International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development ISSN:2093-761X(Print) 2093-7628(Online)

Office buildings design in Cairo/Egypt has changed in an obvious way since the beginning of the twentieth century, this change affected the buildings’ architecture plan, work-spaces, structural system, building materials, external envelope, services and the project site selection. In which the present architecture practice of office buildings in Cairo is strongly affected by the modern movement of office buildings design worldwide. This paper illustrates a historical background of office buildings constructed in Cairo, identifying the start of the office buildings design, and the development of the functional office buildings we know nowadays, and how this development affected the external envelope (fenestration and opaque parts) design as a response to technological, environmental, socio-cultural and functional changes. To figure out the main trend of office buildings’ design in Cairo now and then; this is accomplished through empirical review and longitudinal analysis of office buildings in Cairo built over years since 1948 until now as samples for the study and clarified on a timeline. To conclude the main changes that affected the office building and its envelope design form, materials, colors, texture, and green features applied to it. And to conclude its causes and consequences.