International Journal of Applied Engineering Research ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 12, Number 18 (2017) pp. 7043-7051 © Research India Publications. http://www.ripublication.com 7043 Addressing the Urban Contextual Envelope: An Analytical Study in Architectural Design Studio Dr. Eman S. AboWardah Associate professor, Architecture department, College of Engineering, Tanta University, Egypt. Orcid Id: 0000-0003-3067-7592 Dr. Hebatallah A. Elsayed Researcher, Civil Engineering department, Engineering division, National Research Center Egypt NRC. Orcid Id: 0000-0002-0248-9511 Abstract Any Architectural work is a complex process of urban and cultural morphological output derived from the user's need, and as a result of many contextual directors. The urban contextual envelope is considered as an effective factor in the formation of architectural and urban planning products, consequently raised to be an important approach in the architecture educational process. Architectural education process thrives on critical reflection, discussion and debate about its products. The architectural product analysis reflects how a building relates to its urban or rural sitting, its climate and the society it serves. The context determines the architectural style, building material and site layout, which is very important in creating an effective design. All these promote continuity between the building and its surroundings. Nowadays, most of the architectural educational output in the Arabian region suffers and encountered problem, the total separation from the surrounding contextual envelope including urban, cultural, social and environmental factors. Architectural design education as a whole, and particularly the architectural design studio, should be considered as sort of an initiation process where students are introduced to architectural knowledge. The activities of the studio should emphasize the context at a local, regional and global level. Since the primary concern of architects is to produce three dimensional space and form, which is necessary to accommodate the users' needs, the teaching process should focus on two concerns: first, is the balance between formal and socio-cultural aspects and second, is the balance between students’ searching and thinking capabilities and their other mental activities. As it is obvious from these definitions that cultural diversity, architectural design education and accordingly teaching strategies essentially have connections. This paper mainly discusses the impact of the existing surrounding context's features and characteristics on the architecture educational design process. Therefore, the research methodology is directed toward evaluating the outcomes within the educational process in design studios, and measuring the reflected knowledge of the contextual envelope. Consequently, the findings of the analytical part will conclude the percentage of students who are able to design projects that are compatible with the surrounding environment and reflect the nature of the Arabian contextual fitting. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn up, in order to help in enriching the students' knowledge and awareness of the contextual envelope and its applications in the architectural design process, which formulates the morphological language reflecting the Arabian architectural identity. Keywords: Contextual envelope, Architecture design studio, Topography Shaping, Urban Fabric Fitting, Identity, Environmental directors, Socio/culture aspects INTRODUCTION The Arabian region is undergoing transition from traditional societies to one of modern development which hasn’t found any real stability. This is most clear and most evident in the field of urban design and planning, for it is the largest and most visible of a community’s built forms. (Kiet, Anthony, 2011) In general, creating coordination between modern architecture with a modern context is always easier than creating coordination between modern architecture with non- modern contexts. The lack of trained town planners and architects can be considered a contributing cause of the basic mistakes committed in the planning and expansion of most Arab metropolises (Berger, 1974; Shiber, 1974). The foreign consultant, though perhaps well trained, is not well versed in local characteristics, habits and conditions to effectively produce sound policies and planning solutions. Looking at the urban contextual envelope as an effective factor in the field of the formation of architectural and urban planning outputs is not a new phenomenon or approach but an inherited one that over time have been neglected and gradually forgotten. Young architects sometimes think how to design buildings that stand out from their environment and context so that their work would be recognized as signature buildings. This issue became their goal and concept of creativity in the present age.