Architectural university students from across the kingdom have their designs set on renovating an old mosque as part of a five-day competition, starting tomorrow, to highlight the Islamic heritage rooted in Bahrain.
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), a non-profit, student-led group that caters to the needs of design students across the majors, recently launched the Dimension-23 Symposium, which consists of workshops and lectures along with a challenging Design Hackathon.
“The symposium aims to act as a reminder of the Islamic heritage that is part of the Bahraini identity, and gives a chance to students, jurors, organisers and everyone involved to reconnect with that identity and deepen their understanding of it,” said AIAS (2022-2023) president Fatima Sayed Ali, a 22-year-old Bahrain University architecture student from Hamad Town.
“The lectures aim to provide participants with the necessary knowledge to tackle a challenging design project. The Design Hackathon, though, is the real challenge.”
It will take place in Brinc Hub in Manama until Thursday, where students will be asked to create a design for renovation of one of the most historical monuments in Bahrain, which is the shrine of Shaikh Ibrahim.
“This shrine is located on a separate island near Askar area in the south-eastern part of Bahrain,” explained Ms Ali.
“Participants will not only be working on the architectural side, but will also tackle the landscape, urban design, and sustainability and construction aspects.
“The competition aims to draw attention to this heritage rooted in the land of the country and create a historic attraction for both tourists and the local people to deepen their understanding of the history of Bahrain’s Islamic cultural heritage ... all within five days.”
While the competition is still open to all architecture-related major students, and graduates of the 2022-2023 academic year, there are currently 41 participants enrolled and 14 teams that consist of a range of two to four members in each group.
“The aim is also to encourage group work within a challenging time, as architecture is never a one-man job,” added Ms Ali.
“The Design Hackathon is a closed studio space. Participants have a challenge to finish all the design deliverables within the five days, which is why they have 24-hour access to the studio and can use the space as they wish – which mimics the case of most architectural design studios when it comes to limited time.”
When creating the designs, participants should consider these elements:
– Be easy to construct using sustainable technologies that are adaptable and do not require the use of heavy machinery or complex equipment.
– To make use of natural and/or recycled materials available in the region to limit economic/environmental impact and generate income for the region.
– To be integrated into the social and cultural environment of the location.
“Islamic architecture must be considered for this project,” added Ms Ali. “Not only physical design elements such as arches, domes and Islamic patterns, but also the spatial experience that encourages a sense of spirituality and closeness to the Creator by manipulating light, spatial organisation and geometry.
“We encourage students to break out of the strict way of producing only plans and sections, they may use diagrams, sketches, and models to best explain their proposals.
“The Design Hackathon ends on Thursday midnight, so until then students have a chance to participate as long as they submit on time.”
All the designs will be displayed in an extended exhibition that opens on August 28 and @AIAS_BH on Instagram.
The top three teams will win a cash prize that is yet to be announced and a certificate of participation.
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