OFFCUT/CUTOFF, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) class led by lecturer Latifa Alkhayat, and Harvard doctoral candidate, Maryam Aljomairi, was hosted by Awal Refrigeration and Air-conditioning, where students trained and produced creative work with scavenged offcut materials.
They said they were ‘proud and excited’ to have continued this exciting endeavour in Bahrain again successfully, with results that far exceeded expectations.
“We hope to continue empowering the Bahraini creative community with cutting-edge tools, innovative use of materials and a push to experiment,” they said in a joint statement.
The students trained to use digital (algorithmic and computational) and physical fabrication tools to practise sustainable metal reuse in manufacturing and construction.
The class included lectures from local studios Bahrain-Danish, Civil Architecture and Studio Anne Holtrope.
It concluded with an exhibition of the produced artefacts that will remain on display at Fakhro House along the Pearling Path until March 1.
Participants included eight US-based students from MIT & Harvard and 10 Bahrain-based students, creating a ‘fruitful exchange of knowledge and collaboration’.
It was sponsored by the US embassy in Manama, Amakin and the National Bank of Bahrain. The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities supported the initiative by hosting sessions at the Pearling Path in Muharraq.
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