Competition: British Council & Saudi Design Week

Project Leaders: Ahad Almeida, Janet Vutcheva, Harry Thorpe, Harrison Marshall, Joshua Peasley

Project Collaborators: Studio Ahad Almeida

In collaboration with AV, we were short listed for a competition hosted by the British Council and Saudi Design week to design and construct a reimagined ‘House of Hairs’ - a traditional Bedouin tent

The House of Hairs, or, the Arabian tent, is synonymous with ancient Bedouin life, but with a significance that still resonates today. Firmly established as a quintessential element of Arabian culture, the House of Hairs also went by the name of “the house of poetry” and was the home of the Bedouins who resided there. Carried with them on their travels, there were traditionally two forms of Arabian tent; the summer tent, made of wool or wool bags and the winter tent, made of goatskin (left).

The design of the pavilion is built around the act of listening to poetry and reading poetry- something that can create an intimate environment for its users. The design of the pavilion reflects the introverted nature of the programme - at one time the space can accommodate six people sitting in swings hung from the structure while listening to poetry which fills in the space and unites users in a single momentum. The swings can be used to create an intimate inward atmosphere with their radial arrangement but can also be lifted up to create a more open and outward facing space - accommodating for twenty people in the event of live poetry reading.

For more information about the Saudi Design Week, see HERE.

For more information about Studio Ahad Almeida, see HERE.