TAIF ALQASSAB
Portrait courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
Taif AlQassam is currently a third-year architecture student at the University of Bahrain.
At a young age, Taif, born in Manama, Bahrain, moved out of the capital to live in a Bahraini town. During Middle school, Taif discovered her passion for art and spent her free time sketching characters from her favorite shows. One of Taif's proudest moments was graduating with a science major as Salutatorian at 17. Architecture school was a starting point to broadening her views on art and defining her direction in the field. Today, she is interested in Minimalism and sustainable design projects. Taif dreams of reflecting her inspirations in her architectural designs.
Where are you from?
Proud Bahraini who was born and raised in this beautiful country.
What is your favorite dish?
Tempura rolls and tacos are currently the top two contestants.
Three additional fun facts about Taif
Hobbies: Poetry reading. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
Despite living in a country that is rich in cultural history, I was not familiar with its traditional architecture until I majored in this field.
I would choose tea over coffee any day
Although I grew up as a book lover who only read, wrote, and thought in English, I am recently recognizing the beauty of the Arabic language and trying to discover it through traditional Arabic poetry.
Recognizing Arab Potential
What inspired you to study architecture?
Design process – Developing a concept and a building form. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
During my travels, I would admire the architecture of the country I am visiting and dream of being a part of creating similar masterpieces. I was fascinated by classical European buildings with their tall standing columns and magnificent sculptures and ornamentation. Alongside my interest in mathematics and physics, I was set to pursue a career in engineering. It was not until my senior year of school that I decided to factor in my love for art to help me find a field that I would enjoy studying and working in. It was then that I came across the term, architecture. My parents were huge supporters of my decision; my mother started introducing me to the works of the famous Zaha Hadid. I started looking more into her work and interviews and was astonished by my findings. That’s when I realized that architecture was the major for me.
First design jury. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
Name a woman architect (preferably Arab or MENA) who most influenced you as an emerging professional? Why or how did they?
History of architecture sketch book. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
Like many of my peers, Zaha Hadid was my biggest inspiration going into this field. The main reason I look up to her goes back to the similarity in our cultural identities. Starting out as an architecture student, I looked into famous architects, their works, and philosophies. Most of the architects I found on the web were western men, so to me, Zaha stood out as an icon of female Arab power. The fact that that the first woman to win a Pritzker Award came from an Arab background was greatly inspiring and impressive to me. Her style and philosophy were so unique that it immediately caught my attention. I remember seeing a picture of The Heydar Aliyev Center then immediately adding it to a list of places that I would like to visit. Eventually, my interests were directed to a different architectural style but the stamp she left behind and how we always relate deconstructivism designs to her will always be influencing.
Name a favorite project completed by a Woman Architect (preferably Arab or MENA). Why is it your favorite?
Touring the Shaikh Ebrahim Cultural center in Muharraq. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
I would have to go with the Revitalization of Muharraq project, which Nourah Al-Sayeh was awarded the Aga Khan Award for her work on. I have visited the sites of the project multiple times and I would fall in love with it again every single time. The project aims to showcase the pearling history of the country and restore its cultural identity. It is situated within the streets of the older part of the city of Muharraq. It feels like adding a modern touch to a traditional area while still preserving and highlighting its cultural heritage. I feel like people are forgetting the significance of our vernacular architecture. This project which is now a UNESCO world heritage site also turned into a destination for tourists and Bahraini people reminding them of the architectural gems that long existed in the area.
Pearling Path visitor and experience center in Muharraq. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
How does your culture/ethnicity affect your studies and the way you design?
Exploring textures through architectural models. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
The traditional architecture of my country carries a huge value in its history. It saddens me how it’s slowly getting lost between all the modernity. To me, my culture has always been a point to embrace in my designs. I try to incorporate its values as well as physical elements wherever possible. Courtyards, wind towers, and mashrabiyas are inspirational points that I tend to return to during my design process. I live on an island, so the sea is a powerful muse to showcase in my designs. I find many architects finding their concepts from other areas of our culture such as the various crafts found here, including boat making, pottery making, and basket weaving. I believe our culture to be a strong point to include in any project.
Are there any organizations that helped you grow in architecture? How did they help you grow?
In my junior year, I joined a program that helps student discover their skills and interests and thus aiding them in deciding upon a major to study. One of my favorite facilitators at that program was an architecture student at that time and the reason I was introduced to the major. Their passion for the field and how much they enjoyed it drove me to consider it as something I would want to spend my time doing. At the end of the program, architecture was one of my top three choices. Furthermore, I am currently a member of AIAS (American Institute of Architecture Students), the University of Bahrain chapter. It has been an amazing experience. It gave me the opportunity to be involved in more volunteering work to help students that study in the same field. It also gave me the chance to meet some wonderful people who share the same interests and enthusiasm as myself.
Artist palette. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
What is your favorite memory in architecture school or work? Why?
My favorite memory has to be the first semester of architecture school. When we were all newbies with a very faint idea of what we were getting into. I think we all were extremely excited for the new chapter we just entered that we learned to push ourselves despite the college pressure that was somehow new to us. We were still getting to know the field and discovering its aspects. For my basic design course, we had an assignment to find a random object and analyze it then create a completely new object with the same characteristics as the original one. The object I found was a hand cymbal. I analyzed the form of the object, the materials it was made of, how it served its function, and experimented with changing its form and how its materials would react to different elements such as fire and water. I believed this to be a good introduction to the things I would have to consider while designing later on. For my new object, I created a school bell that could also show the timing of each period. This was the first thing I ever created from scratch and the process was very interesting. I think it is the small activities like this that helped grow my love for the major.
If you were able to talk to your younger self, what would you say?
I would tell myself to leave my comfort zone and experiment with as many things as I can. As a kid, I was terrified of change and trying out new things. I was scared of changing schools or using a different painting medium or meeting new people. It was the moment that I left my bubble when life started to unfold before me. It was then that I found new hobbies, gained more social skills, and formed my personality into a stronger more daring one. Stepping out of the box shaped me into who I am today and gave me new exciting opportunities.
What would you want to say to the next generation of aspiring Arab women architects?
I think it is important to try out different things. Don’t just go for hobbies that relate to our field. Different things would impact you positively in many ways. Start a new sport, learn a new skill, read a different genre of books. Trials are key in finding your character. And finally, don’t fear a fall every now and then. A setback is sometimes a good push to move forwards.
Horse back rides through the towns of Bahrain. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
In terms of rising concerns and problems (in the architectural profession) over the past year, what is one change that you wish saw would happen and still did not? This can be in an educational or work atmosphere.
I have heard many comments from people that do not believe in the power of Arab or local architects. It is a common misconception here that a foreign firm could always do it better. I wish that the community would recognize how skilled and creative our local architects are. Our young talents have great potential and when given the chance they always come up with the best and most remarkable results.
Horse back rides through the towns of Bahrain. Image courtesy of Taif AlQassab.
