Category

Architecture

Barrak Al-Babtain 3
0
ArchitectureOtherUrban
July 1, 2012

A Gaze onto the City

I am sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Kuwait City. I am enjoying my cup of coffee while browsing the net, checking my timeline on twitter, and gazing out to the street. The sight from where I'm sitting shows how far the city went…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 0
0
ArchitectureNeighborhoodOther
June 23, 2012

المنزل الكويتي

ما هو البيت الكويتي؟ كيف نعرفه؟ للبدء في الإجابة عن هذا السؤال، علينا أولا أن نعرف من هو الكويتي و ما هو نمط الحياة الكويتية ومن ثم محاولة إظهار هذا في بيئة مبنية. على المنزل إيجاد توازن بين العوامل البيئية للموقع وخيارات نمط الحياة لسكانه…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 4
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ArchitectureEducationOther
February 6, 2011

Starchitects and Kuwait

Barrak's comment on my last post got me thinking of how to prove my point of the importance of world famous architects building in Kuwait. Barrak argues that Kuwait does not need a new iconic building, since we have Kuwait Towers, which is true. He also…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 6
0
Architecture
October 16, 2010

Desert Architecture

Kuwait is a desert, yet you wouldn't know this by looking at our architecture. What does it mean to design for a desert climate? The most important thing is to understand three basic rules: Understand the movement of the sun Know how different materials react…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 18
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ArchitectureUrban
July 22, 2010

Al-Hamra Again

Al-Hamra tower is an iconic building and the tallest sculpted tower in the world. It will be, once completed, the most prominent feature of Kuwait city's skyline. This tower would be a touristic feature to Kuwait and an asset to the country's economy. We would…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 13
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ArchitectureEducationOtherUrban
May 22, 2010

Al-Hamra Tower

Here is a documentary about the tallest sculpted tower in the world, which is the Hamra Tower. It is an interesting documentary and very informative. I thought of sharing it here since I've noticed that not a lot of people have seen it on youtube.…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 19
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ArchitectureQortubaUrban
February 28, 2010

Fences

Why are Arab architects and engineers obsessed with fences? There's always a big fence surrounding every building, usually around the site perimeter. I can understand a fence around a prison, maybe a zoo, but why everywhere? What's the point? It don't think security is a…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 9
0
Architecture
February 9, 2010

An Arrogant Architect

Building on Jasem's post a few days ago, i'd like to talk further about the responsibilities of an architect in Kuwait and the perception people have of our profession. Here are a few of the comments from that post: "Another problem we have here (this…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 6
0
ArchitectureEnergy
February 8, 2010

Sun Orientation

When deciding to buy a plot of land or a new house, never forget to bring a compass. You always need to know the orientation of the site to know where the sun would be. The sun predictably rises from the East, arches high across…
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Barrak Al-Babtain 2
0
ArchitectureUrban
January 28, 2010

Architectural Dialogue

The fundamental function of architecture is to provide a shelter space. Huts are perhaps the first form of known architecture in human history. Architecture, as history teaches us, has evolved into something far beyond creating shelter space for people. Throughout recorded history, and as far…
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