Dezeen School Shows: a community centre for creatives to encourage sustainable practice is included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at the University of Bahrain.

Also included is a rehabilitation centre with a minimalist design and an exhibition centre aiming to promote awareness about local agriculture.

University of Bahrain

Institution: University of Bahrain
School: College of Engineering – Department of Architecture and Interior Design
Course: Bachelor of Architecture
Tutors: Prof Islam Hamdy ElGhonaimy, Dr Fatema Al Hammadi, Dr Osama Omar, Dr Ranjith Dayaratne, Dr Susana Soares Saraiva, Dr Wafa Al Ghatam and Lejla Karajica

School statement:

"At the most rudimentary level, architecture is defined as the 'art of designing buildings' to satisfy human needs – in fact, it is pretty complex and requires the knowledge base of art as well as science and more importantly, the task of designing, which involves creativity, imagination and spatial conceptualisation.

"Those who learn architecture rise to the challenge of designing houses, buildings, urban spaces and even cities, as they would acquire more specialisations founded on architecture as the base.

"UoB has been offering degrees in architecture since the 1990s, first as a Bachelor of Science degree in 'Architectural Engineering' until 2000, and as a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from 2000 to 2019 and subsequently as a Bachelor of Architecture.

"It is a five-year program that fuses both humanities- and engineering-oriented knowledge to inform the central activity of design.

"What is unique about the program at the UoB is that it lays a good foundation for architecture with an introduction to the other allied disciplines, such as landscape architecture and interior architecture.

"The program is design-based and provides general academic knowledge and skills necessary to commence careers as architects in the professional practice of architectural design."

Mixed-Use Skyscraper: Building Community Around Digital Industry by Walaa Sultan

"The project aims to rethink skyscrapers in light of Bahraini reality, in order for them to become a preferable residential solution for local Bahrainis instead of the traditional single-house typology.

"The design proposes a mixed-use, high-rise megastructure that incorporates residential, commercial, office, recreational, cultural and educational elements as well as a 3D printing factory to create a self-contained community for densely populated areas and contribute to the reduction of car dependency, commuting times and urban sprawl.

"The design revolves around the question: can parametricism replace the subjective creative mind?"

Student: Walaa Sultan
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Susana Soares Saraiva
Email: walaaalsultan199888[at]gmail.com

The National Agriculture Hub by Naufa Nalim

"As architects, our work must extend beyond functionality and fashion.

"The concepts we entertain and give life to set a precedent for what is highlighted and therefore nurtured.

"The exploration for the answer to this question brought about a community-oriented agriculture hub, at the core of which the principles of inclusivity, exposure and growth drove the design thinking.

"The project provides a space for all potential stakeholders in the agro industry for collaboration and innovation while providing the general public opportunities to engage with various stages of the agricultural process."

Student: Naufa Nalim
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Fatema Al Hammadi
Email: archi.naufanalim[at]gmail.com

Bahrain Media & Entertainment City by Zainab Abdulhussain Al Dhaif

"This is a recreational project focused on media production.

"It consists of indoor and outdoor film studios, recording studios, auditoriums, work spaces (shared and individual) as well as other supporting facilities.

"All of these are centred around a courtyard that creates a sense of community amongst users.

"This project aims to create a better environment for creativity-based activities in the media sector, encouraging interactions between individuals and enhancing productivity and creativity, therefore enhancing the overall quality of Bahraini media output."

Student: Zainab Abdulhussain Al Dhaif
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Fatema Al Hammadi
Email: zainab.dhaif[at]live.com

Dilmun Civilisation Museum by Ebrahim Jameel Ebrahim

"The overarching design concept of the Dilmun Civilisation Museum is to revive the nearly forgotten Dilmun heritage in Bahrain and engage the local population by presenting its unique identity.

"The museum is envisioned as a series of transitional stations within the archaeological Dilmun sites of the historically isolated Saar region.

"This approach seeks to address the disconnect caused by unplanned urban development that has severed the connection between the north and south, leading to the neglect and deterioration of these culturally significant areas.

"The museum stands as a testament to the enduring cultural identity of this sacred land, despite the pervasive influence of capitalist ideologies.

"By reintegrating these archaeological gems into the public consciousness, the museum aspires to champion the preservation of Bahrain's rich Dilmun legacy and foster a deeper appreciation for the nation's heritage among its people."

Student: Ebrahim Jameel Ebrahim
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Wafa Al Ghatam
Email: ebrahimjameel69[at]gmail.com

Haven – Agriculture and Meditation Centre by Fatima Sami

"Haven is a visionary concept that combines the principles of sustainable agriculture and meditation practices.

"This project aims to create a harmonious space where individuals can reconnect with nature, cultivate their inner peace and learn about sustainable farming techniques.

"Agricultural meditation centre services play a vital role in modern society by offering individuals an escape from their hectic lives and allowing them to reconnect with nature.

"The design philosophy lies between humanism and materialism inspired by Alvaro Alto, while the holistic concept is derived from the following quote by Imam Ali: 'you presume you are a small entity, but within you is enfolded the entire universe'.

"The microcosm-macrocosm analogy also reflects this relationship, positing a structural similarity between the individual human being (the microcosm) and the universe (the macrocosm)."

Student: Fatima Sami
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Osama Omar
Email: fatima001sami[at]gmail.com

Bahrain Agricultural Complex by Husain Hani Matooq Fakhar

"Bahrain Agricultural Complex is a research and exhibition-based project that aims to develop the agricultural sector in Bahrain and raise awareness towards the agricultural heritage of Bahrain and the importance of agriculture in our life.

"This will be achieved through several facilities and zones that interact with the user through several ways.

"The design philosophy follows the phenomenological approach, which aims to connect with the history, culture and the landscape of the surroundings.

"The concept of the project is to imitate the spatial experience of the farming and agricultural culture, to provide a feeling to the visitor about what Bahrain lost.

"This has been achieved through creating a cluster of buildings that imitate the historical agricultural life and patterns in a contemporary way, placed within a rich agricultural-cultural area."

Student: Husain Hani Matooq Fakhar
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Wafa Al Ghatam
Email: hussain7539[at]gmail.com

Post-Retirement Centre by Maryam Tareq Hamada

"Post-Retirement Centre is where all retirees of different ages (due to the government's voluntary retirement program) find their needs and interests by giving attention to this specific segment of society.

"If these segments do not get adequate attention, society will lose its energy.

"Therefore, the centre is continuing the aims of the governmental program and achieving sustainability by providing space for new businesses to be involved in the country's economic development, spaces to transfer knowledge to generations through highly skilled retirees and spaces for social and mental health support.

"The centre also utilises passive and active systems to achieve a net-zero building."

Student: Maryam Tareq Hamada
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Prof Islam Hamdy ElGhonaimy
Email: mariaamhamada46[at]gmail.com

Museum of Arab Architects by Fatima Nader Ali

"The duality of silence and light in the Museum of Arab Architects weaves a captivating essence, integrating Arabian cultural elements to sculpt a profound spiritual experience.

"Light, symbolising enlightenment, guides expression, while silence embodies the yearning to convey the unsaid.

"In Islamic architecture, light's paramount role is amplified, guiding users toward enlightenment as they ascend – the higher they go, the more they are bathed in the emanating light from the skylight, symbolising hope and a divine connection.

"Silence manifests through the minimal direct light in initial zones, with illumination diffused through intricate mashrabiyas and controlled circulation.

"Light flows through open, flowing spaces and 'fereej'-like zones, with illumination penetrating various mediums – direct, indirect and diffused – creating a harmonious interplay that transforms the building into a vessel of serene enlightenment and cultural reflection."

Student: Fatima Nader Ali
Course: Architectural Design IV
Tutor: Lejla Karajica
Email: fatimanader168[at]gmail.com

Serenity Village: Residential Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Mental Health by Jovianne A Francisco

"Serenity Village is a mental health residential treatment and rehabilitation centre that combines intensive and therapeutic care which caters to transitional recovery, from individual therapy to community involvement and self-reliance.

"Serenity Village aims to create an architecture that fosters healing through a user-centric and site-responsive approach.

"This project aims to showcase how architecture serves not just as a structural covering but as a healing tool toward a pristine state of mind.

"The architectural design's minimalistic approach embraces functional clarity, facilitates freedom, structurally expressive forms and meticulous articulation of mass and void to create spaces that establish transparency, fluidity and tranquillity."

Student: Jovianne A Francisco
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Susana Soares Saraiva
Email: jovianne.francisco[at]gmail.com

Centre for Sustainable Innovations by Kawthar Shawqi Durazi

"Centre for Sustainable Innovations is a platform that provides creative minds with all they need to produce sustainable products.

"The space is distributed into four interconnected zones vertically and horizontally in a hierarchal manner, depending on the production process and inventor's needs, including the production zone, design and working zone, and the display zone and relaxing zone.

"The building concept represents a solution to revive reclaimed lands by creating a living building with a central core that collects all external forces and spreads them back to the building and its surroundings as a source of power, social interaction, biodiversity and beauty."

Student: Kawthar Shawqi Durazi
Course: Graduation Project – Design Stage
Tutor: Dr Ranjith Dayaratne
Email: kawthardurazi[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and University of Bahrain. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.