Location - Muharraq, Bahrain.
Term - Fall 2019
Softwares - Rhino, Revit, VRay, AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop.
Culture and Architecture have always been interconnected since the very beginning of time. American Values lie in their very culture. As an outsider to the American culture, I see Modernism, Minimalism, Individualism, Independence, and Privacy as the important values. It helps America to be very distinct and prosperous and make its mark in its way. Similar values can be or have been implemented in contemporary architecture. The structure is one of the important aspect that depicts the culture. The choice of material, formation of internal as well as external spaces, strongly influences its culture. Consulate or Embassy being the most important building which depicts the culture and values of their own country holds an important place in contemporary architecture. As an American consulate in foreign land, it should embody the strong cultural values of the nation, such as minimalistic, distinct, futuristic, efficient and welcoming. The choice of material , with futuristic and sustainable design will help captivate the idea of Modern America in the foreign land of Muharraq. The landscape is another aspect, which strongly holds the cultural values of the country. America being a large country, it's cultural, as well as physical landscape varies dramatically. But, the core idea about minimalism and openness is common throughout. Large green open space, which makes you feel welcoming, with minimal ornamentation, helps define the Idea of America. Also, the public space amalgamated within the project helps connect the people of Muharraq to the idea and value which America portrays. The idea of maintaining the security using landscape as the tool but still blending with the context of the heritage city is another idea that helps convey the idea of feeling secured and open at the same time, instead of Isolated. “Water” in architecture has many objectives such as centrality, forming, inviting, bonding, separator, passing, running, dramatic, etc. Careful use of water as an element in the project helps achieve the idea of separation, at the same time, welcoming and bonding. The main objective about the project was to create experience while the subject is wandering through the functional spaces using passage as the tool. The program is effectively placed within the passage to meet the basic requirement of the consulate.
