Wednesday 28 May 2008

Going for a "Shuwaikh Adventure"?


if you want to do any piece of furniture or anything in shuwaikh there is a good guide called aldileela sold in virgin, which contains really good maps and notes on where can you find things.

but if you are going to do a model or a piece of furniture but you don't know what to start with here is a tip,

1. understand that all the iron comes in 6 m length and the wood comes always with specific dimensions (5x25-20x240) and there are many kinds, and also there is the squarish dimensions مرابيع which come also in different scales and if you can't pay for the expensive wood but want their appearance, you can buy a veneer and cover your wood and this is usually done by the painter .
>so i would recommend first of all you should visit the suppliers بائع الخشب مثل الاستاذ و ليس المنجرة، بائع الحديد مثل صوفان و الصفار للبراغي و العدة
ask about the types and prices. you will get inspired of how would you do your work with.

2. draw your piece with its dimensions on a piece of paper before going to a carpenter or blacksmith.

3. in drawing everything in advance you should make a map of what comes first:

-how many pieces (full) of wood do you need
-plywood, MDF or natural معاكس والا طبيعي
-will it be exposed to water? to make it protected (MDF won't stand water at all)
-thickness: determines how long the screw must be (screws best bought first to show them a sample of th fastener because they get the idea when you show them.
-the way of joining: determines the type of the screw
-if there are holes for the joints to fit, then do the iron holes first but do the wood holes at the end.
-glass, plexy glass are the most expensive,aluminum and iron are average (but they might cheat on you easily) and wood is the cheapest (and they never cheat, if you felt so, divide it into wood price and work price).
by the way the ply wood used to be in 4.5 kd now is 6.5 kd !

4. now you should put in mind that the best way to get things easy going is to find a carpenter next to a wood supplier, or a blacksmith next to Sofan supplier to save transportation.

5. to all of those who you will contact:
-explain it (make it appear simple)
-discuss the price
blacksmith example> قطعة وحدة (بسيطه فيها تخريم مع لحيمها مترين في متر) بدون سعر الحديد يحاسب عليها ١٥ دك صافيها ٧ دك
- when you give any one the wood or iron, note that they have no right to get what left from it الزايد
unless you don't really need it.
- take their contact number, give them yours, don't depend totally on them come back before their submission date and check your stuff.
- you will save time if you thought in advance of how you're gonna transport it to the place you want after it is ready, better than searching for a cap over there.
و كروة الوانيت ان كثرت وايد وصلت ٧دك بس المناطق القريبة من بعض ٢-٣
- try to understand a bit of farsy and hindu, that might help in getting in their realm and they may like you and give you a good price :)
-always get the bill it is better for the long run, it has the name of the shop, the name and price of the piece as well as their numbers. you can understand the prices from year to year with this technique.


الحجاج و المطري :بلاستيك شفاف
الصفار(احسن اسعار)-النصف-تروفاليو-ايس هاردوير(بنفس المنطقة التي بها صفاة الغانم): لوازم البناء من براغي الى صباغة و زراعة و نقل بسيط
الأناقة: لتشطيبات البيبان و المعلقات
مخرطة النجمة: مكان لمعالجة الحديد و قصه و طعجه و أيضا لصب الحديد في حال تريد مقطع حديد معين
صاج: لوح حديد مسطح
مبسط: شريط حديدي عرضه ٤ سم او اعرض بقليل و سماكته تقاس بالمم
خشب ابيض: ارخص انواع الخشب
شارع الزينة: اذا تبي جلد يعطيك وايد ارخص من سوق الاقمشة
و انواع اكثر
يجب ان تعلم ان القطعة الجاهزة مرت عليهم و لكنها تتفرق على اشخاص عدة فليست دائما تنتهي مثلما اردت
اي سؤال في هذا الخصوص انا حاضرة

Saturday 24 May 2008

a shocking reality

land, in natural eyes
same land, in an architect's eyes
same land, in a developer's eyes
same land, planned by both, to astonish and thus get the the second target



Q1: isn't the first image already astonishing?
Q2: have you noticed how the architects image dissolved?

p.s. the image is in Mutla'a, Kuwait .. thank god it's still reserved.

Friday 23 May 2008

POST GRADUATION PLAN

Inside my bubble:

1-Write a book-portfolio about my study years.
[needed for all applications]

2- Apply on Kuwait Fund (الصندوق الكويتي للتنمية).
[valid for 2 years after graduating]

3-Apply to The Kuwait Municipality.
[needs great strength]

4-Target architectural workshops.
[not a job]

5-Establish a new study on architecture.
[but i won't do it for a professional degree]

6-Target idea or design competitions.
[either theoretical or humanitarian]

7-Join in building for low income communities around the world.
[risky but it is one of my highest dreams]

8-Hold on a private sector consultant.
[yeah..mmm.. experience.... yet static]

Note that any of these won't happen for all my life, what I've written is the most prior suggestions as a start. Sometimes i wish for something that can make me interested in all my life, i don't know what it might be.


Is there any suggestions or comments? please have your say.

Sunday 18 May 2008

كويت




يا بحور ديرتنا ارفقي باهل المعاني الجميلة
يا شموس ديرتنا احرقي كل الغصون الهزيلة
يا دروب ديرتنا اسحقي كل الخطاوي الدخيلة
كان انتي قصدك تسبقين مثل الشعوب الأصيلة

Thursday 15 May 2008

The Childhood Event




























In Juhani Pallasmaa's notes about home and feelings and how it can reflect on humans, there is a great stress on the childhood memory and how it is the strongest mark on a person's character. We studied that in "Theory of Architecture" class three years ago, and still the thought in my mind, until I found a pattern of reference whenever I watch a lecturer starting his/her lecture. Usually when a lecturer starts -especially if new to the audience- he/she starts with his childhood memory (except those who start with the sentence: "..........." is life and the dotted is their profession).

This made it very interesting to me because people started to be a bit categorized .. People have unique and different details about their childhood, which is what Pallasmaa claiming for, but aside from that, there is a very strong generalization in the subject.

Thus, those who were children in the '60s and '70s in America are seen very interested in Physics and they are mostly want to explore the space or they're into the major idea of "dreams come true", which might be referred to the most general event: MAN ON THE MOON.

Locally in Kuwait, people who were children in the '50s and '60s are more keen for a modern country they are very open minded and accepting very ideas they are also revolutionary and have a great passion for change in some remarkable cases, so can it be from the tag line: KUWAIT MODERN BOOM or also ARABIC REVOLUTION.

Those who were children in the '70s in Kuwait are to my knowledge very interested in Technology, science fiction and detection but also the history about first and second world war affect them to serial thinking and also very dreamy. their tag is: TECHNOLOGY.

As for those who were children in the '80s mostly in Iran and Kuwait there is a great affection of WAR which -as children- it doesn't affect them in being depressed rather than get them into being fighters and pioneers they like to stay on the edge, very risky with a rich imagination.

Now those tag lines are the most significant EVENTS in a local area and as the childhood memory is the strongest in a person's affections I think these qualities mentioned above are very reliable. Of course each person has its precise references and details yet a very dominant event can have a stronger impact on a child.

For example to an adult, the war can be a sign for depression, but to a child it is an adventure! To an adult technology is a sophistication, while to a child it is a new world.. The revolution and change to an adult can be a sign for greed, war and unsettlement. But for a child it is a significant passion.. My mother was born in the '50s, you see her until now always interested in the human causes like racism and peace. Revolutions is always a trigger in her mind, and she finds it a natural thing in the human nature, which my father -seven years older- disagrees with her in that.

People are continuously changing "subjects" yet, there is always a moment of reference and sure has a dominant reaction as long as the reception of a human nature is in "whole" and "parts".

This brings two more thoughts:
1. History isn't really history as it absorbed in the human nature.
2. The estimation of balance between peace and war (or in a better sense: "science" and war) is always there and kind of setting a balance in the human nature.

[I didn't really do a scientific research on that, it is all based on my personal analysis from social activities and my general knowledge in history.]

Wednesday 14 May 2008

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

For those who asked me about my work, and those who want to have a look at my screen right now.

Tuesday 13 May 2008

LAMELLA


18 May 2008
7:00 pm

Lamella - Exploring the Layers of Computer Based Matter & Making,
is a

two fold event presenting the work of Small Architecture, starting with a lecture on the 18th of May at Kuwait University, Department of Architecture, which is followed by an exhibition at the Dar Al-Funoon Gallery (Date to be confirmed).

[Please note that the lecture at KU will take place as scheduled but due to unforeseen circumstances the exhibition at Dar Al-Funoon has been postponed until further notice.]


About the Event:

Both the talk and exhibit aim to present and explore the technologies, materials, even idiosyncrasies, that transpire when physical thing are conceived directly through digital processes. What distinguishes the work shown from much of the other current computing based architectural design and exhibitions, is that all the pieces shown are at full scale and are all the conclusive and final entity, which (even though occasionally still a part of an evolving process) aren't there as mere representations of something to be realized at a future date and place. Pictures of, or renderings depicting, designs are kept to a minimum, if not avoided completely in the exhibit...

The designs aim to reflect a more tacit and sensorial interest in things conceived and directly realized through the various computing dependent means, and aspire to do so in a manner that uses the particulars and peculiars of such fabrication processes (the burnishing marks of the laser-cutting process; the 'stair-stepping' grain of the various additive, Rapid Manufacturing, methods) as intrinsic ingredients of the eventual completed end product.

Sunday 11 May 2008

عوض دوخي



بس على شان اللي ما يعرفه، عوض دوخي هو اللي ماسك عود و لابس دشداشه بيضة لان في شخصيات عدة راح تظهر بالفيديو

Saturday 10 May 2008

Favourites:



طروب - يا ستي يا ختيارة

today was really a great day.. i spent sometime with family (photographing them in their daily positions) and then had lunch with my best friend (M) at the avenues (its been a while since i had a simple day).. at night we got into arranging the pangea day event at home .. i put up a projector and we all had a nice evening :)
the singer's memory is shared between me and my friend as we always listen to her in our hangouts, thought of sharing it with you :)


not really tagged but I got it from big pearls :)

1-Cheese?
Gouda, ricotta

2-Chips?
rings (the purple one)

3-Salad?
watercress Salad

4-Restaurant?
Food: Ginger, Ashas, Italo's & Wasabi
Memory: Chilies, Joney rockets

5-Burger?
Beijen duck (slider station)
Chilly size with relish (Joney Rockets)

6-Mall?
main targets:
-Sultan center
-Ikea
-Virgin
-Ace hardware store
-Jareer

7-Channel?
all movie channels

8-Chocolate?
-after eight
-aztek (spicy chocolate I'd tried in the US)
-Godeva cherry

9-Fruit?
Pineapple & Grapes

10-Color?
Brown

11-Singer?
Men: Awadh Dokhy, Abdulhaleem, Mark Knopfler
Women: Um Kalthoum, Fairooz, Dido

12-Biscuit?
Mary and Sandwich

13-Bank?
NBK

14-Hair color?
Black & Gray

15-Nuts?
Kaju

16-Program?
TED talks, not regularly watch programs so it depends on the time i open the TV

17-Perfume?
Stella McCartney (the old one) - Cambodian Incense

18-Country?
Visited: Italy-Oman
Not Visited: India-Nepal-France-Yemen (flexible)

I tag Purplecious

Friday 9 May 2008

Beirut بيروت

finally blue


Congratulations dear Kuwait for this wonderful blue sky of today.. The weather was amazing and I hope it continues for some more time :)

Wednesday 7 May 2008

مقال أثر فيني


مقال أقبال الاحمد بالقبس يوم السبت

قبل ان يختتم المرشح طلال الغانم كلمته في افتتاح مقره... اصر على ان يستمع الحضور من الرجال والنساء الى بضع كلمات طلبت منه احدى السيدات ان يقرأها امام الملأ، وكأنها تجيب عن كل التساؤلات التي طرحها ويطرحها كل المرشحين وان اختلفت شعاراتهم ومحاور برامجهم الانتخابية. لماذا كانت الكويت جوهرة الخليج في الماضي؟

تقول:
ــ الشعر كان يعيش افضل عصوره لما رثى الشاعر ملا عابدين الشيعي الشاعر عبدالله الفرج السني.
ــ الموسيقى كانت تعيش ازهى عصورها لما كان التنافس بين الحان سعود الراشد السني والحان محمود الكويتي الشيعي.
- تسيدنا التجارة في الماضي لما كان نوخذة سني يبحر في بوم صنعه قلاف شيعي .
ــ الاغاني كانت احلى على عود حمد خليفة السني ومرواس فاضل مقامس الشيعي.
ــ المسرح كان في قمته لان الذي اسسه حمد الرجيب السني واكمل مسيرته عبدالحسين عبدالرضا الشيعي.
- ما كان عندنا طائفية كريهة لان صوت الاذان المرتفع يختلط بين مئذنتي مسجد المزيدي ومسجد بن رومي في شرق.
- ما كان عندنا طائفية كريهة لما كان الناس يحضرون مالد السيد الحنيان السني عن مقتل الحسين في الحسينية الخزعلية.
- كنا نعيش ازهى عصور الادب عندما قام خالد سعود الزيد السني بتوثيق حياة الاديب عبدالرزاق البصير الشيعي.
ــ كنا نعيش الوحدة الوطنية لما يوسف البدر ويوسف الصبيح السنيان وزعا الاكل على الفقراء من السنة والشيعة في سنة الهيلق، ولما فتح عبدالوهاب الوزان الشيعي مخازنه لمحتاجي الكويت من السنة والشيعة خلال الغزو العراقي.
وكنا اسياد الرياضة لما سجل فيصل الدخيل السني هدفا في كأس العالم من خلال تمريرة من عبدالله البلوشي الشيعي وسجل هذا الهدف باسم الكويت.
لم اسمع تصفيقا في حرارة ذلك التصفيق الذي دوى في خيمة المرشح طلال الغانم... وكأن الكل يقول نعم نحن كنا كذلك... ونريد كلنا ان نبقى كذلك.
الغريب ان نغمة جديدة دخلت علينا الان.. انا حضري وانت بدوي.. انا ابن العوايل وانت ابن المناطق الخارجية.
أعيد كتابة ما سبق، واضيف:
نعم كنا نعيش افضل عصورنا في الشعر والموسيقى والتجارة والمسرح والادب، كنا نعيش الوحدة الوطنية بجلال قدرها وقمة معانيها عندما كنا نتحدث وننادي بعضنا باسمائنا واسماء عوائلنا دون ان يعني لنا الاسم اي طائفة او قبيلة او مذهب، لم نكن نعرف هذا السؤال.. هو سني او شيعي.. مطيري ولاَّ عنزي.. حضري ولاّ بدوي؟؟
لم تكن هذه الاسئلة في قاموس تعامل اهل الكويت في يوم من الايام الا عندما فجرها جهلة الكويت والحاقدون عليها.. والاميون فيها وان كانوا يحملون شهادات الدكتوراه.
صح لسانك يا من كتبت هذه الكلمات.. والله يوفقك يا من نقلتها الينا.. والله يقدرني على قرع الجرس بين الوقت والاخر

Tuesday 6 May 2008

Doing Nothing

It is very intriguing, how doing nothing has a very deep impact on my life in terms of its meaning. It is not that I do nothing all the time, but instead the opposite. when I have a situation where I have nothing to do, I feel totally different, and I can act no more. Sometimes I feel that nothingness is a rejection from nature, from the natural flow of life, and I don't get it, although it has defined reasons but definitely not my own.
Doing nothing occurs in small moments in one's life yet it can change the life style and perspective.

Monday 5 May 2008

HAPPY

Today my pinup went just fine for the first time -thank god- now I should concentrate on the presentation with confidence :D
Saying of the day: feel ready and you'll be it!

Anemic

In the last few weeks I was suffering from a severe anemia: The lowest average for a female is 6.9 percent of iron in blood, And I am 1.45! so in quick actions I quited coffee (from double shots to decaf) and began to eat three times a day instead of one.
I am feeling a lot better now, but the problem is the side effects of the medicine I am taking. It makes you lose your appetite, so I am forcing myself to eat three times a day for a meal I am not really enjoying just to eat a medicine that will keep letting me feel a stomach-ache all day!
Dear www,
"THANK GOD FOR THE MERCY OF GOOD HEALTH"

Sunday 4 May 2008

CHANGE IN DATE

For all who want to attend Sulaiman Al-Dikan Concert: "Al-Maraqey", I notify you that the date is shifted to Tuesday the 6th of May.

AutoCAD is HEAVEN

After a month of manual work, I am falling in love with AutoCAD back again. Flirting with it like a freak!

Friday 2 May 2008

A Letter:

Dear Dalal Arch,

I hope you are doing great in your foreign land. when you were here I never thought of this weird connection between us that makes us talk non-stop hours. I just enjoyed these times.. when you left I didn't really miss you, I am busy and I am not a person with attachment. after about 2 weeks I just couldn't help thinking about you all the time, bring up the "missing you subject" to all my friends but it came so achingly. Maybe this occurs with you in particular because I never felt our relationship is happening out of the form of duty.
Lately I worked a lot, my feelings were deserted for a while. my thoughts are going through extreme shifts. I demand many lonesome times. I don't know why I consider you a part of my lonesome time. I really don't know Dalal, but there is an urge in me to see you. is it a feel to escape what i am in (a lotta work) or a normal nostalgic feeling?
maybe this questioning is because I'm usually a solo in my daily life there are some moments in the day when i see people and then they fade within so many occurrences, coincidences and plans.
my brain is always busy, but rarely about other people, the people in my mind are very limited. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, it's not because I'm selfish but my head cannot stand not relating thoughts together that made my thoughts shift from the norm..
but this urge of traveling to where you are is making me into the absolute missing of a friend, although I am interested in the way you think it is no longer interesting at this time.. i just need this presence of someone I care about, not necessarily to have a conversation.

for mac users and expected buyers

our courtyard at the moment

[CLICK ON PHOTO]

Thursday 1 May 2008

A Death-Defying House (!)

[CLICK ON PHOTO FOR INTRODUCTORY VIDEO ABOUT THE PROJECT]

musically affected?


Yesterday in Dar Al-Athar while we were waiting for the doors to open in the lobby I was sitting, and in the same circle of chairs there was a guy reading a book, well I was reading too but I was curious about his book. so I over-read the title, and that's the book illustrated above: "This is Your Brain on Music". I searched about it and it seems very interesting and stimulating.

[CLICK ON THE COVER PAGE TO SEARCH INSIDE]