Biography
Dr Suha Jaradat is Associate Professor of Architectural Technology at the School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. She has held a number of strategic positions at the School including Lead for Research Integrity and Ethics, Head of Construction and Surveying, and Research Lead for Built Environment. She was appointed Advisory Group Member for QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Architectural Technology. As Programme Leader, she has lead the strategic development and delivery of a suite of postgraduate, undergraduate and graduate apprenticeship programmes in a wide range of design and built environment disciplines including Architectural Technology; Construction and Surveying. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Chartered Architectural Technologist and Fellow of the Institute (FCIAT), which is a status based on demonstrating significant contribution to and excellence in architectural technology. In recognition of her outstanding contribution and expertise in architectural technology, Dr Jaradat was invited to be part of the first FCIAT group. She is also a Chartered Building Engineer & Fellow of the Institute (C. Build E FCABE) which is the highest level of CABE membership and reflects the knowledge, expertise and experience of the industry’s most experienced professionals and a commitment to furthering the profession of Building Engineering. She is a fully qualified Member (Registered Architectural Engineer) of the Jordanian Engineers Association. Dr Jaradat is actively involved in research, teaching, and professional practice.
Dr Jaradat completed her MSc in Design and Digital Media at the Department of Architecture, The University of Edinburgh and worked as a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the University of Reading, School of Construction Management and Engineering after completing her PhD at the Design Innovation Research Centre (DIRC), University of Reading. Her PhD and Post Doctoral research were funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and investigated the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in interdisciplinary practices in the UK and USA. She collected data from leading architectural practices in Houston, Dallas, San Francisco and London. She was involved in large EPSRC funded research projects including the London 2012 Olympics Games Construction Project. She was then appointed a Course Director of BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying Consultancy at the School of Engineering, Kingston University London before joining Edinburgh Napier University.
Dr Jaradat's research is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on architectural practice and construction management using various data-driven management processes, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and software applications, designed to increase efficiency and improve performance across the life cycle of building and infrastructure projects. She is also interested in design practices focusing on the interactions between people and the built environment. She is Co-Lead of an interdisciplinary research centre: Centre for Mind and Creativity (CEDAR) https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-schools/school-of-applied-sciences/research/cedar in collaboration with Dr Marina Wimmer, Associate Professor in Psychology at the School of Applied Sciences and Member of the Centre for Higher Education Research. Dr Jaradat leads a research theme focusing on how environments can adapt to change in a fast changing world with human cognition at the core of the design process. I The outcome of Dr Jaradat's research is published in international journals and conferences.
Dr Jaradat has developed strong links with the industry and been successful in a Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) application for a funding competition from Innovate UK, to help businesses in the UK innovate and grow by linking them with an academic or research organisation and a graduate. She was awarded a total of £173,647 to work as a Project Lead in collaboration with CSY – (Cameron, Strachan and Yuill Architects), an architectural firm operating from four offices across South East Scotland and North East England. The aim of the KTP is to develop and implement an innovative and bespoke framework and recommendations to enable a more effective integrated systems approach to underpin growth of an SME in key strategic areas. This integrated approach is commonly referred to as BIM (Building Information Modelling and/or Management) and comprises tools, processes and technologies that are facilitated by digital documentation about a building, its performance, planning, construction and operation.
Dr Jaradat has led internal and external validation and review events a Panel Expert and Curriculum Adviser in over 20 national and international events to scrutinise a wide range of programmes (in subjects related to design, architecture, engineering, construction and surveying) at different levels including foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate and apprenticeships. She was appointed External Examiner at national and international institutions to support the development of programmes in Architectural Engineering, Building Technology and related areas; and examine a range of academic perspective in Architectural Technology and Design.
Dr Jaradat is an experienced PhD Supervisor/Examiner and a Reviewer for funding bodies including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Peer Review College and Royal Academy of Engineering. She is also a Member of the Editorial Review Board of a peer-reviewed research journal: Open House International (OHI), Guest Editor on Special Issues of "Applied Sciences" and "Sustainability" journals, and reviewer for over 15 international refereed journals in the built environment including Sustainability; Buildings; Applied Sciences; Building Research and Information; Construction Management and Economics; Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management; Buildings and Cities; Cities; Smart Cities; She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics and Innovation, European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education; International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health and much more. Dr Jaradat's research interests span across a wide range of topics covering three main areas:
1. The Digitisation of the Built Environment including:
- Building Information Modelling (BIM) across the Life Cycle of Buildings and Infrastructure Projects
- Professionalism in Digitally-mediated Construction Projects
- Digitisation and the Role of Built Environment Professionals
- Digital Twins in the Built Environment
- Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM)
2. Architectural Practice & Construction Management including:
- Architectural Design and Technology
- Architectural Education and Continuous Professional Development in the Built Environment
- Architectural Engineering
- Construction and Industrial Heritage Management
- Circular Economy and Refurbishment Practices
3. Design and the Interactions of People within the Built Environment including:
- Inclusive Design
- Participatory Design
- Sustainable Building Design
- Human Cognition and Design for Adaptability
- Thermal Comfort, Energy Efficiency and Occupant Behaviour
Dr Jaradat is available to supervise and examine PhD students in these areas.
In recognition of Dr Jaradat's expertise in research, she has been appointed a PhD Examiner for a number of thesis including:
1. Architecture of emergencies in the Middle East: proposed shelter design criteria (2019)
2. Enhancing storm surge resilience for coastal habitat: a framework to support sustainable development (2020)
3. Performance and environmental sustainability assessment of a rectangular integrated solar water heater designed for disassembly, under Scottish weather conditions (2020)
4. An investigation into micro-level competency barriers to an effective macro-level diffusion of Building Information Modelling in the UK (2021)
5. Digital Transformation in Asset Management Organisations: Towards a Data Driven Approach for Life Cycle Asset Management (2022)
6. Road Safety Management in Qatar: from Fragmented to Integrated and the Role of the National Road Safety Strategy (2023)
7. Develop a conceptual digital twin through the integration of geographic information system with building information modelling to mitigate potential risk of rainwater flood and inform planning policy mechanism in smart cities (2023)
8. A study to investigate the design of Kuwaiti Government dwellings to enhance occupants’ wellbeing (2023)