Personal profile

Biography

I'm a Reader in Architectural Heritage at School of Architecture, the University of Portsmouth. My responsibilities include leading the MA Conservation Architecture course, coordinating Research Degrees (PhD/MPhil), supervising PhD students and MA Thesis, and teaching in Design and Technology subject areas. 

I joined Portsmouth as a Senior Lecturer in 2016 following 3 years of teaching part-time at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. I'm a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and have a Doctorate in Architecture, awarded by the University of Edinburgh 2016. My thesis focuses on strategies for the understanding of the architectural values of the early historic sites and their conservation. I also obtained a Master’s degree in Architectural Conservation at the University of Edinburgh in 2011. I graduated with a BA (Hons) from the School of Architecture, Al-Baath University, Syria in 2005, followed by a Diploma in Architectural Design in 2007. 

Before commencing my postgraduate studies in the UK, I was involved in teaching as a design teaching fellow between 2006 and 2010 at the School of Architecture, Al-Baath University, Homs, Syria. In addition, I practiced architecture during the same period through my own practice and the local city council.

Research Interests

I am an architectural heritage scholar who has developed his leadership and research through local, national and international collaborations. I believe historic structures bear valuable knowledge of place, being authentic as their architecture is frozen, but their tangible and intangible significance is detached from contemporary debates. Therefore, my research focuses on setting a conservation framework to enhance the understanding of historic structures, landscape and ruins and their cultural values, and eventually contribute to their preservation and presentation. This multidisciplinary framework is based upon critical analysis of the building’s history, architecture and archaeology. 

I advocate the development of sustainable conservation and adaptive reuse methodologies and holistic conservation approaches that balance heritage significance, community aspirations and needs and environmental requirements; I work on pushing forward conservation practices to meet the sustainability requirement, by doing so enabling heritage to contribute to the sustainable development goals. Therefore, my work concerns multi/inter-disciplinary approaches to heritage challenges and community engagement, informing the preservation of tangible and intangible heritage and its role in civic engagement and formal/informal education. My work on tangible and intangible heritage, digital preservation, community engagement and cultural mapping has enabled me to explore different historic and scientific contexts and diversify the methodological approaches to document, interpret, preserve, and communicate heritage values. 

My virtual-modelling approach allows the appraisal of the conservation framework and the original architectural experience in its environmental and cultural conditions, and produces substantial material sufficient to engage local people, visitors, academics, conservation specialists and professional bodies in order to ensure constructive feedback on the conservation proposals and methodologies. Through cultural mapping and co-creation methodologies, I aim at grasping the intrinsic values that community and professional groups assign to historic structures, which facilitate the identification of contemporary social values of heritage and the exploration of effective conservation approaches. The creative and digital approaches to preservation contributes to conservation practice (testing interventions), promotes community engagement, and supports research inquiries. I have strategically promoted community-led heritage research, interdisciplinary teaching and extracurricular activities, so I am also interested in co-design and co-creation methodologies where students, professionals and local communities can play their role in identifying, preserving and regenerating their heritage. 

Key projects 

  • UNPATH 'Unpath'd Waters': Marine and Maritime Collections in the UK, AHRC Towards a National Collection: Opening UK Heritage to the World
  • Enabling XR Enterprise (eXRe): Creating skills, boosting Communities and benefitting Visitor and Cultural Economy, UKCRF Community Renewal Fund
  • Regenerating Cities during Crisis: Culturally-Routed and sustainable strategies for Middle Eastern Cities, British Council Newton Fund
  • The Middle Eastern Heritage Research HUB, University of Portsmouth GCRF Funded
  • Rural Heritage for Civic Inclusion and Education, UoP TRIF Fund
  • Climate Resilient Urban Nexus Choices (CRUNCH), Economic and Social Research Council
  • Envisioning Future Green Cities: The Environment-Culture-Technology Nexus, University of Portsmouth GCRF Funded project

Key publications

  • Teba, T., ElZoghby, N. & Gharib, N. (2022) The Role of Architectural Heritage in offering a more resilient lockdown in Egypt. In: Pisello, A. & Salama, A. (eds.) Health & Environmental Resilience and Livability in Cities (HERL) - The challenge of climate change. Advances in Science Technology and Innovation (ASTI).
  • Teba, T. (2020). Post-conflict Urban Resilience. In: Melis, A.  (Ed) Resilient Communities. Italian Pavilion Venice Biennale 2021. D Editore
  • Teba, T. (2020). ‘Virtual reality can bring ancient cities back to life and improve conservation’, The Conversation.
  • Teba, T. & Theodossopoulos, D. (2019). ‘Reconstituting historical stratigraphy: Ugarit’s Temple of Dagan’, Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development.
  • Teba, T., Theodossopoulos, D. & Crow, J. 2016. Exposing the Sacred Monumentality in Ugarit: A Conservation Proposal for the Temple of Baal. SAHC 2016: 10th international conference on Structural Analysis of Historic Constructions. Leuven, Belgium.

Key responsibilities

  • Leader for the CCI Cultural Heritage Research Group 
  • Chair of ICOMOS UK Digital Technologies National Committee
  • Research Lead of Portsmouth Sustainable Conservation Trust
  • Founder of “Futures for Defence Heritage” Research Group (a mix of local, national and international academics and professionals)
  • External Assessor for the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes in Italy.
  • Funding Review Panel Expert for the Canada Foundation for Innovation Fund
  • Founder of the Middle East-Europe Heritage Research Hub (European and Middle Eastern Higher Education Institutions and Heritage organisations and Heritage Bodies) 

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education/Academic qualification

Master of Science, MSc in Architectural Conservation: Conservation of stone-roofs: Challenges and the effect of new techniques, University of Edinburgh

27 Sept 201023 Nov 2011

Award Date: 23 Nov 2011

PG Diploma, Diploma in Architectural Design, Al-Baath University

10 Oct 20059 Aug 2007

Award Date: 9 Aug 2007

BA (Hons), BArch (5 years), Al-Baath University

10 Sept 200018 Sept 2005

Award Date: 18 Sept 2005

Ph.D., Ph.D in Architecture: The Conservation of Archaeological Sites in Syria: Ugarit as a Case Study, University of Edinburgh

4 Jan 201221 Nov 2016

External positions

Tutor in Technology and Environment , University of Edinburgh

10 Sept 201327 May 2016

Teaching Fellow, Al-Baath University

17 Aug 20086 Sept 2010

Architect and Coordinator , City Council of Homs

4 May 20066 Sept 2010

Part-time Teaching Assistant, Al-Baath University

8 Jan 200614 Aug 2008

Keywords

  • NA Architecture
  • Architectural Technology
  • Architectural Conservation
  • Historic Buildings
  • Archaeological Sites
  • Design Studio
  • Virtual Modeling
  • Historic Construction
  • Conservation Technology

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  • 4-year scholarship

    Teba, T. (Recipient), 19 Aug 2010

    Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

  • Best ERS Papers Award

    Teba, T. (Recipient), 24 Jul 2015

    Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

  • Distinction Award

    Teba, T. (Recipient), 9 Aug 2007

    Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

  • First Graduate Award

    Teba, T. (Recipient), 18 Sept 2005

    Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)

  • ILW Superhero Award

    Teba, T. (Recipient), 23 Mar 2016

    Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)