The Department of Architecture – College of Engineering / Al-Nahrain University hosted the public defense of the master’s student Tarteel Mubdir Kazem Faris for her thesis entitled:

“Architectural Additions and the Formation of Urban Context Interpretation along the Riverfront”

on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the Al-Furat Hall.

The primary aim of the thesis is to investigate the impact of architectural additions on reinterpreting the urban context of riverfronts, considering them as vital areas that reflect the interaction between the city and its natural environment. The study seeks to develop a mechanism for reading the urban context based on its formal, functional, and behavioral dimensions, thereby enhancing the capacity to anticipate its future transformations.

The research adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative analyses, through the case study of the Abu Nuwas Riverfront in Baghdad and the new Central Bank of Iraq project. The findings revealed that an architectural addition within an urban context is capable of generating change or producing a new interpretation of that context, underscoring the importance of well-considered architectural interventions in shaping a more conscious and contextually connected riverfront.

The examining committee consisted of the following professors:

• Prof. Dr. Khalid Abdul-Wahab Mustafa / Al-Nahrain University / Department of Architecture / PhD / Environmental Sustainability / Chairman

• Prof. Dr. Arshad Abdul-Jabbar Al-Enezi / Federal Service Council / Architecture / PhD / Architectural Theory and Housing / Member

• Asst. Prof. Adel Zamil Menshed / Al-Nahrain University / Department of Architecture / MSc / Urban Design / Member

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haitham Abdul-Hussein Al-Shammari / Al-Nahrain University / Department of Architecture / PhD / Urban Planning / Supervisor and Member

Following the scientific deliberation and discussion by the committee members, and after reviewing the student’s defense and evaluating the thesis, the candidate Tarteel Mubdir Kazem Faris was awarded the Master’s degree in Architecture