INTRO

The 4th Eskan Bank Award keeps its focus on finding alternative housing solutions for future Bahrainis: solutions, equally affordable, sustainable and culturally appropriate.

With that in mind, this year challenge calls for a reflection on the current housing situation in Bahrain and current alternatives for the identified problems and/or patterns of use.

These alternatives should include:

1. A considerate sample of Bahraini household size and age groups, which Eskan Bank is more likely to serve, reflected into suitable housing typologies;

2. Critical reflection on housing typologies in terms of the most affordable and sustainable solutions (construction, maintenance, and payback period) for vertical and horizontal circulation; parking; outdoor spaces and units layout;

3. A comprehensive listing of components which are not just a repetition of “standard” domestic spaces but a critical reflection of what Bahrainis use and need;

4. Suitable hierarchy of indoor and outdoor spaces;

5. Understanding of functional spaces vs. symbolic spaces;

6. Understanding of social and cultural values in the spatial hierarchy and relationships;

7. Careful selection of local materials and construction techniques in symbiosis with integration of modern technologies.

 

DESIGN CHALLENGE

Development of an affordable vertical housing project which, will explore alternatives for affordable housing in Bahrain. This should reflect not only on citizen’s functional needs but also on symbolic and psychological ones, such as existing notions of privacy, flexibility and individual and communal property. The project must also have a high aesthetic quality attractive and appealing to Bahraini citizens.

The project is located in Danat Al Saya and is composed of vertical housing units, which vary from 7 to 10 floors. The students must develop a vertical housing building in a given plot, taking into consideration the existing Master Plan of the area: road network, location of other buildings and uses as well as, surrounding urban context.

The focus is on designing alternative affordable housing solutions for Bahraini families. Considering the information collected from the 2010 Bahrain census, households size of 1 to 3 members and 4 to 6 members constitutes the highest percentage (31 and 33% respectively) followed by household sizes of 7 to 9 members (21%). The smallest percentage corresponds to families over 10 members (15%).