmotion applications to translate speculative ideas into refined three-dimensional prototypes.

"Upon completion, participants received certification from both CRID and Gravity Sketch, recognising their immersive modelling competencies.

"A central component of the course was a design brief developed in collaboration with Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and Livescale. Students were challenged to design animal-friendly public furniture that functions simultaneously as human seating and as a feeding station for a chosen urban species.

"Students proposed multi-functional urban interventions that promote ecological awareness, utilise advanced digital fabrication workflows and remain adaptable for replication.

"Through this initiative, CRID continues to expand the boundaries of design education, cultivating a generation of designers fluent in AI-driven processes and immersive spatial thinking, and prepared to operate within an increasingly hybrid physical and virtual design landscape."

Wingfold by Marieh Khalighinasab

"Wingfold translates a pigeon's wing into an urban refuge that shifts between two states: open for movement and shade, and folded for shelter and care.

"A lifted canopy arcs overhead like a wing in flight, guiding airflow and creating a calm shaded seat.

"The lower thicker edge forms a protective pocket where people pause without feeling exposed. An integrated water basin, feeding tray and plant pockets invite pigeons in gently, turning everyday wildlife from background noise into a shared presence.

"Wingfold is not a sculpture. It is a small habitat that makes coexistence feel natural."

Student: Marieh Khalighinasab
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Soft Cavities by Mohammed Saeed

"Soft Cavities is shaped by how bodies move, rest and seek comfort. Inspired by animal behaviour and human ergonomics, the form grows from motion and touch rather than rigid boundaries.

"It draws from how cats stretch and settle into tight spaces, creating enclosed cavities for shelter, warmth and calm.

"Soft transitions blur inside and outside, while the exterior supports sitting and leaning. The structure uses durable, weather resistant materials suited for long term outdoor use.

"Humans occupy the outer surfaces while cats inhabit the inner chambers, forming a shared space of comfort and coexistence."

Student: Mohammed Saeed
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Arbor by Areig Abdelmaguid

"A sound usually vanishes the moment it is heard, but its echo can be carved into a physical entity. By tracing the three-dimensional vibrations of a bird's chirp and freezing those rhythmic patterns, a hidden geometry is revealed.

"Arbor is the frozen echo – a sanctuary built from the very oscillations of life that usually drift away unnoticed. It is a place where the kinetic energy of a melody is captured and turned into a tangible embrace.

"Within those abstract leaves, the boundaries between species begin to soften. Humans find rest within the notes of a song, while birds recognise a familiar home on the branches.

"We no longer just listen to nature; we inhabit its voice."

Student: Areig Abdelmaguid
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Paw Plaza by Sima Assaf

"Paw Plaza grows from observing how cats move through the world. They slip into tight spaces, leap between openings, climb instinctively and seek places above us.

"This urban pod translates those behaviours into arches, circles and voids that form a shared playground for cats and humans. Seating is carved directly from the structure, removing hierarchy and encouraging quiet coexistence.

"Elevated paths allow cats to perch, observe and feel in control. Integrated feeding and drinking stations support everyday rituals without disruption.

"Designed entirely in Gravity Sketch through over 50 hours of hands-on exploration, this project is rooted in empathy, movement and play."

Student: Sima Assaf
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Purrch by Tara Chopra

"Purrch is an urban seating prototype inspired by careful observation of feline movement. Rather than replicating their appearance, it traces the subtle geometries of stretching, curling, pausing and shifting weight.

"Each gesture is distilled into a fluid curve, layered into a single continuous line and shaped into a seamless surface.

"The design integrates feeding stations, ergonomic seating, and shading, while playful elevated perches and sweeping forms embrace and celebrate the feline body, highlighting their elegance, grace and curiosity.

"Purrch reimagines urban furniture as a shared space, defined by coexistence, care and the quiet poetry of feline presence."

Student: Tara Chopra
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Bayt al-Hammām (The House of Pigeons) by Aastha Yadgouda

"Inspired by traditional bird towers of Isfahan and Egypt, Bayt al-Hammām reinterprets the historic dovecote as a contemporary social and ecological structure.

"The cylindrical form and thick walls provide protection and natural climate control, while carefully sized openings create nesting spaces for birds.

"Larger openings allow people to feed and interact with them, encouraging coexistence. Built using materials from traditional houses in Al Shindagha here in the UAE, the project becomes an inhabitable refuge that connects vernacular architecture, ecology and everyday social life."

Student: Aastha Yadgouda
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

The Space Between Us by Naya Sarraj

"The Space Between Us explores human–feline interaction through a sculptural architectural intervention.

"The project translates instinctive cat behaviours – curling, perching, hiding and stretching – into shared spatial conditions that can be occupied by both species.

"Cavities, ledges and enclosed hollows are shaped by feline movement and posture, encouraging humans to adapt their own bodies and rhythms in response.

"By shifting scale and perspective, the design invites moments of pause, observation and play.

"Rather than prioritising a single user, the project proposes architecture as a mediator between species, using form and behaviour as tools to foster empathy, curiosity and everyday coexistence."

Student: Naya Sarraj
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Tomorrow's Treow by Josephine Chadwick

"Trees are home to birds and as we have moved to a more industrial world, the site of trees becomes scarcer and scarer.

"To bridge the gap between birds and humans, I propose Tomorrow's Treow, a modern interpretation of a tree, abstracted in shape to match the modern city aesthetic.

"The initial concept is rooted in the natural, branching geometry of a mature tree, symbolising growth, support and shelter.

"The form is stripped down to its essential structure – the trunk and bare branches – highlighting the skeletal framework.

"The tree has several layers of platforms for the birds to land in, designed to accommodate different bird behaviours: bird baths, space for nesting, space for feeding, etc. At the base it has seating for humans, to allow humans and animals to naturally co-exist with one another."

Student: Josephine Chadwick
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Ma'wa by Rashed Nawaf

"Ma'wa is a biomorphic urban pod conceived as a shared micro-habitat for humans and urban wildlife. Designed as a single continuous shell, it integrates seating, shading and ecological functions into one cohesive form.

"The pod is tailored for urban-adapted birds, specifically myna, with elevated feeding and water points and a sheltered nesting zone positioned away from direct human contact to ensure safety and minimal disturbance.

"For humans, it offers a calm, semi-reclined seating experience beneath a ribbed canopy that provides shade, airflow and filtered light.

"Sustainability is achieved through passive design, material efficiency and digital fabrication using bio-composite or recycled materials."

Student: Rashed Nawaf
Course: DDFT 373 – Virtual Designs
Tutor: Georges Kachaamy

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and American University in Dubai. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.